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4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
enjoyable krimi, not especially horrific, 26 April 2006
7/10
Author: CryFi from Lansingburgh, New York, USA

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.

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
were 'Krimis' meant to be taken seriously?, 2 October 2006
7/10
Author: TheatreX from Louisville, KY

I had seen both "The Bloody Dead" and "Creature with the Blue Hand" on VHS until I bought the DVD that has both versions, and I have to say that I enjoyed them although I can't imagine how exactly they were intended to be taken. Here we have a young man who has escaped a nasty asylum and manages to get home (four miles) and change into his brother's clothes, and be downstairs in a matter of moments, having assumed his brother's identity and shaved (and showered? he was awful sweaty-looking). Anyway, this is Dave (played by Klaus Kinski)who has assumed the identity of his brother Richard. Dave's been in the nut-house for killing the family gardener. Meanwhile, someone stalks the halls of the estate with the deadly Blue Hand, a metal glove, of sorts, with retractable claws, for those nasty gouges that cause immediate death in all they touch. And, there's something going on with wrongful commitments to the asylum in an attempt for someone to get an inheritance, or something along those lines. It's not terribly clear. There's also a dour butler with deadpan delivery who is quite amusing. This pretty fun to watch, despite its shortcomings, and has a cool jazzy 60's soundtrack which is also very enjoyable. The Bloody Dead version has added footage of cannibalistic inmates at the asylum but none of the additions do much for improving the coherence of the story. Anyway this is fun in a kind of odd way, and if you don't mind some cheesy effects and plot holes a mile wide, you may well enjoy this. It would of course help if you've already seen some "Krimis" and know what to expect. 7 out of 10.

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Creature with the Blue Hand, 14 April 2009
7/10
Author: Scarecrow-88 from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Klaus Kinski is the allure for this Krimi, another solid thriller with multiple twists and suspicious suspects, from director Alfred Vohrer concerning a series of murders associated with a wealthy family, & how they are in connection with an insane asylum whose psychiatric director is operating under the orders of a mastermind after an inheritance. The film opens with Kinski's character, Dave Emerson, who is sentenced to life at an asylum for the murder of his gardener(..a murder he insists passionately he didn't commit), and is released by someone who shortly afterward kills a nurse as he's fleeing the scene. Dave's twin brother, Richard, mysteriously vanishes upon his arrival at the family mansion..Scotland Yard detectives, Inspector Craig(Harald Leipnitz)and Sir John(Siegfried Schürenberg)discover Dave's attempt to assume Richard's identity, but work with him to identify a killer, donning a black cloak and hood(..with a hole cut out to see through), using a armor plated arm with sharp steel claws that extend(..the blue hand, designed from blueprints drawn up by Dave who is a successful sculptor of mannequins among other things). The "creature with the blue hand" seems to be targeting Dave's family members, his brothers are killed and sister Myrna(Diana Körner)only escapes near death twice. Soon the asylum director, Dr. Albert Mangrove(Carl Lange), a colorful villain with a monocle, has Myrna kidnapped, often talking over the phone with his boss behind an operation to retrieve a fortune left to the Emerson family by their deceased patriarch, attempting to force her signature on a document, with her refusal being possible death..attempts to frighten her into signing include being thrown in a prison with dangerously violent lunatics and a padded cell containing a plastic cage housing an army of rats(..also part of the punishment includes the release of multiple snakes). Working with Dave, who temporarily takes Richard's place as he oddly remains out of the picture, Craig will attempt to uncover the killer and mastermind behind the kidnapping of Myrna.

As any good Krimi film, there is an extremely convoluted plot yielding lots of suspects and red herrings, and some intriguing twists which reveal the complex scheme as it unfolds with our detective, Craig, getting to the bottom of the mystery..who would want the Emerson kids dead and how is Mangrove involved? There's another neat disguise and weapon for the killer, the intimidating armored arm with claws that often are buried deep into the chests of victims. You have any number of suspects who could be behind the murders such as Lady Emerson herself, a sneaky butler who is always spying on people in the mansion, the family's lawyer, and even Kinski's two brothers themselves. The film does take away doubt that Dave's behind the scheme as he works closely with Craig, but what about his brother Richard? Lange's sinister Mangrove is as much a memorable villain as the "creature with the blue hand", with his methods for disposing of those who get in his way such as a nurse attempting to expose his corruption or his torturous methods towards Myrna, trying to get her written signature. The monocle and his unflinching willingness to harm people certainly craft Mangrove as a slimy, cruel heavy wielding a lot of power thanks to his position and authority. Through his position as a director of an asylum(..and the authority to pronounce people insane even if they aren't), he indeed has methods at his disposal for dealing with folks others want out of the way. Thankfully Schürenberg's nincompoop Sir John doesn't figure prominently in this particular Krimi, a goofy source of comedy often standing in the way of the more reliable detective(..Craig in this case)with a firm grasp on how to solve the difficult case in front of him. While Kinski has two roles(..although, Richard isn't involved in the movie that much, except in terms of the central plot), he is more of a supporting character assisting Craig in catching the culprits behind the highly complex scheme to get at an inheritance. The mansion has a nifty secret passageway which offers the killer a method of travel(..and this method of travel figures into how Dave was set up for the murder), and the asylum is established as a repellent and unnerving place where you certainly don't want to wind up. The story-line keeps you honest all the way to it's wacky conclusion..fans might tell you that the Krimi genre is much like Scooby Doo mysteries as those responsible are unmasked as the detective gathers the remaining suspects, unveiling the mastermind to our amusement.

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1 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
A lot better than I remembered when I fell asleep as a teenager watching it, 10 October 2006
Author: rixrex from United States

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.

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1 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
Very enjoyable krimi, 13 August 2006
7/10
Author: bensonmum2 from Tennessee

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

I'm still relatively new to these krimis, but I rate Creature with the Blue Hand as one of the best I've seen so far. It's the story of man named Dave Emerson (Klaus Kinski) who has been committed to an asylum for murdering his family's gardener. Dave escapes and makes his way home (which is conveniently located a stones throw from the asylum) and attempts to convince anyone who will listen that he's innocent. But it's difficult for his family and Scotland Yard to believe Dave as the bodies begin to pile-up?

There's certainly plenty to enjoy in Creature with the Blue Hand – a crazy twin brother, a devilishly sinister medieval glove with retractable spikes, secret passageways, a mad doctor, and enough suspense to keep most fans happy. Creature with the Blue Hand is successful in creating that one ingredient necessary for a film of this type – atmosphere. The film has a nice pace to it and never seems to drag. The acting is hit or miss at best. Kinski gives a nice, restrained performance. The sets are amazing and far exceed the film's obviously limited budget. Even though the film is set in modern times, the sets would have been perfect for a period piece.

The DVD I watched also features an American cut of the film, re-titled The Bloody Dead. This version contains 15 or so minutes of added gore scenes filmed some 20 years after the original movie was made. I haven't watched it yet and, based on everything I've read, I probably never will.

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5 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-
This is not about a lonely smurf..., 4 September 1999
Author: evilskip

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.

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0 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
Spare yourself!!!!!, 16 April 2002
1/10
Author: braindamaged119

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!.

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0 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :-
Suckers!! :=8P, 26 April 1999
1/10
Author: MooCowMo from Mooport Moos, VA

Yes, those of you expecting a moovie called The Bloody Dead - you've been ripped off. Instead, you got a re-edited version of a German late 60's horror film called "The Blue Hand", starring a very young Klaus Kinski, with some cheesy 70's American zombie bits edited in and re-released. The original Blue Hand is muddled and cowfusing as it is, poorly dubbed and featuring bad fx; the added scenes are even worse, amateurishly acted, obviously fake, and basically pointless. The two films cowbined create a very poor, boring, hopeless mess. Klaus Kinski, the German John Caradine, plays two roles (sort of!), although it's never very sure who or what role he is in at any one time. Kinski fans may want to see this only to see him at one of his earliest mooments, but true horror buffs will be bored stiff. MooCow says don't even bother. :=8P

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