Merolliv
I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.
Horst in Translation ([email protected])
"Die Blaue Hand" or "Creature with the Blue Hand" or "The Bloody Dead" (really?) is another German Edgar Wallace movie from almost 50 years ago. The director is once again Alfred Vohrer and he made many of these films based on the crime novel author. But there is one major difference compared to most other of these films. This one here has a real star in it, even if Klaus Kinski was not really that famous yet in the late 1960s. And they also took the right approach of making this almost 100% drama. Other Wallace films have many comedic moments and they frequently do not take themselves seriously at all. Not so this one. And I think it was the right creative decision they made. Kinski is not for comedy. However, what they made of Kinski in terms of quality and quantity is underwhelming. It starts off nicely with him getting lots of screen time early on, but he quickly disappears and in the second half he is almost non-existent. Also, when I said quality, I do believe that the way the character was written was not on par with Kinski's skill set. So it was definitely a missed chance. Another somewhat known actress in here is Ilse Steppat, who plays one of the major supporting characters. She also was not too famous at this point, but the fact that she played a villain in a Bond movie shortly before her death elevated her popularity a lot. Also just like with Kinski, I felt she was underused. The actors in here were certainly fine. I also enjoyed the faces where I did not know the name. But the story really isn't. This is never scary, this is never edge-of-seat material. And the final plot twist is really ridiculous in a bad way unfortunately. I give it a thumbs down. Not recommended. The potential here was absolutely not fulfilled. Luckily, the film stays easily under the 90 minute mark.
gavin6942
Scotland Yard is after a homicidal maniac called The Blue Hand, which is what he uses to kill his victims.Klaus Kinski stars, so you already know this is going to be weird. There is the use of very vibrant, distinct colors, almost like early Argento but less polished. There is wild music which is more comical than suspenseful. And there is a weapon that looks like a medieval version of Freddy Krueger's glove.I feel like if this film was touched up and given a decent transfer from a company that cares (like Dark Sky), it would have some potential. But it would still be accidentally humorous and hard to categorize. I would not mind if it was in the original German either.
Scarecrow-88
Klaus Kinski is the allure for this Krimi, another solid thriller with multiple twists and suspicious suspects, from director Alfred Vohrer concerning a series of murders associated with a wealthy family, & how they are in connection with an insane asylum whose psychiatric director is operating under the orders of a mastermind after an inheritance. The film opens with Kinski's character, Dave Emerson, who is sentenced to life at an asylum for the murder of his gardener(..a murder he insists passionately he didn't commit), and is released by someone who shortly afterward kills a nurse as he's fleeing the scene. Dave's twin brother, Richard, mysteriously vanishes upon his arrival at the family mansion..Scotland Yard detectives, Inspector Craig(Harald Leipnitz)and Sir John(Siegfried Schürenberg)discover Dave's attempt to assume Richard's identity, but work with him to identify a killer, donning a black cloak and hood(..with a hole cut out to see through), using a armor plated arm with sharp steel claws that extend(..the blue hand, designed from blueprints drawn up by Dave who is a successful sculptor of mannequins among other things). The "creature with the blue hand" seems to be targeting Dave's family members, his brothers are killed and sister Myrna(Diana Körner)only escapes near death twice. Soon the asylum director, Dr. Albert Mangrove(Carl Lange), a colorful villain with a monocle, has Myrna kidnapped, often talking over the phone with his boss behind an operation to retrieve a fortune left to the Emerson family by their deceased patriarch, attempting to force her signature on a document, with her refusal being possible death..attempts to frighten her into signing include being thrown in a prison with dangerously violent lunatics and a padded cell containing a plastic cage housing an army of rats(..also part of the punishment includes the release of multiple snakes). Working with Dave, who temporarily takes Richard's place as he oddly remains out of the picture, Craig will attempt to uncover the killer and mastermind behind the kidnapping of Myrna.As any good Krimi film, there is an extremely convoluted plot yielding lots of suspects and red herrings, and some intriguing twists which reveal the complex scheme as it unfolds with our detective, Craig, getting to the bottom of the mystery..who would want the Emerson kids dead and how is Mangrove involved? There's another neat disguise and weapon for the killer, the intimidating armored arm with claws that often are buried deep into the chests of victims. You have any number of suspects who could be behind the murders such as Lady Emerson herself, a sneaky butler who is always spying on people in the mansion, the family's lawyer, and even Kinski's two brothers themselves. The film does take away doubt that Dave's behind the scheme as he works closely with Craig, but what about his brother Richard? Lange's sinister Mangrove is as much a memorable villain as the "creature with the blue hand", with his methods for disposing of those who get in his way such as a nurse attempting to expose his corruption or his torturous methods towards Myrna, trying to get her written signature. The monocle and his unflinching willingness to harm people certainly craft Mangrove as a slimy, cruel heavy wielding a lot of power thanks to his position and authority. Through his position as a director of an asylum(..and the authority to pronounce people insane even if they aren't), he indeed has methods at his disposal for dealing with folks others want out of the way. Thankfully Schürenberg's nincompoop Sir John doesn't figure prominently in this particular Krimi, a goofy source of comedy often standing in the way of the more reliable detective(..Craig in this case)with a firm grasp on how to solve the difficult case in front of him. While Kinski has two roles(..although, Richard isn't involved in the movie that much, except in terms of the central plot), he is more of a supporting character assisting Craig in catching the culprits behind the highly complex scheme to get at an inheritance. The mansion has a nifty secret passageway which offers the killer a method of travel(..and this method of travel figures into how Dave was set up for the murder), and the asylum is established as a repellent and unnerving place where you certainly don't want to wind up. The story-line keeps you honest all the way to it's wacky conclusion..fans might tell you that the Krimi genre is much like Scooby Doo mysteries as those responsible are unmasked as the detective gathers the remaining suspects, unveiling the mastermind to our amusement.
bensonmum2
I'm still relatively new to these krimis, but I rate Creature with the Blue Hand as one of the best I've seen so far. It's the story of man named Dave Emerson (Klaus Kinski) who has been committed to an asylum for murdering his family's gardener. Dave escapes and makes his way home (which is conveniently located a stones throw from the asylum) and attempts to convince anyone who will listen that he's innocent. But it's difficult for his family and Scotland Yard to believe Dave as the bodies begin to pile-up? There's certainly plenty to enjoy in Creature with the Blue Hand – a crazy twin brother, a devilishly sinister medieval glove with retractable spikes, secret passageways, a mad doctor, and enough suspense to keep most fans happy. Creature with the Blue Hand is successful in creating that one ingredient necessary for a film of this type – atmosphere. The film has a nice pace to it and never seems to drag. The acting is hit or miss at best. Kinski gives a nice, restrained performance. The sets are amazing and far exceed the film's obviously limited budget. Even though the film is set in modern times, the sets would have been perfect for a period piece.The DVD I watched also features an American cut of the film, re-titled The Bloody Dead. This version contains 15 or so minutes of added gore scenes filmed some 20 years after the original movie was made. I haven't watched it yet and, based on everything I've read, I probably never will.
