The Devil's Hand

I saw this by chance as one of those DVD package deals(reasonably priced with cinema nuggets). This particular film grabbed from the outset with it's "graveyard twangy" credits theme. The story is part"I Walked with a Zombie", "Eraser Head",and a dab of "Rosemary's Baby". A sporty dressed Robert Alda goes through the film as if on tranquilizers adding to the black&white "dreamlike' quality of the movie.The actors should be credited for doing their best to sell this very kooky story with equally kooky dialog. There's a sexy " Siren Witch" and a sinister Warlock, who looks like a bank president.Considering the apparent woeful budget of this endeavor , I say kudos for trying and take a look- you've seen worse.

I've seen 10-12 Crown International Pictures now and this is by far their most polished work. It plays like an episode of the Twilight Zone, and I would not be surprised if the writers pulled this story from a similar source as Mr Serling himself. It's very short, at just an hour and 10 minutes, and is definitely worth a watch for anyone looking into campy horror stories from the 50s (even though this was made in the 60s it doesn't have the free-love feel and was shot in black and white). Appropriate music, good acting, and surprisingly good cinematography all work in concert to make an enjoyable film.

As a side note, the DVD that Mill Creek put out has a cool feature where you can watch this in 'Drive Thru' mode and has everything from an animated short to a few commercials. Nice little bit of nostalgia!

Rating: 24/40

I discovered this movie on a cheap horror movie box set and this is one of those movies that surprised me. It is definitely a cult type of movie and could become a "gulity pleasure". It is obviously dated and perhaps a little "goofy" in parts,being over 40 years old,but it is better than it has a right to be. The movie is aided immeasurably by the performance of Neil Hamilton as the leader of a cult of devil worshipers. He would later go on to be Commissioner Gordon on the Batman television series. It also has one of the catchiest instrumental theme songs I have heard from a movie of this type and era. If you are a fan of older movies and this genre,it is worth seeking out in my opinion. It can certainly be had cheaply enough.

"The Devil's Hand" is a truly bizarre little horror movie. It's very short and to the point… But what a point! Supernatural themes, romantic love triangles and voodoo! That's all pretty courageous and ambitious for a low-budget horror effort from that time. Too bad it eventually didn't turn out to be a very good movie… Rick Turner is an ordinary man, with loads of appeal to the ladies, whose dreams are disturbed by the reoccurring image of a beautiful blond girl. The odd thing is that his soon-to-be wife supports him without the slightest bit of jealousy. I wonder how my girlfriend would react when telling her I repeatedly dream of a hot blond calling out to me from the skies? Rick's uncomfortable situation grows even weirder when he's led to a toy store where they sell a doll with a face identical to the woman of his dreams. It all turns out to be a conspiracy of a satanic cult, ruled by the shop owner, and the blond uses voodoo and hypnosis to conquer Rick's heart. How's that for seduction techniques? Despite the silly and utterly implausible storyline, "The Devil's Hand" is occasionally atmospheric and several sequences are quite suspenseful, notably the ones set in the cult's headquarters where the members' loyalty to Gamba (the evil God) is tested. Still, there's way too much talking and confusion going on and only the climax contains horrific action. William Hole's directing is very neutral and the only real good performance is given by Neil "Commissioner Gordon" Hamilton. Linda Christian is a beauty, but her acting skills are rather forgettable. Worth a look if you run out of other options.

A happily engaged man becomes plagued by vivid dreams of a beautiful woman. He ultimately meets her face-to-face, finding that she is a member of a secretive, near-lost religion which enables its loyal followers to obtain their heart's desires. Bewitched by this seductress, he quickly casts aside his fiancée to become her lover and converts to said religion. Predictable but amusing turmoil ensues in this poverty row potboiler, one which some viewers may find surprisingly watchable despite its very evident financial privation.

Briskly paced cheap thrills with a deliciously tacky veneer distinct to early-60s low-budget cinema...this much-forgotten curiosity should please most undemanding genre fans and enthusiasts of vintage lower-berth film oddities.

5.5/10