The Hand (1981)

[Neville]

Here's a real rarity... an early film by Oliver Stone with a B-movie horror plot and Michael Caine.

It all revolves around the character played by Caine, a comicbook author with a troubled marriage who loses his hand in a freak car accident. From then on he tries to adjust to his new life, but he experiences blackouts and is eventually convinced that his former hand has a life on its own.

It makes an anjoyable ride, but little else. It's certainly better than you may imagine from its plot, but Oliver Stone seems to doubt too much between making it a serious character study or surrendering to its B-movie plot. I mean, it could have easily been written by Stephen King. So it's sort of an OK film until the last reel, when Stone finally realises he needs to go over the top and the result is as close to a Sam Raimi film as it can get with Michael Caine in Bruce Campbell's pants.

As for Caine, he really delivers here. The man has taken a lot of flak (and he deserved every bit of it) for appearing in crappy films just for the paycheck, but here he is virtually in every scene and his acting is exemplary: her doesn't shy away from showing what a complete bastard his character is during most of the film, and in the final scenes he's not afraid to ham it up as much as he can.

So I say, it's worth checking it out.

[RCMerchant]

Boy...I saw that on HBO back in about 1982! When HBO showed cool movies like HUMANOIDS from the DEEP,SILENT SCREAM,SWEET BROWN SUGAR...and the HAND,of course.

[Psycho Circus]

Wow! I've seen this and totally forgot about it! It's quite good once you get into it. 

[The Burgomaster]

I posted some comments about this back in October 2007 (has it been that long?)  Here they are again (ah, the memories . . . maybe I need a repeat, late night viewing):

I picked up a copy of this DVD at Best Buy.  You can also buy it as part of a horror boxed set that includes DR. GIGGLES and a few other titles.

For a movie about a living, crawling severed hand to be effective, the hand needs to look real.  Unfortunately, even though it (actually they - - several different mechanical hands were used in this movie) was created by Carlo Rambaldi, the hand looks fake.  So, right off the bat we have "silliness" problems.

Michael Caine turns in a decent performance as a cartoonist whose hand gets severed in an automobile accident (a very bloody and unsettling scene).  They can't find the hand to re-attach it, but it comes crawling back on its own to help Caine do away with his enemies.

I'd say this is a "middle of the road" psycholigical thriller . . . some of it works, some of it doesn't.  Oliver Stone directed it, if you happen to be a fan.  Co-starring Bruce McGill (D-Day from ANIMAL HOUSE) and Viveca Lindfors ("I want my cake, Bedelia!")

[peter johnson]

Best Oliver Stone Film!!  Ever!!
* * *
The wife and I really like this one -- and, yeah, Caine really makes the film work.  It's hard to imagine how this would have turned out with someone else as the lead.

"Second City TV" did a great sendup of this, with Dave Thomas in the Caine role:  "Are you looking at me because of my bloody hand?!?!" -- Classic.

Just good cheesy B movie goodness in every frame . . .

peter johnson/denny crane