Uncle Sam (1996/Daughter request)

When I watch this, I get that it might seem to be patriotic, but I felt right the opposite. I felt this was Cohen satirizing overt patriotism, since Sam, even with honors killed in friendly fire, is talked about by his sister and wife as not a very good guy (it would seem he was toxic and scary; judging by his zombie killing spree, Sam isn't above going on a civilian body count, or killing soldiers who find his downed chopper in Kuwait). Plus, the war vet, Isaac Hayes' Jed, tells young Jody, Sam's nephew, not to enlist, unleashing on how "the bad guys" aren't so obvious. The film is purposely Stars and Stripes, Red, White, & Blue overload. The Uncle Sam in stilts meant to be in the 4th of July parade is a peeping tom. The tax cheat dresses as Abe Lincoln and mocks Francis Scott Key to Hayes. Three local teenagers burn a flag, spray paint Sam's tombstone, and piss on graves, eventually one is buried alive, another hung on a flagpole, and the third (who screeches the National Anthem disrespectfully) "loses his head". Robert Forster is a crooked congressman looking to capitalize on tax cheat, Ralph's death for publicity. Young Jody has hero worship for Sam, fills his room with war comics and toys (and books), and doesn't realize that his uncle molested his mom since she was six! The military was going to cover up Sam's "friendly fire" death. And at the end, as Jody burns all of his war toys and books, his mom looks on in pride. So I can't say this film was marching to a drumbeat telling us to be all we can be.

The big 4th of July parade gets its fireworks show with Forster taking part involuntarily while his wife's boyfriend (a deputy) unsuccessfully tries to save the congressman, blown back and down a hill onto Sam's flagpole spike. So I just didn't feel this was saluting the American Flag and rallying anyone watching to join the military right away. Still, I dug the zombie get up for Sam and I could just see myself drawn to the poster of this film on a VHS box during the waning years of the rental store in 1996/1997.

It was great seeing Hayes in a nicely extended role as a wounded vet with a wooden leg and Bo Hopkins in a small role as a visiting Sergeant whose job is to inform widows their husbands died in combat (while taking advantage to sleep with them). The use of the cannon is just a fitting touch Cohen added in the screenplay. Timothy Bottoms has a small part as a teacher who fled the country during Vietnam in opposition, "getting the ax". There was a subplot involving a blind kid in shades who was a victim of a fireworks to the face (the mom played by PJ Soles, of all people); I'm not exactly sure why. This also wouldn't be a Lustig film without a stuntman on fire (Sam still pursuing Jody while Jed tries one more cannon fire).