Massachusetts, 1979. It's the Salem High Class of '63 school reunion, five old friends have a dark secret. Between them they covered up the death of fellow classmate Calef, however the wife of one of them, Sarah Good, knows of this. In terms of plot this reminded me of "I Know What You Did Last Summer" (1997), only that was a slasher movie and the revenge killings here appear to be more supernatural. The UK DVD has the quote "The creepiest movie since Rosemary's Baby!" by one Chris Kennedy along the top of the sleeve, the crap that some of these people come out with does make me laugh. Acting is passable but there is way too much time spent with characters just talking/arguing and as a horror it is pretty lame. Sarah Good (the very attractive Abigail Morgan) has a foul mouth and is highly sexed, I found her to be the only memorable thing in an otherwise unmemorable film. I picked this up dirt cheap from a charity shop under the title "The Red Right Hand", 3 DVDs for £1 so at 33.3p each I can't complain. Wouldn't watch it again though.
9 Reviews
not a winner.
matchitehew5 November 2004
I'd picked this one up time and time again in the rental store, wondering if I should give it a shot. Today I broke down and gave it a whirl, and I probably shouldn't have.
While the writer/director did give the film a respectable effort, it fell far short of engaging. The characters, while you wanted to feel for them, just didn't have enough development or depth for you to get truly involved with them. Sara's sexual outbursts got tiring-- fast. I don't mind sex in films, and I don't mind bitchy characters, but being a "bad" girl doesn't mean you're prone to excitedly ask people at random if they'd like sexual favors. By the time what happened to the characters was revealed, I was bored, and ready to fast-forward to the climax, the end, anything exciting... and nothing delivered. The things the folks in the story eventually inform you of seems forced and unrealistic, and just wasn't played quite right. If they'd have thrown a bit more anguish in there, I might have been interested. This should have been a more of a suspense/drama film, and should have stuck to the title "Jon Good's Wife" rather than the whole "red right hand" and horror film-like cover. Hell... this should have had suspense, period.
Either way... watch this on a rainy day or a late night when there's nothing on the television. Though this isn't as great as I'd hoped, I would go for this over some infomercials.
While the writer/director did give the film a respectable effort, it fell far short of engaging. The characters, while you wanted to feel for them, just didn't have enough development or depth for you to get truly involved with them. Sara's sexual outbursts got tiring-- fast. I don't mind sex in films, and I don't mind bitchy characters, but being a "bad" girl doesn't mean you're prone to excitedly ask people at random if they'd like sexual favors. By the time what happened to the characters was revealed, I was bored, and ready to fast-forward to the climax, the end, anything exciting... and nothing delivered. The things the folks in the story eventually inform you of seems forced and unrealistic, and just wasn't played quite right. If they'd have thrown a bit more anguish in there, I might have been interested. This should have been a more of a suspense/drama film, and should have stuck to the title "Jon Good's Wife" rather than the whole "red right hand" and horror film-like cover. Hell... this should have had suspense, period.
Either way... watch this on a rainy day or a late night when there's nothing on the television. Though this isn't as great as I'd hoped, I would go for this over some infomercials.
Rubbishy horror/thriller/mystery type thing.
poolandrews24 March 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Jon Good's Wife (simply one of the worst titles for a film ever), or The Red Right Hand (another absolutely awful sounding title that means nothing & has no relevance to the film) under which I saw it, is set in 'Salem, Massachusettes 1978' (incidently the year I was born which was quite possibly the best thing to happen during those 365 days) where five old college friends meet up for a school reunion, gay-boy fagot Roger Mather (John Kuntz, is that surname for real? Just say it out loud...), Martha Alden (Kim Brockington), Rebecca Lawson (Jenna Stern) & her boyfriend Jake Stabler (John Doe), Alan Hobbes (Michael Kevin Walker) & his wife Sandy (Megan Rawa) plus John Good (Marc Ardito, why is the spelling of 'John' different in the title?) & his wife Sara (Abigail Morgan). From the word go there is an uneasy tension in the air & when someone mentions their 'missing' friend Calef (Jason Winther) lots of unpleasant memories come flooding back. Then comes the phone calls, the mysterious nose-bleeds, hallucinations & guilt as the true horror of the events all those years ago finally comes to light...
Produced, executive produced & directed by Kurt Gioscia who also wrote the thing & Kurt St. Thomas who gets the art direction credit too & if that wasn't enough they both act in the film as well! Personally I thought Jon Good's Wife was awful, I mean she can't cook or anything! Ha ha ha, only joking! Seriously though I didn't think much of the film overall, for a start it's pretty slow going & the entire first 30 minutes is solid snooze material of the reunion consisting of lots of catching up with each other & dull character building exposition. The film never explains itself, what's with those weird nose-bleeds for god's sake, the mysterious phone calls, the almost inconsequential death of one of the group that might or might not be natural & what the hell was Sara all about? She comes across as some nosey, sex crazed, dirty talking, shameless, bitter blackmailing know-it-all whore who apparently sleeps with just about every man she meets! Some of the dialogue she spouts wouldn't be out of place in a porno & it just seems totally at odds with the rest of the film which plays out more like a drama than the horror/thriller it was supposedly meant to be. Then there's the ending, if there's a worse way to end a film then to just leave literally everything hanging in the air with no closure whatsoever I have yet to see it. The whole thing was very predictable as well, I mean is anyone watching this not going to know that when they all mention their friend Calef went 'missing' there wouldn't be more to it?
Directors Gioscia & Thomas make an infuriating film, on top of the predictability & annoying climax there is a retrospective narration by Alan which I simply don't understand as he has no more or less significance than anyone else & at what point in time is he narrating from? The reasons behind this narration is never made clear or elaborated upon. There's no tension because the whole things so by-the-numbers.
Technically the film is OK but nothing special & some of the locations & clothes didn't look particularly authentic to me, this never convinced me it was taking place during the late 70's. The acting was alright & what about actor John Kuntz last name? I suppose if his wife was standing next to him we could describe them as a couple of Kuntz, right?!
I really didn't think much of Jon Good's Wife (a blow up doll would have been better! Ha ha ha) & I'm not sure who it would appeal to. Forget about any gore, horror, violence, scares, atmosphere or excitement, in fact forget about everything that would have made this film watchable because it ain't here. Not recommended.
Produced, executive produced & directed by Kurt Gioscia who also wrote the thing & Kurt St. Thomas who gets the art direction credit too & if that wasn't enough they both act in the film as well! Personally I thought Jon Good's Wife was awful, I mean she can't cook or anything! Ha ha ha, only joking! Seriously though I didn't think much of the film overall, for a start it's pretty slow going & the entire first 30 minutes is solid snooze material of the reunion consisting of lots of catching up with each other & dull character building exposition. The film never explains itself, what's with those weird nose-bleeds for god's sake, the mysterious phone calls, the almost inconsequential death of one of the group that might or might not be natural & what the hell was Sara all about? She comes across as some nosey, sex crazed, dirty talking, shameless, bitter blackmailing know-it-all whore who apparently sleeps with just about every man she meets! Some of the dialogue she spouts wouldn't be out of place in a porno & it just seems totally at odds with the rest of the film which plays out more like a drama than the horror/thriller it was supposedly meant to be. Then there's the ending, if there's a worse way to end a film then to just leave literally everything hanging in the air with no closure whatsoever I have yet to see it. The whole thing was very predictable as well, I mean is anyone watching this not going to know that when they all mention their friend Calef went 'missing' there wouldn't be more to it?
Directors Gioscia & Thomas make an infuriating film, on top of the predictability & annoying climax there is a retrospective narration by Alan which I simply don't understand as he has no more or less significance than anyone else & at what point in time is he narrating from? The reasons behind this narration is never made clear or elaborated upon. There's no tension because the whole things so by-the-numbers.
Technically the film is OK but nothing special & some of the locations & clothes didn't look particularly authentic to me, this never convinced me it was taking place during the late 70's. The acting was alright & what about actor John Kuntz last name? I suppose if his wife was standing next to him we could describe them as a couple of Kuntz, right?!
I really didn't think much of Jon Good's Wife (a blow up doll would have been better! Ha ha ha) & I'm not sure who it would appeal to. Forget about any gore, horror, violence, scares, atmosphere or excitement, in fact forget about everything that would have made this film watchable because it ain't here. Not recommended.
Is it possible to give a minus score?
kayenn122 May 2005
It's not often I feel strongly enough to post something about a film. This was, however, simply the worst movie I have ever seen. The performances were laughable at best, at worst they were, well, there's no other word for it, awful. Especially the lead female who's random sexual come-ons have to be seen and heard to be believed. Honestly, the plot is nonsensical,the dialogue appalling and the characterisation...there is none. I'm surprised it's not an Alan Smithee film. I can't stress this strongly enough... avoid at all costs.How do movies like this ever get made? This is no budget film-making at its very, very worst.
Horrible movie
lokysnommis7 June 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I thought this was an extremely bad movie. The whole time I was watching this movie I couldn't help but think over and over how bad it is, and how that was $3.69 down the drain. The plot was so jumpy. They did an excellent job at the beginning of explaining who dated who in high school, but they never really explained anything after that. Was it a supernatural thriller? Was it a regular thriller? Apparently you can decide for yourself, because they didn't see the need to explain. I understood basically what happened, I think. What I got confused about was all of it prior, what was the deal with the bloody noses, phone calls, etc.? Was this guy coming back? Was the wife channeling "Carrie" or something? Who knows? You certainly won't after watching this movie.
Good Film
merlin59210 August 2002
This film was interesting in that the directors did not really let you in on the inner turmoil of the majority of the actors until mid way through. Once you found out what happened to all of the characters though, you really felt that the film had come together. Sara was my favorite character. She was just so bad that it made you want her. Overall I would say that this is a quality film and well worth checking out.
Undiscovered gem of a film
kindrid18 October 2004
This movie was recently released on DVD. I don't quite understand the low rating this film has here, but I assure you, it is truly a gem of a film. I went in not expecting much as I had been disappointed previously by films from The Asylum, but I was pleasantly surprised with this one. I put it in the player & soon found myself riveted to the screen. The film unfolds slowly but in such a way that the viewer is entranced, hanging on to see what happens next... exactly how things will unfold. The character Sarah is a royal you-know-what like no other anyone has ever seen on screen. Her performance alone keeps one glued to the screen. The interaction between the other characters is suspenseful as well, and the entire cast plays beautifully & eerily off of each other. Do yourself a favor and check this one out!
Do you always enter someone's home without knocking?
sol121822 December 2008
Warning: Spoilers
***SPOILERS*** When the Selam Ma. high school graduating class of 1963 met for it's 15th reunion it was suppose to nothing more then a mundane affair. It was just by accident that the mystery of one of it's members, who hasn't been seen or heard from since then, Calef Glover-Jason Wither-was brought up in a casual conversation by one of he class members Sandy Hobbs, Megan Rawa.
Sara Good, Abigail Morgan, hearing about Calef's sudden disappearance, from Sandy, started to turn the screws on her husband Jon, Marc Ardito, about Celef and what exactly happened to him. As Sara started shooting off her big mouth about Calef it reverberated among a number of his former schoolmates who were in some way responsible for his disappearance!
Among those who seemed to be hiding the truth from Sara about Calef besides her husband Jon was his former girlfriend Martha Alden, Kim Brockington, and her now boyfriend the bisexual Roger Mather, Edmund Lyndeck, as well as the town of Salem undertaker Sandy's husband Alan Hobbs, Michael Kevin Walker.
One of the key pieces to the puzzle of what happened to Balef is Rebecca Lawson, Jenna Stern, whom we later find out set the stage for Balef's disappearance. It was Rebecca who was romantically involved with the now married Alen, to Sandy, who Balef had the hots for back in those days. Now involved with Jake Stabler, John Doe, another 1963 graduate Rebecca is becoming spooked by even the mention of Balef's name which the trouble making Sara constantly drops at her.
****SPOILER ALERT*** Sara not stopping at anything in her bringing up Balef and not really knowing what exactly he had to do with those now terrified in what happened to him goes a bit too far in uncovering his past. It's all this prying, into what happened to Balef, by a now obsessed Sara which leads the the shocking ending to the movie. Not to what happened to Balef but what her probing into his, and his classmates past, will eventually happen to her!
Solid mystery drama about an event that those who were involved in it, except for the nosy and somewhat unstable Sara Good, would rather want to forget. Sara in fact had her own private demons, that led her to murder and blackmail, to deal with but let them take over her both body and soul. Nowhere as obnoxious at the start of the film as she eventually became towards the end of it Sara became so disliked and hated by everyone in the movie that her sudden and very welcomed demise was by far the most uplifting part of the film!
Sara Good, Abigail Morgan, hearing about Calef's sudden disappearance, from Sandy, started to turn the screws on her husband Jon, Marc Ardito, about Celef and what exactly happened to him. As Sara started shooting off her big mouth about Calef it reverberated among a number of his former schoolmates who were in some way responsible for his disappearance!
Among those who seemed to be hiding the truth from Sara about Calef besides her husband Jon was his former girlfriend Martha Alden, Kim Brockington, and her now boyfriend the bisexual Roger Mather, Edmund Lyndeck, as well as the town of Salem undertaker Sandy's husband Alan Hobbs, Michael Kevin Walker.
One of the key pieces to the puzzle of what happened to Balef is Rebecca Lawson, Jenna Stern, whom we later find out set the stage for Balef's disappearance. It was Rebecca who was romantically involved with the now married Alen, to Sandy, who Balef had the hots for back in those days. Now involved with Jake Stabler, John Doe, another 1963 graduate Rebecca is becoming spooked by even the mention of Balef's name which the trouble making Sara constantly drops at her.
****SPOILER ALERT*** Sara not stopping at anything in her bringing up Balef and not really knowing what exactly he had to do with those now terrified in what happened to him goes a bit too far in uncovering his past. It's all this prying, into what happened to Balef, by a now obsessed Sara which leads the the shocking ending to the movie. Not to what happened to Balef but what her probing into his, and his classmates past, will eventually happen to her!
Solid mystery drama about an event that those who were involved in it, except for the nosy and somewhat unstable Sara Good, would rather want to forget. Sara in fact had her own private demons, that led her to murder and blackmail, to deal with but let them take over her both body and soul. Nowhere as obnoxious at the start of the film as she eventually became towards the end of it Sara became so disliked and hated by everyone in the movie that her sudden and very welcomed demise was by far the most uplifting part of the film!
Not for the faint of heart!
kmaloney765918 September 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Can you say AMAZING? Because that is the only word that can describe this fine piece of cinematic art! I admit I was a little wary at first because the title "The Red Right Hand" didn't seem to make much sense but boy was I wrong! This is a film I will watch with my family time and time again.
The sexual scenes were artfully executed. The dialogue was amazing. I was put off at first by the drug scenes but I quickly brushed my doubts aside when I realized how skilled these actors are!! All in all, The Red Right Hand or Jon's Good Wife is an exquisite film though it is absolutely terrifying and bone chilling! If you need a good scare, definitely consider this one!
The sexual scenes were artfully executed. The dialogue was amazing. I was put off at first by the drug scenes but I quickly brushed my doubts aside when I realized how skilled these actors are!! All in all, The Red Right Hand or Jon's Good Wife is an exquisite film though it is absolutely terrifying and bone chilling! If you need a good scare, definitely consider this one!
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