And Manos featured girls in shifts wrestling on the floor … hmm, decisions decisions …
**Batwoman ** was a completely tame fetish film trying to pass as a superhero/crimefighter flick. Everything from the hero and villains costumes to the lightweight bondage screamed B&D fantasy scenario. Great MST material, though.
Never in the history of Cinema have so many people had their hopes dashed so badly, so quickly, and so thoroughly.
“Oh, no! Liturgical dancing!”
Having lived in Odessa I can confidently assert that Manos and west Texas drive-ins go together like peas and carrots.
Well then consider your eyes damned too, ya punk.
Resident El Pasoan here.
About a year ago I was discussing the movie with one of my friends, who said he had never seen it before. As I decribed the ongoing horror that is Manos, his eye took on something of a merry gleam. He told me that he had vague memories of his parents having a bunch of friends over at their ranch, and that they were filming a movie at the time with a hand-held camera. He especially remembered a bunch of women walking around in their underwear (well, who wouldn’t?).
Thinking that he might have been yanking my chain, I did a bit of research. Turns out he wasn’t kidding. Manos was filmed at his parents’ ranch. And would have been around six at the time.
So envy me friends. I’m this close to touching cinematic history.
Consider yourself lucky you didn’t get any closer. Touching this kind of cinematic history turns you into a hermit crab.
I actually own this movie on DVD. The movie, not the MST3K send up.
Yes I have poor taste in movies. Why do you ask?
Actually it is my aim to own all of the worst horror movies. Bad horror movies are good.
Bad dramas and comedies suck.
And those are solid pieces of cinematic craftsmanship when compared with Red Zone Cuba and Monster a Go-Go.
“Flag on the moon. How did it get there?”
I defy anybody to write better dialogue, even George Lucas.
Even those are sparkling jewels when compared to the horror that is Invasion of the Neptune Men. After watching that one I have to apply the balm that is Soultaker.
Does anything really “star” Joe Estevez?
It’s because there are different kinds of bad movies. ‘Good’ bad movies are entertainingly inept and lots of fun to watch and/or make fun of. Plan 9 is the apotheosis of this kind of bad movie. So it’s possibly the worst bad movie you can watch and actually enjoy. Manos is a ‘bad’ bad movie. This kind of movie, which isn’t even fun, produces a Lovecraftian, soul-crushing kind of horror. They’re usually pretentious and boring and, even if they’re not very long, they always feel like they are. I’ve never seen it Manos without the MST3K treatment, but maybe it’s the worst of that kind. I have trouble imagining anything worse than The Swarm and Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness?
I should’ve added this:
I saw an earlyish MST3K episode guide years ago and I think their feelings are in line with mine. They said it was the worst film they’d ever done, but they didn’t think the Manos episode was very good. While trying to make fun of it, they’d just get sucked in and not be able to come up with anything funny. And I think there are some pretty long silent stretches during the episode which reflect that. A ‘good’ bad movie gives you something to work with and you want to keep watching it; a bad one doesn’t. You just want it to go away and stop hurting you.
Isn’t it more accurate to say most of the time the camera is pointed at Joe Estevez?
I agree actually, and I think the Manos MST is overrated for that reason. Movies like Mitchell and Giant Spider Invasion are much better suited for MSTing than the likes of Red Zone Cuba or The Blood Waters of Dr. Z.
Same here. I finally got to see the Manos episode for the first time, and I honestly didn’t think it was that hot. Yes, the movie is terrifyingly bad, and I’m pretty sure it was sucking the crew’s will to live while they were making the episode. I was howling with laughter over Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, which is a great movie to make fun of, but Manos didn’t really bring more than a chuckle. The snuff film comments were probably the funniest in the ep.
Manos is responsible for inspiring Mike’s performance of Torgo, which is one of the funniest things ever.
Dammit, aankh I was trying to resist, and then you tempted me.
So I Googled…
MUST…RINSE…BRAIN!!! :eek: :eek: :eek: