Idle Hands (1999)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Rodman Flender

Writers (WGA):

Terri Hughes (written by) &
Ron Milbauer (written by)

Release Date:

30 April 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Fantasy | Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

The touching story of a boy and his right hand.

Plot:

Lazy Anton's right hand becomes possessed with murderous intent.

Plot Keywords:

Hand | Halloween | Cautery | Teen Movie | Disembodied Hand

Awards:

2 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sat. July 11	11:30 PM	MTV
Sun. July 12	8:00 AM	MTV

Cast

Devon Sawa	...	Anton Tobias
Seth Green	...	Mick
Elden Henson	...	Pnub
Jessica Alba	...	Molly
Vivica A. Fox	...	Debi LeCure
Christopher Hart	...	The Hand
Jack Noseworthy	...	Randy
Katie Wright	...	Tanya
Sean Whalen	...	McMacy
Nicholas Sadler	...	Ruck (as Nick Sadler)
Fred Willard	...	Dad Tobias
Connie Ray	...	Mom Tobias
Steve Van Wormer	...	Curtis
Kelly Monaco	...	Tiffany
Timothy Stack	...	Principal Tidwell

Also Known As:

El diablo metió la mano (Argentina) (video title) (Mexico) (DVD title) (Spain) [es]
As Mãos do Diabo (Portugal) (video title) [pt]
Die Killerhand (Germany) [de]
Giovani diavoli (Italy) [it]
La main meurtrière (Canada: French title) [fr]
La main qui tue (France) [fr]
Levottomat kädet (Finland) [fi]
To heri pou skotonei (Greece) (TV title) [el]

MPAA:

Rated R for horror violence and gore, pervasive teen drug use, language and sexuality.

Runtime:

90 min | 92 min | Argentina:92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS | SDDS

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | Iceland:16 | USA:R (certificate #36158) | Greece:K-13 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Canada:R (Ontario) | Finland:K-16 (re-rating) | Finland:K-18 (original rating) | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Norway:18 | Portugal:M/16 (video premiere) | South Korea:18 | UK:18 | Philippines:R-18

Filming Locations:

Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The film, in which the main character kills his parents and his two best friends (albeit not intentionally), was delayed in its release because of the Columbine massacre.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Pnub is trying to run out of the door after Anton kills Mick, he opens the door for a second and a light stand is visible.

Quotes:

Pnub: And if your mother had teeth, she wouldn't suck dick so well. What's your point?"

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Robot Chicken: Dragon Nuts (#2.5)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Mindtrip

Hilarity and horror ensues

I am turned off by smirky teen slasher movies. Tired and boring. They are a drug on the market, and tend to be bland as heck. This does not apply to merely the latest ones, but ones going back for many years.

Enter Idle Hands. Christmas present to myself. Why not? Was told it was a fun blend of comedy and horror. But YOW! I was NOT told that I was in for a wild ride! A previous review mentions the first 5 minutes looking like the typical cliché, until the fun kicks in. Well, the first 5 minutes came and went, then when devon appears, the movie threw the clichés out the door and settled down into an insane and goofy pace playing on the comedic talents of some seasoned child star vets who are armed and dangerous with comedy and not afraid to use it. The end result is an absolute delight. Not smirky, not self referencing this movie is genuine fun with genuine horror as well. A wild ride, ups and downs, giving you screams of fright and laughter.

A 10 out of 10 for me, this one is a keeper to show friends for parties.