Manos: Hands of Fate (1966)

[Scott]

MANOS: HANDS OF FATE (1966) - Directed and starring Hal Warren as the extremely stupid father. How about that opening scene in the car? How about tha wacky guy Turgo? Or those still shots of cult leader? That long cat fight? That piano, flute, saxaphone music? The music almost drove me mad except the occasional vocal parts. They needed a better cult leader for that role and what was with the cape with two big hands printed on each sleeve? The pauses and editing I'm sure have made this an excellent canidate for Mystery Theater. This is a marginally entertaining film and will be watching for it on a Myster Theater showing one day. It shouldn't be watched alone. Watched it while taking a 70 minute break from the computer.

[The Burgomaster]

Sadly enough, I have heard about this and read about this, but I have never seen it.

I guess it's time to ante up the $5 for the DVD.

[Scott]

Well, I say it's different Burgomaster. A must see for $5. Though I found these films to be a bit more entertaining:

Plan 9 From Outer Space
Eegah
Beast of Yucca Flats
Robot Monster
Missle to the Moon

[Bernie]

A must=have for B movie fans.  One of those films so bad it has the power to stop time.  Watch it and you'll swear hours, days, weeks, have passed.

The music score is actually kind of cool in a deranged acid-jazz jammy obnoxious kind of way.

If you're an MST3K fan and have never seen their version of this, you're doing yourself a real disservice.  One of their best efforts.

Below is a website with an extended article on the efforts of some dedicated B-movie fans a few years back to gather the Manos principals for a convention and what they learned about this movie:

http://jophan.org/mimosa/m18/18_p35.html

[Ash]

Andrew has a review of it on this site.

Go here to view it:  
http://www.badmovies.org/movies/manos/index.html

[Bernie]

Thanks for the reminder, Ash.  I had read A's review some time ago but forgot that I had (brain cells are sloughing off at a record rate these days).

[Vermin Boy]

Whoawhoawhoa-- Where can you get a $5 DVD of Manos?! I've seen the MSTed version many times, but as a cinemasochist, I feel it my duty to see it uncut-- Maybe throw a party around it, with lots of caffiene to make sure everyone makes it through.

[The Burgomaster]

VerminBoy:

You can buy MANOS from oldies.com for $5.95.  Or you can buy 5 DVDs for $25.

Deep Discount DVD is selling MANOS for $5.98, with free shipping.

[Brother Ragnarok]

I'm probably one of the few people who will stand behind Manos as actually being a really cool flick.  Sure it's poorly made and incompetent, but in the hands of a properly incompetent filmmaker, the flick can come off as extremely creepy and just barely this side of a snuff film.  Makes you wonder if there aren't deleted scenes somewhere with that girl in the car that the cops keep bothering getting horribly butchered.  I think Manos has a great atmosphere that does a decent job covering up the ineptitude.
To Vermin: it's always cool seeing a word you made catch on.  At least, I think I'm the first one to use the word "cinemasochist" c. 1999.  If I'm not, someone should tell me so I can stop sounding conceited.

Brother R

[Vermin Boy]

Actually, I think I came up with it independently... But it's OK, I won't tell anyone. :)

[Dunners]

Damn you vermin boy!

[Scott]

The credits at the end were even fun to watch. They made sure they gave everyone credit for this film MANOS: HANDS OF FATE.

[Brother Ragnarok]

Huh.  What are the chances of two people who've never met and only communicate in a vague, relatively impersonal manner on a message board making up the same word independently?  So we'll both take our own credit for that one.  I'll bet I still have the copyright on cinemasodomy, though ;)  At least I should, I paid for the damn domain name...

Brother R