Thursday, November 13, 2025

Tubi Thursday: The Hand (1981)

 What happens when you lose a part of yourself?
What happens when you make a Film with a Script you hate so that you can fix up your House?

To find out the answer to both questions, read on...

Michael Caine is a Cartoonist named John Landsdale.  He makes a strip sort of like Prince Valiant, only people under 70 read it.

He's also not in a great relationship with his Wife when...
A freak car accident happens.

He has his right hand out and it strikes the back of a truck, severing it.

That's...some blood pressure.
He doesn't take it well, as they can't find his hand.
There is no way to reattach it.

Can he find a new life without his old job?
Does he like this one?
He gets a high end (for 1981) replacement for it.
If only 3-D Printers were around then, eh?

With a new hand, can he move on?
Well, not exactly.

He ends up teaching Art at a College, while his Wife and Daughter are away.

He finds a new, younger woman...because it is Michael Caine.  He does that.
He's 22 years her Senior.  He could drink when she was born.
In time, he tries to reconnect with his Wife around Christmas time.

Is it too late?
Can this happy couple work things out?
Oh and why is there a phantom hand killing people?

The answer is 'no' and 'there isn't one.'  Or is there?
The Movie is vague and I'm not super invested by this point.

The End.
A Film with a crazy premise...but it isn't quite what you'd expect.

I was thinking based on the premise that it was either about a killer hand or Caine's new false hand going on a rampage.

It's...not that.

Instead this is all about Caine slowly going kind of crazy and people putting up with him.  Is this just a Brian DePalma Film?
Oh, it's by...Oliver Stone?!?

Caine, to his credit, does a good job, in spite of only doing this for the money.
This feels quite a bit like Magic.

If you want a bonkers Film that embraces this setup, go with Body Parts or Idle Hands.
I sure can't think of another Film where I guy has to fight his disembodied hand...

A Film that is much more of a Psychological Thriller than it sounds.  I sure hope Mr. Caine's House turned out nice.

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