Directed by Alfredo Zacarias
Written by Alfredo Zacarias, F. Amos Powell, David Lee Fein
Starring Samantha Eggar, Stuart Whitman, Roy C. Jensen
R • 1981 • 78 minutes

by Dr. Kobb

Not your usual killer disembodied hand-movie.

I am a sucker for certain subgenres of horror films (zombies, werewolves, giant critters, killer kids, Satan), while others just don’t knock my socks-off. Unless they’re humongous, and attached to 50 ft. women or big-assed monkeys, crawling hands or hands that possess/control people aren’t a big draw here.

Until I watched Demonoid: Messenger of Death, which is about a mine owner (Roy C. Jensen), his wife (Samantha Eggar), an evil, flying, parasitic Hand they release from three centuries’ burial, and a priest (Stuart Whitman) who refuses to believe the impossible truth. All three actors are capable (if not particularly likeable) enough, but this show is all about the sentient, bloody hand stump-monster, folks!

I don’t wanna give away too much of the jaw-dropping, head-scratching action to be had in this thing, so I’ll just mention a few choice scenes that had me fascinated/agog/horrified:

• Topless lady-thief is shackled long enough to hack away her hand via hatchet.

• Brief, but cool montage of eerie soundtrack music, real shots of Mexican mummies, and the Hand magically morphing-to-life from dust.

• The ‘Facial’: The evil hand’s most effective attack when not possessing somebody outright. The Facial consists of flying at the opponent and clamping-on to their face like a vice-grip until they die of mortal ‘face-squeezure’.

• The always reliable (I could watch this all day) staple of TV and movies circa `75-`85: Guy totally engulfed in flames stumbling along for a few steps before falling to the ground.

• Undead burn-victim cuts-off own hand via repeated slammings in a Police cruiser door.

• Cop (Lew Saunders) forces a doctor at gunpoint to surgically remove his left hand! And they show it!

• The offending member jumps from tray to table, brandishes a firearm, and shows crack-shot marksmanship by gunning-down a fleeing nurse as she makes for the door.

• Ms. Eggar looking deliciously vulnerable strapped-down to the Dr’s table.

• Groovy `70’s TV-movie high-speed car-chase with roaring big block engines, screeching tires, boom-chika beats, and wailing Police-sirens.

• The Hand plays ‘cat-and-mouse’ games with Samantha and Stuart, at one point even cutting both the phone and power to a church they seek refuge in(?!).