peterroeder34 I just saw this on my phone and I wanted to comment on the aspect of psyche vs reality. It is really futile to discuss if the hand is "real" because it is not possible obviously for a severed hand to act like that. Having understood that one should think of the psychological aspects of the movie. I think this is a great horror movie but the description of paranoia and delusions is quite weak since we never really get a feeling that Lansdale is suffering very much whereas such mental stated would be extremely unpleasant and not funny. The plot is also extremely predictable whereas an ec horror or twilight zone would have a good twist this movie is really too long and predictable.

ma-cortes This is an exciting psychological thriller based on the novel by Mark Brandel "The tail of the lizard" , though was consistently underrated by most reviewers . It's a surprising flick and very intriguing whose value more remarkable is the ambiguity that its filmmaker Oliver Stone poses in this . A surreal psycho-horror pastiche in which a famous cartoonist of comics named "Jonathan Lansdale" (Michael Caine) who lives unhappily with his wife (Andrea Marcovicci) loses a hand , being severed in an unfortunate car accident that ends with his career and creates a strong tension in their marriage . Soon after , the hand is on the loose with a mind of its own . As a harrowing nightmare, the lost hand appears seeking out victims , committing atrocious murders with an obsessive revenge.This first important Oliver Stone film contains chills , thrills , suspenseful and is quite entertaining . It's the first commercial outing in medium budget from Oliver Stone, which was not well received by the criticism at the time. . Stone's sophomore directorial shows us a dense , unique , atmospheric and surreal ambient , where the subjectivity seizes the story . There are times when the film that we question whether what we recount and we see is really the case or any other remedy used to deceive and confuse the spectator . Through the film and gradual manner the story is complicating and becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish reality from fantasy . This theme about a hand on the loose with a a mind on its own is already been seen in former films such as The Hands of Orlac (1924 by Rober Wiene , Mad Love (1934) by Karl Freund with Peter Lorre and Hands of Orlac (1960) by Edmond T Greville with Christopher Lee and Mel Ferrer . First rate acting by Michael Caine as Jon Lansdale , a comic book artist who loses his right hand in a car accident , though Michael said in a TV interview that the only reason he did this film was to earn enough to put a down payment on a new garage he was having built .Oliver Stone initially wanted Jon Voight to play the lead role, but was turned down by him ; Christopher Walken and Dustin Hoffman also declined the role . Very good support cast formed by expert secondary actors such as Bruce McGill , Viveca Lindfords , Rosemary Murphy , among others . Furthermore , a cameo by Oliver Stone as Bum . Colorful cinematography with a right management of the camera by Baggot , as the picture packs a turbid, dark, surreal, disturbing atmosphere . Thrilling and tense musical score by the great James Horner .The motion picture was professionally directed by Oliver Stone , though usually panned by mostly critics , nowadays is best considered .Stone returning from the Vietnam war did his first film , it was a student film entitled Last Year in Viet Nam (1971), followed by the gritty horror film Seizure (1974) for which he also wrote the screenplay. The next seven years saw him direct two films: Mad Man of Martinique (1979) and this The Hand (1981) . He also wrote many screenplays for films such as Midnight express (1978), Conan (1982), and Scarface (1983). Stone won his first Oscar for Midnight express (1978), but his fame was just beginning to show.

Polaris_DiB Many early films, even from big name directors, are simple concept horror films. From world famous Oliver Stone comes a somewhat familiar disembodiment story where an artist loses a hand, only for the hand to become a literal "manifestation" (get it?) of his psyche--especially his anger. Now, disembodied hands have a history in cinema stretching back to the silent era, but for some reason in the 80s it was a really popular concept--Idle Hands, Evil Dead II... What's interesting about Stone's take is that it's played with a straight face and a minimum of camp.Partly that has to do with Michael Caine. Caine is always good, and here he's downright sadistic as a grumbling, postal frustrated artist. Another element is the script. Based on a story by Marc Brandel, "The Hand" has more to do with a floundering marriage and unstable future than it does with cheap shocks and startles (though we are speaking Oliver Stone here, so there is more than enough blood). Thirdly, there's Stone's directing itself, which delights in unsettling camera play and some really impressive lighting. Though this is not Stone's first movie, for an early one it is still a very impressive indication of his skill behind the camera, his ability to direct actors, and his visual acumen.For someone looking for scare-a-minute thrills, the plodding length and necessary character development will get in the way, but for those who like their psychological thrillers slowly bubbling up from the bottom, The Hand is very well-paced fare. It all becomes worth it as Caine's psyche breaks down and even he loses track of what he's responsible for.--PolarisDiB

horacekohanim As a psychological thriller this actually works. In large part because of Michael Caine. As a B movie about a killer hand or a schizo cartoonist it features Olive Stone's tortured man, driven to ruin by a woman, whose lack of self-knowledge and unchecked rage propel him to violence. I kind of agree with another reviewer's disappointment at the ending not wrapping it up, but The Hand is enough of a thing that I feel neither way about the end. Stone's vitriol for women, a characterization many have stuck on throughout his career, is very apparent here. Caine as Johnathan Lansdale is comfortable in his beautiful country home, crafting a semi-popular syndicated cartoon. But his yogic wife Anne (Andrea Marcovicci) wants to do something with her life and demands a move to NYC. This ends up undoing him, but not before he struggles with having his writing/drawing hand severed. Without saying more, I'd recommend this for Caine's gradual unraveling, an engrossing trip into The Mind and even a good Oliver Stone cameo.