Reefer Madness

IDLE HANDS

Director: Rodman Flender

Writers: Terri Hughes, Ron Milbauer

Starring: Devon Sawa, Seth Green, Jessica Alba

1999 | United States | R | 92 mins

★★★★½

The Three Stooges defined physical comedy. Cheech and Chong defined the stoner comedy. And the 80's defined the slasher genre. Now let's go out on a limb here and say Moe took a hit off of Chong's bong and proceeded to get it on with Angela from Sleepaway Camp. What bastardly abomination would come of that unholy trinity you dare imagine? Well, how about one of the most underrated horror-comedies of that last 15 years! From the folks who brought you an episode of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers and Leprechaun 2 comes Idle Hands! And it's pretty freakin' awesome!

Anton Tobias (Devon Sawa), the laziest slacker on the planet, discovers his parents have been murdered and turned into Halloween decorations one morning. After smoking a bowl, Anton and his two buddies Mick (Seth Green) and Pnub (Elden Henson) discover Anton's lazy right hand has become possessed and is being used as a tool for the Devil! Determined to be rid of the evil Anton lops off his hand, but soon it's escaped and on it's own demented mission to sacrifice his girlfriend (Jessica Alba) and open the gates of Hell! Now it's up to Anton, his undead buddies, and a demon hunter (Vivica A. Fox) to stop the hand before it's too late!

Idle Hands is hands down one of the best horror-comedies ever, perfectly balancing the laughs with the scares. Unafraid to be gory, gross, and violent while retaining its fun fast-paced vibe, Idle Hands is a horror film that appeals to multiple genre audiences. Rodman Flender's vision is colourful, goofy, and bloody and Terri Huges and Ron Milbauer's script is filled with great homages to the genre and witty, hilarious sight gags and dialogue. Devon Sawa is great as Anton and displays great comedic timing, almost akin to Bruce Campbell in The Evil Dead, when acting with his possessed hand. Seth Green and Elden Henson play well off each other and generate some great laughs as the side kicks. And a big surprise is Graeme Revell's score which somehow maintains an absolutely creepy tone throughout it's guitar-riff laden horror score.

Part slapstick, part slasher, and part stoner comedy, Idle Hands is a perfect modern teen horror film. A great cast and a lean and mean script make this a must watch during every Halloween season. Almost a mash-up of The Evil Dead, The Exorcist, and Fast Times at Ridgemont High, if you're looking for a good time and some laughs, but also want some genuine scares and inventive and gory kills, you just can't beat Idle Hands. Highly under appreciated Idle Hands is a must, so if you have yet to check this one out, get off your lazy ass and track down a copy - hell, it goes great with pizza and munchies! But remember, Idle Hands are the Devil's playground!

All contents copyright 2010 Tyler Baptist