Manitou

UPC: 013131332292

Studio: Anchor Bay

MPAA Rating: PG   Contains:[Violence, Brief Nudity, Questionable for Children]

Summary: Low-budget horror director William Girdler's last film stars Susan Strasberg as Karen Tandy, a San Francisco woman who develops a strange growth on her neck. After an operation fails because the doctor is forced to cut his own hand, Karen seeks out an Indian shaman (Michael Ansara), who tells her that the thing on her neck is the fetus of a reincarnated witch doctor. Eventually, Karen goes to the hospital and gives "birth" to a silly-looking creature played by Cousin Itt himself, Felix Silla. It runs amok in the building until boyfriend Tony Curtis figures out that his love for Karen can boost the hospital's electrical supply to zap the pesky beast. Generally acknowledged as one of the silliest horror films ever made, The Manitou should please camp buffs more than serious fans. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi

Category: Horror

Features: Widescreen presentation (2.35:1) enhanced for 16x9 tvs
Theatrical trailer

Manitou

Format: DVD

Release Date: 03/06/2007

Audio: DD2 Dolby Digital Stereo

Runtime: 104 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Disc #1 -- The Manitou
1. Tumor? (Main Titles) [7:20]
2. Harry the Taror Reader [5:32]
3. Confiding in an Old Friend [7:09]
4. "Pana Witchi Salatu" [7:44]
5. Karen's Condition [5:58]
6. Seance [8:29]
7. Meeting With Dr. Snow [10:23]
8. Afraid of the Light [4:21]
9. The Manitou [5:33]
10. Powerful Medicine [5:54]
11. Birth [7:10]
12. Summonings [6:29]
13. Spirit of the Most Wind [4:25]
14. Electronic Inspiration [4:41]
15. Machine Vs. Spirit [9:02]
16. End Credits [3:15]

Donald Guarisco

This 1978 adaptation of a popular Graham Masterson novel is one of the most genuinely bizarre films to emerge from the late-'70s horror boom. Sadly, it is also one of the most unintentionally humorous and dull films from that era. The Manitou's out-there plot line boasts plenty of set pieces yet the film never manages to gel into a memorable thrill ride. The main reason for this is the script, which wastes a lot of time on talky dialogue about metaphysics and the occult at the expense of the film's pacing. The film also suffers from William Girdler's weak direction, which lacks the style and inventiveness to create the surreal atmosphere that such an unusual story requires. As a result, The Manitou comes off as laughable when it should be creepy. Despite these major flaws, the film benefits from a professional cast that wisely plays the unusual material with straight faces and some impressive special effects (a scene where the spirit of a medicine man emerges from a table is particularly effective). The Manitou also features an unforgettably strange ending where Indian spirits duel with laser beams in a scene that can only be described as The Exorcist meets Star Wars. Unfortunately, inspired moments like these are the exception to the norm in The Manitou and it can only be recommended to fans of low-budget weirdness. ~ Donald Guarisco, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Lurene Tuttle  Actor 
Joe Gieb  Actor 
Ann Sothern  Actor 
Hugh Corcoran  Actor 
Jeanette Nolan  Actor 
Carole Hemingway  Actor 
Jon Cedar  Screenwriter 
William Girdler  Director 
William Girdler  Producer 
William Girdler  Screenwriter 
Lalo Schifrin  Composer (Music Score) 
Thomas Pope  Screenwriter 
Melvin Simon  Producer 
Tony Curtis  Actor 
Michael Ansara  Actor 
Susan Strasberg  Actor 
Stella Stevens  Actor 
Jon Cedar  Actor 
Burgess Meredith  Actor 
Paul Mantee  Actor 

Country: USA