july 4 – THE HORROR REPORT

Fourth of July burst of nostalgia

We have been posting this clip from the WONDER YEARS since this website was born..

As time goes on you start feeling a little less like Kevin and more like Mr. Arnold..

Limit your nostalgia. It is dangerous. But allow this one..

Make sure UNCLE SAM sees you flying your flag on Fourth of July

When patriotism crosses the line from love-of-country into cult-like obsession—where questioning anything is seen as treason and nuance is dead—that’s when things start to get real weird. Not unlike, say, a horror movie about a murderous dead soldier in red, white, and blue..

Patriotism can be a beautiful thing—but let’s be honest, it can also be scary ..

Hear me out.

Yes, I’m talking about Uncle Sam—that forgotten little 1996 horror flick that was equal parts goofy and unsettling, and somehow still echoes today in all the wrong ways.

The plot? A group of teenagers desecrate the grave of a Gulf War vet, and said vet doesn’t take kindly to that. He rises from the dead as a walking PSA for blind patriotism, and starts maiming anyone who isn’t waving a flag hard enough. Subtle? Not exactly.

But it was one of the first horror films to tap into the Gulf War era, instead of the well-worn Vietnam tropes.

Look, I’m not saying Uncle Sam is high cinema.

It had a budget that probably couldn’t cover a fireworks stand in rural Pennsylvania. But I am saying that the character was a ghoulish and weirdly memorable versions of Uncle Sam itself. And still sticks with me.

Proof that even low-budget horror can leave a mark.

Or a scar?
Don’t even start me on JACKO!

The movie leans more toward comedic horror than psychological thriller, but watching it today, it almost feels… prophetic.

A guy in a flag hat violently enforcing “real” patriotism? Huh. Totally fiction. No modern parallels there. Nope. Nothing.

Just a cage match in the White House lawn for America 250…

Anyway, this 4th of July, we won’t be watching Uncle Sam again—not because we’re too good for it, but because the Twilight Zone marathon is on, and nothing screams “American holiday” like existential dread and government conspiracies in black and white with Rod Serling narrating.

Or maybe we’ll queue up that episode of Stranger Things where the mayor insists on throwing a fireworks show while literal monsters are tearing the town apart. Now that feels like the true spirit of the season.

Happy Independence Day. Light the grill, question authority, and maybe… skip digging up any graves.

The Famous July 4th Twilight Zone marathon schedule

New Years and Fourth of July–two of the best holidays. Not just because of the meaning of each day, but more importantly the Twilight Zone marathon on SYFY..

Sure there is streaming.. yes you saw them a million times.. but there is something special about watching a TV show that others are watching at the same time as you.. And if you’re anything like the HORROR REPORT, the show will be on in the background of your life for the Fourth of July ..

Here is the full schedule, with all times being Eastern..

Friday, July 4

“The Four Of Us Are Dying” – 5:00 a.m.
“Nervous Man In A Four Dollar Room” – 5:30 a.m.
“Long Distance Call” – 6:00 a.m.
“Passage On The Lady Anne” – 6:30 a.m.
“Nightmare As A Child” – 7:30 a.m.
“The Hitch-Kiker” – 8:00 a.m.
“The Long Morrow” – 8:30 a.m.
“On Thursday We Leave For Home” – 9:00 a.m.
“Elegy” – 10:00 a.m.
“I Shot An Arrow Into The Air” – 10:30 a.m.
“Third From The Sun” – 11:00 a.m.
“And When The Sky Was Opened” – 11:30 a.m.
“Where Is Everybody” – 12:00 p.m.
“Mirror Image” – 12:30 p.m.
“The Parallel” – 1:00 p.m.
“The Little People” – 2:00 p.m.
“Death Ship” – 2:30 p.m.
“Stopover In A Quiet Town” – 3:30 p.m.
“The Gift” – 4:00 p.m.
“To Serve Man” – 4:30 p.m.
“People Are Alike All Over” – 5:00 p.m.
“Black Leather Jackets” – 5:30 p.m.
“Probe 7 Over And Out” – 6:00 p.m.
“Mr. Dingle, The Strong” – 6:30 p.m.
“The Invaders” – 7:00 p.m.
“The Fear” – 7:30 p.m.
“Hocus-pocus And Frisby” – 8:00 p.m.
“The Fugitive” – 8:30 p.m.
“Will The Real Martian Please Stand Up” – 9:00 p.m.
“The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street” – 9:30 p.m.

Saturday, July 5

“The Lonely” – 12:08 a.m.
“Mr. Denton On Doomsday” – 12:38 a.m.
“Night Call” – 1:07 a.m.
“The Bard” – 1:36 a.m.
“One For The Angels” – 2:35 a.m.
“Escape Clause” – 3:04 a.m.
“Jess-belle” – 3:33 a.m.
“I Dream Of Genie” – 4:32 a.m.
“A Man In The Bottle” – 5:31 a.m
“Of Late I Think Of Cliffordville” – 8:00 a.m.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IV3L6cWiRKQ?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1&origin=http://safe.txmblr.com&wmode=opaque&w=250&h=187]

Every year I present my favorite piece of nostalgia from pop culture.. The Fourth of July finale of the WONDER YEARS..

The show captured what Americana still exists in me–the idea that the past is in your little home town but the future so often leaves it.. The meaning of it, and the words spoken during this scene, become more haunting and true with each passing year.

Take this snapshot of Americana in 2015: Lots of Americans things that the country is actually two thousand and fifteen years old. Which is not true, despite yearly stories of Americans who behold such truths to be evident..

Instead we are 239 years of age.

But aging.

Look deeper to the economic plight of the nation, the decaying infrastructure, and the loosening traditions. There is a lot of work to do. There are positive pieces to give pride.. and others to remove hope.

It’s been worse before though.
We made it.
And can again.

The bombs bursting in air, gave proof to the night, that our flag was still there..