‘Idle Hands’ Not What Doctor Ordered
A bloody, over-the-top tonic for the shaken target audience or the latest example of socially irresponsible Hollywood’s love affair with teen mayhem? “Idle Hands” could take some critical crossfire in the wake of the horrific events in Littleton, Colo.
But the grisly film is decidedly comic in its intent and boasts a talented cast that helps one get into the warped state of mind necessary to “enjoy” the slaughter and not mind the nominal, nonsensical plot. Anyone not under or above a certain age or not tickled by the grotesquery of Peter Jackson’s “Dead-Alive,” Sam Raimi’s “Evil Dead” flicks and George Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead” - the now relatively tame grand daddy of the genre - should steer as wide as possible a course clear of this muddled but playable ghoulathon.
Directed by genre veteran Rodman Flender (“Leprechaun 2”), who worked as an executive and filmmaker with Roger Corman and has many episodic TV projects on his resume, “Idle Hands” stars Devon Sawa as a high schooler whose hand becomes possessed by a murderous evil spirit. The screenplay marks the debut of Terri Hughes and Ron Milbauer, who devise numerous awful ways for characters to exit the simple but effective scenario.
Starting with his parents, pot-smoking Anton (Sawa) is either an unwitting or unwilling killer of those around him, until he cuts off the nasty appendage in one of the movie’s many sick but silly scenes. A lanky, shy slacker who has a crush on his pretty neighbor Molly (Jessica Alba), Anton is more or less cogent when early on he dispatches his stoner friends Mick (Seth Green) and Pnub (Elden Henson).
In a nod to the aforementioned zombie movies, Mick and Pnub rise from the grave and dog the steps of Anton as he struggles with his own beserker hand.
Mick and Pnub, complete with his talking severed head that is later reattached in a sequence (like most of the film) not for the squeamish, try to help Anton, but they pause often to toke up and let the hand escape after the lead hacks off the devilish digits.
On the trail of the unnamed evil that habitually seeks out losers is frantic roadhog Debi (Vivica A. Fox). With the means to destroy it, she arrives in Anton’s town and meets pretty boy Randy (Jack Noseworthy). The inevitable climactic massacre takes place at a Halloween dance in which Molly barely escapes while a terrified friend is turned into ground coed by a ventilation fan.
But need we delve into more of the details? Suffice to say, “Idle Hands” is the wrong movie at the wrong time - or vice versa, depending on one’s entertainment needs.
`IDLE HANDS’ Locations: North Division, Spokane Valley Mall, Showboat Credits: Directed by Rodman Flender, starring Devon Sawa, Seth Green, Elden Henson, Jessica Alba, Vivica A. Fox, Jack Noseworthy Running time: 1:32 Rating: R