Dead man's hand in popular culture a game of poker by dealing aces and eights to Sam's love interest. It is referred to as a "dead man's hand" by Al. In an episode of "The Untouchables" syndicated TV series (1993-1994), members of an Irish gang are playing poker when they are gunned down by members of an Italian mob. A short time later, other members of the Irish gang come to investigate the scene of the demise of their unfortunate colleagues. At one point, the leader of the investigating team examines the poker hand held by one of the deceased and comments matter-of-factly, "Aces and eights".
Dead Man "Jim Jarmusch is trying to get at something here, and I don't have a clue what it is". Desson Howe and Rita Kempley, both writing for the "Washington Post", offered largely negative appraisals. Greil Marcus, however, mounted a spirited defense of the film, titling his review "Dead Again: Here are 10 reasons why 'Dead Man' is the best movie of the end of the 20th century." Film critic Jonathan Rosenbaum dubbed the film an acid western, calling it "as exciting and as important as any new American movie I've seen in the 90s" and went on to write a book