My latest cinematic adventure was The Devil's Hand, a 1961 independent horror featuring the guy who played Commissioner Gordon in the old Batman TV show.
At only an hour and seven minutes - which is actually sixty-six minutes and sixty-six seconds (wow!) - The Devil's Hand is too short for a movie, but too long for an episode of the Twilight Zone or any other broadcast show, although it does play like a Twilight Zone movie.
Our story begins with a gentleman having vivid dreams about a woman who is not his girlfriend. Somehow his actual girlfriend is ok with this. The dreams lead to him quitting his job and wandering the streets. Again, his girlfriend has no problem with this. The dreams also direct him to visit a small boutique doll store where he finds a doll of the woman in his dreams. After bringing his girlfriend to the store, where she not only sees the doll of the woman, but also the doll of herself, the guy's girlfriend is creeped out, but still not upset with him.
We then learn the dolls are voodoo dolls and the owner of the store stabs the girlfriend-looking doll, causing her to need medical care at the local hospital. How long she is there is not determined, but it is long enough for another woman to swoop in and steal the dude and them to join a satanic cult that holds meetings under the doll store. Good things happen to the guy when he joins the cult. He wins at the track. His stocks go up. Life is good.
He still has feelings for his hospitalized girlfriend, however. He finds the doll they pierced and removes the pin, causing her to miraculously recover. Then after the cult kidnaps her and attempts to sacrifice her to Satan, he rescues her, punches the high priest/doll shop owner, and starts a fire that burns the store down. Of course, his girlfriend is still not upset with him, despite the fact that everything that has happened is his fault.
The Devil's Hand also has a hip surf rock soundtrack, which considering the link between the Beach Boys and the Manson Family, adds a little weirdness to the movie.
Grade: 4 voodoo dolls of 5.
