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Idle Hands

  • 1999
  • R
  • 1h 32m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
49K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,825
1,204
Devon Sawa in Idle Hands (1999)
Trailer for Idle Hands
Play trailer2:25
2 Videos
99+ Photos
Body HorrorDark ComedyStoner ComedyTeen HorrorZombie HorrorComedyFantasyHorrorThriller

A teenage slacker's right hand becomes possessed with murderous intent.A teenage slacker's right hand becomes possessed with murderous intent.A teenage slacker's right hand becomes possessed with murderous intent.

  • Director
    • Rodman Flender
  • Writers
    • Terri Hughes Burton
    • Ron Milbauer
  • Stars
    • Devon Sawa
    • Seth Green
    • Elden Henson
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.3/10
    49K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    4,825
    1,204
    • Director
      • Rodman Flender
    • Writers
      • Terri Hughes Burton
      • Ron Milbauer
    • Stars
      • Devon Sawa
      • Seth Green
      • Elden Henson
    • 238User reviews
    • 66Critic reviews
    • 31Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 4 nominations total

    Videos2

    Idle Hands
    Trailer 2:25
    Idle Hands
    Idle Hands
    Trailer 0:31
    Idle Hands
    Idle Hands
    Trailer 0:31
    Idle Hands

    Photos143

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    + 137
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    Top cast39

    Edit
    Devon Sawa
    Devon Sawa
    • Anton Tobias
    Seth Green
    Seth Green
    • Mick
    Elden Henson
    Elden Henson
    • Pnub
    Jessica Alba
    Jessica Alba
    • Molly
    Vivica A. Fox
    Vivica A. Fox
    • Debi LeCure
    Christopher Hart
    Christopher Hart
    • The Hand
    Jack Noseworthy
    Jack Noseworthy
    • Randy
    Katie Wright
    Katie Wright
    • Tanya
    Sean Whalen
    Sean Whalen
    • McMacy
    Nicholas Sadler
    Nicholas Sadler
    • Ruck
    • (as Nick Sadler)
    Fred Willard
    Fred Willard
    • Dad Tobias
    Connie Ray
    Connie Ray
    • Mom Tobias
    Steve Van Wormer
    Steve Van Wormer
    • Curtis
    Kelly Monaco
    Kelly Monaco
    • Tiffany
    Timothy Stack
    Timothy Stack
    • Principal Tidwell
    Joey Slotnick
    Joey Slotnick
    • Burger Jungle Manager
    Tom DeLonge
    Tom DeLonge
    • Window server at Burger Jungle
    Sabrina Lu
    • News Reporter
    • Director
      • Rodman Flender
    • Writers
      • Terri Hughes Burton
      • Ron Milbauer
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews238

    6.349.2K
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    Featured reviews

    8kosmasp

    Hand Killer Job

    Now that may sound like innuendo and if you think so - well the movie gives you lots of reasons to feel there is even more innuendo. Be it our main character hiding in the bush(es) of his neighbor or proclaiming he isn't able to control his hand. Something boys may like to claim when they discover their sexuality I reckon.

    But while this has a bit of nudity (literally) and some hot situations, it does focus more on the horror and comedy stuff it has. It does get violent and it does have blood in it - but it also is as funny as it gets. And one of the reasons is how Devon Sawa is able to do all the physical stuff himself. He says himself he was young and just threw himself in everything - have to admit very well done.

    I liked the movie back when it came out and I still like it - it seems to had some issues when it was released because of a massive school schooting in America - Politicians blaming movies and games for that - which those involved sarcastically take apart in the commentary on the newly released Blu Ray.

    There are so many funny and good moments in here ... but there are also questionable decisions. Jessica Alba being attracted to someone who has shows red flags than you can imagine. Do not watch this taking it apart for those reasons if you can - the movie does not tell us what we should do when it comes to the opposite sex. This after all is a movie - if you can't detach that from your moral views, you may have/take issues with the movie.
    Tenchi64589

    I love this movie!

    What more can I say about this movie?

    All I knew about it was that it had quite a few elements of teen comedy and that I've only seen the tail end of it a few times.

    Now that I finally saw the whole thing, it's now one of my favorites!

    It's a welcome change from most of the horror movies I've seen.

    Great music, great acting, and gorgeous women (Specifically speaking, Jessica Alba)... what more do you want?

    This is one of those movies that you can watch and understand it perfectly... whether or not you're stoned.

    10 out of 10
    7EpeeBill

    A horror spoof that doesn't forget the horror

    Usually, when you watch a movie that sends up the horror genre, the movie sacrifices the scares in favor of the laughs. But, in Idle Hands, the movie makers remembered to keep all the creepy touches and startling frights that make a horror movie when they mixed in all the humor.

    Not nearly as heavy handed as, say, the Scary Movie franchise, Idle Hands has all the normal trappings of a good teen horror flick: The unstoppable killing evil that has come back, the buddies of the main character who don't understand the danger until it's too late, the horny girl who main character must protect and a brave hero who is a bastion of all that is good in the world to defend us...

    OK, so I was lying about that last one. And that is one of the best twists of the film, the main character is a screw-up and doesn't act very heroically until very, very late in the film. In addition to really revving up the laughs, this feature is also what kind of makes this movie stand out from the usual horror fare.

    Now, here's the key: While Anton struggles with the evil in his bumbling way, egged on by the wise-cracks of Mick and Pnub, the film delivers actual horror. We get shocks, we get creeps, we get gore and we don't get the "ha-ha got ya!" joke right afterward that you get in most parodies. The scares are real, the deaths are real, the danger are real. And, surprisingly, so are the laughs.
    8zybch

    A very pleasant surprise

    As mentioned in the other comments, this movie is a awful lot better than it would first seem. Its still a rather brainless teen slasher flick, with the usual array of 2D characters ( the goofy friends, gorgeous love interest, aggressive hunk etc) and situations (school Halloween dance), but the great dialogue and great visual effects elevate it above the majority of other movies in the teen slasher style and doesn't do too much talking down to the audience. Where most other movies of this type give the audience 2 answers before a single question is answered Idle Hands has no fears about leaving things unanswered, where the viewer can make their own mind up (for once). Devon Sawa makes for a convincing and cute Anton, while Jessica Alba is all thats needed to keep the target audience of under 20's males glued to their seats. Don't get me wrong, this isn't up there with the likes of Lawrence of Arabia, but it never sets out to be; it's hilariously funny, satisfyingly gory and one hell of a lot better than you'd ever think. Go rent it, you'l be pleasantly surprised. Also, the soundtrack is great.
    7Bored_Dragon

    "The touching story of a boy and his right hand"

    The teenager wakes up on Halloween and discovers that his right hand is possessed and murderous. After unsuccessful efforts to control it, he decides to cut it off, but the hand continues its killing spree on its own. A premise that is irresistibly reminiscent of "The Evil Dead" and the hand is the same one used for "The Addams Family". The film was shot in the area we remember from "Halloween", and the gym where the school dance is held is the one from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". Everything in this film is obviously "secondhand", but it works great. It is classified as a horror-comedy, but I would rather call it a silly horror that is both a homage and a parody of B horrors and teenage comedies from the end of the last century. Plenty of violence, gore, and disgusting scenes, dull stoned teenagers, a few zombies, a bit of nudity, good music and, like icing on the cake, seventeen-year-old Jessica Alba. The film is somewhat in the style of the series "Ash vs. Evil Dead", but it mostly reminded me of "Todd and the Book of Pure Evil". I really enjoyed it.

    7/10

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Jack Noseworthy (Randy) and Katie Wright (Tanya) did not know they were half-siblings until they met on the set of this movie.
    • Goofs
      When Anton pulls away after hitting Debi with the Ford, both hands can be seen on the steering wheel.
    • Quotes

      Anton: Hey, I didn't kill anyone on purpose, okay?

      Mick: Yeah, well, we weren't in hell! I mean, there was this bright white light at the end of a long tunnel, right, and there was these chicks' voices, and that music...

      Anton: Music?

      Pnub: Yeah, kinda uncool music, like, Enya. And these chicks' voices, they were saying, "come to us, come towards the light".

      Anton: So what happened?

      Mick: We figured, fuck it, I mean, it was really far!

    • Alternate versions
      The DVD contains the original ending, set in the school's gym pool. The producers and the director decided to shoot a different ending because the original ending was very different in its style of humour and horror and they thought it didn't fit into the film.
    • Connections
      Edited into Idle Hands: Alternate Ending (1999)
    • Soundtracks
      Peppyrock
      Written and Performed by BTK

      Courtesy of Ignition Records/Tommy Boy Music

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    FAQ20

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 30, 1999 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • El diablo metió la mano
    • Filming locations
      • Pasadena, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Columbia Pictures
      • Licht/Mueller Film Corporation
      • Team Todd
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $25,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $4,152,230
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $1,807,181
      • May 2, 1999
    • Gross worldwide
      • $4,152,523
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 32m(92 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
      • DTS
      • SDDS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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