Screening Report: Uncle Sam at Alamo Drafthouse, Yonkers (4/17/18) w/ Bill Lustig

It must have been a year or so ago that I attended a screening at the Alamo, in Yonkers, that was hosted by Bill Lustig. I forget what movie it was, but I want to say Vigilante or Maniac Cop 2. Wait a minute, you don’t know who Bill Lustig is? For shame. He is a director and producer who has been in and around the industry for decades, and he is responsible for bringing us such classics as Maniac and Maniac Cop. Well, in any case, after the screening, there was some discussion about any possible interest in seeing his last directed film, Uncle Sam. I was the first one to say that I would be there. It is not that it is a great movie, but it is a fun one that I thought would be fun to see with an audience. Now, here we are basking in the afterglow of a screening of said movie.

Movie Review: Maniac (2013)

The film Maniac is a grimy, gritty, unsettling slice of horror that came out back in 1980. The story was developed by the star, Joe Spinell, and directed by William Lustig (Maniac Cop, Uncle Sam). The movie has stood the test of time, garnering itself something of a cult following. The film stands out from the slasher films it is usually lumped together with, as it centers on the killer, forcing you to follow him down his path of madness, murder, and self destruction. I find it curious that such a dark film was targeted by the remake machine as it never had mainstream appeal and an unsavory approach, unlike the Friday the 13th or A Nightmare on Elm Street series.