Afouotos Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

KnotStronger This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

Aubrey Hackett While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

Cassandra Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

gridoon2018 "The Beast With Five Fingers" is set in one of those cinematic Italian villages where everybody speaks English (except for the occasional "Signorina"), and for the first hour or so not much happens. But although the story is very slow-moving, it does keep the viewer wondering if this is a supernatural thriller or a psycho thriller. Other assets include Max Steiner's rich music score, great special effects (not just of the disembodied hand, but in one hallucinogenic sequence much earlier), and Peter Lorre's full-tilt performance. There are also two funny gags at the very end. **1/2 out of 4.

GL84 Following the death of their charge, a group of friends staying in his Italian villa become convinced his disembodied hand is committing a series of gruesome murders around the house and try to stop it before they're all killed.This here was quite an enjoyable and fun effort. What really gives this one a great feel here is the exceptional build-up here to the actual revelation, which comes off really nicely here without giving off a really boring pace. The early part of this one is a great build-up of the mysterious death of their boss and the general resentment of everyone towards his intentions following the reading of the will which gives this a really solid base once it moves to the haunting stages. These here are all quite fun as the hand gets quite inventive here with some spectacular scenes of the disembodied hand coming out from around corners, behind curtains and statues to attack without warning only to disappear without a trace and then to immediately begin playing the piano makes for some creepy times here, and several other big stalking scenes that come about showing it walking about which give off a really fine touch. There's even a great deal of detective work on display here as the middle parts here revolve very nicely around determining the course of actions within here which follow through the group exploration of the tomb where they find the initial disturbances where the hand has gotten loose and left the evidence of its disappearance as well as bringing about the start of the regular investigations. The scenes of the group wandering around the house following each of the attacks where the earlier clues here about trying to get to the other will while trying to solve the murders leads to the secret room in the library and the further realization of the tricks used to pull it off are revealed given the introduction of the hoax at the center of it all. It's a strong enough concept here that this one is indeed good enough here that there's a lot to like over the film's few problems. The biggest issue here is in fact the film's final twist, something which not only renders what's going on here completely arbitrary but also is revealed in a really clueless way, unfurling it without much suspicion by the sole member of the household who has been informed the least by what's happening and really taking a lot of sting out of the film. It's not really as clever as it thinks it is because of this, and really tends to downplay a lot of what happened here. As well, there's also the endings' jokey nature tends to really conflict with the more serious efforts here in the rest of the film, but it's more the twist here holding this one down.Today's Rating/PG: Violence.

nomoons11 Anything Peter Lorre did I get on board for so when I had a chance to see this one...I jumped.A partially paralyzed concert pianist sits in his Italian castle all day and plays morose piano tunes whilst his nurse and weird astronomer friend sit idly by. He's a really creepy guy who's a bit off kilter but decides he's of enough sound mind to get his house mates and his 1 outside friend to sign off on his will. The nurse is emotionally exhausted having to take care of this guy so she decides to leave the house. Before this can happen the Pianist falls down the staircase and dies. After this comes the "whodunnit" part of the film and with this....it's where the real creepiness starts.Right off when you start this you'll recognize that this isn't a first rate production. By the actors alone you can see this but with the story they weave it really enhances the atmosphere that it's not on "A" list horror film. The real standout is Peter Lorre. He's heads and tails above any actor in this...and it shows. This guy made a real niche for himself playing these weird off-center type of guys. It was his looks, demeanor and personality all rolled into one that him the legend he is.Sit back on a dark night and watch this creepy little gem from the Warner lot. It's a "B" winner from any day and time.

calvinnme ... the rest of the show is J.Carrol Naish as the understated but determined Police Commissario Ovidio Castanio, and Victor Francen as Francis Ingram, a paralyzed concert pianist. Together they take a script that drags in spots and make it memorable with some great performances. The opening scene is rather misleading as it makes you think that this film is going to be about petty con man Conrad Ryler (Robert Alda) and the police official that recognizes but looks the other way at his somewhat crooked ways (J. Carroll Naish). It is not.The story quickly moves to the estate of invalid pianist Francis Ingram, his body completely paralyzed save his left hand, being cared for by his nurse Julie (Andrea King). Francis is obviously in love with her, but realizes the two could never have a real relationship. However, this doesn't prevent him from being horribly jealous of her. He has an eccentric private secretary (Peter Lorre as Hilary) who doesn't seem to be doing any work at all for Francis, instead he spends all of his time studying astrology. This is OK with Francis as he is busy studying Julie. All of this Gothic atmosphere leads up to Francis accidentally falling down the stairs to his death, his greedy estranged relatives arriving from England, and their discovery that Francis has written his nephew out of the will and given everything to his nurse Julie. True to the form of the one percent, these greedy relatives are not good sports about this and threaten to break the will even if they have to accuse Julie of murder - and all with the help of Francis' own lawyer who drew up the will in the first place - for a cut of the estate of course. The piano, locked since Francis' death, is heard to play at night yet nobody is around and the next morning the lawyer is found strangled dead. Later the greedy nephew almost meets the same fate. Some investigation by the police finds that Francis' one good hand is missing from his body. Is Francis' disembodied hand going about wreaking vigilante justice on those that are wronging him after death? Of course not! After all, this isn't Universal Studios, this is Warner Brothers, and there is a reasonable explanation. I'll let you watch and find out what that is.The last scene had me quite upset. Julie just signs over the estate to the greedy relatives and walks away from the whole thing, penniless. At least "the hand" could have done away with the two greedy relatives and let kind Julie keep what Francis intended her to have. I guess in the production code era, murder is wrong but greed is good.