Idle Hands (1999)
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15% of critics liked it
(53 reviews) -
56% of users liked it
(55,196 ratings)
Teenage burnouts and post-modern slasher films are both raked over the satiric coals in the blood-soaked comedy Idle Hands. Anton (Devon Sawa) is a cheerful but exceedingly non-ambitious 17-year-old stoner who lives to stay buzzed, watch TV, and moon over Molly (Jessica Alba), the beautiful girl who… More Teenage burnouts and post-modern slasher films are both raked over the satiric coals in the blood-soaked comedy Idle Hands. Anton (Devon Sawa) is a cheerful but exceedingly non-ambitious 17-year-old stoner who lives to stay buzzed, watch TV, and moon over Molly (Jessica Alba), the beautiful girl who lives next door. However, it turns out that the old cliché about idle hands being the devil's playground has a kernel of truth after all; there's a demonic beast living in his house that has already decapitated Anton's mom and dad (though it takes him a while to notice), and now the Dark Lord Himself has taken possession of Anton's right hand. Before he's entirely aware of what's happening, Anton's demon hand has killed his two best friends, Mick (Seth Green) and Pnub (Elden Henson), though both come back as zombies to keep Anton company. Can Randy (Jack Noseworthy), local metalhead and expert on all things Satanic, figure out what the Evil One has planned next for Anton's digits? Will traveling demon slayer Debi (Vivica A. Fox) vanquish the possessed in time? And most important, will Anton get to go to the big dance with Molly before his hand starts causing trouble again? Director Rodman Flender certainly knows the genres he parodies here; he cut his teeth in horror working for exploitation legend Roger Corman and directed the film Bloody Mutilators as well as episodes of the TV series Tales From The Crypt, while more recently he immersed himself in teenage culture directing episodes of the TV series Party of Five and Dawson's Creek. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Directed By
- Rodman Flender
- Written By
- Terri Hughes, Ron Milbauer
- Genres
- Horror, Comedy
- In Theaters
- Apr 30, 1999 Wide
- Studio
- Columbia Pictures
Critic Reviews
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Jeff Millar, Houston Chronicle
Maybe 90 seconds of viable and sustained humor at the end.
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Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail
Its mixture of slapstick humour and gore -- produced by the flying fingers -- gives new meaning to the phrase digital effects.
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Lawrence Van Gelder, New York Times
Even pretensions toward the humorous and hip cannot save this blood-drenched film from its innate tastelessness!
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Susan Stark, Detroit News
Excruciatingly unfunny!
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Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly
Dumb, blood-soaked, undeniably kinetic teen Guignol bash!
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Devon Sawa
as Anton Tobias
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Seth Green
as Mick
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Elden Henson
as Pnub
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Jessica Alba
as Molly
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Christopher Hart
as The Hand
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Vivica A. Fox
as Debi
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Jack Noseworthy
as Randy
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Katie Wright
as Tanya
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Sean Whalen
as McMacy
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Nick Sadler
as Ruck
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Fred Willard
as Mr. Tobias
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Connie Ray
as Mrs. Tobias
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Mindy Sterling
as Lady Bowler
- Steve Van Wormer
