IDLE HANDS
Here’s a movie without an original bone in it’s body. It blatantly lifts from the back pocket and the inside coat pocket of EVIL DEAD 2, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, FRIGHT NIGHT, AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON, DEATH BECOMES HER and several others.
And I had a blast with it. This isn’t a perfect film, but I’ll be damned if it ain’t worth a matinee at the ol theaterama.
I walked into this one knowing that it came from the director of LEPRECHAUN 2 and THE UNBORN. That Dr Evil’s son had a major role in it, and that it’s alleged premise was to steal a single 5 minute bit from EVIL DEAD 2, and then stretch it into a feature length film.
Not just any five minutes either, but what I believe will be analyzed as one of the great scenes of slapstick in the history of film. Bruce Campbell’s performance with his possessed hand was GENIUS. How dare some hack director, and a couple of never before heard from hack writers desecrate the memory of this great film!
I’m so glad they did. Now, I’m gonna be real upfront with this. I know for a fact that a lot of genre fans can not stand bits that are stolen from previous films. But you know what? I feel for ya man. I really do. To let the fact that these bits have been done before in classic films get in the way from enjoying this wonderfully frantic film... well... it just depresses me.
The film does have a couple of MAJOR problems though that keep it from garnering higher praise, the main problem being.... Vivica Fox. To say she is awful in this film is to be kind. For the life of me I can not conceive of what anyone thought they were doing casting her as this character. Every second she is on screen is a second that we are kept from being entertained. It wasn’t just me, the audience I saw the film with seemed to groan in unison upon her every appearance.
Then there’s the truck dude (I believe he’s played by Jack Noseworthy), and comes across as some sort of Bon Jovi look alike.
Both of these characters would have been well served to be killed off early in the film thus sparing us their presence.
This film does have a bit of a manic energy that I enjoyed. And whenever Seth Green and Elden Ratliff appear on screen the movie is just... several levels higher than when they are not.
Now, you know who Seth Green is, but you might not remember Elden Ratliff, who turned in one of the best performances of 1998 period in the under-advertised and mis-marketed THE MIGHTY. A film that deserved to live for a very long time, but I get the feeling that it’s cable and video life will be akin to the life that STAND BY ME has. Anyway he’s been coming a long way from his years in a Mighty Duck uniform, and I really cannot wait to see what happens with him in the future. He’s incredibly charismatic and talented as all hell. Even with all the insanity in this film, he nearly walks off with the movie.
Now, there is another side of looking at this movie this week. With our televisions, radio and email-newsletters sending in info after info of what happened in Colorado, well.... It’s hard for one to not carry in to the movie all the feelings of anger at the media over their condemning of violent films.
I mean, here we have a movie where a ‘seemingly normal’ high school kid becomes a serial killer, killing friends and other citizens all with a wink and a smile.
What will the effect of this movie be on the YOUTH that will get to see it?
They’ll have a fucking blast ok? They’ll get in there and laugh their rears clean off. All this is, is a grand guignol version of the THREE STOOGES. Noone can take this film seriously. And if they did... If they did try to look for hidden meanings, it would be a condemning of lazy behavior which leads to your own destruction.
But you know what.... You would have to be severly uncool to be looking at this film with that set of eyes. This is a FRIGHT NIGHT type of film. Remember that period of films that were kinda like that?
When teenagers got caught up in phenomenally bizarre situations like in: WARGAMES, FRIGHT NIGHT, THE MANHATTAN PROJECT, GOTCHA, THE LAST STARFIGHTER, RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD, etc?
Well this film is right in there in the middle of that group somewhere. It’s just for fun. It’s not about the advancement of the filmic form. It’s not about bringing something new to the genre.... But then sometimes when you follow and capitalize on a formula well enough, you can get away with murder.
Sometimes you go to the movies to just have fun. This is one of those. And I have to say that from here on out I’m gonna keep my eye on Rodman Flender. He started out in the Roger Corman school of film, and ya know? Every now and again somebody graduates out of there and does something... remarkable. This film ain’t quite that, but it doesn’t take much precognitive abilities to look at this film and think.... You know... this director, these writers.... They might be on to something really cool.
So let’s keep their eye on them.
If you are trying to flip a coin between this and ENTRAPMENT... I have to tell you to go see this. It’s the vastly more entertaining film. And if you are hung up on Catherine Zeta Jones’ ass.... Well, Jessica Alba is one hot as hell eye pleaser for the adolescent fantasies of those in the world that give into those urges.
Not me of course... I’m an objective reviewer that doesn’t allow his little head to take over and review films.... It’s too hard to type one key at a time anyways...
Enjoy the film. I did, and I’m going back.
