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The Graduate looks at IDLE HANDS
Hey folks, Harry here, saw this film last night, enjoyed the hell out of it, though I went expecting it to be a floating log of Baby Ruth con corny. There may not be an original bone in the movie, but gosh it's fun to see how it's all pieced together. I'll be writing the review... later (I promise), but time just isn't letting me, what with the SLC PUNK review I wrote tonight. Well, I agree almost all the way across the board with our spy here, except with Jessica Alba, who for me more than did her job as EYE CANDY. The pure caloric heat flash you get from her is enough to cause damage to your keyboard. Vivica Fox was HORRIBLE though... so I agree! Here's The Graduate's look....
I managed to score tickets to a sneak preview screening of IDLE HANDS in downtown Boston
tonight. This movie is coming out Friday, so the version I saw was the final cut, complete
with the trailer for BIG DADDY attached.
Think of this movie as BILL AND TED’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE meets THE EXORCIST. Even better,
think of it as the anti-SCREAM. Whereas SCREAM was a horror flick with occasional flashes of
wry, self-referential wit, IDLE HANDS is pure comedy with the occasional scare thrown in. Devon
Sawa plays Anton Tobias, a stoner who’s so out of it he doesn’t really notice when his parents
go missing. He’s brought crashing back to reality, however, when he finds their corpses in the
living room, his name scrawled in their blood, and his right hand suddenly intent on mangling
his best friends, not to mention his hot new girlfriend.
Pros: The men. Devon Sawa, as Anton, does some terrific physical acting to totally convince
the audience that his hand is possessed. In this age when we expect all our fantastic special
effects to be spoon-fed to us by computers (and this film does have its share of those), he
manages to take a physical gag to a new level. Seth Green and Eldon Henson are a riot as
Anton’s stoner friends, two dudes who are so lazy that they come back as undead because they
can’t be bothered to walk down that "long, bright corridor" to heaven.
Cons: The women. Jessica Alba, as Molly, the main romantic interest, gives a performance that
makes Keanu Reeves look like Sir Laurence Olivier. Her delivery is stilted and her motivation
utterly unclear. Granted, she isn’t given much help from the script: it’s never entirely
plain why she likes Devon, the loser from next door, so she’s reduced to role of sex object and
scream queen. Vivica A. Fox gives a lackluster performance as Debi Lecure, a role which (in my
opinion) should have been eliminated from the movie entirely. Her character is supposedly a
demon hunter from an ancient line, but the fun in this flick is watching a bunch of potheads
try to destroy out a supernatural evil. Her character just doesn’t jibe with the movie’s
concept.
With so many misleading and/or spoiler-filled trailers out today, it’s nice to see the
marketing team finally get one right. If you saw the trailer and hated it, don’t bother going.
If, on the other hand, you laughed at the ludicrousness of the concept, this film is for you.
The filmmakers never forget that their movie is a comedy based on an incredibly silly premise,
so many of the major plot twists (and the climax) are equally goofy. There are a few nice
scares (on the level of "something pops out just when you thought you were safe") and creative
means of execution, but the movie wisely steers away from delving too deep into the horror
genre. Instead, the jokes come pretty consistently, even if they’re not the most sophisticated
ones.
Final tally: Two and a half stars (out of four), and a special "Balls to the Wall" award to
Sony for making and marketing this baby.
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Ash must be turning in his grave...
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What is this just a mix between an American Werewolf in London and Evil Dead II? At least Ash had enough sense to chop his hand off, which continued to be a menace throughout the entire film. Turning, indeed!
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Apr 28, 1999 8:04:18 AM CDT
Hey Reviewer Dude, does Alba go naked? Director said there'd be
by wesley snipes
There's an interview with the director at www.eonmagazine.com and he said he wanted to harken back to the old days where horror teen flicks had sex and nudity. So is there any of that going on in this film? And does any nudity involve Jessica Alba (please!)?
:) -
I was pleasantly surprised by Devon's turn as the acid pusher in the otherwise mediocre Slc Punk, which Harry bashed on his much ballyhooed S&E stint. I groaned when I saw his name in the credits, and I expected him to be gratutously miscast. Surprisingly, he did a pretty good job, and managed to hold his own against Matthew Lillard (despite Harrys objections, Lillard is the ONLY reason to see SLC Punk. The guy oozes coolness, I was shocked that Harry didn't dig his performance). I never saw Wild America, but after the critical trashing I expected Sawa's career to receed faster than Bruce Willis' hair line. Idle Hands looks like a riot, any film that stars Seth Green as a pot smoking zombie has got to be worth the price of admission. I don't care if that chick is a lousy actress, she's frickin gorgeous!
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I worry that this film might influence disturbed youngsters to become undead and dismember themselves.
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I have one word for you, Graduate, and it aint "plastics!"
CRAP!!!! I couldn't believe what I was seeing when I watched IDLE's trailer. It boggled my mind how incredibly stupid this film looked. That line about "ruining your bush?" And Seth Green's ugly mug pretending to be leatherface? Oh, yeah, the knife needs to be plugged in...hahahaha!
Christ, pieces of dung like this makes me ashamed to call myself a film fan. Anyone associated with this picture needs a sharp kick in the pants by L'Auteur! -
I could just hear the pitch to the suits "Okay! Okay! This is a film about a possessed hand, and its like Scream meets Something About Mary, kids are gonna eat this up! Its a horror comedy, its got two lables so its twice as good!" The only way we can stop films like this is just to not show up, and save our money for Blair Witch Project! If you are going to see this film just to see some flavor of the month actress, just look her picture up on one of those celebrity nude sites, im sure you have it bookmarked. Hollywood suits need balls like they had in the 70's, instead of just kicking them for cheap laughs in Disney flicks.
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I never said this movie was CITIZEN KANE! :) Like I said in the review, the jokes are none too sophisticated, and if you groaned aloud at the trailer, you probably would hate the movie. This flick is a solid picture based on an admittedly stupid premise. If you're looking for intense psychodrama, save your cash for EYES WIDE SHUT; if you want serious terror you should probably wait for THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT. If, on the other hand, you're up for some dopey, juvenile humor this weekend, check it out.
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What is this world coming to when there are entire movies based on a boy and his hand?!
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The problem with all you little film geek guys is that you take yourselfs much too seriously.Most of you guys thik because you have seen a lot of films, evry time a movie comes out which doesnt live up to your lofty standards it is a piece of shit.im tired of hearing you guys bag on flicks like scream and IKWYDLS.for me,the point is how much fun did i have.when i saw scream and IKWYDLS i was in a packed theater and it was my second date with this really hot girl and the reactions from the crowd which was made up of mostly kids my age was incredible.the level of energy in the theater was toatlly cool,with evryone laughing and reactin to the scares at the same time.the point of this whole rambling diatribe was that it was FUN!!I know scream wasnt exactly oscar caliber film making but,fuck it!Dontget me wrong,im all for movies with great writing and acting and little indie art house stuff that wins prizes with names i cant pronounce but that does NOT put me above going to see a movie just for the sheer hell of it.So the message is,enjoy yourselfs! isnt that the point?if you sit there and bag every film that comes out ,without even seeing them,just because they might not be oscar caliber material and your delicate sensibilities might be offended then you are missing out.ill be there at idle hands and plan to have a fun time and if the movie turns out to lick balls i will not regret a single penny of my 7.50 admission price.live a little guys...even a sucky film is better than sitting at home on your ass doing nothing.
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You know what's not fair? How you guys can go to crap teen movies, even though you know it's crap, just for the hell of seeing them be crap. Like what Harry expected to do with this movie. But I can't go see crap teen movies, even though I know it's crap, just for the hell of seeing them be crap because I am a teen and people will think I'm seeing the crap teen movie becuase I'm a teen and actually want to see the crap teen movie, cause that's what crap teens do. That sucks dude.
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Graduate dont listen to that idiot who said that this movie must suck because he didnt think the trailor was funny. This movie is damn funny, its also stupid as shit but its freakin trying to be stupid so get over it. Its brainless its retarded and its the bloodiest damn movie ever but its entertaining and enjoyable if you think you can post reviews for the movie cause youve seen the trailor, you got another thing comming
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sorry i kinda rushed that last post, i mispelled trailer about 3 times
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...youre a teen,for christ sake!you should be out having fun,hanging out with your friends and laughing at movies like this. i never said that this movie would be a masterpiece of film making but i did say it would be fun.dude im not even a teen anymore and i love these kinds of flicks cause you can check your brain at the door and go in and have a good time.all im trying to say is not every film has to be a religious experience to be a good,watchable film.there are plenty of movies out there that i will admit are definately not worth watching and do constitute a waste of time,but to say that you wont see this flick or other teen movies cause you dont wan to be branded as a teen..i just dont get that!im in my very early twenties and i love these kinds of flicks.even the chessy im-too-hip-for-mtv dialogue is cool.all im saying is,if you hate teen flicks,thats cool,thats your right,but dont bag evry teen flick that comes out as 'oh,theres another scream' all of the people that posted saying they were not going to be caught dead at this movie did so BEFORE actually seeing the movie,just based on the fact that they hated scream.i really dont get why those movies are almost unanimously dissed by teens yet,if you remember,scream was so popular it was re-issued.who do you think was lining up to see this flick over and over,adults?no,it was teens and twenty somethings like me but probably not like you guys who cant get past nitpicking at movies and just enjoy them!that is the whole point ina nutshell.enjoy.forget about how lame the lines are or how dorky the acting is...just have fun.and i think it is unfair to totally rule out a movie based on a stereo type of teen movies.
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What I am assuming here is that those of you who have negative opinions about this film HAVE NOT YET SEEN IT. Now, having read the script about two years ago, I knew what to expect when this film hit theaters. I knew we'd be getting a little "brain bubble gum" to entertain us. But that doesn't bother me. Not in the least. In fact, I'm happy that SONY and other purveyors of these types of mindless cinema (IKWYDLS and SOMETHING ABOUT MARY being the most recent and prevalent examples) continue to make movies that I will enjoy. Certainly I will enjoy films such as THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION or GODS AND MONSTERS, but not on the same kind of cerebral level I will have loved IDLE HANDS. I will see it because there is a lot of stress in my life, and every once and awhile I need to be reminded HOW TO HAVE FUN. And like some previous posters: I will take a beautiful woman with me, because even though the fright-factor in the movie may not be high, she'll probably clutch on to my arm and hold me for the fact that the energy in this kind of film suggests to her that it's just the right thing to do. I'm going to IDLE HANDS this Friday, because it's going to be FUN. I am not going to ENTRAPMENT, because that doesn't look fun. I've had a long month and I need to finish it off with a little guilty pleasure. Live a little. Don't expect every single frame of celluloid to be of SAVING PRIVATE RYAN caliber, because sometimes it's better to have your funny-bone tickled, than it is to have your mind stimulated.
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that is what its all about!FUN!!all you little wannabe siskels need to lighten up.is entrapment coming out this weekend?i didnt even know that...
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some of us don't find these movies fun. Some of us find them mindnumbingly stupid and sophomoric and can't watch them without thinking something like "I can't believe this was released and '13 Days' isn't going to be made" or just simply "I can't believe this piece of shit was made." It dulls my senses and makes me lose control of my bowels (metaphorically), that's how painful I find these movies. When the only attraction is how attractive the costar is...well, there are plenty of attractive women out there; I can go watch a movie with them in it, or, even better, date one of them. Meanwhile, I'll continue to go to movies hoping to see another "Citizen Kane" or "Pulp Fiction"...because I enjoy watching well-made movies...and excuse me for complaining when low brow populist pieces of shit are released...but fuck you for complaining about me complaining. And why shouldn't a person evaluate a movie based on its trailer? Trailers are made specifically so you can evaluate the movie (usually by showing you the entire plot)...and when the trailer makes you cringe, you have to say that perhaps the movie will make you vomit...it's not always the case, but it often winds up that way. I complain because your going to see a mediocre movie means that more mediocre movies get made...and I hate mediocre movies. -Loki
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I saw the Idle Hands presentation last month at the LA comic con (in attendance were the writers, the director, the always funny Seth Green and the super fire hot Jessica Alba.
They showed several clips from the film... Actually, they showed too much, revealing major scenes and sequences, BUT the impression I got was that okay, this is the late 90's teen version of the splatter comedies of the 80's. Re-Animator, Evil Dead 2 (yes, some American Werewolf, though I know that wassn't so comical in overall tone)... the clips showed that this was one of those type films with lots of gore for comic effect. Original? No. And yes, I hope today's teens discover the aforementioned films for themselves. But damn, don't MOST of you LIKE the films I mentioned? Cause for those who do, what's the harm in Idle Hands? If these types of films don't interest you, cool. But relax, you don't have to see it. -
I stated from the very beggining that these movies are NOT masterpieces by any stretch of the imagination,but to me they are fun.maybe to you they are not but thats why this is america.the point i was tryin got make is that evryone attacked this movie just because it falls into the 'teen movie' genre.im amazed at how all you guys consider yourselves so much better than stooping to watch a "...low brow populist piece of shit" just because,once upon a time you saw pulp fiction or citizen kane and you had a cream fest in your jeans.dont get me wrong...i love pulp fiction,but if you recall,tarantino himself recommends chessy blaxploitation flicks just because they are FUN.you guys act like youre a bunch of film experts and anything that doenst meet your high standards is shit.life is too short to nitpick so much.also,why is it that almost all of the people who geek around on computers and love films and do other geeky type shit have this loathing for movies that show teens doing "normal" type stuff and call it mindnumbingly boring or stupid? Hmmm...jelousy,maybe?
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Umm... Why is it that anybody who has a bad thing to say about this movie is accused of being high-brow.
I am certainly not high-brow. I consider my self a huge fan of movies like this. Well, at least movies like this which don't SUCK so much. Really. The humor was forced, at best. The story sucked - especially the parts which ripped off better movies (which was most of the story). And even the characters in the movie knew what a dud ending it had.
Devon Sawa wished he was Bruce Campbell. Seth Green and Eldon Henson were OK, but their material was pretty lame. Jessica Alba, as mentioned previously, looked great but added nothing. And what was the deal with Vivica Fox? Her acting was horrible, but her part stank even more. Nobody could have made that part work.
I can see why Harry liked the movie: gore and "titties". But please, I've seen pretty much every horror movie released in the past few years and this was one of the worst!
To recap... I've seen some fun "dumb" horror movies lately and I've seen some fun "dumb" teen flicks. I like checking my brain at the door and I don't mind seeing the same plot devices re-used and/or spoofed. But I do know a big stinking turd when I step in one. About the only cool scene in the movie was the one with The Offspring. That made me laugh. I wouldn't even pay to rent this. If you can see it for free on cable then you probably got your money's worth.
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