!![[Film/ManosTheHandsOfFate The film]]

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation:
** Did Torgo legitimately want to help the family escape or was he just going to do it to spite the Master? He did try to warn them when they first arrived...
** It's been speculated that one of the Master's wives used to be Torgo's wife, and they were a normal couple before they got ensnared in the Master's cult.
* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: Maybe nobody else involved with the movie knew what they were doing, but the closing theme "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqVlMWUw6tc Forgetting You]]" is a somber, wistful tune that would feel right at home in a traditional nightclub act.
* BestKnownForTheFanservice: A bunch of women in diaphanous robes get into a massive CatFight. Many likely nod along with Tom Servo's line "I'm guessing this is the entire reason the movie was made."
* 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 provide a role for the actress, who was going to play one of the Master's wives but couldn't because she broke her leg. It also gave the actor playing the boyfriend more of a reason to be there. (He was originally a stunt double and nothing else.)
* CommonKnowledge:
** Harold P. Warren ''did'' work as a fertilizer salesman, but that was after the film was made. At the time he was an insurance agent.
** John Reynolds (Torgo) ''did'' commit suicide shortly before the film was released, but there is nothing to suggest it was related to his experiences with the film and [[https://debbiesmanos.blogspot.com/2012/10/john-reynoldstorgo-story-i.html he was never "crippled" by his leg prostheses (which were not self-made)]].
*** And he is neither a satyr (the deformed legs are a variant of the usual [[TheIgor hunchbacked henchman]], which was thought to be too clichéd even in 1966) nor does he have cloven hooves (the non-[=MST3k=] version shows him wearing shoes quite clearly).
*** Also, that ''is'' John Reynolds doing Torgo's voice, despite what was believed for a long time. And Michael and the Sheriff are ''not'' voiced by the same guy. They did dub themselves.
** Some sources have assumed that Robin Redd (who plays one of the Master's wives) is actually character actress [[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0714668/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t68 Mary-Robin Redd]] due to their similar names. But Mary-Robin Redd was already an established stage and television actress by this time, whereas the film's Robin Redd (like the Master's other wives) was a model from El Paso.
* CompleteMonster:
** TheMaster is an undead, immortal occultist who serves the [[GodOfEvil evil god Manos]] by happily performing {{human sacrifice}}s for his deity, keeping a harem of wives which he [[TilMurderDoUsPart disposes of as he sees fit]]. Having killed his first servant Vassago for stealing one of his wives, the Master later brainwashes a man named Torgo to act as his newest servant. When a small family is later lured into his Lodge by Torgo, the Master [[BadPeopleAbuseAnimals kills the family dog]], before chopping off Torgo's hand for touching his wives in their sleep. He later forces both Michael's wife Margaret and his little daughter Debbie to become his new brides, with Michael himself being brainwashed into becoming the new Torgo. Keeping people's spirits in a perpetual limbo, the Master's spirit continues to loom over the Lodge, brainwashing more women to become Manos's brides, having forced Debbie to become his replacement as she continues to sacrifice those in the name of Manos.
** ''The Rise of Torgo'': [[GodOfEvil Manos himself]], [[DarkIsEvil God of Primal Darkness]], is [[GreaterScopeVillain the instigator]] for everything that happens in the trilogy. Having chosen TheMaster to become his immortal slave, Manos has him carry out his desires for HumanSacrifice, having him brainwash women to serve as the wives of Manos. After the Master kills his servant Vassago, Manos chooses the innocent Torgo as his new servant, brainwashing and threatening him with 1,000 deaths of darkness should he go against him.
* CultClassic: Yup, a film about a cult has cult fans. It has quite a passionate fanbase due in no small part to it being [[SoBadItsGood laughably awful]].
* DesignatedHero: Mike, who never does anything to make you sympathize with him. He orders Torgo around, ignores his wife's constant pleas, and continuously calls Debbie "my baby" like Margaret had nothing to do with her.
* EnsembleDarkhorse: Torgo steals the show here. He has the most memorable lines, and he's easily the most fleshed-out character in the film. As sleazy as he is, he's somehow the most ''likeable,'' too. Then again, it's not like there's anybody else to root for, since Mike is an abrasive DesignatedHero and Margaret is TooDumbToLive.
* FightSceneFailure:
** At one point Margaret gets tired of Torgo bothering her, and slaps him. Her slap is so slow and telegraphed he should be able to see it coming a mile away, yet still gets hit.
** Late in the movie the Master's wives are supposedly roughing up Torgo somehow as punishment. It looks more like they're giving him some kind of massage.
* FridgeHorror: It's probably best to assume that Harold P. Warren didn't intend for the characters to be the same ages as their actors. Otherwise, it would mean Michael is 43 and his wife is only 19 - and they have a ''seven year old daughter''. Given that Michael is already a DesignatedHero, this would just make him seem slimier.
* HarsherInHindsight: A creepy cult leader and his multiple wives live on a remote West Texas compound...the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YFZ_Ranch Warren Jeffs saga]] had some interesting similarities to the movie, especially given the ending implies that the Master doesn't care about age when it comes to his "wives".
* HilariousInHindsight:
** [[http://www.manosinhd.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/massaged-to-death.jpg One reviewer]] suggests that the film be repackaged or dubbed into becoming a "foreign art film". Warren himself is said to have remarked that it would make a great comedy if dubbed.
** That same ''El Paso Herald-Post'' review snarkily referred to Torgo being apparently "massaged to death". 27 years later ''[[Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000 MST3K]]'' used almost the exact same joke ("they're [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolfing Rolfing]] him to death!").
** The kissing woman in the car (named Sally) bears a striking resemblance to [[VideoGame/TeamFortress2 Scout's Ma]].
** Torgo's strange speech patterns make 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 [[Characters/DoctorWhoMasters the Master]].
** Possibly a coincidence, but the movie's listing at the Website/IMDb ends in 666.
* IAmNotShazam: The Master is ''not'' Manos, he is simply his priest or... whatever. To be fair, the film isn't totally consistent on this matter. For example, Manos' wives mention how he loves women, and Torgo, while talking to the Master, specifically comments on how ''he'' has many wives.
* MemeticMutation: [=evErYtHinG ToRgo saYS=]
* {{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 (he even owns a rare film copy).
* NauseaFuel: Debbie shown as one of the Master's wives. Even more so when you find out that [[IncestuousCasting the actress who plays Debbie is the daughter of the actor who plays the Master.]]
* NightmareRetardant: A lot of the film could qualify, but what especially sticks out is the HellHound, who [[NightmareFuel certainly looks ominous in the painting]] and barks up a storm offscreen, but then you see it onscreen, and it's pretty docile, acting less like a beast from Hell and [[TerrifyingPetStoreRat more like a, well, dog.]] When the Master's wives are arguing, [[FunnyBackgroundEvent the hound even walks around harmlessly]], [[CreepyCute you almost expect it to lick one of the cast members affectionately]]. The fact that the dog was personally owned by Tom Neyman, who played the Master, may have had something to do with this.
* {{Padding}}: Plenty. The long driving shots of ''nothing'', the camera lingering on plot points far too long (like the Valley Lodge sign). Then there's [[BrokenRecord the repetitive arguments between the Master's wives]]. About 10 minutes of information are stretched into 70.
* SoBadItsGood: A charitable assessment. It's boring and uneventful, but as mentioned above, so incompetently made it's somewhat endearing and fun to laugh at.
* {{Squick}}: Specifically [[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.
* StockFootageFailure: Near the end, the crew is attacked by a rattlesnake and Mike has to shoot it. The problem? It's nighttime, and the rattlesnake footage is very clearly taking place ''during the day''.
* TearJerker: Margaret nearing the DespairEventHorizon and begging Mike to leave her and save Debbie.
* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: The concept for the film is actually not a bad one. You're lost in the desert, and the only person willing to take you and your family for the night is twitchy yet well-meaning, except when he randomly ''begs you to leave''. It gets worse from there. The makings of a fairly creepy horror story are definitely there, and the ending in particular could have been effective and chilling in more competent hands.
* TookTheBadFilmSeriously: John Reynolds (Torgo) and Tom Neyman (the Master) apparently did some MethodActing during production. Reynolds in particular was often under the influence of drugs during filming, which is why Torgo looks so spaced out.
* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Margaret was probably ''supposed'' to be TheWoobie, based on how much bad stuff happens to her and how she keeps crying, but, due to a combination of terrible acting and generally coming across as ''way'' too whiny and helpless (such as spending most of the time Torgo is bothering her crying out to Mike for help instead of making any attempt to escape), she's just annoying instead.
* 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.
** The Master's Wives are [[JerkassWoobie halfway there]], with the implication being they are held against their will as the Master's {{sex slave}}s 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.
** Even though it could be argued that the adults around her are TooDumbToLive and thus bring their fates on themselves, [[ChildrenAreInnocent poor Debbie didn't do anything to deserve what she goes through.]]


!![[VideoGame/ManosTheHandsOfFate The game]]

* DemonicSpiders: The Screaming Skulls.
* SugarWiki/NoProblemWithLicensedGames: Though not an officially licensed game, by virtue of the movie being in the PublicDomain, the game is still a very fun RunAndGun platformer with tons of nods to other horror movies. It would later get a CreatorDrivenSuccessor in the form of ''VideoGame/AngryVideoGameNerdAdventures''.
* ThatOneLevel:
** In the original game: Stage 5, very much so. AutoScrollingLevel + DemonicSpiders + Checkpoint, that drops you right on top of the enemy + [[ThatOneBoss Difficult Boss]] * OneHitPointWonder = [[RageQuit Endless Frustration]]
** In the Director's Cut: Stage 7 due to being full of long jumps on single-brick platforms all while avoiding several [=UFOs=] that can and ''will'' knock you into the many, ''many'' pits.
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