The Hand

Before Oliver Stone was showing us the horrors of war and presidents and James Woods he was dabbling with stupid horror like Michael Caine losing his hand and going insane because he can't draw muscle men anymore. My Cocaine (Michael Caine) run around bug eyed dreaming of his paycheque. The crazier Michael Caine gets the wilder his hair becomes until baby I can see this guy running a chocolate factory.

Woeful, incoherent "horror" film is worthless on every level; Caine alternates "shouty" and droning in his line delivery (his two modes in the 70s and 80s era), and Stone fails to bring any life to a film that looks like it was made for TV on the cheap. A potentially fun premise is squandered here, on a screenplay that never even clearly establishes what "The Hand" is - trying to work out the bizarre Lansdale marriage (are they divorced/divorcing, still unhappily married?) is impossible.

Sir Michael Caine, you didn't need to go so hard in this film. Would have been perfectly respectable to tone it down a few levels. Also, while people find this to be a surprising entry into Oliver Stone's canon, if you squint hard enough, this film actually follows LBJ's presidency pretty closely.

pithy review: gripping....

A ludicrous horror film

Good variation on the "Crawling Hand" theme, with Michael Caine delivering an excellent performance as a total prick

We all know the real reason Caine was upset to lose his hand. Especially after his wife told him she was leaving for New York.

Booooriiiing.

39.500

39.000

A very stupid horror film. Watch "Mad Love" or "The Beast with Five Fingers" instead.

One of Oliver Stone's first films, it's surprisingly effective and interesting. Michael Caine took what could have been utter schlock, added his professionalism and charm, and turned it into a great performances in a pretty cool movie.

This film has decent execution - moody atmosphere, interesting use of shifts from color to black & white, good pacing - but it has a really dumb premise, so the tension between "is this real?" and "is he delusional" feels so silly.

Not that good story.

I damn the day I watched this, it gave me nightmares for days in a bunch, I was 10. I wish anything is as effective these days.

Very amusing.