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.
Awesome Music: Maybe nobody else involved with the movie knew what they were doing, but the closing theme "Forgetting You" is a somber, wistful tune that would feel right at home in a traditional nightclub act.
Best Known for the Fanservice: A bunch of women in diaphanous robes get into a massive Cat Fight. Many likely nod along with Tom Servo's line "I'm guessing this is the entire reason the movie was made."
Big-Lipped Alligator Moment: 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.)
And he is neither a satyr (the deformed legs are a variant of the usual 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 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.
The Master is an undead, immortal occultist who serves the evil god Manos by happily performing human sacrifices for his deity, keeping a harem of wives which he 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 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: Manos himself, God of Primal Darkness, is the instigator for everything that happens in the trilogy. Having chosen The Master to become his immortal slave, Manos has him carry out his desires for Human Sacrifice, 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.
Cult Classic: Yup, a film about a cult has cult fans. It has quite a passionate fanbase due in no small part to it being laughably awful.
Designated Hero: 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.
Ensemble Dark Horse: 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 Designated Hero and Margaret is Too Dumb to Live.
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.
Fridge Horror: 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 Designated Hero, this would just make him seem slimier.
Harsher in Hindsight: A creepy cult leader and his multiple wives live on a remote West Texas compound...the 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".
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 MST3K used almost the exact same joke ("they're Rolfing him to death!").
The kissing woman in the car (named Sally) bears a striking resemblance to Scout's Ma.
Torgo's strange speech patterns make him sound like an early modelCyberman at times. Not to mention the fact that he's working for a guy called the Master.
Possibly a coincidence, but the movie's listing at the IMDb ends in 666.
I Am Not Shazam: 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.
Narm: Everything. As such, it works better as a comedy than a horror film; in fact, Quentin Tarantino has said that this is one of his favorite comedies of all time (he even owns a rare film copy).
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 the repetitive arguments between the Master's wives. About 10 minutes of information are stretched into 70.
So Bad, It's Good: 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 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.
Stock Footage Failure: 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.
They Wasted a Perfectly Good Plot: 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.
Took the Bad Film Seriously: John Reynolds (Torgo) and Tom Neyman (the Master) apparently did some Method Acting during production. Reynolds in particular was often under the influence of drugs during filming, which is why Torgo looks so spaced out.
Unintentionally Unsympathetic: Margaret was probably supposed to be The Woobie, 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.
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 Jerkass Woobie as well, since he's a bit of a groper and a pervert towards Margaret.
The Master's Wives are 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 several UFOs that can and will knock you into the many, many pits.
" is a somber, wistful tune that would feel right at home in a traditional nightclub act.
