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The Crawling Hand

The Crawling Hand

List Price: $9.95
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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Not as good as later ones, but good nonetheless.
Review: I for one really loved all the hand jokes ('gotta hand it to him', 'born to hand-jive', 'hand-to-hand combat', 'the long arm of the law') not to mention the Skipper jokes ('not till the next boating accident', 'i'm going on a three hour tour', 'can I call you little buddy?'). But I really hated Tom Servo's voice and Crow's neck looked like a pencil.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: James Dean + Jerry Mathers
Review: I have to admit that even though not one of the must-buy episodes, "The Crawling Hand" has a certain charm. I for one don't mind every single joke not being based on very obscure pop culture. There are some great bits like Mrs. Captain Kirks death scene during the third take of the same scene. I just about died laughing as the Robert Smith wannabe, space virus infected astronaut moans, "push, the, red, button". My favorite character of all was Paul, the James Dean wannabe. There is a certain scene featuring him that just screams Rebel Without a Cause Ripoff when he drowns in teenage angst.

Still, I had little patience with Dr. Larry Erhardt. His whiny, high pitched voice made my blood boil. Even worse was his work as Tom Servo's stuffed nose, monotone voice. Even Joel (I really have no preference between him and Mike) turns in a terrible performance during the host segments, he just acts bored and bemused while he talks at you.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: As a kid this one scared me for months
Review: I just knew there was a hand crawling up the bed at night. Maybe 5 years old was a bit too young to be seeing this, but my cousins talked me into it.
Fun movie for teens.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Skip 'The Crawling Hand' unless you're a completist
Review: I picked this one up based on how much I've enjoyed every other MST3K videos I've seen, and thought that since this one was from the first season it could be kinda funny to see how the show looked in the begining.

Well unfortunately, it wasn't.

You can see the jokes (the few that there are) coming from a mile away, and they just don't have the same wit or hillarity (is that a word?) as the later movies do. And what was up with Servo...with that slow monotone voice, he reminded me of an old teacher I had in high school, and that isn't a good thing.

So Unless you're a completist, I wouldn't bother picking up 'The Crawling Hand'. It has the distinction of being the only MST3K movie I've ever passed out while watching.

I'd definately rather spend my money on Manos: The Hands of Fate, Eegah, or the Pod People (just to name a few).

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: It's good!
Review: I really enjoy watching these early episodes. The set designs were interesting, the host segments were pretty funny, and Josh Weinstein played Dr, Erhardt who was Dr. Forrester's assistant. Yes, it's true that the riffs weren't as funny as the later seasons, but remember... this was only season one. They were improving. However, in "The Crawling Hand" there was some excellent riffs ("No zombies, not allowed!")! If you haven't seen an episode from season one, I recommend this one. I also really enjoyed Tom Servo's voice!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Thank goodness for Kevin Murphy!
Review: I've been a rabid MSTie ever since I accidentally caught an airing of "Cave Dwellers" on the Comedy Channel many many moons ago (and for those of you who remember the pre Comedy Central era, that should tell you just how many moons that is.) While I can appreciate the fact that these guys were still in their experimental/formative stages at the time of this episode -- let's face it, they had just graduated from local access -- I still can't help but label this one as a dud. MST3K was (is) a show with riffs and snags at the core, and when the rimshots are as slow-coming and uninspired as the ones featured in "The Crawling Hand," the focus of the show shifts rather unhealthily to the actual film itself. I barely managed a chuckle for the majority of the episode -- the fact that Servo (brought to "life" by Weinstein) sounds narcoleptic didn't help much either. If it weren't for the Shatner-ripping in the bumpers and a few moments of life toward the end, I'd have laid a one-star review on this one. Still, it is useful to have in a collection to show how far the cast had come by the time of such third season opuses as "Cave Dwellers" and "Pod People." Also, it will make you appreciate Kevin Murphy, who took over Servo after Weinstein departed, pretty much on the same level as oxygen.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Mediocre Episode of MST3K- But That Still Makes it Gold.
Review: I've loved MST3K ever since I rented Pod People- thinking it was about a fuzzy alf-like alien (I was 12 at the time)- and laughed myself into tears.

That having been said, I've been raised on a Murphy servo. When Servo said 'Hey there Joel' during the opening credits of The Crawling Hand, I nearly fell out of my chair in shock. I'm also used to Mike, and prefer him to Joel, but it doesn't make a huge difference. Still, half the movie I was thinking to myself "Murphy's servo is so much better", and "Mike would have put more feeling into that riff."

Servo here does indeed sound like he's on the verge of a coma, and the timing is very off. The sets are cheap, Joel and the 'bots seem unenthused, but this video is a little slice of history. I won't bother telling you the plot, as others already have.

This would have gotten a three, but the historical value of this episode warrents an extra star. The Shatner sketch and a riff involving 'smoking' are great tidbits. Definately buy it if you're a fan, but if you're new to the show, start with 'Pod People' or 'Manos'.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The definitive severed hand movie
Review: If you're looking for a movie about an astronaut's severed hand and its inexplicable killing spree, this is the one you MUST see. (I'm just wondering why the so-called "history" books have covered up the disastrous lunar mission shown in the opening scenes.)

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The Earth is saved by a more intelligent species than humans
Review: In this episode, Joel and the Bots tangle with the wretchedness that is Alan Hale, Jr...and Peter Breck...Former Miss Sweden Sirry Steffan figures in quite nicely as the eye-candy love interest, in the grand tradition of Ingrid Goude of "The Killer Shrews."...Our anti-hero, a medical student who looks like the unholy fusion of James Dean and Rickey Nelson, finds the arm on the beach after the astronaut's capsule is destroyed. He takes it home, only to have it kill his landlady and infect him with the killer virus....

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Mystery Science Theater 3000's first season
Review: It's a Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode from season 1! If you are a big fan of MST3K this is the video for you. If you've never seen a season 1 episode before you'll find a few changes like crappy special effects and Joel and the bots look a little strange in the theater, don't forget Tom Servo has a different voice, and that Larry, not Frank, is Dr. forrester's assistant. The movie is about a astronaut's ship exploding in space and his hand falls down to earth and some kid finds the hand and brings it home and it goes on a killing rampage. For people who have never seen Mystery Science Theater 3000 is their entire life don't buy this video, buy Manos: The hands of fate or any other video for one main reason, all of the other tapes are better and funnier, but if your a big fan of MST3K and you just love the show, this is the tape for you!


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