# MST3K: Manos The Hands of Fate Restoration Project **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 24, 2011, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mst3k-manos-the-hands-of-fate-restoration-project/604002 "2011-11-24T21:34:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2011, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mst3k-manos-the-hands-of-fate-restoration-project/604002/1 "2011-11-24T21:34:30Z")
I don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, but I do associate it with the old Turkey Day marathons that Mystery Science Theatre used to run, and I still enjoy MST3K episodes. So I was very excited to read about this man who basically bought a pig-inna-poke box(es) of old public domain films from a former distributer, and discovered among the reels the working copy (16mm print) of Manos (or, going by its working title, Finggrs of Fate) You can read about it here at this thread on Something Awful > **[Why I'm saving 'Manos: The Hands of Fate' - The Something Awful Forums](https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3450845)** > > Why I'm saving 'Manos: The Hands of Fate' which includes amazing photographs of how clean the original copy looks, unlike the copy of a copy of a 35mm print used for the show (‘Every frame looks like someone’s last known photograph!’ and ‘Joel, this is gonna be a snuff film, isn’t it :(’ ) Anyway, as a Mistie going all the way back to the original run of the show when it aired locally, and I lived in Minneapolis one year (and I still have all my Info Club bulletins!), I think it’s pretty neat! Enjoy. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mst3k-manos-the-hands-of-fate-restoration-project/604002/2 "2011-11-25T03:54:52Z")
OK, that is so cool. Yippee! ---
**Author:** ![Pine\_Fresh\_Scent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/43a26b/32.png) [@Pine\_Fresh\_Scent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pine_Fresh_Scent)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mst3k-manos-the-hands-of-fate-restoration-project/604002/3 "2011-11-25T04:46:17Z")
“Can Sassy eat this silverfish?” ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mst3k-manos-the-hands-of-fate-restoration-project/604002/4 "2011-11-25T09:25:44Z")
Although the picture quality improvement is amazing a huge problem with this film is the soundtrack. As I recall from MST3K the entire thing is looped. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mst3k-manos-the-hands-of-fate-restoration-project/604002/5 "2011-11-25T12:46:48Z")
The original soundtrack was unusable so a few of the actors (maybe even only one male & one female) dubbed in all the dialogue. Alas, Torgo is not voiced by Torgo! And as obscured by Joel & the 'Bots, Torgo is actually a goat-legged satyr. ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mst3k-manos-the-hands-of-fate-restoration-project/604002/6 "2011-11-25T13:21:51Z")
> [@Pine\_Fresh\_Scent](#): > > “Can Sassy eat this silverfish?” Pepe is the dog in Manos; Sassy is one of the dogs from Mark Trail. Oh, God, why do I know these things. 😛 I sifted through the SA article, and the guy restoring the film agrees the soundtrack is a mess; he’s looking at it as a silent film restoration project. It’s not made clear if he’d keep the soundtrack or, since the whole thing is looped, he’d redo the whole thing. Shame, as the haunting Torgo theme really makes the piece. The girl, now woman, who played the little girl is all on board for this; I read somewhere she was horrified as a kid to discover her voice had been dubbed over. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mst3k-manos-the-hands-of-fate-restoration-project/604002/7 "2011-11-25T13:51:46Z")
“Ahhh! The dog is sharp again, Mommy!!” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mst3k-manos-the-hands-of-fate-restoration-project/604002/8 "2011-11-25T15:42:39Z")
> [@Ms\_Boods](#): > > I sifted through the SA article, and the guy restoring the film agrees the soundtrack is a mess; he’s looking at it as a silent film restoration project. It’s not made clear if he’d keep the soundtrack or, since the whole thing is looped, he’d redo the whole thing. Well, he’s using the audio of the original in _some_ capacity: > [@](#): > > The spare 16mm print will be used as a source of audio and as a reference to the movie as it was originally edited. ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mst3k-manos-the-hands-of-fate-restoration-project/604002/9 "2011-11-25T15:45:15Z")
The original post says the film was shot in 16mm on reversal film and that what he has is a workprint. So is this the actual film stock that ran through the camera when then the movie was shot? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mst3k-manos-the-hands-of-fate-restoration-project/604002/10 "2011-11-25T15:57:04Z")
I think “saving” is probably the wrong word here, but it’s very interesting and I admire the guy’s obvious love of film. But the MST3K version of Manos is pretty hard to watch and there’s no way I would watch even a restored movie on its own. I hope he’s able to complete the project, though. > [@FriarTed](#): > > The original soundtrack was unusable so a few of the actors (maybe even only one male & one female) dubbed in all the dialogue. Alas, Torgo is not voiced by Torgo! The camera couldn’t record sound, or couldn’t record sound and video at the same time. And yes, the voices were all redubbed by a few people and that makes the movie sound as muddy and monotonous as it looks, as least in its current form. Re-recording the voices with experienced voice actors might also improve it, although I’m sure they won’t do that since it’s less authentic and the final product would still be pretty terrible. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mst3k-manos-the-hands-of-fate-restoration-project/604002/11 "2011-11-25T15:59:51Z")
It’s better than _ **Castle of Fu Manchu** _. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mst3k-manos-the-hands-of-fate-restoration-project/604002/12 "2011-11-25T16:16:01Z")
And from what I remember, Monster A Go-Go looks even worse than Manos. It’s in black and white and very badly washed out. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mst3k-manos-the-hands-of-fate-restoration-project/604002/13 "2011-11-25T16:41:03Z")
This is for real. [http://www.manosinhd.com/](http://www.manosinhd.com/) Can _Attack of the The Eye Creatures_ be far behind? While we wait for the experiment to start, here’s my personal favorite of the “Stinky Shorts:” [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6076941100462957931](http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6076941100462957931) ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mst3k-manos-the-hands-of-fate-restoration-project/604002/14 "2011-11-25T17:01:50Z")
OMG, a documentary on _Manos_: [Everything You Need to Know About Babelgum + Top 5 Alternatives](http://www.babelgum.com/123454/hotel-torgo.html) ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mst3k-manos-the-hands-of-fate-restoration-project/604002/15 "2011-11-25T17:48:42Z")
> [@randwill](#): > > The original post says the film was shot in 16mm on reversal film and that what he has is a workprint. So is this the actual film stock that ran through the camera when then the movie was shot? I’m afraid I don’t know – I’m not a film expert, so some of the stuff is over my head. Thanks, **tubadiva** for that other link! I’m sure he explains it better than I can there. _Manos_ is admittedly a ‘difficult’ film to watch, but I have a bit of affection for it; the first time I saw the MST3K treatment I was ill with some awful flu and at that point where it was a real toss up if living or dying was the better option. I remember being sat there like a lump watching it until Tom Servo desperately decided to fill in a lot of dialogue (nattering on and on about his five year plan), and I ended up laughing myself practically into a seizure. So maybe one needs a high fever fully to appreciate the director’s vision! Also, the riffs provides me with a quote I have adapted for my own use, more or less,‘Would someone in this film _please_ demonstrate some basic competency!’ ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mst3k-manos-the-hands-of-fate-restoration-project/604002/16 "2011-11-25T20:59:53Z")
> [@randwill](#): > > The original post says the film was shot in 16mm on reversal film and that what he has is a workprint. So is this the actual film stock that ran through the camera when then the movie was shot? According to [this page](http://www.manosinhd.com/?page_id=2), yes. > [@Marley23](#): > > The camera couldn’t record sound, or couldn’t record sound and video at the same time. And yes, the voices were all redubbed by a few people and that makes the movie sound as muddy and monotonous as it looks, as least in its current form. A lot of the “Golden Age” porn was shot in the same way. All of the Mitchell Brothers films were. If you didn’t have anyone holding a boom mic, things went a lot quicker. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mst3k-manos-the-hands-of-fate-restoration-project/604002/17 "2011-11-25T21:33:15Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > This is for real. > > [http://www.manosinhd.com/](http://www.manosinhd.com/) > > Can _Attack of the The Eye Creatures_ be far behind? > > While we wait for the experiment to start, here’s my personal favorite of the “Stinky Shorts:” [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6076941100462957931](http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6076941100462957931) Sadly, Mr. B Natural joined the [Great Band in the Sky](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=626800&highlight=betty+luster) earlier this year. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mst3k-manos-the-hands-of-fate-restoration-project/604002/18 "2011-11-25T23:39:44Z")
> [@Ms\_Boods](#): > > _Manos_ is admittedly a ‘difficult’ film to watch, but I have a bit of affection for it; the first time I saw the MST3K treatment I was ill with some awful flu and at that point where it was a real toss up if living or dying was the better option. I remember being sat there like a lump watching it until Tom Servo desperately decided to fill in a lot of dialogue (nattering on and on about his five year plan), and I ended up laughing myself practically into a seizure. So maybe one needs a high fever fully to appreciate the director’s vision! A fever isn’t NECESSARY, I suppose, but I can’t see how it hurts. 😃 I had a similar experience with the flu and "The Holy Grail. " I was miserable and looking for something to fill my time besides my awareness of how miserable I was. Switching channels, I tuned into the local PBS affiliate, and saw what looked like a historical drama. “Oh, King Arthur, I guess I’ll watch this. Look, that Black Knight won’t let him pass. Maybe there will be a sword fight.” I once tried to introduce a friend to MST3K with “Manos”. We ended up turning it off and watching “Mitchell” instead. Manos is not for the unprepared. ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2011, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mst3k-manos-the-hands-of-fate-restoration-project/604002/19 "2011-11-26T02:07:35Z")
> [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](#): > > I once tried to introduce a friend to MST3K with “Manos”. We ended up turning it off and watching “Mitchell” instead. Manos is not for the unprepared. I do agree – my partner (who lives in the UK) knew vaguely about the show, and was interested in it, but when he went to investigate, he said the only one he kept hearing about was _Manos_. He likes bad movies, and since so much of the writing about \*Manos \*touted it as the worst film ever, he thought it’d be fun. I told him ‘Stop!’ and we went through more accessible stuff like _Riding With Death_, _Overdrawn at the Memory Bank_, whatsit with Beef McHardCheese, and a few others plus a _lot_ of shorts\*\* so that he could get a feel for it – then we screened _Manos_. He agreed: it’s not for beginners. It’s been a couple years,\* though, and I think he’s ready for Coleman Francis – coffee and light planes, who needs anything else? \*At the moment I only get to see him on my school breaks. There are so many others to screen this Christmas break! I love _Teenager Strangler_ and _High School Big Shot_, but I think he might enjoy the crazy Russian films. \*\*Started with Mr B, of course, but he loves the Gumby short as well as the safety films, the one about shop class, and the one about phones (_Design for Dreaming_, I think it’s called.) He bakes his own bread, and has frequent mishaps with his own bready experiments, so I like to tell him, ‘You, my friend, have a specialty bread.’ (He also says that since he’s started to watch the show, suddenly a hell of a lot of the goofy things I say to him make more sense.) ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2011, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mst3k-manos-the-hands-of-fate-restoration-project/604002/20 "2011-11-26T03:37:04Z")
> [@Ms\_Boods](#): > > whatsit with Beef McHardCheese Space Mutiny, which is great. That one and Overdrawn and Cave Dwellers are some of the very best. And no, I’d never show Manos to an MST3K newbie. They might think the show is boring. Even the MST3K version is tough because there’s so little to talk about at some junctures. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mst3k-manos-the-hands-of-fate-restoration-project/604002.md?page=2)