The horror genre is the only one that manages to get away with bad movies. There are some spectacularly brilliant examples of horror films, including Paranormal Activity (2007) (and its sequels), The Shining (1980), and The Silence of the Lambs (1991), but there are also some that are terrible.
Of course, some of these bad films are unbearable, but there are also some that are so bad that they’re brilliant and hilarious. Some of these terribly funny horror movies include Killer Klowns From Outer Space (1988), House of the Dead (2003), Jaws 3-D (1983), and all of the films in the Leprechaun franchise.
Occasionally, a film comes along that doesn’t quite fit into either category. It’s certainly bad, but whether it is truly hilarious or not is up for debate.
One such film is Dead Man’s Hand (2007), a movie that, confusingly, also goes by two other names: Casino of the Damned and The Haunted Casino.
It was directed by Charles Band, a specialist in low-budget horror movies who churns out an impressive quantity of content each year. You can get an idea for much of his work just by looking at the names, for example: The Gingerweed Man (2021), Evil Bong 420 (2015) and The Boy with the X-Ray Eyes (1999).
The Plot
The plot of Dead Man’s Hand is probably exactly what you’d expect from a haunted casino movie. It follows Matthew Dragna, a young man who inherits an old casino from his recently-deceased uncle.
Matthew brings his girlfriend, JJ, and some of his friends to check out his new property. Naturally, the casino is completely run down having been apparently left derelict for quite some time.
Inside, the machines and tables are covered in thick layers of obviously fake dust that look like they’ve been taken from a budget Halloween decoration kit.
The group eventually discover that Matthew’s uncle was involved in the murder of a mobster at the casino who then goes on to haunt everyone in it. Matthew and his friends then go on to be the recipients of all this paranormal activity.
Tired and Cheesy
As is typical with cheap horror movies, Dead Man’s Hand is packed with cheesy jokes that are so unfunny they make you laugh. The film’s name actually comes from one of these jokes.
One of the characters decides to play roulette, but gets his hand cut off by one of the monsters. More horrifically, the now one-handed victim is subjected to the pun “you’ve got a dead man’s hand”.
The problem here is that roulette doesn’t involve “hands” since it isn’t played with cards. The joke would have worked much better with blackjack, a game that requires players to make a hand valued as close to 21 as possible. Most people are familiar with this game, as it is one of the most popular games nowadays. In fact, online casinos typically offer several variants for their players to choose from, such as classic and premium versions that have slightly different rules from each other, though they all retain this mechanic of constructing hands.
Therefore, it wouldn't have changed the scene had the character been playing blackjack instead but it would have meant that the joke would have made more sense.
That’s not all, the film lacks any real horror for the first hour or so, leaving a weird rush of attempts at scary in the final 15 minutes.
Cast
As is common with low-budget movies, the cast of Dead Man’s Hand is filled with names you probably don’t recognise. The lead, Matthew, is played by Scott Whyte, an actor who has had only minor roles in recent years, while JJ mostly only appears in other Charles Band productions. Sid Haig, who you may know from films like House of 1000 Corpses (2003) and TV shows like The Dukes of Hazzard. However, he appears to be reading from cue cards in some scenes, which makes an even bigger mockery of the film.
Overall, Dead Man’s Hand is a film that you will only enjoy if you like to laugh at bad movies. It is cheesy, cheap, and predictable. If that’s your sort of thing, then go ahead, just don’t say you haven’t been warned.
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The horror genre is the only one that manages to get away with bad movies. There are some spectacularly brilliant examples of horror films, including Paranormal Activity (2007) (and its sequels), The Shining (1980), and The Silence of the Lambs (1991), but there are also some that are terrible.
Of course, some of these bad films are unbearable, but there are also some that are so bad that they’re brilliant and hilarious. Some of these terribly funny horror movies include Killer Klowns From Outer Space (1988), House of the Dead (2003), Jaws 3-D (1983), and all of the films in the Leprechaun franchise.
Occasionally, a film comes along that doesn’t quite fit into either category. It’s certainly bad, but whether it is truly hilarious or not is up for debate.
One such film is Dead Man’s Hand (2007), a movie that, confusingly, also goes by two other names: Casino of the Damned and The Haunted Casino.
It was directed by Charles Band, a specialist in low-budget horror movies who churns out an impressive quantity of content each year. You can get an idea for much of his work just by looking at the names, for example: The Gingerweed Man (2021), Evil Bong 420 (2015) and The Boy with the X-Ray Eyes (1999).
The Plot
The plot of Dead Man’s Hand is probably exactly what you’d expect from a haunted casino movie. It follows Matthew Dragna, a young man who inherits an old casino from his recently-deceased uncle.
Matthew brings his girlfriend, JJ, and some of his friends to check out his new property. Naturally, the casino is completely run down having been apparently left derelict for quite some time.
Inside, the machines and tables are covered in thick layers of obviously fake dust that look like they’ve been taken from a budget Halloween decoration kit.
The group eventually discover that Matthew’s uncle was involved in the murder of a mobster at the casino who then goes on to haunt everyone in it. Matthew and his friends then go on to be the recipients of all this paranormal activity.
Tired and Cheesy
As is typical with cheap horror movies, Dead Man’s Hand is packed with cheesy jokes that are so unfunny they make you laugh. The film’s name actually comes from one of these jokes.
One of the characters decides to play roulette, but gets his hand cut off by one of the monsters. More horrifically, the now one-handed victim is subjected to the pun “you’ve got a dead man’s hand”.
The problem here is that roulette doesn’t involve “hands” since it isn’t played with cards. The joke would have worked much better with blackjack, a game that requires players to make a hand valued as close to 21 as possible. Most people are familiar with this game, as it is one of the most popular games nowadays. In fact, online casinos typically offer several variants for their players to choose from, such as classic and premium versions that have slightly different rules from each other, though they all retain this mechanic of constructing hands.
Therefore, it wouldn't have changed the scene had the character been playing blackjack instead but it would have meant that the joke would have made more sense.
That’s not all, the film lacks any real horror for the first hour or so, leaving a weird rush of attempts at scary in the final 15 minutes.
Cast
As is common with low-budget movies, the cast of Dead Man’s Hand is filled with names you probably don’t recognise. The lead, Matthew, is played by Scott Whyte, an actor who has had only minor roles in recent years, while JJ mostly only appears in other Charles Band productions. Sid Haig, who you may know from films like House of 1000 Corpses (2003) and TV shows like The Dukes of Hazzard. However, he appears to be reading from cue cards in some scenes, which makes an even bigger mockery of the film.
Overall, Dead Man’s Hand is a film that you will only enjoy if you like to laugh at bad movies. It is cheesy, cheap, and predictable. If that’s your sort of thing, then go ahead, just don’t say you haven’t been warned.