Many films of the seventies attempted to blend different movie categories together in an effort to buck the Hollywood standard of what genre films had become. Brilliant cinematic achievements such as “Harold and Maude” and “The Wicker Man” redefined what audiences could expect from comedies and horror flicks. But some films seem to exist simply to defy the mere idea of categorization. How else could one describe the awesome spectacle that is “The Manitou”?
Karen Tandy (Susan Strasberg) has a tumor growing on the back of her neck. Luckily for her it’s 1978 and scarves are still fashionable. Unluckily for Karen, the doctors discover it’s not a tumor erupting out of the top of her spine; it’s a fetus growing at an accelerated rate. Don’t bother reading the sentence again; I’ll repeat it for you: She has a fetus growing out of her neck. If that plot device doesn’t hook you, nothing will. A justifiably terrified Karen reaches out to an old flame, phony psychic Harry Erskine (Tony Curtis), for help. Harry, thrilled to be given a chance to rekindle this old romance, flamboyantly throws himself into researching the possible cause for Karen’s constantly growing bulge. Realizing that the physicians are just as stumped as he is, Harry delves into the underworld he originally took financial advantage of. After trying everything from hosting a wacky séance to reading tarot cards, Harry finally stumbles upon Dr. Snow (Burgess Meredith). The wacky anthropologist reveals the secret behind Karen’s growth; she is possessed by a 400-year old Native American medicine man who will erupt fully grown from the swollen mass of tissue on her neck. As crazy as it sounds so far, I still haven’t mentioned the floating grandmas and topless electric light show.
Part comedy, part horror, part sci-fi, part mystery, with a little misrepresented Native American history thrown in, “Manitou” is a bizarre final film for a director with an unusual resume. This was the last film directed by William Girdler before his tragic death at the age of thirty in a helicopter crash, the same year “Manitou” was originally released. Famous for directing the highly successful “Jaws” rip-off “Grizzly,” Girdler also made headlines when his film “Abby” became the subject of a high-profile lawsuit. Warner Brothers filed a copyright violation lawsuit against American International, claiming that “Abby” was little more than a direct copy of their film “The Exorcist.” “Abby” was pulled from theaters and remained unseen by most of the public for many years until its recent release on DVD. If something as fun and insanely entertaining as “The Manitou” was what this former rip-off artist was capable of, it’s a shame Girdler passed on before he was truly allowed to make more weird flicks like this.
“Manitou” has a lot of the tension surrounding pregnancy found in the classic “Rosemary’s Baby,” along with straight-up slapstick comedy and horrific creature effects. Every time the audience thinks it has the movie’s tone figured out, Girdler comes out of left field with something completely different. While this rarely works in most movies, the subtle complexities of “Manitou” make it a very enjoyable viewing experience. After all, how can you dislike a flick with the best séance scene ever put to celluloid? It’s full of twirling chandeliers, windy beards, a creepy rubber Indian head rising out of a table, and doors that literally explode. Plus, the ending features a deformed little person in extremely unnerving makeup applications and Karen wearing a giant fright wig and shooting electricity from her fingertips while spinning around with her tits exposed. The only thing I didn’t like about this movie was that it took almost thirty years for me to see it!
Watching “The Manitou” was some of the most unexpected fun I’ve had seeing an unknown movie for the first time in quite a while. With its camp factor and seventies’ fashion and freak-out ending, this is definitely not the film for everyone. But if you’re sick of seeing insipid big-budget films featuring people from lame WB dramas, “The Manitou” needs to be on your must-see list. I guarantee it’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before, or will see again.
8 out of 10 Tony Curtis wizard smocks
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