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It's a Bad, Bad, Bad, Bad Movie

Reader Review


Manos: The Hands of Fate

Posted by: Nikki
Date Submitted: Sunday, September 5, 1999 at 14:21:19
Date Posted: Thursday, September 16, 1999 at 05:32:49

This movie is so horrible. I bought it at the local video store to add to my "Mystery Science Theatre" collection but had no idea of the horror I was in for. Let me try to review why it is so bad.

It appears that the writer couldn't really decide what the plot should be about. The father takes his daughter and wife on a "vacation" (term used very loosely) and gets lost. Being completely incompetent, the father simply drives to a creepy house in the woods and demands to stay there until morning with his family. He insists that the house resident -- a disfigured mutant (with his own theme music) named Torgo -- carry all his bags into the strange house. Torgo casually remarks that "the master will not approve!" of them staying, but the father insists they stay anyway, despite the fact that it's broad daylight outside and he could've driven anywhere and just asked for directions. It turns out the "master" is the leader of some strange cult which just includes girls in white dresses that fistfight over him. He really doesn't do anything. During the movie, the family dog gets killed, Torgo's hand gets burnt off, and the wife and daughter end up being part of the "master's" cult. It is so bizarre and choppy, it doesn't appear to have any real plot, and the acting is worse than watching paint dry -- lots of awkward silences and puzzled looks, as if the actors don't know what to do. I'm a lover of B-movies in general; this was one of the worst I have ever seen. The first viewing is kind of like a watching a train wreck -- you cannot bear to look away, but you are horrified by the sight. The second and third are an attempt to figure out the point of the whole thing. After that, you'll be calling your friends. It will give you nightmares! This movie is hard to review, because it's impossible to put into words. Maybe this will help: the writer of the film is reportedly a fertilizer salesman from Texas.

Any lover of really, really bad B horror flicks will love me for introducing this stink bomb to them.


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