The 4th of July conjures up images of fireworks, cookouts, and large amounts of explosives handled by drunk dads. For some people, it also means screeching bald eagles and unbridled patriotism.
Personally, the 4th of July has always meant one thing, terrible horror movies loosely based around the holiday. If you enjoy spending your summer vacation watching 20-somethings try to outsmart undead presidents, then this list is for you.
The evil in us
I could fill a book with all the things this movie tries to be, but unfortunately fails at most. Apparently The Evil in Us had four different scripts crammed together at the last minute.
Equal parts Cabin Fever and jinks, this movie never really finds its footing. This by no means makes it unwatchable. The disorganized flow of the film makes for an enjoyable watch as you try not to guess the story.
In main roles Debs Howard (iZombie), Danny Zaporozhian (The killing), and Behtash Fazlali (Wire closure). If you’re looking for something original to watch on the 4th of July, check it out The evil in us.
Uncle Sam
This film is brought to us by the master of schlock himself, Larry Cohen (The Maniac Cop). There is a part of me that really misses these types of movies. The movie raises a cop, soldier, or president from the dead for mostly inexplicable reasons, with the sole purpose of killing teenagers.
Does it break the mold? No, but that’s not what it’s for. Uncle Sam is made for people to eat popcorn and laugh at how ridiculous the story is. There’s something admirable about a movie that knows what it is and doesn’t try to hide it.
In main roles William Smith (Red Dawn), David Fralick (Inferno), and Christopher Ogden (SLC Punk). If you’re looking for a good 4th of July laugh, check it out Uncle Sam.
2001 Maniacs
Ok, this movie has nothing to do with the 4th of July. Still, it captures the true spirit of what these films aim to be. 2001 Maniacs it’s full of camp, gore and southern hospitality.
It’s criminal how underrated this movie is. Shows the reunion on the screen Robert Englund (Nightmare on Elm Street) and Lin Shaye (End of the road). If that doesn’t do it for you, how about cameos from both Eli Roth (Cabin Fever) and Peter Stormare (Fargo).
2001 Maniacs not only does it have some major horror alumni, but it’s also a fun movie to watch. If you can get past the problematic elements and want to see Robert Englund play a racist southern governor, go see 2001 Maniacs.
Reelected
This movie has it all, terrible college humor, reanimated presidents, and a cabin in the woods. Reelected features a zombie George Washington wielding an axe, what more could a fan of the genre ask for?
I went into this movie with no expectations and came out the other side a changed man. Reales is by far my favorite 4th of July themed movie on this list and has been added to my annual watch list.
This movie may not be for everyone, the humor is dry and the camera is all over the place. That said, it’s a really fun ride that doesn’t take itself too seriously. If you want a new twist on holiday horror, check out Re-Elected.
Jaw
You knew this was coming, right? I try to populate these lists with some of the lesser known films I can find. But this is a 4th of July list, it would be blasphemous not to include it Jaw. Free Jawwe wouldn’t have things like shark week or worse Sharknado.
If for some reason you haven’t seen this classic, do it now. Even if it’s just to fill out the horror information database, it’s worth the time. Jaw it’s the classic story of a killer shark interfering with profit margins.
Say what you want Steven Spielberg, but his dream cars have kept people afraid of sharks for nearly 50 years. If you want to spend the 4th of July enjoying a classic, go see it Jaw.