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{{For|the video game based on the film|Manos: The Hands of Fate (video game){{!}}''Manos: The Hands of Fate'' (video game)}} | |||
{{copyedit}} | |||
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2022}} | |||
{{Infobox Film| | |||
{{Infobox film | |||
name = "Manos" The Hands of Fate| | |||
|
| name = | ||
|
| image = Manosposter.jpg | ||
| alt = The film poster shows a gripping hand in the foreground, and a flame between a woman on the left and apparently the same woman on the left. The top of the poster has the word "shocking" in large letters. | |||
director = ]| | |||
|
| caption = Theatrical release poster | ||
|
| director = Harold P. Warren | ||
| producer = Harold P. Warren | |||
starring = ],<br />],<br />],<br />]| | |||
| writer = Harold P. Warren | |||
distributor = ]| | |||
| starring = {{Plainlist| | |||
released = ]]| | |||
* Tom Neyman | |||
runtime = 74 min. | | |||
* John Reynolds | |||
language = English | | |||
* Diane Mahree | |||
imdb_id = 0060666 | | |||
* Harold P. Warren | |||
music = | | |||
awards = | | |||
budget = $19,000 (estimated) | | |||
tagline = It's beyond your imagination | | |||
}} | }} | ||
| music = {{Plainlist| | |||
* Russ Huddleston<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.soundtrack.net/movie/manos-the-hands-of-fate/|title=Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966) |website=www.soundtrack.net}}</ref> | |||
* Robert Smith Jr.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://shiptoshoremedia.com/products/manos-the-hands-of-fate-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-lp|title=Ship to Shore Media|access-date=March 19, 2021|archive-date=November 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211116030915/https://shiptoshoremedia.com/products/manos-the-hands-of-fate-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-lp|url-status=dead}}</ref> | |||
}} | |||
| cinematography = Robert Guidry | |||
| editing = James Sullivan | |||
| studio = Sun City Films<br/>Norm-Iris Productions | |||
| distributor = Emerson Film Enterprises | |||
| released = {{Film date|1966|11|15}} | |||
| runtime = 70 minutes | |||
| country = United States | |||
| language = English | |||
| budget = {{US$|19,000}} | |||
}} | |||
'''''Manos: The Hands of Fate''''' is a 1966 American ] ] written, directed, and produced by Harold P. Warren. It stars Tom Neyman, John Reynolds, Diane Mahree, and Warren. The film follows a family getting lost during their vacation road trip through the ] desert and becoming stranded at the lodge of a ] ] ] led by the Master who decides their fate. | |||
Warren was an insurance and fertilizer salesman from ], who made the film as a result of a bet with screenwriter ]. Most of the remaining cast and crew had little or no background in filmmaking. The theatrical debut was poorly received, playing only at the Capri Theater in El Paso and some ]s around ] and ]. | |||
'''''"Manos" The Hands of Fate''''' is a ] written, directed, and produced by ] ] salesman ] in ], as a result of a bet. He intended to make a successful ] on a shoestring budget. The result was a movie considered among ]. The movie remained in almost complete obscurity until ] when it was featured in an episode of the television comedy series '']''. | |||
''Manos'' remained obscure until featured in a 1993 episode of '']'', a television series based around mocking ]s. This developed its ] as one of the ].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://rottentomatoes.com/m/mystery_science_theater_3000_manos_hands_of_fate |title=Mystery Science Theater 3000 - Manos: Hands of Fate (1992) |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=August 6, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120726155752/https://rottentomatoes.com/m/mystery_science_theater_3000_manos_hands_of_fate/ |archive-date=July 26, 2012}}</ref> The film has been criticized for continuous deficiencies in editing, continuity, audiovisual synchronization, pacing, acting, and several inexplicable and disconnected scenes, such as a nameless couple repeatedly shown kissing in a distant car and the Master's wives breaking into ]s.<ref name="EW1">{{cite magazine |first=Dalton |last=Ross |url=https://ew.com/article/2005/06/06/worst-movie-ever-made/ |title=The Worst Movie Ever Made |page=1 |magazine=] |date=June 6, 2005 |access-date=November 4, 2006}}</ref> Its ''MST3K'' appearance resulted in several DVD releases of the original film and three of the ''MST3K'' episode.<ref name="EW5"/> The original ] ] was discovered in California in 2011, from which a new, remastered version of the film was released on ] by ] on October 13, 2015.<ref name="NPR(2011-12-12)">{{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2011/12/12/143573040/manos-the-hands-of-fate-carefully-restoring-the-opposite-of-a-masterpiece|title='Manos: The Hands Of Fate': Carefully Restoring The Opposite Of A Masterpiece|first=Chris|last=Heller|date=December 12, 2011|website=NPR}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/read-this-the-battle-over-the-infamous-cult-classic-ma-1798284742|title=Read this: The battle over the infamous cult classic Manos: The Hands of Fate|date=September 25, 2015|website=The A.V. Club}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.synapsefilms.com/product/manos-the-hands-of-fate-special-edition-blu-ray/|title=Manos: The Hands of Fate - Synapse Films|date=October 13, 2015}}</ref> | |||
While many today have seen the ''Mystery Science Theater 3000'' version, the film as it was originally presented is also available on DVD, released by budget label ].<ref name="Aplha"> Horror Catalogue</ref> | |||
The film was followed by a ], ''Manos: The Rise of Torgo'' (2018), and a ], '']'' (2018). | |||
In ] a Portland, Oregon theatre company, Last Rites Productions, did a play based on the story.<ref name="New Production"> - Theater - "Manos" The Hands of Fate</ref> | |||
== |
==Plot== | ||
] | |||
] as ].]] | |||
While on vacation near ], Michael, Margaret, their young daughter Debbie, and their dog, Peppy, drive through the desert in search of the Valley Lodge. Margaret insists they are lost, and Michael claims they are not. They are stopped by a local deputy for a broken taillight, and released because Michael asks him for mercy on their "first vacation". After driving through farmland and the desert, the family reaches a house. The ]-like Torgo is caretaker "while the Master is away". Michael and Margaret ask Torgo for directions to the Valley Lodge, which Torgo denies knowing. Frustrated, Michael asks Torgo to let him and his family stay the night, despite objections from both Torgo and Margaret. | |||
] | |||
The film was originally created as a result of a bet by Warren with screenplay writer ] that he could create a sucessful horror film on a very limited budget. Warren accumulated a small sum of cash, reportedly $19,000<ref name="EW1"> ''The Worst Movie Ever Made'', page 1</ref>, and hired a group of actors from a local theatre and modeling agency, promising a share in the film's profits due to his lack of funds to pay actual wages.<ref name="Interview">: an interview with the director of cinematography and stunt coordinator</ref><ref name="EW2"> ''The Worst Movie Ever Made'', page 2</ref> | |||
Inside the house, Michael and Margaret find a painting of the Master and a dog with glowing eyes. A howl frightens Margaret; Peppy breaks away from Debbie and runs outside. Michael investigates with a flashlight and ] from his car and finds Peppy lying dead on the ground. Michael buries the dog in the desert and returns to the house. Meanwhile, Torgo reveals his attraction to Margaret and wants to keep her, defying the Master's desire to marry her. Margaret threatens to tell Michael of Torgo's advances. However, Torgo convinces Margaret not to say anything by promising to protect her. Michael cannot start the car. Torgo tells them there is no phone in the house, so the family decides to stay the night. | |||
Torgo secretly watches Margaret changing her clothes. Michael and Margaret find Debbie is gone and start looking for her, going outside and shouting Debbies name. Debbie returns, holding the leash of the dog from the painting. Following Debbie, Michael and Margaret stumble upon the Master and his wives, sleeping around a blazing fire. The wives are dressed in nightgowns, the Master in a robe with two red hands on it. Margaret and Debbie run back to the house to get their things and escape. As Michael runs behind them, Torgo uses a stick to knock him out and then ties him to a pole. The Master awakens and summons his wives, announcing that Michael must be sacrificed to the ] Manos, and that Margaret and Debbie will become his new wives. He leaves. | |||
Under the working title, ''"The Lodge of Sins"'', the movie was filmed in the summer of 1966 with a 16mm ] camera which had to be wound by hand and only filmed for 32 seconds, which is a possible explanation for many cases of the alleged present in the final cut. In addition, there are also some shots that show inconsistent editing or are to some degree out of focus which appear to defy technical explanations and can only be acredited to human error. This camera also was unable to record sound, and thus all sound effects and dialogue were dubbed later in post-production, reportedly by only three or four people including Warren.<ref name="Interview"/><ref name="EW4"> ''The Worst Movie Ever Made'', page 4</ref> | |||
The wives argue with each other about whether Debbie should become one of them or also be sacrificed. This turns into a catfight, where the wives tumble around in the dirt. The Master returns, breaks up the fight and decides to sacrifice Torgo and his first wife instead. Meanwhile, Michael wakes up, unties himself and returns to the house to collect Margaret and Debbie. The family runs off into the desert to escape. The Master summons Torgo and hypnotizes him, ordering the wives to kill him. Two of the wives attack Torgo using their hands, Torgo, who falls to the ground, apparently dead. However, he regains consciousness and stands up. The Master severs and burns Torgo's left hand. Torgo runs off into the darkness with his stump of a wrist in flames, and the Master sacrifices his first wife. | |||
Due to a lack of both budget and basic competence, the "goat" legs of the character Torgo were conveyed by dressing actor ] in overlarge pants and stuffing them full of padding and having Reynolds walk with a strange and slow gait.<ref name="MSTpage"> - Episode 242</ref> Fake ] were also made by Reynolds for his costume, but they are difficult to see on screen, especially in the ''Mystery Science Theater'' version.<ref name="Interview"/> | |||
As Michael, Margaret and Debbie run through the desert, Margaret falls and says she cannot go any farther. A ] appears and Michael shoots it, the noise attracting the attention of the deputies, who assume the noises came from Mexico due to the large desert echoes and leave it at that. Margaret convinces Michael to return to the house, as the cult would never think to look for them there. They go back and find the Master and his dog waiting for them. The Master steps towards them, and Michael fires his gun in shock, to no effect. | |||
Night time proved hard for Warren to work with (for whatever reason, Warren chose not to use the normal technique of shooting day-for-night). In many of the night scenes, the camera and lights attracted swarms of ]s, which can be seen in the film's final production. Also, in the scene in which the cops "investigate" Mike's gunfire, they could only walk a few feet forward, as there wasn't enough light to illuminate the scenery for a panning shot.<ref name="IMDB">: Trivia for | |||
Manos: The Hands of Fate</ref><ref name="Interview"/> | |||
Some time later, two women starting their vacation drive through a rainstorm, searching for shelter. When they find the Master's house, the entranced Michael greets them, saying "I am Michael, I take care of the place while The Master is away." Margaret and Debbie have become wives of the Master, and all are asleep. | |||
In addition, there were rumoured to have been opening credits intended to be included in the film, but they were left out during post-production resulting in the opening scenes of the film consisting of the main characters driving around looking for their hotel with minimal effect on the plot.<ref name="IMDB"/> | |||
==Cast== | |||
Reportedly, Warren's small crew became so bemused by his amateurishness and ] that they derisively called the movie ''Mangos, the Cans of Fruit'' behind his back.<ref name="IMDB"/><ref name="MSTpage"/> | |||
] | |||
*Harold P. Warren as Michael | |||
*John Reynolds as Torgo | |||
*Diane Mahree as Margaret | |||
*Jackey Neyman as Debbie | |||
*Tom Neyman as The Master | |||
*Stephanie Nielson, Sherry Proctor, Robin Redd, Pat Coburn, Bettie Burns, and Pat Sullivan as the Master's wives | |||
*Bernie Rosenblum as Teenage boy | |||
*Joyce Molleur as Teenage girl | |||
*William Bryan Jennings and George Cavender as Cops | |||
*Jay Hall as Girl in convertible | |||
*Lelaine Hansard as Girl in convertible | |||
== |
==History== | ||
===Production=== | |||
{{spoiler}} | |||
]-like features]] | |||
Warren was very active in the theater scene in El Paso, Texas, and he once appeared as a ] for the television series '']'', where he met screenwriter ]. While chatting with Silliphant in a local coffee shop, Warren claimed that it was not difficult to make a horror film, and he bet Silliphant that he could make an entire film on his own. After placing the bet, Warren began the first outline of his script on a napkin, right inside the coffee shop.<ref name=EW1/> | |||
Warren financed it with a substantial but insufficient amount of cash, {{US$|19,000|1966|round=-3}}. He hired a group of actors from a local theater, many of whom he had worked with before, and a modeling agency.<ref name="EW1"/> Instead of any ]s, Warren promised the cast and crew a share of profit.<ref name="Interview">{{cite news |first=Richard |last=Brandt |url=http://www.jophan.org/mimosa/m18/brandt.htm |title=The Hand That Time Forgot |work=Mimosa |date=May 1996 |access-date=August 17, 2006 |pages=35–38}}</ref><ref name="EW2">{{cite magazine |first=Dalton |last=Ross |url=https://ew.com/article/2005/06/06/worst-movie-ever-made/ |title=The Worst Movie Ever Made |page=2 |magazine=] |date=June 6, 2005 |access-date=November 4, 2006}}</ref> | |||
The story is about a vacationing couple, Michael (Warren) and Margaret (Diane Mahree), their little daughter Debbie (Jackey Neyman), and their dog, Peppy, who find themselves stranded at a lodge that turns out to be the headquarters of a nefarious ] ]. | |||
In mid-1966, it was filmed with the working titles ''The Lodge of Sins'' and ''Fingers of Fate''. It was shot mainly on the ] of Colbert Coldwell, a lawyer who shared an office floor with Warren and who later became a judge in ]. Most equipment was rented, so Warren hurriedly maximized the number of shots before the rental deadline. The ] ] camera is wound by hand with up to 32 seconds of footage,<ref name="Interview"/> creating many unresolved editing problems.<ref>{{cite news |first=Albert |last=Walker |url=http://www.agonybooth.com/recaps/_Manos__The_Hands_of_Fate_1966.aspx |title='Manos' The Hands of Fate (1966) Recap |work=The Agony Booth |date=August 25, 2002 |access-date=April 24, 2007 |page=1 |archive-date=July 21, 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120721115230/http://www.agonybooth.com/recaps/_Manos__The_Hands_of_Fate_1966.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref> Rather than using ], all sound effects and dialogue were ] in post-production by few people, including Warren, Tom Neyman, Reynolds, Jennings, and Warren's wife, Norma.<ref name="Interview"/><ref name="EW4">{{cite magazine |first=Dalton |last=Ross |url=https://ew.com/article/2005/06/06/worst-movie-ever-made/ |title=The Worst Movie Ever Made |page=4 |magazine=] |date=June 6, 2005 |access-date=November 4, 2006}}</ref> Later during production, Warren renamed the film ''Manos: The Hands of Fate''.<ref name="Interview"/> Warren's small crew became so bemused by his amateurishness and irascibility that they derisively called the film ''Mangos: The Cans of Fruit'' behind his back.<ref name="Interview"/><ref name="YouTube">Archived at {{cbignore}} and the {{cbignore}}: {{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_M91cwEjFBA |title=Interview with Tom Neyman |work=Manos Podcast – Talk to the Hand |access-date=October 11, 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref> | |||
After driving for a long time, they first encounter a bizarre, ]-like person named ] (John Reynolds) who apparently runs the lodge. Torgo speaks haltingly and frequently repeats himself, introducing himself in one of the film's most memorable quotes, "I am Torgo. I take care of the place while the Master is away." Michael and Margaret ask Torgo for directions, and Torgo tells them that there is no way out of here. Michael then tries to convince Torgo to let them stay the night. Torgo is insistent that "the Master would not approve", but finally relents. Margaret is very concerned about staying, but Michael assures her she is just imagining things. The walls of the lodge are decorated with a disturbing painting of a dark, malevolent-looking man and a black dog with glowing eyes. Torgo identifies the man as "]". Torgo tells the couple that the Master was away, but that he was "not dead the way you know it." | |||
During filming, Warren said that presenting Diane Mahree as the Texas Beauty Queen would generate good publicity for his movie. He signed her to a regional West Texas ] that would lead to ] and then to the ] pageant, but he neglected to tell her about it until she was accepted as an entrant. She complied and appeared onstage as a finalist. She later asserted that Warren urged her to remove her top for filming the window-peeping scene where Torgo observes her before declaring his love but, when she refused, he quickly backpedaled by claiming the suggestion was a test.<ref name="2014interview"/> Warren contracted with a modeling agency to provide the actresses who would play the Master's wives, including Joyce Molleur. She broke her foot early in production, so Warren retained her by rewriting the script to include a young couple kissing in a car on the side of the road, who are otherwise unconnected to the plot.<ref name="Interview"/> | |||
Peppy then runs outside, barking continuously for a while, then falling silent. Michael shortly discovers the dog has been killed. He tells Margaret of Peppy's death, at which point she insists on leaving, even though it is dark outside. Michael orders Torgo to put the luggage back in the car, and he goes out to get the car started. Torgo soon finds himself alone with Margaret, and crudely ] her ], promising that, although she is doomed to become yet another bride of the Master, Torgo would instead keep her for himself. Margaret threatens to tell Michael, but Torgo convinces her not to say anything to her husband. However, the car will not start, and Torgo says that there are no phones because the Master did not approve of such devices. With the family stranded, Torgo brings the luggage back into the room. | |||
] | |||
Warren shot ] scenes, because many of the cast and crew also held day jobs.<ref name="EW2"/> In many of the night scenes, the lights attracted swarms of ]s in view of the camera. In the scene in which the police investigate Mike's gunfire, the lights could cover only a few feet forward, so the police stood there to feign a search and leave without any scenery or a panning shot.<ref name="Interview"/> | |||
{{listen | |||
] as Michael.]] | |||
|filename=Haunting Torgo Suite.ogg | |||
|title=Torgo Suite | |||
|description= A brief arrangement of the Torgo theme from the film, by Russ Huddleston and Robert Smith Jr.}} | |||
] efforts were minimal, though Warren promised crew members that any problems in filming would be fixed in later editing.<ref name="Interview"/><ref name="interview2">{{cite news |first=Richard |last=Brandt |url=http://www.jophan.org/mimosa/m30/brandt.htm |title=Growing Up 'Manos' |work=Mimosa |pages=42–43 |date=August 2003 |access-date=April 24, 2007}}</ref> For example, the ] is momentarily visible.<ref name="I">{{cite web |url=http://www.i-mockery.com/minimocks/manos/default.php |title='Manos' The Hands of Fate |work=I-Mockery.com |access-date=April 24, 2007}}</ref> The entire nine-minute opening sequence, which consists of the main characters driving around looking for their hotel with minimal dialogue or plot, was the result of such neglect. Warren had likely intended to include ] over these shots, but either forgot or lacked the post-production budget.<ref>{{cite web |first=Gael |last=Fashingbauer Cooper |url=http://entertainment.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/13/12645253-torgo-lives-mystery-science-alums-revisit-worst-movie-ever-manos-the-hands-of-fate?lite |title=Torgo lives! 'Mystery Science' alums revisit worst movie ever, 'Manos: The Hands of Fate' |publisher=] |date=August 13, 2012 |access-date=March 4, 2013 |archive-date=March 5, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130305220339/http://entertainment.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/13/12645253-torgo-lives-mystery-science-alums-revisit-worst-movie-ever-manos-the-hands-of-fate?lite |url-status=dead }}</ref> | |||
John Reynolds, who played Torgo, committed suicide with a shotgun on October 16, 1966, one month before the premiere.<ref name="Interview"/> He was 25 years old and this was his only film appearance.<ref>John M. Reynolds, Jr. certificate of death, Texas state file #72646</ref> | |||
Debbie soon decides to run off and search for her dog. She stumbles upon the Master, his dog, and his wives — all dressed in translucent night gowns — at a place later revealed to be the tomb. Debbie's parents realize that she is missing, and frantically begin searching for her. Debbie returns to the house with the Master's dog. When the parents see the dog, the dog runs off and Debbie runs back to her parents. After telling her to never run away from them again, Michael and Margaret ask Debbie where she found the dog. Debbie leads them back to the tomb. In horror, the family runs back to the house, and Michael goes off to demand an explanation from Torgo. | |||
===Release=== | |||
Meanwhile, Torgo is seen at some sort of ritual site (the tomb) nearby, where the Master (Tom Neyman) and his undead wives lie in slumber. Torgo begins fondling the wives and berating the sleeping Master, then returns to the house to sleep. The Master soon awakens and wakes his wives. The wives begin arguing about the family Torgo has allowed to stay. The Master angrily stops the argument and, enraged at Torgo's insolent behavior and for allowing the family to stay, decides to sacrifice Torgo to the film's mysterious ] and namesake, "Manos". The Master makes his way back to the house to find Torgo. | |||
] | |||
The film premiered at the Capri Theater in Warren's hometown of ] on November 15, 1966, as a benefit for the local ] fund.<ref name="massaged">{{cite news | first=Betty | last=Pierce | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/798261711/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221017113128/https://www.newspapers.com/image/798261711/ | archive-date=October 17, 2022 | url-access=subscription | title=Hero Massaged to Death in 'Manos—The Hands of Fate' | newspaper=] | location=] | date=November 11, 1966 | page=8 | access-date=October 17, 2022 | url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref> Warren rented a searchlight<ref name="Interview"/> and paid for the cast to be delivered by limousine to enhance the Hollywood feel. The single limousine delivered one group, then drove around the block for another.<ref name="EW3">{{cite magazine |first=Dalton |last=Ross |url=https://ew.com/article/2005/06/06/worst-movie-ever-made/ |title=The Worst Movie Ever Made |page=3 |magazine=] |date=June 6, 2005 |access-date=November 4, 2006}}</ref> Jackey Neyman-Jones, the seven-year-old who played Debbie, wept in disappointment at the premiere, particularly when hearing a woman's dubbed voice instead of her own.<ref name="elpasonew" /> Mahree laughed throughout the screening at the film's ridiculousness.<ref name="2014interview"/> | |||
Following the premiere, Warren thought ''Manos'' was the worst film ever made, but was proud of it,<ref name=EW5/> and he suggested that its audio might be re-dubbed into a passable comedy.<ref name="Interview"/> The film was briefly distributed by Emerson Film Enterprises, with a brief theatrical run at the Capri Theater, and at various ]s in West Texas and New Mexico, including ]. The only compensation was Jackey Neyman's bicycle and her family dog's 50 pounds of ].<ref name="Interview"/><ref name="interview2"/> Official box office figures are unknown, if they ever existed. Warren won his bet against ], proving that he was capable of creating an entire film.<ref name=EW4/> | |||
While the Master is gone, the women continue arguing over the new family. Some of the wives want to kill the child, but others do not want to. They also argue over who has the Master's favor. The argument soon degenerates into a fight, with the women wrestling in the sand for about ten minutes. | |||
The majority of the cast and crew never appeared in another film, though Mahree had a successful modeling career as Diane Adelson.<ref name="2014interview">, from ManosinHD.com. Retrieved March 24, 2017</ref> Warren pitched another script he had written called ''Wild Desert Bikers'', and then pitched its novelization, but with the failure of ''Manos'', there was no interest.<ref name="EW5"/> | |||
The Master takes Torgo back to the tomb. He makes a weak effort to escape, as the Master commands his wives to kill Torgo. They surround him and give him what one El Paso reviewer likened to "Torgo being massaged to death."<ref name="Interview"/><ref name="EW4"/> That in itself does not prove lethal. The Master then evokes some mysterious power, severing and horribly burning one of Torgo's hands. Torgo runs off into the darkness, his fate unknown. In the original version of the movie, the Master first beats and then sacrifices his first wife. | |||
===Obscurity=== | |||
Michael, Margaret, and Debbie try to escape, but are unable to do so. After an encounter by a rattlesnake, believed to be from ]<ref name="Interview"/> and not shot by the crew, they decide to go back to the home and barricade themselves in one of the rooms. With their attempt to escape apparently foiled, Michael, Margaret and Debbie return to the lodge and confront the Master. Michael fires several point-blank shots from his pistol into the Master's face, but he is unharmed. | |||
Following few local screenings, ''Manos'' was almost entirely forgotten. When Jackey Neyman attended the ], her friends could not find a copy of the film.<ref name="interview2"/> A 1981 newspaper article by cinematographer Bob Guidry's ex-wife Pat Ellis Taylor reports the film may have appeared on a local television station and that it was "listed at the bottom of a page in a film catalogue for rent for $20". The film re-surfaced through a 16 mm print, presumably from this television package, which was introduced into the home video collecting market by a number of public domain film suppliers. One of these suppliers was ultimately the one that offered the film to ]. It was in a box of films sent to ] in 1992, when he chose ''Manos'' as one of the films to be shown on '']''.<ref name="EW4"/> | |||
==Reception== | |||
The film ends with a coda in which two girls (never before seen in the movie) are driving in a convertible, get lost, and stop at the lodge to ask directions. They are greeted by an entranced Michael, then a number of ]s show us the fate of Margaret and Debbie: like the other wives of the Master, they sleep in the tomb, dressed in flowing white robes. The film concludes with Michael saying "I take care of the place while the Master is away," and the words "The End?" on the screen before the end credits. The production credits are superimposed over outtakes from the film. | |||
The day after premiere, Betty Pierce, the film reviewer of the '']'' described it as a "brave experiment". She criticized some elements, such as the "hero" Torgo being "massaged to death" by the Master's wives and Margaret's claim of "it's getting dark" with a bright midday sun.<ref name="massaged"/> | |||
In 2005, Dan Neil of the '']'' explained the film's appeal: "After screening ''Manos'' for probably the 10th time, I've concluded it has to do with intimacy. Because it is such a pure slice of Warren's brain – he wrote, directed, produced and starred, and brooked no collaboration – ''Manos'' amounts to the man's cinematically transfigured subconscious."<ref name="LAtimes">{{cite web |last=Neil |first=Dan |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-aug-07-tm-neil32-story.html |title=Why We Love Bad Movies |work=] |date=August 7, 2005 |access-date=September 11, 2009}}</ref> ''Manos'' buff Bobby Thompson said, "It's like a train wreck; you just can't take your eyes off it."<ref name="EW5"/> | |||
== Mystery Science Theater 3000 == | |||
On review aggregator website ], the film has an approval rating of 0% based on 16 reviews, with an average rating of 2.56/10.<ref name="Rotom">{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/manos-the-hands-of-fate |title=Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966) |work=] |access-date=December 31, 2020}}</ref> The book ''Hollywood's Most Wanted'' lists ''Manos'' as the #2 in the list of "The Worst Movies Ever Made", following '']''.<ref>{{cite book |first=Floyd |last=Connor |title=Hollywood's Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of Lucky Breaks, Prima Donnas, Box Office Bombs, and Other Oddities |publisher=Brassey's, Inc. |location=Dulles, Virginia |year=2002 |page=221}}</ref> '']'' proclaimed ''Manos'' "The Worst Movie Ever Made".<ref name="EW1"/> The scene in which the seven-year-old Debbie becomes a wife of the Master, played by her real father, was included in a list of "The Most Disgusting Things We've Ever Seen" by the ''Mystery Science Theater 3000'' crew.<ref name="mst3k-guide">{{cite book |first=Trace |last=Beaulieu |title=The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Amazing Colossal Episode Guide |publisher=] |location=New York City |year=1996 |isbn=0-553-37783-3}}</ref> | |||
The film was featured in an episode of '']'' on ], ], in the final episode of season four, preceded by the second half of the "]" short. The "bots" used the long uneventful drive at the beginning of the movie to repeat the title of the movie numerous times, as there was yet to be any action to mock. During the breaks, ] and the "bots" mocked the film's opening sequence, debated whether or not Torgo should be considered a monster, and impersonated "The Master" and his dog. After the film had finished, Torgo appeared at the "mads" lair, played by ], to deliver a pizza.<ref name="Episode guide"> - Season Four Episode Guide</ref> | |||
==Legacy== | |||
In addition, both ] and ] were depicted apologizing for showing the film, which even they had to admit was abysmal and went beyond their jobs of sending up bad movies, in the first and third break respectively. This was a rare, if not unique, occurrence.<ref name="Episode guide"/> | |||
===''Mystery Science Theater 3000'' and RiffTrax=== | |||
] chose ''Manos'' to be featured on ''Mystery Science Theater 3000'' in 1992.]] | |||
On January 30, 1993, the film was featured on the fourth season finale of the ] series '']'', a show about a crew held captive in outer space by two mad scientists, and forced to watch bad movies. ''Manos'' was far worse than the usual fare, with the long uneventful drive used by the hosts to sarcastically repeat its title numerous times, in lieu of any action to heckle. The host robots eventually sobbed at the film defeating even their attempts at making it interesting. The mad scientists apologized and admitted the film was abysmal beyond their limits for torture. Torgo (played by ]) made a cameo in later episodes. | |||
Selection of ''Manos'' for the show is credited to ], who also played ''TV's Frank''. Conniff was generally in charge of pre-screening and selecting films sent to them by ], the show's network at the time, and ''Manos'' was a random tape that he had pulled from a recent batch they had been sent. He felt the movie "seemed like it was maybe a crime against humanity, but you couldn't be sure" and "has an atmosphere, a vibe" that made it appropriate for the show.<ref name="playboy"/><ref>{{Cite web |first=Alex |last=Biese |url=http://www.app.com/story/entertainment/television/2015/03/20/frank-conniff-shares-mystery-science-theater-memories/25074659/ |title=Frank Conniff shares 'Mystery Science Theater 3000' memories |work=Ashbury Park Press |location=Neptune, New Jersey |date=March 20, 2015 |access-date=November 25, 2016}}</ref> The ''Manos'' episode has been described as one of the best of the ''MST3K'' series by '']''<ref name="EW5">{{cite magazine |first=Dalton |last=Ross |url=https://ew.com/article/2005/06/06/worst-movie-ever-made/ |title=The Worst Movie Ever Made |page=5 |magazine=] |date=June 6, 2005 |access-date=November 4, 2006}}</ref> and '']'',<ref>{{cite web |first=William |last=Bibbiani |url=http://www.craveonline.com/entertainment/927229-happy-turkey-day-15-best-mst3k-episodes-ever |title=Happy Turkey Day – The Best 15 MST3K Episodes Ever |work=Crave |publisher=CraveOnline Media, LLC |location=New York City |date=November 25, 2015 |access-date=February 23, 2016}}</ref> and the ''MST3K'' episode is credited with bringing to light the otherwise obscure film, even though it led to the film being considered one of the worst films made at user polls at the ].<ref name="playboy"/><ref>{{cite web |first=Pete |last=Dillon-Trenchard |url=http://www.denofgeek.us/movies/mystery-science-theatre-3000/21863/looking-back-at-mystery-science-theatre-3000 |title=Looking back at Mystery Science Theatre 3000 |work=] |date=July 4, 2012 |access-date=December 3, 2015 |archive-date=December 8, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208133556/http://www.denofgeek.us/movies/mystery-science-theatre-3000/21863/looking-back-at-mystery-science-theatre-3000 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://avclub.com/article/read-battle-over-infamous-cult-classic-manos-hands-225914 |title=Read this: The battle over the infamous cult classic Manos: The Hands of Fate |first=Joe |last=Blevins |date=September 25, 2015 |access-date=December 3, 2015 |work=]}}</ref> Kevin Murphy later declared, "I hate this movie. I think I hate this movie more than any other film we ever did at ''RiffTrax'' or ''Mystery Science Theater''. Even more than the ] movies. There's something about this movie that just makes my skin crawl."<ref>Kevin Murphy's video introduction to the RiffTrax-sold version of the MST3K episode.</ref> During a Q&A session at the 2008 ], a question was put to the cast and writers of ''MST3K'' about any film they passed on that was worse than ''Manos'', and many cited the film '']''.<ref>{{cite news |first=Chris |last=Conaton |title=Comic-Con 2008: Bigger Than Ever, But Does That Mean Better? |url=https://popmatters.com/pm/feature/comic-con-2008-bigger-than-ever-but-does-that-mean-better |work=] |date=August 7, 2008 |access-date=September 13, 2013 |archive-date=June 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120607014156/http://www.popmatters.com/pm/feature/comic-con-2008-bigger-than-ever-but-does-that-mean-better/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> | |||
Widely considered to be one of the best, if not the best, episode of the series,<ref name="Noise">: MST3K: A Beginner's Guide</ref><ref name="EW5"> ''The Worst Movie Ever Made'', page 5</ref> "Manos" has been released on ], both on its own and packaged in the ''Mystery Science Theater 3000 Essentials'' collection. | |||
{{spoilerend}} | |||
''Manos'' has also been riffed on by '']'', a later project of ''MST3K'' alumni Mike Nelson, ] and ], during a live show on August 16, 2012,<ref>{{cite web |author=Sampo |url=http://www.mst3kinfo.com/?p=12024 |title=News from RiffTrax… « Satellite News |publisher=Mst3kinfo.com |date=February 27, 2012 |access-date=August 6, 2013}}</ref> a live event that was simulcast in film theaters across the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.fathomevents.com/originals/event/rifftrax_manos.aspx |title=RiffTrax Live: "Manos" The Hands of Fate |access-date=June 3, 2012 |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20120523144748/http://www.fathomevents.com/originals/event/rifftrax_manos.aspx |archive-date=May 23, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref> While Nelson and Murphy were part of the cast when ''MST3K'' riffed on ''Manos'', neither their fellow RiffTrax star ] nor their writers were involved in the original episode; the riffing was all new jokes, using a cleaner print of the original ''Manos'', allowing them to joke about things not obvious in the original television episode.<ref>{{cite web |first=Gael |last=Fashingbauer Cooper |url=http://entertainment.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/13/12645253-torgo-lives-mystery-science-alums-revisit-worst-movie-ever-manos-the-hands-of-fate?lite |title=Torgo lives! 'Mystery Science' alums revisit worst movie ever, 'Manos: The Hands of Fate' |publisher=] |date=August 13, 2012 |access-date=August 13, 2012 |archive-date=March 5, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130305220339/http://entertainment.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/13/12645253-torgo-lives-mystery-science-alums-revisit-worst-movie-ever-manos-the-hands-of-fate?lite |url-status=dead }}</ref> | |||
==Reaction== | |||
The film premired on ], ] at the Capri Theater in Warren's hometown of ]. Heavily promoted, it was attended by numerous local dignitaries and media. Warren rented a limousine to deliver himself and his cast to the theater; the limo would drop off one group, then drive around the block and pick up another.<ref name="EW3"> ''The Worst Movie Ever Made'', page 3</ref> Shortly after the film began, however, the audience began laughing at its poor quality and redundant dialogue. Humiliated, Warren and the rest of his cast made a hasty exit before the end. The film ended to a mixture of laughter and applause. In light of this Warren later said, 28 years before ''Mystery Science Theater 3000'', that re-dubbing the film would make a passable comedy.<ref name="Interview"/> | |||
===Cult following=== | |||
The ''MST3K'' version of the episode was released on DVD along with other episodes. A DVD of the original version has also been made avaible through ], who also released other "MST-ed" films including '']''<ref name="TeenAlpha"> Catalogue</ref>. Reportedly, ] owns a rare ] copy of the film and has stated that this film is his favorite "]".<ref name="IMDB"/> In attempting to explain the film's appeal, the '']'' hypothesized, "After screening ''Manos'' for probably the 10th time, I've concluded it has to do with intimacy. Because it is such a pure slice of Warren's brain - he wrote, directed, produced and starred, and brooked no collaboration - ''Manos'' amounts to the man's cinematically transfigured subconscious."<ref name="LAtimes"> Neil, Dan. ''Los Angeles Times'', August 7, 2005, p. I5.</ref> | |||
The ''MST3K'' episode featuring the film was released on ] in 2001, and in the ''Mystery Science Theater 3000 Essentials'' collection in 2004.<ref name="dvdreview">{{cite web |url=http://www.dvdreview.com/quickpeek/collect/580.shtml |title=Mystery Science Theater 3000: Manos, The Hands Of Fate |work=DVDreview.com |date=November 19, 2001 |access-date=April 25, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927230801/http://www.dvdreview.com/quickpeek/collect/580.shtml |archive-date=September 27, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Eric |last=Henderson |url=https://slantmagazine.com/dvd/dvd_review.asp?ID=425 |title=Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Essentials |work=] |publisher=Slant Magazine LLC |location=Brooklyn, New York |date=August 21, 2004 |access-date=April 24, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070613155411/https://slantmagazine.com/dvd/dvd_review.asp?ID=425 |archive-date=June 13, 2007}}</ref> | |||
Four comedy stage adaptations of the film have been made. The first was given in ] in early 2006.<ref name="New Production">{{cite web |first=Alison |last=Hallett |url=http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/Content?oid=36294&category=22143 |title="Manos" The Hands of Fate |work=] |publisher=Index Publishing |location=Portland, Oregon |date=January 26, 2006 |access-date=October 31, 2006}}</ref> The second, a musical titled ''Manos: Rock Opera of Fate'', was launched in October 2007.<ref>{{cite news |first=Tim |last=Lowery |title=Manos: Rock Opera of Fate |url=http://chicago.timeout.com/articles/theater/23187/manos-rock-opera-of-fate |work=] |location=Chicago, Illinois |date=October 11, 2007 |access-date=September 13, 2009}}</ref> The third, a puppet musical titled ''Manos – The Hands of Felt'', was performed by Puppet This in ] in April 2011.<ref>{{cite news |first=Jay |last=Irwin |title=BWW Reviews: MANOS – THE HANDS OF FELT |url=http://seattle.broadwayworld.com/article/BWW_Reviews_MANOS_THE_HANDS_OF_FELT_from_Puppet_This_and_Eclectic_Theater_Company_20010101 |work=Broadway World dot com Seattle |date=April 3, 2011 |access-date=April 24, 2011}}</ref> After raising funds with a ] campaign in May 2013, ''Manos – The Hands of Felt'' was performed again in Seattle by Vox Fabuli Puppets in August 2013 and filmed for DVD release.<ref>{{cite web |title=Manos – The Hands of Felt |url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/499454737/manos-the-hands-of-felt-dvd |website=Kickstarter |access-date=September 16, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Hamlin |first1=Andrew |title=Manos: The Hands of Fate, Part Deux |url=http://www.seattlestar.net/2013/08/manos-the-hands-of-fate-part-deux/ |website=The Seattle Star |date=August 6, 2013 |access-date=September 16, 2016}}</ref> The fourth was in ] in April 2013.<ref>{{cite news |first=Marty |last=Hughley |url=http://www.oregonlive.com/performance/index.ssf/2013/04/blitzen_trappers_brian_adrian.html |title=Blitzen Trapper's Brian Adrian Koch drags infamous "Manos: the Hands of Fate" from film to stage |work=] |publisher=Oregonian Media Group |location=portland, Oregon |date=April 5, 2013 |access-date=April 15, 2015}}</ref> | |||
Despite its newly gained cult popularity, the general opinion on the quality of the film remains much the same. Users of the ] have consistently voted the film a position on the site's list of . ''Manos'' is usually near the very top of the list, and is at #11 as of ] ]. It also holds a 9% rating on ], with the one positive review posted for the ''MST3K'' episode rather than the film itself (which was described as "unwatchable").<ref name="Rotom"> at Rotten Tomatoes</ref> The ], ] issue of '']'' contained an in-depth article which also proclaimed it | |||
{{spoiler}} | |||
In addition, the scene in which Debbie is dressed up as one of the Master's wives, disturbing because of the implications of ], led the crew of ''Mystery Science Theater 3000'' to include it in a list of the most disgusting things they had seen.<ref name="mst3k-guide">''The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Amazing Colossal Episode Guide.'' (Bantam Books: 1996), ISBN 0-553-37783-3.</ref> Further cynicism is directed at the fact that "Manos" is the ] word for "hands"; thus, when entirely translated into English, the movie's title is '''Hands' The Hands of Fate''.<ref name="BadMovies"> - Review for Manos: The Hands of Fate</ref><ref name="EW1"/> | |||
{{spoilerend}} | |||
In March 2015, the murderers on the '']'' episode "]" used the physical features of Torgo (portrayed by John Reynolds) to compose a fake ] to get the ] off their trail. It worked until they were caught, due to the character of Dr. Joan Watson having recognized Torgo's features from the film. The film's editor, James Sullivan, is the namesake of one of the characters in the episode.<ref>{{cite web |first=Genevieve |last=Valentine |url=https://avclub.com/tvclub/elementary-t-bone-and-iceman-216527 |title=Elementary: "T-Bone And The Iceman" |website=] |date=March 13, 2013 |access-date=March 13, 2015}}</ref> | |||
==Cast== | |||
*''']''' as ''']'''. The patriarch of the protagonist family. | |||
==Restoration== | |||
*''']''' as ''']'''. The wife of Michael, sought by both the Master and Torgo. | |||
{{Multiple image | |||
| image1 = Manos, The Hands of Fate (1966 film).jpg | |||
| image2 = Manos the Hands of Fate screenshot from Solovey workprint.jpg | |||
| footer = Comparison of the print found in various releases prior to 2015 and the Solovey workprint found in 2011 | |||
}} | |||
In 2011, the original ] ] of ''Manos: The Hands of Fate'' was discovered by Ben Solovey, a Florida State film school graduate, in a collection of 16 mm films. Solovey announced his intention to preserve and ] ''Manos'' for a ] release.<ref name="NPR(2011-12-12)" /><ref name="'Manos' in HD">{{cite web |url=http://www.manosinhd.com/?page_id=277_id=2 |title=Why I'm Saving 'Manos: The Hands of Fate' |work=ManosinHD.com |access-date=December 13, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://geekout.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/05/restoring-the-worst-movie-ever-made/ |title=Restoring the worst movie ever made |date=January 5, 2012 |access-date=February 8, 2012 |first=Herny |last=Hanks |publisher=CNN |archive-date=February 14, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120214072052/http://geekout.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/05/restoring-the-worst-movie-ever-made/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> His ] campaign raised $48,000, nearly five times the initial goal. A 90% finished print was premiered at the El Paso ], near the original premiere in 1966.<ref name="elpasonew">{{cite news |first=Doug |last=Pullen |url=http://www.elpasotimes.com/entertainment/ci_21221429/horrifyingly-bad-lovingly-restored-el-paso-made-manos |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130122042420/http://www.elpasotimes.com/entertainment/ci_21221429/horrifyingly-bad-lovingly-restored-el-paso-made-manos |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 22, 2013 |title=Horrifyingly bad, lovingly restored: El Paso-made "Manos: The Hands of Fate" stars at Plaza Classic |work=] |location=El Paso, Texas |date=August 13, 2012 |access-date=August 13, 2012}}</ref> The new restoration premiered on ] on October 13, 2015, with an unrestored version ("Grindhouse") as one of the bonus features.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/Manos-The-Hands-Fate-Blu-ray/dp/B012BD3RNU |title=Manos: The Hands of Fate |website=Amazon |date=October 13, 2015 }}</ref> | |||
=== Copyright dispute === | |||
*''']''' as ''']'''. The daughter of Michael and Margret, whose fate was disputed by the cult. | |||
In general, any work first published in the United States before March 1989 required a ] notice, or the work was not copyrighted.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Copyright Notice |url=https://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ03.pdf |website=copyright.gov |page=2}}</ref> ''Manos: The Hands of Fate'' is in the ] because director Harold Warren failed to include a copyright notice in the film. When news broke of Solovey's restoration, the son of Harold Warren, Joe Warren, started exploring the possibility that the film was not in the public domain, seeking to prevent others from profiting from his father's work. Warren discovered in 2013 that the script had been copyrighted and registered in the ], and he believes that this copyright also applies to the film. No ] exists for this case so the legal status of the film is uncertain. Solovey applied copyright on his restored version, an action that Warren believes is unenforceable, though has not sought any legal action against Solovey.<ref name="playboy">{{cite web |url=http://www.playboy.com/articles/the-battle-over-the-worst-movie-ever |title=The Battle for the Worst Movie Ever |first=Jake |last=Rossen |date=September 24, 2015 |access-date=November 25, 2016 |work=] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151203144617/http://www.playboy.com/articles/the-battle-over-the-worst-movie-ever |archive-date=December 3, 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Warren obtained pending publication of a ] on the phrase ''Manos: The Hands of Fate'', which could have impacted the various fanworks if the ] finalized approval.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://avclub.com/article/get-involved-internet-keep-mst3k-classic-manos-han-249224 |title=Get Involved, Internet: Keep MST3K classic Manos: The Hand Of Fate in public domain |first=Alex |last=McCown-Levy |date=January 27, 2017 |access-date=February 5, 2017 |work=]}}</ref> However, the trademark filing has since been abandoned as of December 6, 2018, for a "failure to respond or late response".<ref>{{cite web |title=MANOS: THE HANDS OF FATE - Trademark Details |url=https://trademarks.justia.com/871/99/manos-the-hands-of-87199417.html |access-date=May 10, 2021 |work=Justia Trademarks}}</ref> | |||
==Home video releases== | |||
*''']''' as ''']'''. A mysterious deformed man who runs the house in the film in the absence of "The Master." | |||
] released a ] with both the ''MST3K'' and uncut versions called ''Manos y Manos''. A DVD of the original was published by ],<ref name="Aplha">{{cite web |url=http://www.oldies.com/product-view/4251D.html |title=Manos The Hands of Fate |work=Oldies.com |access-date=November 1, 2006}}</ref> which also released original versions of other ''MST3K'' films such as '']'' and '']''.<ref name="TeenAlpha">{{cite web |url=http://www.oldies.com/product-view/z.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130806044843/http://www.oldies.com/product-view/z.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 6, 2013 |title=Teenagers From Outer Space |work=Oldies.com |access-date=November 1, 2006}}</ref> | |||
==Sequels== | |||
*''']''' as ''']'''. The undead leader of the film's cult. | |||
===''Manos: The Search for Valley Lodge''=== | |||
In 2010, writer and director Rupert Talbot Munch, Sr. began work on ''Manos: The Search for Valley Lodge''. Tom Neyman (in a cameo reprising his role as the Master), his daughter Jackey Neyman-Jones (reprising her role as Debbie), Diane Mahree (reprising the role of Margaret), and Bernie Rosenblum (who played a teenage boy in the original film) were involved in initial filming. Others engaged to appear included ] star ], former WWE diva and Playboy centerfold ], and UFC fighter ]. Munch was to play Torgo.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Master Would Like You to See Manos: The Search for Valley Lodge |date=December 30, 2011 |url=https://dreadcentral.com/news/29338/the-master-would-like-you-to-see-manos-the-search-for-valley-lodge/ |access-date=November 24, 2016 |language=en-US}}</ref> | |||
In 2013, Neyman-Jones left the project after disagreements with Munch,<ref>{{cite web |title=Debbie's Manos |date=December 23, 2013 |url=http://debbiesmanos.blogspot.ca/2013/12/another-manos-film.html |access-date=November 24, 2016 |language=en-US}}</ref> and by the end of 2014, the project was reportedly canceled.<ref>{{cite web |title=MANOS Sequel Canned, But Torgo May Live On In A Prequel |date=December 26, 2014 |url=http://www.horrorsociety.com/2014/12/26/manos-sequel-canned-torgo-may-live-prequel/ |access-date=November 24, 2016 |language=en-US}}</ref> | |||
===Minor Characters=== | |||
=== ''Manos: The Rise of Torgo''=== | |||
*'''The Master's Wives''' (played by ], ], ], ] and ]). The wives of the Master, who are portrayed fighting amongst themselves on what to do with the family. A scene in which the First Wife was sacrificed was cut from the Mystery Science Theatre airing. | |||
In 2013, a project began for a prequel titled ''Manos: The Rise of Torgo''. David Roy (producer of the 2014 film ''Cheeseballs'') was announced as the writer and director, and cast members were to include Neyman-Jones (playing Manos, the evil deity). It was released on Amazon Prime streaming in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Manos-Rise-Torgo-Danny-McCarty/dp/B083JNTLZW|title=Watch "Manos" The Rise of Torgo | Prime Video|website=www.amazon.com}}</ref> | |||
===''Manos Returns''=== | |||
*'''"The Make-Out Couple"''' (played by ] and ]). Two teenagers who spend the entire film making out in a car or being instructed to move their vehicle by police while doing so. The purpose of their roles in this film are unclear. | |||
{{main|Manos Returns}} | |||
Jackey Neyman-Jones, who played Debbie in the original film, launched a Kickstarter campaign in February 2016 to make a sequel titled ''Manos Returns''. According to Neyman-Jones, the sequel was not to be a recreation of ''Manos'' but instead a "tongue-in-cheek" setting within the ''Manos'' storyline; Neyman-Jones described the planned product as being both funny and scary, similar to '']'' or '']''.<ref>{{cite web |title=MANOS Returns |url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1840778752/manos-returns |website=Kickstarter |access-date=February 4, 2016 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Falls City residents work to bring Manos back |url=http://www.polkio.com/news/2016/feb/03/falls-city-residents-work-bring-manos-back/ |website=polkio.com |date=February 3, 2016 |access-date=February 4, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://cnet.com/news/worst-movie-ever-take-two-manos-star-raising-funds-for-sequel/ |title=Worst movie ever, take two! 'Manos' star raising funds for comedic sequel |publisher=] |first=Gael Fashingbauer |last=Cooper |date=February 23, 2016 |access-date=February 23, 2016}}</ref> | |||
The Kickstarter goal of $24,000 was reached on February 24, 2016. It stars Neyman-Jones, reprising her role as Debbie; her father Tom Neyman, reprising his role as the Master; and Diane Mahree reprising her role as Margaret. Neyman-Jones and director Tonjia Atomic shot the film in western Oregon in the summer of 2016. The film had its world premiere screening at Crypticon Seattle on May 4, 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 22, 2018 |title=Manos Returns to World Premiere at Crypticon Seattle. |url=https://www.horrorsociety.com/2018/02/22/manos-returns-world-premiere-crypticon-seattle/ |access-date=July 29, 2020 |website=Horror Society |language=en-US}}</ref> ''Manos Returns'' was published on ] in May 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wynne |first=Ken |date=May 4, 2020 |title=MANOS RETURNS Now Available on Amazon Prime Video |url=https://www.attackfromplanetb.com/2020/05/manos-returns-now-available-on-amazon-prime-video/ |access-date=July 29, 2020 |website=Attack from Planet B |language=en-GB}}</ref> | |||
===After Manos=== | |||
Hal Warren returned to selling fertilizer following ''Manos''. He attempted to pitch another script he had written called '']'',<ref name="MSTpage"/><ref name="EW5"/> but with the failure of ''Manos'' no one he approached showed any interest in making these ideas into movies. | |||
==Video game== | |||
Reynolds committed ] not long after the movie was made, reportedly either through a self-inflicted gunshot wound<ref name="EW3"/> or a drug overdose<ref name="MSTpage"/>. Some accounts claim he suffered from a drug addiction, and according to ], Reynolds was usually quite high during filming.<ref name="Interview"/> | |||
{{Main|Manos: The Hands of Fate (video game)}} | |||
A video game based on the film for ] was released in 2012 by FreakZone Games. A ] port and an ] port were later released.<ref name=IGN>{{cite web |last=Musser |first=Cody |title=MANOS - The Hands of Fate Review |url=https://ign.com/articles/2012/08/03/manos-the-hands-of-fate-review |website=] |date=August 3, 2012 |access-date=August 29, 2013}}</ref> | |||
Rumors long claimed that other cast members had also killed themselves shortly after the release of the movie: Diane Mahree, the female lead; Sherry Proctor, one of The Master's wives; and Joyce Molleur, the female half of the "make-out couple". However, the makers of '']'', a ] documentary about ''Manos'', researched these rumors and found no obituaries or any other evidence to confirm them. | |||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
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* ] | |||
* ] | |||
== References == | |||
* ] | |||
<references /> | |||
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== External links == | |||
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* {{rotten-tomatoes|manos-the-hands-of-fate|Manos: The Hands of Fate}} | |||
* : an interview with the director of cinematography and stunt coordinator | |||
* , in which she shares some of her stories about the making of the film | |||
* {{imdb title|id=0422433|title=Hotel Torgo}} | |||
* {{Internet Archive film|ManosTheHandsofFate|Manos: The Hands of Fate}} | |||
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Latest revision as of 01:56, 22 December 2024
For the video game based on the film, see Manos: The Hands of Fate (video game).1966 American film
Manos: The Hands of Fate is a 1966 American independent horror film written, directed, and produced by Harold P. Warren. It stars Tom Neyman, John Reynolds, Diane Mahree, and Warren. The film follows a family getting lost during their vacation road trip through the Texas desert and becoming stranded at the lodge of a polygynous pagan cult led by the Master who decides their fate.
Warren was an insurance and fertilizer salesman from El Paso, Texas, who made the film as a result of a bet with screenwriter Stirling Silliphant. Most of the remaining cast and crew had little or no background in filmmaking. The theatrical debut was poorly received, playing only at the Capri Theater in El Paso and some drive-ins around West Texas and New Mexico.
Manos remained obscure until featured in a 1993 episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000, a television series based around mocking B movies. This developed its cult reputation as one of the worst films ever made. The film has been criticized for continuous deficiencies in editing, continuity, audiovisual synchronization, pacing, acting, and several inexplicable and disconnected scenes, such as a nameless couple repeatedly shown kissing in a distant car and the Master's wives breaking into catfights. Its MST3K appearance resulted in several DVD releases of the original film and three of the MST3K episode. The original 16 mm workprint was discovered in California in 2011, from which a new, remastered version of the film was released on Blu-ray by Synapse Films on October 13, 2015.
The film was followed by a prequel, Manos: The Rise of Torgo (2018), and a sequel, Manos Returns (2018).
Plot
While on vacation near El Paso, Texas, Michael, Margaret, their young daughter Debbie, and their dog, Peppy, drive through the desert in search of the Valley Lodge. Margaret insists they are lost, and Michael claims they are not. They are stopped by a local deputy for a broken taillight, and released because Michael asks him for mercy on their "first vacation". After driving through farmland and the desert, the family reaches a house. The satyr-like Torgo is caretaker "while the Master is away". Michael and Margaret ask Torgo for directions to the Valley Lodge, which Torgo denies knowing. Frustrated, Michael asks Torgo to let him and his family stay the night, despite objections from both Torgo and Margaret.
Inside the house, Michael and Margaret find a painting of the Master and a dog with glowing eyes. A howl frightens Margaret; Peppy breaks away from Debbie and runs outside. Michael investigates with a flashlight and revolver from his car and finds Peppy lying dead on the ground. Michael buries the dog in the desert and returns to the house. Meanwhile, Torgo reveals his attraction to Margaret and wants to keep her, defying the Master's desire to marry her. Margaret threatens to tell Michael of Torgo's advances. However, Torgo convinces Margaret not to say anything by promising to protect her. Michael cannot start the car. Torgo tells them there is no phone in the house, so the family decides to stay the night.
Torgo secretly watches Margaret changing her clothes. Michael and Margaret find Debbie is gone and start looking for her, going outside and shouting Debbies name. Debbie returns, holding the leash of the dog from the painting. Following Debbie, Michael and Margaret stumble upon the Master and his wives, sleeping around a blazing fire. The wives are dressed in nightgowns, the Master in a robe with two red hands on it. Margaret and Debbie run back to the house to get their things and escape. As Michael runs behind them, Torgo uses a stick to knock him out and then ties him to a pole. The Master awakens and summons his wives, announcing that Michael must be sacrificed to the deity Manos, and that Margaret and Debbie will become his new wives. He leaves.
The wives argue with each other about whether Debbie should become one of them or also be sacrificed. This turns into a catfight, where the wives tumble around in the dirt. The Master returns, breaks up the fight and decides to sacrifice Torgo and his first wife instead. Meanwhile, Michael wakes up, unties himself and returns to the house to collect Margaret and Debbie. The family runs off into the desert to escape. The Master summons Torgo and hypnotizes him, ordering the wives to kill him. Two of the wives attack Torgo using their hands, Torgo, who falls to the ground, apparently dead. However, he regains consciousness and stands up. The Master severs and burns Torgo's left hand. Torgo runs off into the darkness with his stump of a wrist in flames, and the Master sacrifices his first wife.
As Michael, Margaret and Debbie run through the desert, Margaret falls and says she cannot go any farther. A rattlesnake appears and Michael shoots it, the noise attracting the attention of the deputies, who assume the noises came from Mexico due to the large desert echoes and leave it at that. Margaret convinces Michael to return to the house, as the cult would never think to look for them there. They go back and find the Master and his dog waiting for them. The Master steps towards them, and Michael fires his gun in shock, to no effect.
Some time later, two women starting their vacation drive through a rainstorm, searching for shelter. When they find the Master's house, the entranced Michael greets them, saying "I am Michael, I take care of the place while The Master is away." Margaret and Debbie have become wives of the Master, and all are asleep.
Cast
- Harold P. Warren as Michael
- John Reynolds as Torgo
- Diane Mahree as Margaret
- Jackey Neyman as Debbie
- Tom Neyman as The Master
- Stephanie Nielson, Sherry Proctor, Robin Redd, Pat Coburn, Bettie Burns, and Pat Sullivan as the Master's wives
- Bernie Rosenblum as Teenage boy
- Joyce Molleur as Teenage girl
- William Bryan Jennings and George Cavender as Cops
- Jay Hall as Girl in convertible
- Lelaine Hansard as Girl in convertible
History
Production
Warren was very active in the theater scene in El Paso, Texas, and he once appeared as a walk-on for the television series Route 66, where he met screenwriter Stirling Silliphant. While chatting with Silliphant in a local coffee shop, Warren claimed that it was not difficult to make a horror film, and he bet Silliphant that he could make an entire film on his own. After placing the bet, Warren began the first outline of his script on a napkin, right inside the coffee shop.
Warren financed it with a substantial but insufficient amount of cash, US$19,000 (equivalent to $178,000 in 2023). He hired a group of actors from a local theater, many of whom he had worked with before, and a modeling agency. Instead of any wages, Warren promised the cast and crew a share of profit.
In mid-1966, it was filmed with the working titles The Lodge of Sins and Fingers of Fate. It was shot mainly on the ranch of Colbert Coldwell, a lawyer who shared an office floor with Warren and who later became a judge in El Paso County. Most equipment was rented, so Warren hurriedly maximized the number of shots before the rental deadline. The 16 mm Bell & Howell camera is wound by hand with up to 32 seconds of footage, creating many unresolved editing problems. Rather than using location sync sound recording, all sound effects and dialogue were overdubbed in post-production by few people, including Warren, Tom Neyman, Reynolds, Jennings, and Warren's wife, Norma. Later during production, Warren renamed the film Manos: The Hands of Fate. Warren's small crew became so bemused by his amateurishness and irascibility that they derisively called the film Mangos: The Cans of Fruit behind his back.
During filming, Warren said that presenting Diane Mahree as the Texas Beauty Queen would generate good publicity for his movie. He signed her to a regional West Texas beauty pageant that would lead to Miss Texas and then to the Miss America pageant, but he neglected to tell her about it until she was accepted as an entrant. She complied and appeared onstage as a finalist. She later asserted that Warren urged her to remove her top for filming the window-peeping scene where Torgo observes her before declaring his love but, when she refused, he quickly backpedaled by claiming the suggestion was a test. Warren contracted with a modeling agency to provide the actresses who would play the Master's wives, including Joyce Molleur. She broke her foot early in production, so Warren retained her by rewriting the script to include a young couple kissing in a car on the side of the road, who are otherwise unconnected to the plot.
Warren shot night-for-night scenes, because many of the cast and crew also held day jobs. In many of the night scenes, the lights attracted swarms of moths in view of the camera. In the scene in which the police investigate Mike's gunfire, the lights could cover only a few feet forward, so the police stood there to feign a search and leave without any scenery or a panning shot.
Torgo Suite A brief arrangement of the Torgo theme from the film, by Russ Huddleston and Robert Smith Jr.Problems playing this file? See media help.
Post-production efforts were minimal, though Warren promised crew members that any problems in filming would be fixed in later editing. For example, the clapperboard is momentarily visible. The entire nine-minute opening sequence, which consists of the main characters driving around looking for their hotel with minimal dialogue or plot, was the result of such neglect. Warren had likely intended to include opening credits over these shots, but either forgot or lacked the post-production budget.
John Reynolds, who played Torgo, committed suicide with a shotgun on October 16, 1966, one month before the premiere. He was 25 years old and this was his only film appearance.
Release
The film premiered at the Capri Theater in Warren's hometown of El Paso, Texas on November 15, 1966, as a benefit for the local cerebral palsy fund. Warren rented a searchlight and paid for the cast to be delivered by limousine to enhance the Hollywood feel. The single limousine delivered one group, then drove around the block for another. Jackey Neyman-Jones, the seven-year-old who played Debbie, wept in disappointment at the premiere, particularly when hearing a woman's dubbed voice instead of her own. Mahree laughed throughout the screening at the film's ridiculousness.
Following the premiere, Warren thought Manos was the worst film ever made, but was proud of it, and he suggested that its audio might be re-dubbed into a passable comedy. The film was briefly distributed by Emerson Film Enterprises, with a brief theatrical run at the Capri Theater, and at various drive-in theaters in West Texas and New Mexico, including Las Cruces. The only compensation was Jackey Neyman's bicycle and her family dog's 50 pounds of dog food. Official box office figures are unknown, if they ever existed. Warren won his bet against Stirling Silliphant, proving that he was capable of creating an entire film.
The majority of the cast and crew never appeared in another film, though Mahree had a successful modeling career as Diane Adelson. Warren pitched another script he had written called Wild Desert Bikers, and then pitched its novelization, but with the failure of Manos, there was no interest.
Obscurity
Following few local screenings, Manos was almost entirely forgotten. When Jackey Neyman attended the University of California, Berkeley, her friends could not find a copy of the film. A 1981 newspaper article by cinematographer Bob Guidry's ex-wife Pat Ellis Taylor reports the film may have appeared on a local television station and that it was "listed at the bottom of a page in a film catalogue for rent for $20". The film re-surfaced through a 16 mm print, presumably from this television package, which was introduced into the home video collecting market by a number of public domain film suppliers. One of these suppliers was ultimately the one that offered the film to Comedy Central. It was in a box of films sent to Frank Conniff in 1992, when he chose Manos as one of the films to be shown on Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Reception
The day after premiere, Betty Pierce, the film reviewer of the El Paso Herald-Post described it as a "brave experiment". She criticized some elements, such as the "hero" Torgo being "massaged to death" by the Master's wives and Margaret's claim of "it's getting dark" with a bright midday sun.
In 2005, Dan Neil of the Los Angeles Times explained the film's appeal: "After screening Manos for probably the 10th time, I've concluded it has to do with intimacy. Because it is such a pure slice of Warren's brain – he wrote, directed, produced and starred, and brooked no collaboration – Manos amounts to the man's cinematically transfigured subconscious." Manos buff Bobby Thompson said, "It's like a train wreck; you just can't take your eyes off it."
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 0% based on 16 reviews, with an average rating of 2.56/10. The book Hollywood's Most Wanted lists Manos as the #2 in the list of "The Worst Movies Ever Made", following Plan 9 from Outer Space. Entertainment Weekly proclaimed Manos "The Worst Movie Ever Made". The scene in which the seven-year-old Debbie becomes a wife of the Master, played by her real father, was included in a list of "The Most Disgusting Things We've Ever Seen" by the Mystery Science Theater 3000 crew.
Legacy
Mystery Science Theater 3000 and RiffTrax
On January 30, 1993, the film was featured on the fourth season finale of the Comedy Central series Mystery Science Theater 3000, a show about a crew held captive in outer space by two mad scientists, and forced to watch bad movies. Manos was far worse than the usual fare, with the long uneventful drive used by the hosts to sarcastically repeat its title numerous times, in lieu of any action to heckle. The host robots eventually sobbed at the film defeating even their attempts at making it interesting. The mad scientists apologized and admitted the film was abysmal beyond their limits for torture. Torgo (played by Michael J. Nelson) made a cameo in later episodes.
Selection of Manos for the show is credited to Frank Conniff, who also played TV's Frank. Conniff was generally in charge of pre-screening and selecting films sent to them by Comedy Central, the show's network at the time, and Manos was a random tape that he had pulled from a recent batch they had been sent. He felt the movie "seemed like it was maybe a crime against humanity, but you couldn't be sure" and "has an atmosphere, a vibe" that made it appropriate for the show. The Manos episode has been described as one of the best of the MST3K series by Entertainment Weekly and CraveOnline, and the MST3K episode is credited with bringing to light the otherwise obscure film, even though it led to the film being considered one of the worst films made at user polls at the Internet Movie Database. Kevin Murphy later declared, "I hate this movie. I think I hate this movie more than any other film we ever did at RiffTrax or Mystery Science Theater. Even more than the Coleman Francis movies. There's something about this movie that just makes my skin crawl." During a Q&A session at the 2008 San Diego Comic-Con, a question was put to the cast and writers of MST3K about any film they passed on that was worse than Manos, and many cited the film Child Bride.
Manos has also been riffed on by RiffTrax, a later project of MST3K alumni Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett, during a live show on August 16, 2012, a live event that was simulcast in film theaters across the United States. While Nelson and Murphy were part of the cast when MST3K riffed on Manos, neither their fellow RiffTrax star Bill Corbett nor their writers were involved in the original episode; the riffing was all new jokes, using a cleaner print of the original Manos, allowing them to joke about things not obvious in the original television episode.
Cult following
The MST3K episode featuring the film was released on DVD in 2001, and in the Mystery Science Theater 3000 Essentials collection in 2004.
Four comedy stage adaptations of the film have been made. The first was given in Portland, Oregon in early 2006. The second, a musical titled Manos: Rock Opera of Fate, was launched in October 2007. The third, a puppet musical titled Manos – The Hands of Felt, was performed by Puppet This in Seattle in April 2011. After raising funds with a Kickstarter campaign in May 2013, Manos – The Hands of Felt was performed again in Seattle by Vox Fabuli Puppets in August 2013 and filmed for DVD release. The fourth was in Portland, Oregon in April 2013.
In March 2015, the murderers on the Elementary episode "T-Bone And The Iceman" used the physical features of Torgo (portrayed by John Reynolds) to compose a fake facial composite to get the NYPD off their trail. It worked until they were caught, due to the character of Dr. Joan Watson having recognized Torgo's features from the film. The film's editor, James Sullivan, is the namesake of one of the characters in the episode.
Restoration
Comparison of the print found in various releases prior to 2015 and the Solovey workprint found in 2011In 2011, the original 16mm workprint of Manos: The Hands of Fate was discovered by Ben Solovey, a Florida State film school graduate, in a collection of 16 mm films. Solovey announced his intention to preserve and restore Manos for a Blu-ray release. His Kickstarter campaign raised $48,000, nearly five times the initial goal. A 90% finished print was premiered at the El Paso Plaza Theatre, near the original premiere in 1966. The new restoration premiered on Blu-ray on October 13, 2015, with an unrestored version ("Grindhouse") as one of the bonus features.
Copyright dispute
In general, any work first published in the United States before March 1989 required a copyright notice, or the work was not copyrighted. Manos: The Hands of Fate is in the public domain because director Harold Warren failed to include a copyright notice in the film. When news broke of Solovey's restoration, the son of Harold Warren, Joe Warren, started exploring the possibility that the film was not in the public domain, seeking to prevent others from profiting from his father's work. Warren discovered in 2013 that the script had been copyrighted and registered in the Library of Congress, and he believes that this copyright also applies to the film. No precedent exists for this case so the legal status of the film is uncertain. Solovey applied copyright on his restored version, an action that Warren believes is unenforceable, though has not sought any legal action against Solovey. Warren obtained pending publication of a trademark on the phrase Manos: The Hands of Fate, which could have impacted the various fanworks if the United States Patent and Trademark Office finalized approval. However, the trademark filing has since been abandoned as of December 6, 2018, for a "failure to respond or late response".
Home video releases
Shout! Factory released a special edition with both the MST3K and uncut versions called Manos y Manos. A DVD of the original was published by Alpha Video, which also released original versions of other MST3K films such as Teenagers from Outer Space and Eegah.
Sequels
Manos: The Search for Valley Lodge
In 2010, writer and director Rupert Talbot Munch, Sr. began work on Manos: The Search for Valley Lodge. Tom Neyman (in a cameo reprising his role as the Master), his daughter Jackey Neyman-Jones (reprising her role as Debbie), Diane Mahree (reprising the role of Margaret), and Bernie Rosenblum (who played a teenage boy in the original film) were involved in initial filming. Others engaged to appear included World Wrestling Entertainment star Gene Snitsky, former WWE diva and Playboy centerfold Maria Kanellis, and UFC fighter Ryan "Big Deal" Jimmo. Munch was to play Torgo.
In 2013, Neyman-Jones left the project after disagreements with Munch, and by the end of 2014, the project was reportedly canceled.
Manos: The Rise of Torgo
In 2013, a project began for a prequel titled Manos: The Rise of Torgo. David Roy (producer of the 2014 film Cheeseballs) was announced as the writer and director, and cast members were to include Neyman-Jones (playing Manos, the evil deity). It was released on Amazon Prime streaming in 2018.
Manos Returns
Main article: Manos ReturnsJackey Neyman-Jones, who played Debbie in the original film, launched a Kickstarter campaign in February 2016 to make a sequel titled Manos Returns. According to Neyman-Jones, the sequel was not to be a recreation of Manos but instead a "tongue-in-cheek" setting within the Manos storyline; Neyman-Jones described the planned product as being both funny and scary, similar to The Cabin in the Woods or Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.
The Kickstarter goal of $24,000 was reached on February 24, 2016. It stars Neyman-Jones, reprising her role as Debbie; her father Tom Neyman, reprising his role as the Master; and Diane Mahree reprising her role as Margaret. Neyman-Jones and director Tonjia Atomic shot the film in western Oregon in the summer of 2016. The film had its world premiere screening at Crypticon Seattle on May 4, 2018. Manos Returns was published on Amazon Prime in May 2020.
Video game
Main article: Manos: The Hands of Fate (video game)A video game based on the film for iOS was released in 2012 by FreakZone Games. A Microsoft Windows port and an Android port were later released.
See also
References
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- "Manos Returns to World Premiere at Crypticon Seattle". Horror Society. February 22, 2018. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- Wynne, Ken (May 4, 2020). "MANOS RETURNS Now Available on Amazon Prime Video". Attack from Planet B. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
- Musser, Cody (August 3, 2012). "MANOS - The Hands of Fate Review". IGN. Retrieved August 29, 2013.
External links
- Manos: The Hands of Fate at IMDb
- Manos: The Hands of Fate at Rotten Tomatoes
- Jackey Neyman-Jones' blog, in which she shares some of her stories about the making of the film
- Manos: The Hands of Fate is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
- The complete official soundtrack on Bandcamp
- RiffTrax Live treatment of the infamous cult classic on official YouTube channel
- 1966 films
- 1966 horror films
- American supernatural horror films
- American independent films
- Culture of El Paso, Texas
- 1960s English-language films
- Films set in Texas
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- American religious horror films
- Fiction about polygamy
- Films about pedophilia
- Folk horror films
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- 1966 directorial debut films
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