tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8293273378239831747.post6943074478968339919..comments2024-02-18T08:45:16.295-08:00Comments on The Film Connoisseur: Oliver Stone's The Hand (1981)Franco Macabrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10994905312221715861noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8293273378239831747.post-47304973705372743022010-09-13T12:35:57.216-07:002010-09-13T12:35:57.216-07:00Thanks for the comments Carl! I think that was the...Thanks for the comments Carl! I think that was the trick to this movie being so good even though its premise is well within B-Movie territory. The actors all played it seriously. They gave it their best to make things believable, this is especially true of Caine who at one point has to fight his own hand! <br /><br />Hey Carl, I have found out recently that this was not in fact Oliver Stones first film, he directed to films prior to this one. They are just not that well known, and are not available on dvd or blue ray. And one of the is a horror film! <br /><br />The horror film is called SEIZURE, which I have never seen, but I hear is about a horror writer who's stories come to life, and the other one (his real first film) was called Last Year in Vietnam. I guess we learn something new every day, I need to watch SEIZURE as soon as possible. <br /><br />Somehow.Franco Macabrohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10994905312221715861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8293273378239831747.post-4590399265535580652010-09-11T09:25:07.188-07:002010-09-11T09:25:07.188-07:00Excellent timing Franco, I just watched this one f...Excellent timing Franco, I just watched this one for myself about a month ago and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Caine truly was fantastic, and each of the actors handled the subject matter completely straight despite the silly B-movie concept. Gave a lot of strength to the film. Im not very well read on Stone's other films, but this was definitely a solid first effort.I Like Horror Movieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15851268002582984544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8293273378239831747.post-86480418041054858512010-09-10T14:02:30.023-07:002010-09-10T14:02:30.023-07:00Glad you like this one Shaun, and consider it one ...Glad you like this one Shaun, and consider it one of his best, cause honestly I feel the same way! It almost didnt feel like an Oliver Stone film because he wasnt talking about a political issue at all, but rather just exploring human nature.<br /><br />But I did find some moments pretty tense...like that scene where they are just about to open the trunk of the car...intense stuff right there. Or when he is sitting on chair, with his therapist asking all these questions to him...and the last frame of the film awesome! <br /><br />But it is light on the horror I guess, its a slow burner thats for sure!Franco Macabrohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10994905312221715861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8293273378239831747.post-35573420273272037562010-09-10T10:14:36.947-07:002010-09-10T10:14:36.947-07:00This is Oliver Stone's best film, with 'Se...This is Oliver Stone's best film, with 'Seizure' a respectable second place. I'd watch this any day of the week over 'Wall Street' or JFK'. Stone obviously didnt feel the need to preach at this point in his career, and this film feels far more genuine than his later films. Despite this, he clearly hasnt got a clue how to make an effective horror film...but that is part of 'The Hand's' appeal.Shaun Anderson [The Celluloid Highway]https://www.blogger.com/profile/18066744649878418309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8293273378239831747.post-59776959941899740422010-09-10T06:55:12.094-07:002010-09-10T06:55:12.094-07:00Yeah, I read a bit about Seizure, but its not out ...Yeah, I read a bit about Seizure, but its not out on dvd. Was it a full length feature film? I dont know much about Seizure, but I have read that it's a horror film about a horror writer who's creations come to life, or something like that. <br /><br />It is considered a "lost" Oliver Stone film, but it did get a small theatrical release, and was released on VHS during the 80s, but I have never had the chance to see it. I think Oliver Stone himself doesnt like for people to see this one, like Kubrick, apparently Stone doesnt want people seeing his early cinematic experiments.Franco Macabrohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10994905312221715861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8293273378239831747.post-8812287568183245532010-09-10T06:03:02.713-07:002010-09-10T06:03:02.713-07:00I think it's a film that was treated unfairly ...I think it's a film that was treated unfairly when it was released. I enjoyed it much more on a recent viewing.<br /><br />It's a strange start to his career, but he had already written and directed another feature, also a horror film - SEIZURE!Mark Hodgsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08744056312268440003noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8293273378239831747.post-76216297223745966982010-09-08T10:10:01.166-07:002010-09-08T10:10:01.166-07:00Thanks for commenting Ivan, I really enjoyed this ...Thanks for commenting Ivan, I really enjoyed this movie what can I say?Franco Macabrohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10994905312221715861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8293273378239831747.post-18570077433703105812010-09-08T07:56:39.604-07:002010-09-08T07:56:39.604-07:00FC:
There I was, expecting you to mock this flick,...FC:<br />There I was, expecting you to mock this flick, but your review was a pleasant and insightful surprise.<br />Thanks!<br />IvanIvanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16443946766217092846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8293273378239831747.post-25960158378001700852010-09-08T05:51:33.821-07:002010-09-08T05:51:33.821-07:00Hey Friz, dont feel that old! The only reason I ha...Hey Friz, dont feel that old! The only reason I had not watched this one myself is because I underestimated it, I thought it would be a silly horror film about a killer hand, I finally decided to give it a watch after having aquired the Oliver Stone box set. I enjoyed all his other films, but was curious to see where he had started as a filmmaker, so I finally decided to give this one a watch. I'm glad I did! <br /><br />Michael Caine is a great actor, one of my favorites as well, I was very pleased with his performance on this one, it's not everyday you get to see Caine play a maniac! <br /><br />I know what you mean about Stones films being like documentaries, most of the time they are based on real life events, but this one I found very cinematic, actually, The Hand doesnt resemble any of Stones later films. Its completely based on a fictional novel called "The Lizard's Tail". <br /><br />Hey Friz, for me, the way the film ends does not take away the horror element of the film, I called it a "psychological thriller" but we all know thats a nice way of saying that this is a horror film. Also, the ending of the movie is very ambiguous, its never really clear what is going on [SPOILER AHEAD] I thought the film was very ambiguous about him doing the killings himself or the hand doing the killings. Even till the very end its not clearly stated, I thought it was all in his head, but someone could equally argue that it was the hand itself doing everything. [END SPOILERS] <br /><br />The element of the disembodied hand adds the horror element to the film, seeing it walking around on its own, through the shadows, I loved that scene with Caine fighting off his own hand in one scene...as if he was struggling with his own dark side! Awesome scene! <br /><br />If you saw this movie way back in 81 when it first came out, maybe you were expecting something else from it, maybe upon re-watching it now, all these years laters, you might see it from a totally different perspective, and might even appreciate it more. It's happened to me in the past, I saw some films as a kid that I didnt like that I now love as an adult. <br /><br />Thanks for reading and commenting Fritz!Franco Macabrohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10994905312221715861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8293273378239831747.post-44332905739089241012010-09-07T15:59:56.023-07:002010-09-07T15:59:56.023-07:00I'm starting to feel like the grumpy old film ...I'm starting to feel like the grumpy old film Freak, Francisco. I saw The Hand at the theater way back in 1981, when I didn't know who Oliver Stone was and was looking forward to a good horror film, starring one of my favorite actors, Michael Cane. I was very disappointed at that time and I've never watched the film again for several reasons. <br /><br />The first reason is that I am not a fan if Oliver Stone's style of film-making - if you can call it a style. To me, Stone's films feel more like documentaries dressed up as fiction. The second and most important reason I dislike this film, is that it is not a horror film. You very accurately describe it later in your review as a "psychological thriller", because for those that have watched The Hand to the end credits know *SPOILER* his severed hand is not moving about killing people... it's all in his head!<br /><br />Unlike Stephen King, I do like Kubrick's The Shining as both a horror film and as a psychological thriller. Although both Nicholson and Caine are at the top of their game in their respective films, I think Kubrick's The Shining is far more effective using visual cues to stimulate elevating fear and terror.<br /><br />You finish by saying that "the horror comes when Lansdale looses his hand! They try to recover it after the accident, but the hand is simply nowhere to be seen!". That is The Hand's most powerful scene, but it still isn't horrifying. I'm sure if I watched this film again I would upgrade my opinion of it somewhat, but I'm positive I wouldn't appreciate it nearly as much as you did, Francisco.<br /><br />Are you going to review Revolutionary Road (which I haven't seen) as well? Keep up the intelligent and thoughtful reviews!Fritz "Doc" Freakensteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13209589620766485745noreply@blogger.com