Hand of Death

Hand of Death (1962)

*** (out of 4)

A scientist (John Agar) experimenting with nerve gas accidentally infects himself and soon he's able to kill with the very touch of his hand. As days go on he also starts to form into a burned up monster. This film has gotten a lot of attention over the past several months since AMC started showing it in regular rotation. Most critics bash the movie but in my opinion this is one of the best "B" movies from the era. This certainly didn't deserve any Oscars but for a "B" movie it's damn entertaining from start to finish. There are plenty of campy moments but there's also some very nice cinematography and the look of the monster is brilliant.

AMC just ran HAND OF DEATH early Sunday morning at 5 am. The print was the same as what ran on Fox Movie Channel but with a major difference. The AMC print ( courtesy of Fox television ) was not a dark and muddy mess that obscured the monster make up. It was nice and bright with far better contrasts. So it was still a cruddy 16mm pan and scan print, but at least you could appreciate the effects and make up. If you are interested keep an eye on AMC as they are in the habit of running horror and sci-fi stuff late night on the weekends and this will undoubtedly get another broadcast over the coming months. As for the film itself, I'd agree with other comments that it is not a lost classic, but an entertaining way to pass 58 minutes if you are a fan of this genre. Fans of John Agar will certainly enjoy his performance, the guy played so many roles like this he could do them in his sleep ( and sometimes did ). Plus you get to see a young Eddie Munster almost menaced!

Reading through some of the IMDb reviews, I was truly bewildered by the responses. It was like bullies beating up on the weakling in school...not because he necessarily needed to be beat up, but just because the bullies could. Well, I'm the principal here to tell those folks to lighten up and leave the poor kid alone! My goodness, this movie had a budget of $1.95, yet everyone is expecting "Lawrence of Arabia"? Come on.

John Agar is a government scientist out in the California desert who thinks he is a few steps away from creating a revolutionary nerve gas agent that will eliminate all wars. His mentor, the mentor's secretary, his scientist buddy, and even his own college intern think it's too dangerous and want him to stop, but John has noble and lofty goals and pushes on. Well, John has an accident, spills one of the liquefied variations on his hands, and slowly turns into a hideous, mutated creature whose touch can kill...and kill he does.

Maybe I was just in the mood for a fun little film like this, but I must say the acting didn't bother me, nor did the production values, the music, the directing, or the monster make-up. Yes, the screenplay is dopey, has holes in the logic, and a rather abrupt and unsatisfying ending, but this is a Z-grade film aimed at kids at a drive-in theater looking for a fun time, not stuffy film critics or pretentious film snobs.

Set your expectations at a reasonable level, have fun, and enjoy a great little throw-back to a bygone age of sci-fi/horror.

One of the most inexplicably hard-to-see Horror titles of the 60's has resurfaced -- well, sort of. Because of a combination of vague legal rights issues, big studio neglect and the dissolution of its original production company, HAND OF DEATH has all but disappeared from sight. Recently, its star, John Agar and a group of his devoted fans got a rare opportunity to watch a videotape of the film. Hopefully, 20th Century Fox (now that they have found a print) will resolve all those pesky legal details and reissue the film on DVD, tape and TV. The film itself has some definite merit. The acting, , writing, direction and basic storyline are totally pro all the way. Technically, HAND benefits from fine cinematography by Crosby (TABU, several Roger Corman features) -- although the Cinemascope film is hampered by a pan-and-scan transfer on tape. The real standout is a jazz cum horror genre score by Sonny Burke (ooh, a CD would be nice, hint hint). On one level, HAND is a typical: Mad scientist INVENTS serum, mad scientist TAKES serum, Mad Scientist BECOMES Monster kind of movie. But, a subplot (underdeveloped mainly because the film runs a too trim 60 whole minutes) about the military creating the serum for nerve gas war is intriguing and the above mentioned tech credits are handled by seasoned vets. I hope all IMDB fans will get the rare chance I did of seeing HAND OF DEATH soon. And, thank you, John Agar for letting me see your movie!

During the course of some covert nerve gas experiments, A noted scientist (John Agar, TARANTULA, 1955/THE MOLE PEOPLE, 1956) is inadvertently exposed to toxins which transform him into something resembling a flame-broiled Michelin Tire Man. He becomes grotesquely bloated, with skin bearing the distinct physiognomy of beef-jerky...worse yet, his touch brings certain instant death. Before long, he's running amok in the city streets, apparently being driven doolally by the film's bongo-centric beatnik jazz score. Throughout this distressing ordeal, Agar's love interest(Paula Raymond, THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS, 1953) wears a face of deep concern, but we know she's really hoping he'll die so she won't feel pressured to sleep with a pestilent man who looks like a campfire-toasted marshmallow.

Long represented by only a few tantalizing stills in FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND, this film was frustratingly unattainable for decades, and it's anyone's guess why 20th Century Fox kept it hidden away in their vaults. Fans of 50s/60s sci-fi may find an ambrosially campy charm to this ineffectual, yet reprievable little flick...HAND OF DEATH is not likely to amaze or impress, but it does generally entertain, and at fifty-odd minutes, it certainly doesn't overstay its welcome.

At the time of production, Agar's career had been in a nosedive since his divorce from Shirley Temple, and this would be his final lead role for a major studio. It was also the last major studio lead for Miss Raymond, who was in a serious car accident shortly after filming wrapped. Having had her nose completely severed from her face, her injuries required numerous cosmetic surgeries.