‘It’s shocking. It’s beyond your imagination’
Manos: The Hands of Fate is a 1966 American horror film written, directed, produced by and starring Harold P. Warren. It is sometimes deemed to be one of the worst films ever made.
The movie is infamous for its technical deficiencies, especially its significant editing and continuity flaws; its soundtrack and visuals not being synchronised; tedious pacing; abysmal acting; and several scenes that are inexplicable or disconnected from the overall plot, such as a couple making out in a car, or The Master’s wives (clad in oversized girdles) breaking out in vapid catfights.
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.
The original 16mm work print was discovered in California in 2011. On October 13, 2015, Synapse Films released the film on Blu-ray sourced from this work print.
New 2K Restoration
Audio Commentary
Hands: The Fate of Manos Featurette
Restoring the Hands of Fate Featurette
Felt: The Puppet Hands of Fate Featurette
Manos: The Hands of Fate: Grindhouse Edition (Blu-ray only bonus)
In 2018, a very belated sequel, Manos Returns, was released. Co-producer Jackey Neyman Jones once again played Debbie. Meanwhile, a prequel, Manos: The Rise of Torgo was released the same year.
Plot:
A vacationing family who lose their way on a road trip. After a long drive in the Texas desert, the family is trapped at a lodge maintained by a polygamous pagan cult, and they attempt to escape as the cult’s members decide what to do with them…
Reviews:
“The 16mm camerawork (some money shots are actually out of focus) in this un-artistic instance makes the entire show look like someone’s static 1960s home movies with footage from a dull Halloween party thrown in. When the ridiculous dialog is spoken, it’s obviously dubbed in, meaning that there was hardly any (if any) real sound during the shooting, cheapening the surreal viewing experience even more.” DVD Drive-In
“One of the less-remarked virtues of outsider art is that exposure to it can deepen one’s appreciation for and understanding of art of the ordinary sort, for an untrained, unsophisticated, unprepared creator like Warren will frequently violate conventions and break rules that you didn’t even know existed, for the simple reason that they didn’t know those rules and conventions existed either.” 1000 Misspent Hours and Counting
” …horrible acting, nonexistent direction, dim lighting, and laughable special effects nevertheless elevate this story of a family ensnared by a satanic cult a notch above your average bad horror film.” Videohound’s Complete Guide to Cult Flicks and Trash Pics
In 2017, Stephen Andrade produced a Manos Vintage Paperback Edition Print. It can be purchased here
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