User reviews

The DVD I watched had both the Bloody Dead and the original Creature with the Blue Hand versions on it; I watched the latter. Presumably the latter isn't exactly the original since it has English language titles and dialogue. Additionally, during the opening credits there are twelve gunshots and twelve bloody stains that appear on the screen. In The Video Watchdog Book, it's mentioned that krimis begin with that and the letters E D G A R W A L L A C E appearing out of the blood. However, those letters don't emerge on the version on the DVD, though they're clearly arranged that way.

Dave (Kinski) is committed after being found criminally insane for the murder of the family gardener. He later escapes, and people are murdered by a figure dressed in black wielding an iron blue glove with retractable knives. His twin brother, two other brothers, mother and sister are all concerned about his escape. The police investigate. Lots of secret passages and a sinister doctor is in charge of the asylum.

Enjoyable, but the ending seemed sort of contrived. Still, I'd like to see more krimis and even read some Edgar Wallace.

Yes, that is right, I was trying to stay up late to watch this on the old Sammy Terry Terror Theater on Indianapolis/Bloomington channel 4, and fell asleep after about 15 mins. Therefore my recollection of it was as a boring movie, when in reality I was just tired. So I found a tape of it for $2 at the local swap meet and thought I'd give it a try since I liked all sorts of European giallo-styled films. What a great treat! Plenty of nice scary moments interspersed with humor and action. Not boring at all. Good performances all around, Kinski is superb. Now I know where Wes Craven got the knife-hand idea for Freddy K. One of the best things about these European horror films is that they actually have lengthy moments of suspense and dialog that aren't obscured by stupid, loud, obnoxious rock and pop music influenced noise like modern US horror films. They actually have soundtracks that enhance the mood rather than try to shock you with loud sudden blasts.

(Blood splattered everywhere in the first scene, mopped up by the janitors?) Kinski escapes from an asylum and hides out at his family's nearby estate, and assumes the identity of his twin brother, just as a series of murders begin, committed by a man in a black cloak with an iron glove and razor fingers.

How is that, for contrived and convoluted? And quick: this was filmed in February and March 1967, and released already in West Germany in April 1967!

Almost the entire film is bound to the family estate, a setting which allows for plenty of surreal images and vivid colours and soft photography and cracks of lightning in the night, and a few well done stalking scenes, but also limits the film, and makes it feel like a photographed stage-play. A slow moving and somewhat dull stage-play, with an abrupt and dodgy ending.

Life is short and you only live it once! That was my principal motivation to purchase a 33-DVD box set entitled "The Edgar Wallace Collection". Most of them are obscure and unknown euro-exploitation movies, but they all look deliciously sinister and entertaining. I'm watching them randomly, via a sort of bingo-system, and I was lucky enough to draw one starring my all-time favorite actor; - Klaus Kinski! Apparently, that wasn't too difficult. Kinski stars in approximately one-third of these films.

I am slightly familiar with the oeuvre of novelist Edgar Wallace, and can safely state that ("Creature with) the Blue Hand" is a prototypic work. It's a convoluted murder-whodunit, set in grim décors like spooky insane asylums and gothic family mansions full of secret passageways. Kinski plays a double role, identical twin brothers Dave & Richard Emerson, of which Dave is falsely accused of murder and submitted to an asylum. Someone unknown helps him escape, and simultaneously more members from the noble Emerson clan are brutally murdered by a killer who uses a blue gauntlet with sharp spikes. For once, Kinski doesn't portray the most diabolical character of the bunch. That honor goes to Carl Lange, who plays the sadist head warden of the asylum. He wears a monocle and keeps poisonous snakes in a safe in his office! Siegfried Schürenberg, in his familiar role as Sir John of Scotland Yard, ensures the obligatory comic-relief.

Klaus Kinski stars as Dave Emerson, convicted of a murder but found to be legally insane; soon he has escaped from his asylum, and sets about to prove his innocence. The inspector on the case (Harald Leipnitz) has his work cut out for him trying to wade through all of the suspects and figure out what's going on.

Another entry in that genre known as the "Krimi", this Edgar Wallace adaptation doesn't tell a particularly *great* mystery, per se, but it's made with such energy, pace, and wit that it's a blast to watch. It just races along, and is well acted by a solid, mostly German cast. Fans of Kinskis' work, however, should be aware, that he's not showcased as much as one would think given his prominent billing. Still, he's entertaining to watch, and "Creature with the Blue Hand" (the title stems from the use of the title weapon, a spiked glove from a suit of armor) sizes up as an amiable, atmospheric diversion.

Carl Lange, with his distinctive face, has the look of a classic villain as the nefarious Dr. Mangrove; the incredibly sexy Diana Korner is a treat to watch as Daves' sister Myrna.

Propelled along by a jaunty, jazzy score courtesy of Martin Bottcher, this was later re-worked, with newly shot footage, in the 80s as "The Bloody Dead".

Seven out of 10.

Good acting and an exciting story with a good tempo. However, it shows the cliché, scary mental sanctuary.

Although they have a few things in common, I've always preferred the Italian Giallo to the German Krimi which is probably why I'm a bit underwhelmed by many entries. Most krimi were made before the London Mod scene changed a generation's fashion, music, and decor (something the giallo took full advantage of) and were usually filmed in black & white with very little style and even less sex. CREATURE WITH THE BLUE HAND was a typical entry; a convoluted Edgar Wallace murder mystery (which is no bad thing, reely) made at the tail end of the cycle with color to recommend it.

Lord Emerson's lunatic twin (Klaus Kinski in a dual role) escapes from a nearby insane asylum and makes his way back home to gloomy Grayson Hall as a series of murders begin to plague both the estate and the asylum. The weapon of choice this time is a piece of ancestral armor, a blue steel glove with razor-sharp blades for fingers a la Freddy Krueger. Jumps scares and red herrings abound and a jazzy, inappropriate soundtrack makes the film feel like an episode of MANNIX at times but I will say one thing- there's always a decent body count in any given krimi. Characters drop like flies and no one cares -least of all the viewer- since the complicated plot's always in perpetual motion, leaving no time for character development.

Years later, additional scenes were filmed on the same sets and a re- edited version was released on the U.S. drive-in circuit as THE BLOODY DEAD. It's an extra on my DVD but I can't say I'm all that interested.

One of his betters though it still don't beat Schizoid or Venom. You get 2 Kinski's for the price of one. The classic one bad brother and one good. Kinski in an asylum? Perfect for the schizophrenic nymphomaniac actor. He's always a favorite goon to watch.

Creature with the Blue Hand AKA: The Bloody Dead is a fun, breezy film. It's short and sweet and gets right down to business. If you've seen any of Vohrer's other films, you'll find that this is basically his greatest hits album. Creepy mansion with secret passages? Check. Creepy asylum run by a powerful, corrupt man? Check. Creepy truck driven by villain in creepy fog at night? Check. Creepy visually impaired character? Check. And the list goes on. It's fun and doesn't take itself seriously. I liked the soundtrack too!

On the other hand, it felt a bit too formulaic. Some of the scenes were so contrived as to be almost like a parody.

Thankfully I haven't seen the re edited hatchet job that was released as The Bloody Dead that was culled from this movie. The ads on the video release did tout it as before Freddy in the Nightmare On Elm Street series.But this is another from the German krimis based on the works of Edgar Wallace.

What we have here is the old good twin/evil twin plot that has been done to death.Two brothers (played by the ever intense Klaus Kinski)are the center of a plot. One was convicted of murder and locked in the squirrel farm over his protestations of innocence.Conveniently the asylum is in the neighborhood of the family estate.

Freed by an unknown benefactor the twin flees to the family basement. Then a series of brutal killing via a spiked glove begin.Confusion abounds as the brothers bounce back and forth in cases of mistaken identity.As usual there is a fortune to be inherited as well, secret police agents and a mad doctor(is there any other kind?).

This by no means a great movie.It just happens to be rather unremarkable and somewhat predictable if you've seen enough movies in this genre.Hey, somebody has to sit through it so you don't have to.

See it only if you don't want to think strenuously.

Interesting little film. Kinski plays dual roles in opening scene. Starts as a trial, and Kinski (Dave) is found to be insane( imagine that) and sentenced to life in an asylum. Dave soon breaks out, and goes back home, and assumes the position of twin brother ( Richard) who is absent from then on, Scotland Yard investigates and believes Dave never was insane, it was all a ruse. People start getting killed by a hooded figure with a blue gauntlet with razor sharp claws. Moves at a brisk pace, not much gore, has a few twists and decent suspense. Look for Ilsa Steppat ( Irma Bunt, On her Majesty's secret service) as Kinski's mom. Has a campy element the musical soundtrack was better suited for a spy film.

I bought this film for $9.99 at my local mall because I was intrigued by the scenes depicted on the back of the box, which made it look like a zombie film (I'm a sucker for those). Needless to say, I was absolutely horrified after I watched the film. Not that the film was scary, mind you, but because it was so dreadfully AWFUL! You should probably be warned that the zombie scenes featured in the film came from a different movie, and said movie has absolutely NOTHING to do with the rest of the film, which is a German film starring Klaus Kinski named "Die Blaue Hand" (The Blue Hand). Well, I no longer own the tape, and I have made it my personal mission to turn you good people away from this film and others like it. On a scale of 1-10, this is undoubtedly a 1!.

CREATURE WITH THE BLUE HAND is a suspenseful thriller full of mystery. Klaus Kinski plays a dual role as twins, one of whom might be a homicidal maniac. The titular killer actually has a blue hand to dispatch his victims. It comes complete with finger-knives!

This movie also contains an insane asylum, a castle with secret passages, and inhuman torture by both rats and snakes! Kinski is his usual, amazing self. He devours these sort of roles like so much candy!

WARNING: This film was rereleased under the title THE BLOODY DEAD, which includes a few added, non sequitur sequences of gory violence having nothing to do with the actual story. This unnecessary footage is tacky, silly, and insulting to anyone with a functioning brain...

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.