Manos: The Hands of Fate

From The Deuce

Manos: The Hands of Fate DVD Cover BUY THE DVD Press Kit Fun Facts

Also Known As

• Manos - Hände des Schicksals (Germany)
• The Lodge of Sins (USA)

Taglines

• It's Shocking! It's Beyond Your Imagination!
• A cult of weird, horrible people who gather beautiful women only to deface them with a burning hand!
• No one seated the last 10 minutes! We defy you to guess the ending... and ask you not to divulge it!

Main Details

• Released in 1966

• Color

• Runtime: 74 min (NTSC) 69 min (PAL)

• Aspect Ratio: (1.37:1)

• Not Rated

• Production Co: Norm-Iris | Sun City Films

• Distribution Co: Emerson Film Enterprises (1966) (USA) (theatrical)

Cast and Crew

• Directed by Harold P. Warren

• Written by Harold P. Warren

• Starring: Tom Neyman, John Reynolds, Diane Mahree, Harold P. Warren, Stephanie Nielson, Sherry Proctor, Robin Redd, Jackey Neyman, Bernie Rosenblum, Joyce Molleur, William Bryan Jennings, Jay Hall, Bettie Burns, Lelanie Hansard, Pat Coburn, Pat Sullivan, George Cavender

• Produced by Harold P. Warren

• Original Music by Russ Huddleston, Robert Smith Jr.

• Cinematography by Robert Guidry

• Film Editing by Ernie Smith, James A. Sullivan (as James Sullivan)

Film Review

A married couple Michael (Harold P. Warren) and Margaret (Diane Mahree) are with her daughter, (and a dog) on a family trip. Where are they heading to? (We don't know). Before dawn they arrive at a house. They knock on the door and who opens it up? Torgo (John Reynolds). He tells them he takes care of the estate while his master is away. Margaret doesn't like him but they have to stay 'cuz it's getting dark. Torgo brings all their luggage into the house. Inside hangs a picture of his master and he looks frightening (somehow he reminds me of Frank Zappa!). They ask where his master is at and Torgo tells them: he isn't on this earth anymore but he is not dead.

The family dog goes outside, Michael hears some strange noises, goes outside too and mistakenly kills the dog. He tells Margaret this and both decide to leave the estate with the daughter. But like it is in most motion pictures, the car won't start. They ask Torgo for a telephone but there's not one around in the area. They then see his master laying on a flagstone surrounded by females (they seem to be sleeping). They try to run away but later on the master and the women awake and are after them, for the final showdown.

Holy Cow. One of the worst and whatever you wanna call it films I ever have seen. I don't know why Quentin Tarantino owns a 35mm print of this movie. As I always say: "To each his own". But the film also has a good side, in the character of Torgo. If he ever knocked on my door, I wouldn't open up! (haha). I would say even after a million beers the movie won't get any better. You need to watch it only because of TORGO. He's worth it. Over and out.

Reviewed by GBS - 02/22/08

Comments

A fertilizer salesman in contact with the local theatrical scene decides to make a film on a dare with a small budget, and this is the result - A major example of a Trainwreck film. OK, one can say that at least Hal Warren followed up on his word, and there are scenes that can be called unique, but this really has a full on feeling of depression, going into a slowly decapitating roadside motel that was built in The 50's and now a sad shadow of itself, and drinking a very bad brand of whiskey along with friends who could only buy the cheapest 12-pack of beer in an out of the way carry out. The music is Lounge from the saddest club in the area, ready to shut down soon, the Drama is on a 1966 small town Drama Club level, and the dubbing is really pathetic. The production of the film had been one misfire or crazy story after another - A napkin was used to write the plot outline (Did this include "Add in a long moment of non-interesting travel footage while Lounge Music plays?"), the camera could only shoot 32 seconds of film, there was a joke among the crew to call it "Mangos - Cans of Fruit," shooting during the night attracted moths that turned out to be the co-stars of the film, a failed premiere, and others too numerous to mention. Still, a moment of respect is always given to John Reynolds, Torgo himself - He was a trooper in trying to create a memorable character within this cheap film and succeeded well despite having his voice overdubbed by one of the few present at the dubbing session making his character sounding more warped and tragic. Renyolds sadly committed suicide before the film's opening reportedly due to something personal not related to the film. Manos, the Hands of Fate may have been a disaster, but one has to admit that Reynold's performance did leave something to remember through it's uniqueness. Screen 13 - 2/22/08