History YMMV / ManosTheHandsOfFate

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: The entire subplot of the couple who keep getting harassed by the cops as they make out, which never comes close to having a point. It was put in purely to appease the actress, who was going to play one of the Master's wives until she broke her leg.

* UncannyValley: Debbie was dubbed over by someone who ''clearly'' wasn't a little girl. It's rumored that the little girl playing her cried when she first watched the dub, and one can hardly blame her.

* {{Narm}}: '''Everything.''' As such, it works better as a comedy than a horror film; in fact, Creator/QuentinTarantino has said that this is one of his favorite comedies of all time.

* EpicFail: The movie was largely made with a camera that could only record thirty seconds at a time. Somehow, they also managed to include several of the most jaw-dropping LeaveTheCameraRunning moments you will ever see.

* AuthorExistenceFailure: The planned sequel has managed to get back almost all of the original cast, but the death of John Reynolds means that either Torgo will be left out or will have to be recast.

** Torgo's speech makes him sound like an [[Recap/DoctorWhoS4E2TheTenthPlanet early model]] [[Series/DoctorWho Cyberman]] at times. Not to mention the fact that he's working for a guy called The Master.

* ButNotTooEvil: Audiences who accepted the Master as evil still objected to Debbie showing up in his harem at the end, apparently believing that the depiction of implied pedophilia was beyond the pale of acceptable entertainment.

* CultClassic

!!The film

** The Master's Wives are [[JerkassWoobie halfway there]], with the implication being they are held against their will as the Master's sex slaves and there are hints that Torgo molests them during their hibernations. However, they appear to be extremely jealous and petty of each other and the new guests. Not to mention, killing Mike was their idea, not the Master's.

** In the Director's Cut: Stage 7 due to being full of long jumps on single-brick platforms all while avoiding severl [=UFOs=] that can and ''will'' knock you into the many, ''many'' pits.

** Torgo's speech makes him sound like an [[Recap/DoctorWhoS4E2TheTenthPlanet early]] [[Series/DoctorWho Cyberman]] at times. Not to mention the fact that he's working for a guy called The Master.

* ThatOneLevel: Stage 5, very much so. AutoScrollingLevel + DemonicSpiders + Checkpoint, that drops you right on top of the enemy + [[ThatOneBoss Difficult Boss]] * OneHitPointWonder = [[RageQuit Endless Frustration]]

* UncannyValley: Debbie was dubbed over by someone who ''clearly'' wasn't a little girl. The result is more than a little off-putting.

* NoBudget: The film had no editing. At all. Instead, the film was edited in-camera. One shot shows Hal saying "Cut!", and then realized he didn't need to because there was no way to stop the camera. The actress playing the girl making out with her boyfriend twice looked at the camera as if wondering when the shot would end. It also explains all of the endless shots of the car parking.

* SpecialEffectFailure: Torgo's leg prostheses is supposed to look make his legs look like backwards goat legs, but they end up just making it look like he's got giant knees. The non-professional actor made the prostheses himself and worked for free, so you get what you pay for.

* ButNotTooEvil: Many people who watched the film [[{{Understatement}} were more than a little upset]] that Debbie was made part of the Master's harem at the end. While that is indeed creepy, the Master is bad guy, and a bad guy doing bad things is to be expected; doubly so considering he's a lunatic cult leader. Plus, you really should've seen it coming after the argument the Master's brides were having earlier in the movie.

* DesignatedHero: Mike, who makes the disabled man carry their luggage in by himself after forcing him to let them stay the night at his house, and then has the nerve to complain about the state of living. Later, he orders Torgo to put the luggage back in the car, "''quickly''" this time. There's also his stubborn indifference toward his wife's pleas to leave Hotel Manos, even after ''danger is made unarguably apparent.''
** And even when he does agree to leave, he still doesn't sound convinced that anything's wrong.
*** Also, he continuously calls Debbie 'my baby' like Margaret had nothing to do with her.

* HarsherInHindsight: According to some sources, John Reynolds (Torgo) permanently damaged his legs with the satyr prosthetics, and became addicted to painkillers until his suicide. Jackey Nayman, who played Debbie, claims this is just a rumor, though Reynolds did struggle with drugs.
--> '''Crow:''' He went on to play Torgo at [[Ride/DisneyThemeParks Disney World]].

* SpecialEffectFailure: Torgo's knees, caused by the actor wearing the prosthetics backwards. He was nebulously intended to be a satyr. He wound up looking... like a guy with bulgy knees.
* {{Squick}}: Specificially [[spoiler:pedophilia]] and Torgo's creepy attempts to hit on Margaret. And that couch in the Master's living room, which the restoration showed was actually quite filthy and stained.

* TheWoobie: Due to his speech problems, hobbling gait, and the way Michael and The Master treat him like crap, Torgo manages to fall into this. He counts as a JerkassWoobie as well, since he's a bit of a groper and a pervert towards Margaret.

** Another memorable ''[=MST3K=]'' character was [[Film/SantaClausConquersTheMartians Dropo, aka "The Laziest Man on Mars".]]

--> '''Joel:''' He went on to become Torgo at [[Ride/DisneyThemeParks Disney World]].

* HarsherInHindsight: According to some sources, John Reynolds (Torgo) permanently damaged his legs with the satyr prosthetics, and became addicted to painkillers until his suicide.

* CompleteMonster: TheMaster is an undead occultist worshipping the [[JerkassGods evil god Manos]] who happily performs {{human sacrifice}}s for his deity. He keeps a harem of wives which he [[DomesticAbuser disposes of as he sees fit]], burning one alive after growing bored of her to appease Manos. When a small family is lured into his keep by his servant Torgo, he first kills the family dog. He tries to kill Torgo for touching his wives in their sleep, [[{{Fingore}} hacking off Torgo's hand]] in the process. He does this not because it disgusts him, but because he considers them his alone. Then he forces both Michael's wife Margaret and his little daughter Debbie to become his new brides. He finally turns Michael himself into another brainless servant like Torgo before him to lure in more victims.

* ButNotTooEvil: Many people who watch the film [[{{Understatement}} were more than a little upset]] that Debbie was made part of the Master's harem at the end. While that is indeed creepy, the Master is bad guy, and a bad guy doing bad things is to be expected; doubly so considering he's a lunatic cult leader. Plus, you really should've seen it coming after the argument the Master's brides were having earlier in the movie.

* SnarkBait: Its popularity is a clear case of this. It usually ranks high among the worst movies featured on [=MST3K=]. The {{Rifftrax}} remake of it was very highly anticipated; apparently, ''Manos'' was one of the most common requests for riffing.

** The ending theme "[[http://youtu.be/RV-o9R25gNc Forgetting You]]" (sung by the actress who played Margaret) is surprisingly catchy.

* VindicatedByCable: According to the Trivia, ''Manos'' actress Jackey Neyman herself couldn't track down a copy of it anywhere before [=MST3K=] aired the famous episode in 1993. Is it fair to say that ''MysteryScienceTheater3000'' is the only reason the film is known today? Yes, it certainly is.