I only watched this film because I am a big fan of Seth Green (Mick) and I was following the film trail throughout his career to date. It has been given an 18 rating, probably because it openly and unashamedly features a LOT of pot smoking and some rather strong bad language. I am sure if it ... Read review
Despite all the pot-smoking inIdle Hands, the message here seems to be that too many bong ... more
hits will take you on a one-way trip to the devil's playground. That's what happens to Anton (Devon Sawa), a wasted teen who's so perpetually zonked on weed that ...
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Anton Tobias (Devon Sawa) is a channel-surfing, junk-food munching, couch potato burn out ... more
who can't control the murderous impulses of his recently possessed hand. With the help of his zombiefied buddies, Mick (Seth Green) and Pnub (Elden Henson), Anton's got to stop the rampaging devil appendage before it takes total control of his life and ruins any chance he has with class hottie Molly (Jessica Alba). Vivica A Fox and Jack Noseworthy co-star in this wickedly funny horror comedy.
Production Year: 2002 - Horror - Director: Danny Boyle - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring: Cillian Murphy, Megan Burns, Noah Huntley, Christopher Eccleston, Marvin Campbell, Brendan Gleeson
Production Year: 2004 - Horror - Director: M. Night Shyamalan - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Bryce Dallas Howard, Joaquin Phoenix, Adrien Brody, William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver, Brendan Gleeson
Advantages: very funny in places, seth green is in it! Disadvantages: rather gruesome special effects in places, lots of pot smoking can offend some viewers
I only watched this film because I am a big fan of Seth Green (Mick) and I was following the film trail throughout his career to date. It has been given an 18 rating, probably because it openly and unashamedly features a LOT of pot smoking and some rather strong bad language. I am sure if it didn’t feature the pot as much, it would have received a lot lower classification, because the violence and killing is weak and some of the props used ... ...warn potential viewers not to watch it if they would at all be offended by the pot smoking. The film is a funny horror film, the only film I have seen in which some scenes have been gruesome yet deliberately funny at the same time.
Anton Tobias’s (Devon Sawa) parents are gruesomely killed at Halloween, an event which somehow escapes the notice of their couch-potato, pot-smoking son. When he finally realises they’re missing ... more
I only watched this film because I am a big fan of Seth Green (Mick) and I was following the film trail throughout his career to date. It has been given an 18 rating, probably because it openly and unashamedly features a LOT of pot smoking and some rather strong bad language. I am sure if it didn’t feature the pot as much, it would have received a lot lower classification, because the violence and killing is weak and some of the props used in the killing scenes are quite laughable. However I would warn potential viewers not to watch it if they would at all be offended by the pot smoking. The film is a funny horror film, the only film I have seen in which some scenes have been gruesome yet deliberately funny at the same time.
Anton Tobias’s (Devon Sawa) parents are gruesomely killed at Halloween, an event which somehow escapes the notice of their couch-potato, pot-smoking son. When he finally realises they’re missing 3 days later, he finds their bodies disguised as scarecrows in the living room. This is another killing in a series of nasty murders in the local area of Bolan. With his 2 equally doped up friends, Mick (Seth Green) and Pnub (Elden Henson), he slowly realises that he is the killer and that his right hand is responsible although he can’t remember doing it. As he pleads his innocence to his friends, his hand once again becomes out of control and kills them both. Struggling to come to terms with his predicament, he buries the 4 bodies. But that aint the end, as his friends come back to life to help him. Just when things can’t seem to get worse for Anton, a feisty demon-hunter is onto him and tracking him down so that she can kill the demon that has possessed his hand, the only way of doing so being to kill Anton. Mayhem breaks out, and it is what makes this film so hilarious especially during the scenes where Anton is fighting to control his hand. And unbelievably, during some of the dodgiest of Anton’s moments, he manages to charm the beautiful but clueless Molly (Jessica Alba), who is totally oblivious to everything weird about Anton, such as his blood-streaked T-shirt and evil hand.
The cast bring this film to life and make it as believable as you could with a plot like this, without making the whole project fall flat on its face. Devon Sawa gives a good performance as the scruffy, channel-sirfing, junk-food munching couch potato who is totally uncomfortable with his possessed hand and who is seemingly unable to change the T-shirt in which he kills everyone (he wears it throughout the entire film!). Biased as I am, Seth Green is great in his role as the loveable doped-up idiot Mick, who is a bit slow on the mark - “I’ll call 911. What’s the number?”
If anything, I was disappointed with the ending which I felt was deliberately made to disappoint, as Mick says “Is that it?” An alternative ending exists in Fatal Attraction style, which is less dry in humour than the ending chosen but which I felt was more satisfying to the viewer. After all, a film lasts for 2 hours and the ending is the all-important climax to the story brought before you. However, to see it you have to get the DVD.
Ending aside, the plot is very funny bordering on hilarious in places and is enjoyable to watch. However, this isn’t a film which will strike you as memorable such as I found Erin Brockovitch to be. Worth renting if you see it in the video store. Not at all suitable for family viewing!
The DVD Itself
The DVD features a lot of extra features, something I really value when buying a DVD at considerable more cost than a VHS. It has interactive menus so that you can set the audio language to your preferred setting. You can have multiple language subtitles too. Scene selections, trailers and filmographies of the stars are pretty standard for most DVDs and are featured here. In addition, you get a Behind the Scenes Featurette and an interesting Director’s Commentary. The alternative ending is the hottest extra feature and gives the film a whole new perspective and is worth looking for the DVD rather than the VHS in the video store.
Advantages: Fun, great lines, good dyi to life after death, informative about demonic possesion of anatomy Disadvantages: Lame plot, lame dialogue, lame humor, bad special effects.
Have you ever woken up and had one of those days where nothing seems to go right. This poor guy is having a really bad day. He's hung over, out of weed, his parents are missing and worst of all, his hands possesed by an evil demon. Jeez, can you top that. As this movie progresses, he realizes that he's killed his parents, he kills his two best friends and two policemen before chopping off his hand and setting the demon hand loose. During this time, ... ...partially naked while battling his hand. His dead friends come back and hang with him. When he asks why, they explain that they saw the light, but it was just too far to walk. What a night. This movie is not for everyone. It is really gross, graphic, not well written, tacky and just plain b-flick bad. But it's also got great music, good acting (except for Vivica Fox who over acts something awful). If your looking for a quality familly comedy, this ...
Shadowtwinchaos 22.12.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Idle Hands (DVD)
Advantages: funny, good makeup, great commentary Disadvantages: none really
Idle Hands was a bit of a box office dud in the USA and only appeared on a handful of screens over here some time after. A quick region 1 release meant that I saw the film way befoer it even set foot on UK shores and to be honest I can't see why it didn't do better as it's far more entertaininng that the likes of Urban Legends:Final Cut etc. Devon Sawa plays Anton, a real slacker who spends his days watching TV , smoking pot and drinking in his parents ... ...Molly (Jessica Alba) Idle Hands is quite an amusing move with a lot of great ideas and physical comedy. Once Green and Henson return as Zombies the movie really starts going. Henson is headless and carries his had under is arm and at one stage sellotapes it back on. Sadly when he eats a borito it just seeps out of the cut. I'm laughing just thinking about it. Meanwhile Green in killed by a broken bottle and walks about with it embedded in his forehead ...
utero 01.07.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Idle Hands (DVD)
Advantages: Great humour, great storyline. Disadvantages: Nothing
IDLE HANDS (1999) :
Definitely NOT your usual run of the mill teen horror flick!. This film has great yet subtle humour, superb storyline, gross deaths, great actors and, of course, the obligatory babe!!.
I recently bought this release on DVD on region 1 after a recommendation from a friend. For whatever reason this was never released at the cinema over here in the UK, but in America it was a huge success. Before going into over-elaborate detail ... ...is, at face value, a teen slasher flick. But I wouldn’t easily place it into that genre because it does appear to have a different type of humour to that of the Screams and more of an odd surrealness to it.
STORYLINE:
The film, set around Halloween time, opens with the parents of the main character Anton (Devon Sawar – Final Destination), who are both killed in a very unpleasant fashion by someone/something in the house.
The story ...
seteo 17.03.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Idle Hands (DVD)
Advantages: Very funny, good special features, entertaining Disadvantages: A lot of cannibis references (say "No!" to drugs kids), story not that original
I saw a review of this in a DVD magazine and ordered it from the States based on purely what they said. Surely the best gamble I've ever made. What a film! I watched it with five of my friends and we all loved it. I don't know why it didn't get a release in UK cinemas, because it is one of the best teen horror comedies I've seen. Seth Green (the Diet Coke of Evil) and Devon Sawa (Final Destination) are very good and although the idea is just plain ... ...gorey fun. I've seen this film four times now and I'd still be happy to introduce even more people to its brilliance. The DVD (both Region One and Two) includes a very funny commentary track, an alternate ending explained by the director and a making-of featurette as well as talent files etc.
Overall, I recommend this to be seen by everyone. I saw it without knowing anything about the plot and I think the effect was better that way. The trailer ...
thedarkjedi 30.07.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Idle Hands (DVD)
Now I'm not sure what to call this movie. A horror movie or a comedy? It confuses the viewer in many ways. When you expect to burst out laughing, a woman is pulled under a bed and a bunch of blood bursts out from underneath it. Its like "Whoa!" And even worse, the events are extremely corny and you lose track of what's happening. The main character, Dope-smoking, tv-watching, Anton's hand is possessed by Satan and it causes him to do things that ... ...his friend's head. He gets the girl way too fast and it doesn't even leave you time to think how he scored with her in the first place. He drops off her lost little journal thing at her house and runs away when she answers the door. When he comes back to her place on Halloween, she grabs him, throws him down on the bed and starts kissing him. The comedy is completely stupid. The movie expects people to laugh when heads are sliced off and when girls ...
ros145 16.07.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Idle Hands (DVD)
Trailer, Behind The Scenes, Deleted Scenes, Storyboard Comparison of Two Scenes, Outtakes
Aspect Ratio
1.85 Wide Screen, 16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1
Dubbing Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1 English German
Professional reviews
Review
"...Likable....An awfully funny gambit..." (Sight and Sound, p.45, 01/06/2000)
DVD Description
Anton is a teenage stoner who, one Halloween season, realises two days after the fact that his parents have been beheaded. He is even more disturbed to learn that the culprit may be his recently demon-possessed hand. With the help of some fellow young drug users, some sharp objects (used to disembody several body parts), and a demon hunter (Viveca A. Fox), he may possibly restore some normalcy to his life.
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