DVD

Mystery Science Theater 3000 - The Crawling Hand

Average customer rating:

Enjoyable even if not side-splitting
Five Stars for Laughs
Outstanding entertainment
One of the lesser representatives from the underappreciated Season One
Remember it from childhood.

Mystery Science Theater 3000 - The Crawling Hand
Starring: Peter Breck , Kent Taylor , Rod Lauren , Alan Hale Jr. , and Allison Hayes
Director: Herbert L. Strock
Manufacturer: Rhino Theatrical
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000067J09
Release Date: 2002-06-11

Customer Reviews:

Enjoyable even if not side-splitting.......2007-06-25

As a long-time MSTie, I would like to offer a different viewpoint on this episode.

First, the not-so-good: This is definitely not the funniest season one episode, nor is it the most "different" (in so far as it is a sci-fi/horror flick that could just as easily have been part of season eight, say), and there are a few glaring moments when the jokes just stop coming. As a result, some viewers may find this DVD disappointing.

Having said that, I am not disappointed. I think this is easily one of the most entertaining episodes in season one, even if it is not the funniest. I find that some of the older episodes are quite enjoyable without being as hilarious or as polished as the show would later become; other examples of this would include The Black Scorpion and The Crawling Eye. This film is a great example of why I got into B-movies in the first place, before I was introduced to MST3K: the story is bizarre, the actor's performances uneven, the special effects are poor, and there are odd moments of levity juxtaposed against a confusing backdrop of gloom.

Also, keep in mind that while admittedly awful, this movie is far above the level of train-wrecks like Manos, The Incredibly Strange Creatures, or the Creeping Terror. No, I would not recommend watching it unMSTed, but I think that it is easier to wade thru then a lot of Best Brain's other material. So if you're like me, and derive some of your enjoyment of this series from elements other than the riffs themselves, this could be a worthwhile purchase. If, on the other-hand, you don't care about the host segments or the films themselves, you probably should look elsewhere. But, even this episode has a few classic lines -- I will never get over "Tell him I'm smoking" or "O magic lamp...." ^_-

Five Stars for Laughs.......2007-02-28

What pathetic dialogue and horrible screen shots. The hand only has a close up, or a distant shot. Your 9 year old could do a better job. So why not laugh with Joel and his robot friends? Their dialogue is much better. This is a great movie to put down.

Outstanding entertainment.......2007-01-31

I love this series and can't get enough. I was so sad to see the show end.

One of the lesser representatives from the underappreciated Season One.......2006-05-21

Many casual MSTies, particularly those who are unfamiliar with the complex licensing process that Best Brains used to originally secure the *temporary* rights to use films for MST3K, often complain about the selection of shows available on DVD. What they may not realize is that for the most part these choices are dictated by what Rhino can get or afford to pay for, which is why many fan favorites like will never see the light of day on MST DVD. For example: you'll never see any of the Season Three Sandy Frank/Gamera/Japanese movies on DVD, since Rhino would have to persuade both the original studio (Daiei) and Frank (who made the English-language dubs) to allow a re-release, and that's not gonna happen.

I mention this because it explains why, of all the Season One episodes Best Brains/Rhino could have released, they chose "The Crawling Hand": it's what they could get. This was only the fifth episode that Best Brains filmed during their national cable run (though it's labelled episode #106; see note below), and it *really* shows. It shows not merely in the cheaper-looking sets, or in the comically large piece of twine dangling from Crow's mouth during the host segments, or in Servo's clunkier body and different voice, or in the presence of Dr. Erhardt. No, it shows most of all in the flat-out lameness of the riffing: I'm a big fan of the Season One episodes, but even I won't dispute that the first five shows were among the most boring and slow-moving ones they ever cranked out. The lightning-quick interplay and sixth-sense comic timing that Joel and the Bots would become legendary for is nowhere to be found. In fact, "The Crawling Hand," coincidentally enough, marks the END of the truly sub-par period of MST3K: immediately after this episode, with the movie "Robot Monster," the show's writing, riffing, and delivery became considerably more focused. By the end of the season, on classics like "The Black Scorpion" and "Moon Zero Two," MST was beginning to resemble the show we all know and love.

Which is all the more reason why it's sad that this episode is the most easily available representative from Season One. The movie itself is actually a pretty interesting piece of bizarro filmmaking, featuring a truly insane premise (severed, murderous arm of an exploding astronaut can possess those nearby through use of psychic space germs? WTF??) and tons of great openings for Joel & The Bots to make hilarious wisecracks. The vast majority of those opportunities are missed, however, and what we get instead are an unamusing sequence of "hand" puns (folks, puns are the lowest form of humor), grating repetition, long periods of silence, and a general sense that the writers were struggling at this point. Season One could be so much better than this (try "The Black Scorpion," "Project Moonbase," "Moon Zero Two," "Untamed Youth," or "Robot Holocaust"), and I hope people will make an effort to seek out some of those episodes instead.

(Note: recently Rhino released a FAR better Season One episode, "Women Of The Prehistoric Planet," in the MST3K Collection Vol. 9. It's labelled show #104 but it's actually the last episode that was written/recorded that season, and it's therefore a great deal more mature and fast-paced in terms of riffing. It's still not the best Season One episode, but it's a far better representative of the promise that we first perceived in this goofy, quixotic DIY cable TV show back in 1989.)

Remember it from childhood........2006-03-10

I remember when I was very young, like before 5, in the 60's and this movie would come on late night on a Saturday night on the "Fright Night" program. I never could remember getting pass the "push the red button" scene before falling asleep.
This movie was one of those types that were use to showcase a new talent. Much like the blob was used for Steve McQueen. But in the Crawling Hand, the "new" had no talent. Roger Coleman should have directed this movie. It would have been funnier.
But if you are a fan of Kent Taylor, His performance is good.
And also you have Alan Hale Jr., the "Skipper" of Gilligan's fame.

Average customer rating:

Enjoyable even if not side-splitting
Five Stars for Laughs
Outstanding entertainment
One of the lesser representatives from the underappreciated Season One
Remember it from childhood.

The Crawling Hand
Starring: Peter Breck , Kent Taylor , Rod Lauren , Alan Hale Jr. , and Allison Hayes
Director: Herbert L. Strock
Manufacturer: Rhino Theatrical
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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