For those unfortunate readers out there (all five of you!) who haven't heard of Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966), it's a low-budget horror film considered by many to be the worst movie ever made. And just to put that into perspective... I mean worse than M. Night Shyamalan's The Happening (2008).
And things get real when you start comparing films to The Happening. (All jokes aside, I'm still a fan of Shyamalan's earlier work, and I hope he gets out of this bad movie slump with After Earth. But I'm getting sidetracked here.)
Fittingly, Manos was directed on a bet by a fertilizer salesman in El Paso, Texas for $19,000 and currently holds the #6 spot on IMDB's list of worst films ever.
It was nearly forgotten for decades until it was featured on an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 and since, Manos has gained a cult following. Anyone who's seen it will know, this "horror" film is hilarious. Just not in a good way. Bad acting, horrible editing, and don't get me started on the writing. In short, it's a terrible film... but a memorable one.
Which is exactly why this guy is restoring it for a blu-ray release.
From what I know, a reel of 16mm film was found in a storage locker. And the reel turned out to be a rare print of Manos. It was different than the VHS version-- it had a different opening shot, for one. Not to mention the VHS was cropped from the original edition (which made for some awkward framing). Sure, the film print was damaged-- but with work it looks like it could have been shot last week.
I'm actually pretty psyched about this. It's a bad film, yes, but it's also a very fun bad film. And for years, the only available version was on VHS, and in comparison, the restored edition looks like a totally different film.
Unfortunately I was a bit late to this party, so I missed the restoration's fundraising. And I don't think the online shop is open anymore (which stinks, since I'd pretty much do anything for a Torgo shirt).
I've seen the first half of Manos, as well as bits and pieces of the rest, but after I heard about the blu-ray I decided to hold out for the restored edition.
For now, check out this interesting Entertainment Weekly article on the film.
What's the worst film you've ever seen?
Relentless (1989)starring Judd Nelson: "When Buck Taylor comes to call, your number is up." Really terrible, and when we saw it in the theater, you could see the boom mic dropping down into the scenes. I think we left before it was over.
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