Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Uncle Sam 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 12, 2022

Bill Lustig's "Uncle Sam" (1996) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Blue Underground. The supplemental features on the release include two archival audio commentaries; deleted scene; fire stunts; vintage promotional and production materials; and more. In English, with optional English SDH, Spanish, and French subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Is there a legit connection between Bob Clark’s Deathdream and Bill Lustig’s Uncle Sam? My very honest answer is I don’t know. There are elements of their narratives that are similar, even identical, but these films have drastically different personalities.

Deathdream comes from the early 1970s, which was undoubtedly the best decade for American independent filmmakers and auteurs. It is part unconventional horror thriller, part psychological drama and has that very rough, borderline documentary appearance many of John Cassavetes’ films are remembered for. It hits hard, with great authority too, so it is awfully difficult to recommend as a campy film you can enjoy with a couple of friends on a lazy Sunday afternoon. It is very obvious to me that Clark wanted to deliver a serious message with it, which is precisely what he did.

Uncle Sam is a more recent film. It comes from the late 1990s and much like Deathdream blends elements from a couple of different genres. The two most easily recognizable ones are horror and black comedy, but it very much wants to be recognized as a straightforward contemporary slasher. This means that it can be a lot of fun to see with a couple of friends on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

What connects these films, then?

They have an almost identical starting point -- in a faraway place, an American soldier dies and then returns home as something else. Is the ‘something else’ a zombie? Well, in both films it looks like a zombie but has a functioning brain that allows it to make logical decisions, so I am unsure. The crucial detail is that the ‘something else’ that used to be an American soldier is trapped inside a rotting human body and its intentions aren’t good.

Now, here’s something else that connects Deathdream and Uncle Sam, which I find quite intriguing. These intentions aren’t good only if they are judged through the same conventional horror prism. What does this mean exactly? It means that Clark and Lustig leave the door open for you to rationalize the intentions differently, and this I see as a clear connection between their films as well. For example, in Deathdream the horror is used to emphasize the legit point that war veterans return home as psychologically broken, practically unrecognizable individuals. Uncle Sam emphasizes the exact same point while adding that the values and ideals the war veterans have fought for are disrespected by many in their communities as well. Does this mean that Deathdream and Uncle Sam are political films, too? No, but they certainly use politics in identical ways to unleash their main protagonists.

Despite all of the interesting similarities and undertones, however, the strength of Uncle Sam is in its slasher material, which isn’t terribly original. I do think that the nighttime killings are shot pretty well, but good camerawork does not equate quality material of the type that makes similar genre films exciting.

The cast includes a number of solid genre actors such as Bo Hopkins, William Smith, Isaac Hayes, Robert Forster, and Timothy Bottoms. Even Frank Pesce, who sadly passed away earlier this year, quickly steps in front of the camera.

*Blue Underground’s upcoming 4K Blu-ray release of Uncle Sam is sourced from an exclusive new 4K master that was prepared after the film was fully restored for its 25th anniversary. The 4K master was supervised and approved by director Lustig.

Uncle Sam 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1 encoded with HEVC/H.265, Uncle Sam arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Blue Underground. The release does not include a Blu-ray copy of the film.

Please note that all screencaptures that appear with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray and are downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc, including the actual color values of this content.

Uncle Sam has been fully restored in 4K under the supervision of Bill Lustig and looks absolutely stunning in native 4K. Frankly, even though Uncle Sam has a different stylistic personality, I think that the quality of its visuals is every bit as striking as those seen on the 4K makeovers of Lustig's Maniac Cop 2 and Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence. I viewed the entire 4K presentation of Uncle Sam with HDR enabled -- Dolby Vision is an option as well -- and in terms of delineation, clarity, depth, and color reproduction the visuals are very much in what I consider to be 'reference quality' territory. For example, some of the outdoor daylight footage from the Fourth of July celebration is just so sharp and lush that it feels like it was shot a week ago. The darker footage boasts outstanding ranges of nuances as well, especially in areas where there are multiple layers of restricted light/shadows. Obviously, the HDR grade makes quite a difference, but I would describe as subtle, or very carefully balance so as not to overdo particular areas, which is makes the organic nature of the visuals even more impressive. Fluidity is outstanding too, so if you have a large screen this release can be used to properly judge top quality on your system. Image stability is immaculate. All in all, this is yet another incredible 4K Blu-ray release from the folks at Blue Underground. (Note: The 4K Blu-ray release is Region-Free).

Uncle Sam 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this release: English Dolby Atmos and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

I viewed the entire film with the exclusive new Dolby Atmos track. I thought that it was very impressive in its management of nuanced dynamics and surround movement during footage where the main protagonist attacks his targets. Obviously, the film's original sound design emphasizes plenty for optimal effect, but I have to give credit to the Dolby Atmos track as well because its potency was excellent. The dialog was clear and easy to follow, and I did not think that there were any areas where balance could have been better.

Uncle Sam 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary One - this archival commentary was recorded by director Bill Lustig, writer Larry Cohen, and producer George G. Braunstein. The bulk of the comments address the conception of Uncle Sam (the film was a big 'friends project'), the manner in which different parts of it were shot, its socio-political relevance, the use of music (some of which was apparently quite problematic because it resembled other original music), the casting of Isaac Hayes, etc. The commentary was recorded in February 2004.

• Commentary Two - this archival commentary was recorded by Bill Lustig and Isaac Hayes. It is equally informative, but I thought that it has a lot more interesting comments from Bill Lustig about the exact composition of various sequences.

• Trailer - original Rated R theatrical trailer for Uncle Sam. Newly restored. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Deleted Scene - presented here is a deleted scene from Uncle Sam. In English, not subtitled. (1 min).

• Fire Stunts - this footage with fire stunts can be seen with an audio commentary by stunt coordinator Spiro Razatos. There are some quite interesting comments about Bill Lustig's working methods and enthusiasm for genre cinema as well. In English, not subtitled. (10 min).

• Gag Reel - In English, not subtitled. (1 min).

• Poster & Still Gallery - a large collection of vintage promotional and production materials for Uncle Sam.

• Cover - a reversible cover with vintage poster art for Uncle Sam.

Uncle Sam 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If viewed with a couple of good friends on a lazy Sunday afternoon, Uncle Sam could be a lot of fun. However, if you approach it expecting that it could be a great genre film you somehow missed over the years, I think that you will be underwhelmed. It has its moments, especially after the thing from the casket is released, but I feel that an opportunity was missed to make it as thought-provoking as Deathdream and Jacob's Ladder. Blue Underground's upcoming 4K Blu-ray release offers an exclusive new 4K restoration of Uncle Sam that is an absolute stunner. Frankly, the quality of its visuals is every bit as striking as that of the ones seen on the 4K makeovers of Bill Lustig's Maniac Cop 2 and Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence. RECOMMENDED to the fans.