Idle Hands [1999]

June 6, 2009

When I first saw Idle Hands, it instantly became one of my favorite movies. One of those movies I would recommend to people and go on and on about. It had a similar effect on me as Dazed and Confused did. And this has nothing to do with copious amounts of marijuana smoked in both of these movies. This was an updated version of the classic horror/comedy with a lot of references that I could identify with. Fuck me, this was mine Shaun of the Dead! I simply fell in love with the movie despite its simplistic story and characters. It was just very charming and didn’t take itself too seriously.

The horror/comedy genre is something that has been with us for quite some time, but it really exploded in the eighties. Movies like Evil Dead, An American Werewolf in London, Return of the Living Dead, Re-Animator, and others really paved the way for the modern wave that came with the new century (there are quite a few familiar things here). Idle Hands is somewhere in the middle and this is perhaps the reason why it isn’t much more famous. It has all the right ingredients: excellent and creative script, gory special effects that look really good, great actors, and finally weed. Well, I know that this last item is not one of the main ones, but for me it was.

Meet Anton Tobias, a teenager with only one goal on his mind: get high. His best friends Mick and Pnub are also potheads and together they watch horror movies, listen to music and do what teenagers do. However, one day, Anton will wake up and find his parents dead with all the clues pointing to him.

I didn’t want to spoil your viewing pleasure by telling you the entire plot of this movie. Mostly because it’s much more effective to just play it and be surprised. Starring Devon Sawa, who was also the lead in another cult movie from the turn of the century Final Destination, Seth Green, Vivica A. Fox, Fred Willard and 17-year-old Jessica Alba, Idle Hands is one of those movies with a perfect cast. I can’t quite explain it, but it would seem that they have found that perfect value between acting completely seriously and realizing that the story is so zany that it must be addressed.

Even the music was phenomenal, with Offspring and fucking Rob Zombie. I also love that the action starts almost immediately. There’s no waiting or trite conversations, just blood and bongs right from the start. So, if you’re looking for that blend of comedy, dark comedy and horror, with a lot of gory and funny scenes, then this is the movie for you. And finally, if you’re looking for something similar check out The Faculty.