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IDLE HANDS review
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.
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+ Expand All
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"The touching story of a boy and his hand"
You've got to love any movie with that sort of tag line 8-P
What is your hand doing? -
"The touching story of a boy and his hand"
You've got to love any movie with that sort of tag line 8-P
What is your hand doing? -
I just wanted to reassure everyone that also posted or read under THE GRADUATE'S review of this film, that I AM GOING TO SEE THIS FILM. I will, however, not waste my money on ENTRAPMENT, nor any of the other films that have been released in the last three weeks. I haven't had F-U-N in a movie in almost a month now, and that's dissapointing. I remember having returned to the U.S. after a brief stint overseas, and going to the theater twice-- and upwards of three times-- a week. The movies that were out were entertaining, enthralling and exciting. Now, what I am loaded with is the decision to see either the latest CGI titillation-fest (yes, I saw THE MATRIX three times...) or a showcasing of the sappiest, crappiest, melodramatic screenwriting and acting since THE ENGLISH PATIENT (and here, I make comparison-- and probably much to my chagrin-- over SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE). With IDLE HANDS, I want to go to a movie and not have to think. If I want to think, I will pop in my LD of CITIZEN KANE or CASABLANCA and be reminded of what movies where like then. And if I want to be entertained, I'm going to watch INDIANA JONES, SCREAM and the slew of other movies that I'm sure would make you "experts" get all pissy and moany about. My support of IDLE HANDS does not tell Hollywood to make crap. It tells them to make FUN movies that I will have FUN with. I'm not going to star at a pre-pubescent starlette. I'm not going to see one of the co-stars of BUFFY: THE VAMPIRE SLAYER. I am going to see an expansion of EVIL DEAD 2 and the scores of horror movies Harry talked about. So be it if you don't want to see it . . . so says I.
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since the last time i posted i went down to the mall for a while and have officially secured me a date for friday,so i will be there at idle hands with my brain safely checked at the door and my black haired hottie beside me.and like i said earlier...i will have FUN with a capitol F for fuck all you whiny,people who cant loosen up and just enjoy.hey damien,seen 'go' yet?i highly recommend this and i think you,in the immortal words of vincent vega,'...will dig it the most'
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Let me see if I have this right. It's a blatantly derivative film, with poor performances, brought to us by the director of Leprechaun 2. Who could resist? I'll stick to the Evil Dead trilogy.
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This world is full of hottie's and Vivica Fox is a HOTTIE ever since i saw her in Booty Call (with those 34DD breast cleavage all over the sceen) it was love at first So if she did ruin this film i will wait for it to come on video and when she comes on screen just mute it (hey its what i do with every Shania Twain music video)and do what Harry was doing while writing up his review!..j/k
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For those of you who have disagreed with me in the previous review of this movie, a retort. The Indiana Jones movies are some of my favorites. Scream and Scream 2 are pretty high on my list. I love Pulp Fiction, and I thoroughly enjoyed Go. They were enjoyable movies...and intelligent ones. I understand that people enjoy going to movies where they can disengage their brain and look at titty/cleavage-shots all the time...but I could get that on the internet without having to watch a mindnumbing movie. I don't enjoy those movies...it doesn't make me any more intellectually superior to you, it just makes my tastes different. Me, when I want to watch a movie about a pschotic hand, I'd rather watch Mr. Badass Ash handle it than a pimply faced kid...while Evil Dead 2 (which I watched again just five days ago) handled it for just the right amount of time, Idle Hands looks like it will go on ad nauseum. I'll just wait until the eye candy of TPM, the drama of Eyes Wide Shut, the horror of The Blair Witch Project, and the blasphemy of Dogma comes out, and save my money for something I find a little less puerile. But you guys do have the right idea. It sounds like a great movie to take a date to...and so I say Godspeed. -Loki
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i loved the evil dead two...the whole thing was hilaious...especially the hand...and I believe that it woud make a great full length movie if it wasn't a teen movie. It may be entertaining but I am so sick of the teen movies. Anaywas..tha'smy two cents
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hmmm... Harry, it's Elden Henson.
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Sorry Harry... My bad... I could have sworn it was Elden Hensen, but looking it up in the Internet Movie Database, I was wrong. You were right all a long, dude. Shame on me... LOL.
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Hey Lok i understand what youre saying now...No bad blood right?i just wanted people to loosen up and have fun.thats all!sometimes its easy to forget how cool it felt to watch a certain movie that may have been shit but you had a blast at,and get caught up in the jargon and film speak.i took two years of film school and i dropped out because i felt that i was getting too caught up in the whole artsy-movie-film-critic bullshit that i see in here so often.i think a great movie comes from the heart and to me a reat movie also enertains the hell out of you even if its full of self referential hipsters...but n-e ways...ill be at blair and tpm but ill also be at idle hands with my hot new friend...wish me luck...mayebe that night wont have to be another story about a boy and his right hand....
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Apr 29, 1999 3:54:23 AM CDT
Harry? You must have been on more than an "Appearance On Ebert H
by justin sane
I usually agree with good ol' Harry, but I mean... COME ON!!!
They showed up extended clips from this at the Wondercon, and they just went on and on and on and nobody laughed at ANYTHING. The guy running all the clips we saw looked out into the audience and saw a sea of frowning faces.
"Does anyone want to watch the rest of the scenes?" the guy asked, about thirteen minutes into it.
"NO!!!" shouted the entire crowd.
If anyone was going to spend their cash on this film this weekend, I suggest seeing SLC PUNK! (even though I haven't seen it yet)... support us punks, damn you!!! ;-) -
Now THERE'S a hypocritical paradox fer y'all.
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I have not seen IDLE HANDS. I have no intention of seeing IDLE HANDS. I had to sit through the agonizing trailer (before the agonizing 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU) and hated every second of it!!! Sorry, I can appreciate good/bad shlock like everyone else; IDLE HANDS just looks bad.
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Wow, I'm glad some people agreed with my positive review, considering the flak I took for it in my first few posts! Spring is the dry season for movies, so if you're in the mood for some good laughs and can't hold out for AUSTIN POWERS 2 or MYSTERY MEN, this is the one to be at this weekend. For the record, I'm 23, grew up on bad 80s brat-pack flicks, and I like all kinds of movies. I'll probably be seeing HIDEOUS KINKY this weekend, which'll be my chance to see a "serious" and "meaningful" film, but I really enjoyed the chance to check my brain at the door and laugh my ass off at this one.
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The only groaning I would be doing when I saw her on screen would be from using my IDLE hand on my idle unit. Whats-a-matter with you geeks.
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There,that's all that can be said about this trash. I'm not even gonna give this movie a chance. I've made up my mind, and I haven't even seen it yet! Even it IS cool, I'm still gonna think it sucks. Movies like this are trash. If some guy could get this made, how come I can't get any movies made???
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Eldon is an old friend. Eldon used to use the last name Ratcliff, now he uses the name Henson. On the poster for Idle hands it says Henson. If you look at old MD (1-3) posters it will say Ratcliff.
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Yes, even though it pains me to think it, I will probably watch this movie on video...while intoxicated. Anyways, at least the industry is getting away from horror commentary films and back to good old horrific mysticism; even though it is a knock off of Raimi's masterpiece: Dead by Dawn. The fact that Harry likes just about every movie he sees is why I like coming to this site. I try to like just about every movie I see even the shittiest direct-to-vid productions. It is refreshing to be in the presence of enthusiasm. Yesss, Harry, good work, man!
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Everyone who is up in arms about violence in movies should see Idle Hands. It is basically about a teenager who goes on a murder spree but not by choice, no, he is influenced by something, unable to make his own decisions. It takes the issue being discussed and puts it is literal terms. It's a silly concept and therefore shows how silly it is to blame the influence of movies and not the kids themselves for committing the murders. It may be a stretch, but I think I have a decent point.
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From the dumb-ass unfunny trailer, this looked like it was a product of a stuffed-shirt committee brainstorm trying to capitalize on the whole teen-sploitation/shitty teen horror popularity resurge. I can see the sequel now: "My Idle Left Foot."
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Hey guys, this has nothing to do with this topic but I missed Harry on Siskel and Ebert and I was wondering if there were any fellow-AICN fans who had a copy they'd be willing to sell me. E-mail me @ brhea@hifigeeks.com with the details.
Peace.
B-RHEA
www.hifigeeks.com -
If any of you have read Hit and Run: How Jon Peters and Peter Guber took Sony for a ride you'll see what scumbags are running these studios. Sony is ONLY interested in making money, but all they do is make shit like Idle Hands and Godzilla and then delay their good ones like Arlington Road. Sony should go back to Japan and make electronics or Hong Kong action films or start making some good fucking films here or else they're gonna lose their main interest in life, money. Why don't people like Jon Peters and Peter Guber ever get terminal diseases or die in accidents, it seems only the good ever die.
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I have heard rumors of a Matrix bootleg circulating the internet...any idea where it is?
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I have heard rumors of a Matrix bootleg circulating the internet...any idea where it is?
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I have heard rumors of a Matrix bootleg circulating the internet...any idea where it is?
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Yeah, there out there, but youd have to be on a T1 to download it and then youd need ALOT, and I do mean ALOT of RAM to play it.
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Okay, I've really had it up to here with people who say this movie is bad just because they are sick of "teen movies". I mean, i don't have a problem with the fact that one may hate them...but guess what...with that in mind, I certainly don't want to hear your review on one of them!!!! It is definitely different if someone said they hated this movie, but then did mention that they do like teen movies, and that they are just making a comparison---I'll actually want to read this review since it may atleast serve as a somewhat more objective purpose for me when trying to find reviews.
I'm guessing that i'll really like "Idle Hands" just based on the fact that people seem to have really loved it, or really hated it.....and i'll bet the ones that really loved it (or liked it a lot) are the ones that can put up with "entertaining yet harmless/senseless fun"---which happens to be my favorite kind of stuff these days
Oh yeah, and a question....WHAT IS IT ABOUT VIVICA FOX, OR WHAT SHE DOES THAT IS SO BAD....what about people who like her like i do....i highly doubt they think that -
Johnny Rotten said it best when he stated "We have a common interest: your money."
I don't think there's a punk alive that wouldn't want to get his (or her) grubby mitts on your cash... we just don't wanna WORK for it ;-) -
Apr 30, 1999 4:50:24 AM CDT
About the leads in The Mighty - I wonder if you knew they're bot
by martin q blank
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I don't have anything against her as an actress, but she just didn't work in this movie. A lot of that is the fault of the script or the editing. Really, she only has about 15-20 minutes of screen time, and most of that is very late in the film. She's some sort of druidic priestess who shows up to help out in the final, climactic battle, but all the fun we've been having has been in watching three stoners try various ways to finish off the evil hand. Who invited her? She's like a bucket of cold water thrown on the concept. Her "fight" scenes are pitiful (for someone trained to hunt evil, she sure is ineffective), and she doesn't really have anything funny to say, except for one line at the very end of the film (which is now shown in the TV commercial).
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