Based on a novel by Graham Masterson, who basically rewrote the same damn story over and over with a different cultural background ("Tengu," "Djinn," even "Revenge of the Manitou").
The same doctor Warren H mentions gets his fingers bit off by a superimposed plastic lizard before he gets popped. Poor guy, bad day at work. Directed by William Girdler, who also gave us "Grizzly," "The Devil's Asylum," and "Day of the Animals" before dying in a chopper accident scouting locations for his first big-budget feature. Miss him.

I watched this recently.I had not seen it since it played in the theaters.It was pretty cool seeing bare boobs in a PG movie whaen I was just 7 years old.Tony Curtis made it enjoyable

Oh my God!  I had totally forgotten about this movie.  After I saw it (originally - God Forbid, every time someone in my family got a zit it was EWWW!  THE MANITOU!  Great family fun!

I simply love movies in general so I don't get any great joy out of bashing even the worst film. But this is a bad movie. There's just no getting past that. However, director William Girdler did his best to disguise the film's shortcomings(there are plenty), and you've got to hand it to him because one way or the other he convinced big name stars like Tony Curtis, Burgess Meredith, Stella Stevens, Susan Strasberg, and Ann Sothern to appear in the film. It's difficult to say which one of these remarkably talented performers comes off best, but you've got to hand it to all of them, they each keep a straight face in just about every scene they're in!

Ah William Girdler, I just love his movies to pieces.  The Manitou has always been great fun.  I love the part where Mrs. Kearns falls down the stairs and its blatantly obvious that its a really big dude in a dress, hell it's funnier than the big white guy in a dress stunt double gag in I'm Gonna Git You Sucka!  This is one so-bad-it's-great movie that I can never get tired of watching.  Hell there are even some moments in the movie that are actually pretty scary (i.e. the head coming out of the table during the seance).  Ah Bill, why'd you have to go and die, I know you would have gone places in Hollyweird.  I still firmly believe you would have been another Carpenter or Hooper, given the same time and money and chances as those gentlemen.

I have seen "The Manitou" a number of times since 1986 and found it interesting.

You mentioned in the index of comments the that Graham Masterton wrote a second book entitled "Revenge of the Manitou." Did you know that Masterton Wrote also wrote a third volume based on his origional characters?
This book is called, "Burial: a Novel of the Manitou."

Yes, Misquamacus returns to plague mankind a third time. As uaual our friend Harry comes to the rescue. The book is rather long, but I found it interesting as well.

I will not give away the (cemetary) plot but I feel that The third book does show how vivid Masterton's mind is as he uses an historical reference to The Battle of the little Big Horn that took place, according to the author, on Sunday, June 25, 1876.

I like the stories of Masterton. I give the movie "The Manitou" 4 stars, but what we are dealing with, once again, is Hollywood.

As a spiritual person I would be very careful what I went looking for in a darkened room. There are things that no one should make an attempt to call forth.

I was lucky enough to find a copy of the Manitou.  I showed it to my 4 sons.  We were wondering whatever happened to Joe Gieb, the reincarnated shaman.  Does anyone know?  Does anyone care?

when i first saw the movie i thought it was good and i like the sp. effics in the movie i would like tobuy a copy