[[http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7601757759632230570 http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/51ZYFXXD7NL__AA240_.jpg]]
[[caption-width:240:How To Watch]]

-->"''It's Shocking''"
-->"''It's Beyond Your Imagination''"
-->'''--The ''Manos The Hands of Fate'' {{tagline}}'''

-->''"[=I aM TORgo. I Take CARe oF THe pLaCE whILE the MASTer is awAY=]."''
-->-'''Torgo'''

--> ''"You know, there are certain flaws of this film."''
-->-'''Tom Servo'''

1966 horror film about a young couple, Mike and Margaret, their daughter Debbie, and her poodle, Peppy. The four of them go on a nice family vacation, and the audience is treated to an extended, uncut, driving sequence with very little dialogue. They can't find the way to Valley Lodge, so decide to spend the night in a [[HauntedCastle Haunted House]]. Can you feel the horror?

The caretaker of the house, Torgo, [=speAks VeRY OdDly=], has extremely bulgy legs (he was meant to be a satyr), and continuously refers to someone called "TheMaster" (No, not [[DoctorWho that one]] nor [[{{Fallout}} this one]]). It turns out that the Master is the evil undead (or something) leader of a cult dedicated to a dark god (or is it a goddess?) named Manos. He and his wives live in suspended animation at a little chapel out in the desert. They decide to kill the intruders, but Torgo wants to keep Margaret alive so she can be his wife. The Master wants to keep Margaret alive so she can be his seventh wife. His wives want to kill Margaret and Mike, but are unwilling to kill Debbie. HilarityEnsues. Well, not intentionally anyway. Oh, and the Master's dog eats Peppy.

This film is best known for its appearance on ''MysteryScienceTheater3000'' (Its creator prophetically suggested that it could be redubbed into a comedy). Conversely, it's widely considered one of the funniest episodes of MST3K. It is often considered, as is probably evident from the above synopsis, the Worst Film Ever Made, but has achieved some cult popularity. It was directed by Hal P. Warren, starred Hal P. Warren, and written by Hal P. Warren, who was trying to win a bet with Stirling Silliphant (screenwriter of ''InTheHeatOfTheNight'' and genuinely talented fellow) that he could make a successful horror movie on a minimal budget. Despite his previous experience as a fertilizer salesman, he was unable to make any money off this sack of crap.

The crew at Best Brains actually considered ''not'' riffing on this because they thought ''Manos'' at first was too strange to riff on. They eventually came to the conclusion that the world ''must'' know about this movie. [[VindicatedByCable The rest, they say is history.]]

Also see ''PlanNineFromOuterSpace''. Seriously, see both of them. They're hilarious. However unlike ''Plan 9'', ''Manos'' is close to unwatchable by itself. While a great episode, even parts of the MST3K version lags behind at times.
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!!Provides examples of:
*AngryGuardDog - The one that later eats Peppy.
*BigBad - The Master.
* BilingualBonus - "Manos" is of course Spanish for "hands," making the movie's title ''Hands: The Hands of Fate.''
** Or perhaps ''Hands: Las Manos del Destino''.
* BrokenRecord - Torgo in particular, but really, everybody.
*BumblingDad - Mike
*CatchPhrase - "[=THe MASTer would NOt APProvE=]"
*CatFight - An extremely long sequence of this with the wives as they try to decide on what to do about Debbie. Presumably intended as {{Fanservice}}.
-->'''Tom Servo''': "So, I'm guessing ''this'' is the whole reason this movie was made."
*ChestInsignia - The Master has a black robe that big pair of red hands on it
*CrazyAwesome - It's hard not to like Torgo
*CrustyCaretaker - Torgo. [[spoiler: Presumably Mike as well, later on.]]
*{{Cult}}
*CultClassic
*DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment - Certain words tend to be repeated. ThisTroper is pretty sure that certain words get repeated.
** Then there's the title itself. And Torgo's frequently repeated line about how the Master would not approve of... like, anything at all.
*** There is no DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment. The Master would not approve. There is no way out of here. The Master would not approve. There is no DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment. It will be dark soon. [[OverlyLongGag There is no way out of here]].
*DesignatedHero - Mike, who makes the crippled man carry their luggage in by himself after forcing him to let his family 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 car, "quickly" this time.
*DownerEnding - [[spoiler: The Master wins. See also TheBadGuyWins]]
*EarWorm - The only truly disturbing thing about this movie [[spoiler:except maybe the ending]] is how thoroughly the "[[http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=x_jjD5za_Mw haunting 'Torgo's Theme]]'" gets stuck in your head.
*EvilLaugh - The Master is altogether just a cheery guy.
*EnsembleDarkhorse - Torgo
*[[GuiltyPleasures Guilty Pleasure]]
*HauntedCastle, or rather, small and boring house
*HongKongDub - Torgo's voice wasn't done by the actor but by another unknown actor. In fact, ''all'' the voices were done by just three actors, as the film was shot entirely without sound, and the dialogue was added in post-production. For some reason, they still used a clapboard, which is of course visible in a few shots.
** The little girl who played Debbie apparently cried when she heard how she sounded in the movie.
*HellHotel
*{{Hellhound}}
*IdiotPlot
*TheIgor - Torgo, in fact, was going to be called "Igor" originally.
*ImpossiblyCoolClothes - The Master's robe
*InfantImmortality - The Master's wives refuse to kill a child
**[[spoiler: Her becoming a sex slave is much better of course...]]
*{{Jerkass}} - Mike is an unbelievably callous guest.
*LaughablyEvil - All of the villains.
*LeaveTheCameraRunning - Too many times to count. Probably the film's greatest weakness, although not the only one.
** The very long car driving scene was actually supposed to be where the opening credits went, which would explain the length and lack of action. For whatever reason, they did not end up there.
** Unintentionally averted in certain scenes that should last longer than they did (such as the police traveling all of two feet from their car to investigate a gunshot before giving up) because ''they couldn't afford a camera that could film more than 30 seconds at a time''.
*{{Leitmotif}} - The "Haunting Torgo Theme"
*{{LoopingLines}}
*LovableSexManiac - Torgo again. He's the only character with any personality, really.
*MakeOutPoint - On the road to the Master's house.
*TheMaster - Self explanatory.
*MemeticMutation - [=evErYtHinG ToRgo saYS=]
*{{Narm}} - '''Everything'''
*NeutralFemale - Margaret
*NiceHat - Torgo's hat.
*NightmareRetardant - Everything, except, for some people, the end
*OrIsIt - "The End?"
*PaleSkinnedBrunette - The Master
* ParodyRetcon - By the end of the experience, this film's creator predicted that while it failed as a horror movie, if it were redubbed as a comedy it might make good money.
*PoliceAreUseless - Most of the sheriff's time is spent bothering a couple who can't keep their lips off of each other. Then, they show up when Mike fires the gun, get out and walk in front of their car, then turn around and leave.
*PornStache - The Master has one
*RedRightHand - Torgo's knees
*TheRenfield - Torgo
*SequelHook - [[spoiler: The film ends with Margaret and Debbie in suspended animation in the desert. Two young college girls arrive at the house and are greeted by the new caretaker, Mike.]]
*SnarkBait
*SoBadItsGood or SoBadItsHorrible. Cult fans consider it the former. Doctor Forrester and TV's Frank seem to think it's the latter.
*SoundtrackDissonance - The happy jazz music playing at the beginning and end
*SpecialEffectFailure - Torgo's knees, caused by the actor wearing them backwards. He was nebulously intended to be a satyr.
*{{Squick}}, specificially [[spoiler:pedophilia]] and Torgo's creepy attempts to hit on Margaret.
-->"Ah, the tender Peeping Torgo scene."
*ThoseTwoGuys - "The Make-Out Couple". They have no relevance. And we can't forget the two sheriffs.
** The make-out couple was used because the actress broke her leg early in production. She was intended to be one of the wives, so they worked her into her own, pointless subplot.
*TitleDrop: Apropos of Torgo, the Master says
-->'''Manos'''! God of primal darkness! As thou hast decreed, so have I done. '''The hands of fate''' have doomed this man. Thy will is done!
*TooDumbToLive: Mike insists on staying at the house despite the protests of the mysterious satyr man who calls his boss "the Master".
*WhatHappenedToTheMouse - It's ambiguous whether or not Torgo survives
**Hal P Warren intentionally left it ambiguous with a plan to make a sequel starring Torgo. Of course, this never happened.
*VerbalTic - [=ToRgO (pause) TAlks (pause) LIkes thIS.=]
*VindicatedByCable - This film was virtually unknown to the public at large until ''MST3K'' got their hands on it. Now, it's stands as a "classic" alongside ''PlanNineFromOuterSpace'', ''SpaceMutiny'', and ''PumaMan''.
*TheWoobie - Due to his speech problems and the way Michael and The Master treat him like crap, Torgo manages to fall into this.
*WhatCouldHaveBeen - Harold P. Warren once stated that he left Torgo's fate vague on purpose. If the film was a hit, the sequel was to involve Torgo's return. The sequel was never written.
*YeOldeButcheredeEnglishe
*YouHaveFailedMe
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!!The ''Mystery Science Theater 3000'' presentation has examples of:
* CrowningMomentOfFunny: The Manos episode is widely considered the show's best episode by many, and is easily the most well-known episode of the show.
** Really? This troper has always heard of it being considered the worst one, as it's so bad that not even riffing can make it enjoyable. A sort of "everything you touch turns to suck" effect. S'pose this is why we've got [[YourMileageMayVary tropes]] for that.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: TV's Frank and Dr. Forrester actually ''apologized'' to Joel and the 'bots for showing the movie, with the former claiming they may have went a little too far.
* SpecialGuest: Torgo (played by Mike Nelson) as the Torgo's Pizza Delivery Man.
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