Halloweenie Film Festival #31: The Hand Of Death
I used to be a huge horror movie buff. That was until the genre of horror movie known as "torture porn" became really popular; I really couldn't sit through "Saw" or "Hostel" I could sit through Rob Zombie's films because they at least had a good deal of weirdness to liven things up).
Instead of giving you a list of my favorite "good" horror movies, which everybody does, I'd rather put my arcane knowledge of bad B movies to philanthropic use and share my discoveries with the world.
So here are the 31 Days of the Weirdest & Cheesiest.
#31: "THE HAND OF DEATH"!
A scientist's experiment goes awry and he turns into The Thing. Not even the cuddly Thing, when Jack Kirby really got into it. No, I mean the lumpy-ass Thing. Legend has it that Lee & Kirby used this film as the inspiration for their rocky Fantastic Four character -- even down to the trenchcoat & hat! However, "The Hand Of Death" came out in '62 & "The Fantastic Four "#1 in '61. So it's more likely to be the other way around. Still, there's quite a resemblance, no?
Really cheap, cheesy movie that works (sort of) because of its nail-biting premise: if the mutated scientist touches anyone, they also turn into lumpy Things. There is an extended sequence at the beach where the Thing-Scientist is passed out on the sand and this little boy keeps curiously walking around him...just about to touch him...then pulls away...then comes back and almost touches him...oh no, they wouldn't turn that cute little moppet into a lumpy Thing-monster, would they?! (well, maybe if Cronenberg or Aronofsky or somebody was directing...)
This movie also features that staple of the mad scientist movie -- the best friend who moves in on the scientist's girlfriend at the drop of a hat. Doesn't even wait for the poor guy to start turning orange.
Not the best, but good for a laugh and a tense moment.
Quality Rating: C-
Cheesy Rating: B+
Instead of giving you a list of my favorite "good" horror movies, which everybody does, I'd rather put my arcane knowledge of bad B movies to philanthropic use and share my discoveries with the world.
So here are the 31 Days of the Weirdest & Cheesiest.
#31: "THE HAND OF DEATH"!
A scientist's experiment goes awry and he turns into The Thing. Not even the cuddly Thing, when Jack Kirby really got into it. No, I mean the lumpy-ass Thing. Legend has it that Lee & Kirby used this film as the inspiration for their rocky Fantastic Four character -- even down to the trenchcoat & hat! However, "The Hand Of Death" came out in '62 & "The Fantastic Four "#1 in '61. So it's more likely to be the other way around. Still, there's quite a resemblance, no?
Really cheap, cheesy movie that works (sort of) because of its nail-biting premise: if the mutated scientist touches anyone, they also turn into lumpy Things. There is an extended sequence at the beach where the Thing-Scientist is passed out on the sand and this little boy keeps curiously walking around him...just about to touch him...then pulls away...then comes back and almost touches him...oh no, they wouldn't turn that cute little moppet into a lumpy Thing-monster, would they?! (well, maybe if Cronenberg or Aronofsky or somebody was directing...)
This movie also features that staple of the mad scientist movie -- the best friend who moves in on the scientist's girlfriend at the drop of a hat. Doesn't even wait for the poor guy to start turning orange.
Not the best, but good for a laugh and a tense moment.
Quality Rating: C-
Cheesy Rating: B+