Plot:
In space, we get to watch an astronaut seeing fireworks explode into the opening credits. Back on Earth in the space control center, people are scurry around looking
busy. The press wants to know what's going on. Apparently, the second man on the moon, Lockhart, will not be coming back. Watch commander, Steve
manages to avoid telling the President the bad news. Needless to say, Steve is pretty angry.
Barringer is the head of Space Operations and wants to ground all other flights. They've lost men and only have 4 qualified men to fly the lunar rocket. Steve wants to
keep the missions continuing. The Rocket's oxygen supply is depleted. The flight is written off as a failure. In the control room Steve and Doctor Weisberg hear
Lockhart on the radio. Lockhart looks like he's in pretty bad shape and repeating the word "kill"
Hi, I'm be a killer severed arm shortly
Lockhart has been without oxygen for 15, 20 minutes. He wants to push the big red self destruct button. But, his arm refuses to push the button. Steve finally
uses the rocket destruct button on the console to destroy the rocket.
Weisberg and Steve try to figure out what happened. How could Lockhart survive without oxygen for 20 minutes? Weisberg thinks that something kept
Lockhart alive. Weisberg need Steve to help him prove that the "something" is alive. Bacteria in the air of the rocket could mutate from cosmic rays, etc... Weisberg
needs Steve to stall for time. That will give Weisberg time to prove his theory.
At the soda shop, Patsy and Marta are at a table. Soda jerk talks about the fireball in the sky last night. Paul arrives and leaves with Marta. They're a
couple. Eventually, they plan on going swimming. We learn that Paul is a loner.
On the beach, goofing around, early 60's makin' out ensues. They are running around the beach. We see some gauges from the rocket in the sand. Learn Marta
is Swedish. At least, it isn't the stereotypical Swedish accent. Of course, I don't think anyone could tell where she was from with the accent she has. Paul
and Marta are frolicking about on the sand. Paul wants Marta to stay so they can be married. She sees a severed arm and starts screaming.
I swear this isn't enjoyable
Paul being a medical student wants to get the arm. Marta doesn't want the thing near her.
Caucasian, it's what's for dinner
Later that night, Paul is looking through some old newspapers. Landlady nearly shoots him. Paul heads up to his room getting a shower curtain. He heads
back to the beach to get the arm. Paul takes the thing and places it in the basement of the house. Do you think the Landlady will be happy to know
a boarder has a severed arm in her basement?
Weisberg thinks he might be able to prove his theory. A rat that went on a previous rocket flight before launching humans named Elmer. Elmer is able to escape most
lock cages and isn't trusted around other rats. Being in space turns you into a homicidal cage escaper? Well turns you homicidal at least.
Landlady hears a ruckus. She investigates it. Jars have been knocked over in the basement. Is this the basement with a severed arm in it?. Indeed it is. She cleans
the mess. Paul is asleep in his room unaware of what is going on. The hand is crawling around. Landlady goes back to bed and has a drink. Paul is getting
restless in his sleep. The hand gets Landlady. It chokes her. A gunshot is heard. Paul races to check on her. He finds her dead. Paul looks around for the
arm briefly. It's gone. Paul calls the Sheriff. The Sheriff heads over to the house. The Sheriff is Alan Hale AKA the Skipper of Gilligan's Island or Giant
Spider Invasion.
Paul is still in the house. Sheriff gets to there. Paul tells him what happened but neglects mentioning the severed arm in the basement. If the police came
to your house, you mentioned a severed head in the closet. They'd haul you off to prison fast enough to make the aforementioned severed head spin. Sheriff
gives something to help Paul sleep. Alan Hale Jr is Doctor Feelgood. Not just a Sheriff but a dispenser of chemical incapacitation. Paul wants to stay. Sheriff
and the deputy leave.
Paul makes a call to Weisberg. He has a book Weisberg wrote. The Hand is crawling around behind Paul. The drug is taking effect on Paul when the
Hand attacks. The Hand begins choking him. The ambulance comes to pick up the Landlady's body. The Hand crawls away from Paul when it hears the
paramedics coming. Paul would be dead, if the paramedics didn't head to the kitchen for a beer. Paul is placed on a gurney and taken to the hospital. On
the trip there he awakens next to the Landlady's body. It freaks him out considerably. He gets out of the ambulance and runs away. How can a med student
be so skittish around dead bodies? Severed arms do not bother him, but dead bodies do.
Steve is at the office when he learns he's got to see security. Steve and Weisberg learn that Lockhart's fingerprints area at a crime scene. Steve tells a couple of
half-truths. Like where is Lockhart. It appears that the rocket launches aren't announcing who are on them. Weisberg mentions receiving a phone call in the
middle of the night with no one on the other end from the town where Lockhart's prints were found. Steve and Weisberg convinces Barringer to let them
head to California to investigate.
Paul comes back to the house. Sheriff is waiting and wants Paul to stay around the house. Paul records a message to Marta and her grandfather, who
is one of his teachers, about what is going on and the Hand. Paul suddenly destroys the tape recorder. He now has black eyes.
I can explain why I'm wearing mascara.
Sheriff learns that the fingerprints belong to Lockhart. He thinks Paul is behind the murder because of his strange behavior. Deputy goes to guard the house.
Paul is in pain.
Steve and Weisberg show up at the Sheriff's office. Sheriff is no help to them.
Paul is no longer sporting twin black eyes. He spots two guys he doesn't recognize in the yard. The Deputy is keeping them out of the house. Paul manages
to get them around to the back of the house. He throws them a note to return tonight.
Marta manages to get into the house. Paul is pretty flat with her, emotionless. He wants her to leave. Deputy gets her out of the house. Paul is
afraid of hurting Marta.
Steve and Weisberg check on the Landlady's body. Weisberg uses a detector to see that space radiation is on her. That night, Steve and Weisberg get inside
the house. Weisberg detects the same radiation in the house. Paul finds them and charges. Paul attacks Steve and escapes. Just in time for the Deputy to find
Steve and Weisberg there. He calls the Sheriff. Paul is on the loose.
Soda shop is closing up. Paul goes in to attack the soda jerk. There is a struggle. Paul begins choking him. Reverts to regular Paul and runs away again.
Sheriff's daughter, Patsy, is studying with Marta. Ok, Patsy is studying. Marta is moping over Paul. Marta's grandfather shows up to make them take a
break. Marta stays in her room worrying about Paul. Paul is at her window. He wants to talk with her. Paul is going to leave immediately after destroying
something. He's losing control. Marta wants to help him. Paul pushes her away and then turns into Black-eye Paul. He starts choking her. Her grandfather
rushes in and Paul escapes.
Sheriff, Steve, and Weisberg are in hot pursuit. Marta is recovering when the Sheriff rushes in. She mentions the severed arm. And, no one seems bothered
about the thing. Paul heads back to the house. He's looking forthe arm and manages to capture it. Wraps the thing up and throws it in the car trunk. Paul
drives away.
Sheriff drives to the house. Paul's car is gone. Sheriff quickly looks through the house for Paul.
Paul is driving down the road. The Hand manages to get into the backseat. It attacks Paul. Somehow, Paul wraps the arm in his jacket. The arm gets loose
again. Paul fights the arm with a broken bottle. I'm not why he's using a broken bottle. Maybe Paul has been in some bar fights.
Cops get to the junkyard where Paul is. They find Paul. Sheriff will gun him down if he doesn't drop the bottle. Paul has a glazed expression on his face and looks
out of it. Two cats are fighting over the severed arm. Paul drops the bottle and collapses. Sheriff, Steve, and Weisberg rush to Paul call for an ambulance.
Steve calls Weisberg, find the severed arm. The cats look like they’re eating the arm. They all leave.
In the hospital, Weisberg gives Paul a clean bill of space radiation that makes you want to kill. Marta checks on him. The Hand is in a locked metal box
to be taken to be studied. Innocent early 60s lovin' ensues. Paramedics have the box. One wants to look inside the box. The other one thinks it is a bad idea.
Opens the box which frees "The End".
