Growing Up with Manos: The Hands of Fate: How I was the Child Star of the Worst Movie Ever Made and Lived to Tell the Story

"Growing Up With Manos" is a better book than I could have even imagined! I ordered the book from Jackey Neyman Jones as soon as I found out about it, and while I was eager for its arrival, I had no idea how great it would be.Joel Hodgson writes the forward and explains the history of the MST3K version from Frank Conniff's initial screening of it, to its popularity that defined the excellence of the series. In the book, Jackey, who played Debbie, the daughter of Harold P. Warren, the auteur and star of this Z-movie classic, recalls her personal history, the history of the film itself, and spends a lot of time discussing her relationship with her father, Tom Neyman, who played The Master in the movie. I won't give it away, but the one thing that I recall most poignantly from the book was how her dad discovered their long-lost opus was on MST3K, a show he was a fan of. It's a wonderful recollection that will cheer any cult cinema fan."Growing Up With Manos" should be at the top of the list for anyone who loves gloriously obscure, independent, or just plain odd movies. I couldn't be more thrilled that Jackey wrote this book, and I highly encourage everyone to read it!

Manos: The Hands of Fate was the beginning of my fascination with bad movies.I'd love to be able to say "I knew about Manos before it was on Mystery Science Theater 3000," but I can't. What I CAN say is that I was fascinated with this film from the very first time I watched it. From the opening scene, in all of its grainy, dark glory, I can feel that I'm witnessing something the likes of which I've seen before. It has a surreal quality that I've often found myself at a loss to properly describe. The film is haunting, in its own peculiar way. I think that's why so many people like me have come to love it.Being a bit obsessed with the film, over the years I came to know many of the stories behind its production: Hal Warren's desire to prove that anyone could make a movie; the disastrous premier in El Paso; the suicide of John Reynolds. This book gives readers the chance to see exactly what went into the film through the eyes of someone who was there- the woman who played the role of Debbie, the young daughter of the couple who found themselves on a doomed vacation and in the hands of a feverish cult leader.This book is a gem. Anyone curious about the phenomenon that is Manos should read it.

"A hapless family on a car trip in rural Texas take refuge at an inn that harbors a deadly cult." A factual but flat description for a 1966 independent movie, MANOS: THE HANDS OF FATE, that has aroused laughter, ridicule and a strange sense of empathy for over fifty years. For Hal Warren, an insurance salesman from El Paso, Texas, it was his brainchild, his shoot-the-works, his statement that a nationally successful movie could be made in that town on the Rio Grande. But it didn't pan out that way: although derided during its filming by some of the actors as "Mangos: The Cans of Fruit," nobody really had any idea how bad the movie could be until it was premiered in downtown El Paso in the fall of 1966. Most of the movie's cast and crew slipped out of the theater before the house lights could come up so they wouldn't face their fellow townspeople. Even so, this is the movie that refused to die completely, and one of the "bin" VHS tapes came to the attention of a screener for the movie-mocking series MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 (MST3K) in 1993. Since then we've had numerous sponsored readings (and "riffings") of the film, spin-off musicals, even a "Torgo" t-shirt in memory of the character who played the satyr-like servant to "The Master.".Jackie Neyman Jones not only played the "hapless family's" daughter in MANOS, she is the daughter of the actor who played "The Master." GROWING UP WITH MANOS is an indispensable book for devotees of bad filmmaking as well as "Mistie" movie mockery (one film school shows it as an object lesson in what NOT to do!). It admirably fills in gaps in the chronology and history of this film that might have been otherwise lost, corrects errors made in a 2004 film documentary, and allows MANOS to take its place among more celebrated bottom-of-the-barrel cinema like PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE and THE BEAST OF YUCCA FLATS. There are a couple of things that could have been done differently: the book never seems to decide whether the German-born set photographer's last name is "Ansel" or "Anselm" (it's the latter). Author Neyman Jones' habit of sketching in biographical details concurrent with the story of the book and then later at book's end makes for too much repetition, especially concerning herself. Nonetheless this book deserves to be widely read.. Mystery Science Theater 3000: Manos The Hands Of Fate . SLG Art Boutiki Men's Manos Hands of Fate Torgo T-shirt (Medium) .

As an admitted Manos-phile, it always pleases me when I can learn something new about the film, its offbeat backstory and the people who played a role in its creation. Despite the fact that I've learned a great deal about Manos: the Hands of Fate since being introduced to it, this book proved that I still didn't know *everything* about it. And what a pleasant surprise that was. The detail that Jackey put into the text is jaw-dropping, especially considering the relatively low page-count. She made every word count and packed in a ton of great information. Moreover, her writing style flows beautifully, making it a joy to read.I felt like I was right there with them as they broke out their sack lunches from the 1950s-era refrigerator and I could practically hear Hal Warren's voice as he barked orders like a General on a mission. I could feel Jackey's pain and the others' embarrassment during the ill-fated premiere. And I wanted to cry as her home life began falling apart. My heart sank when she discussed poor John Reynolds' tragic suicide. This book put me there in ways that very few books of this nature can. That is no small feat.If you enjoy Manos or are simply morbidly curious about the nefarious motion picture, read this book. Manos has decreed it.

Author Jackey tells what it was like to be a child acting in her Dad's low-buget horror film, "Manos: the Hands of Fate". It has since become a cult classic that was riffed on MST3K and became known as "the worst movie ever made". Not everything that happened was funny and you will be riveted to learn about the highs and the lows of this one-of-a-kind film.

If you're looking at this book then chances are that you've seen "Manos" The Hands of Fate, probably through MST3K or maybe through its status as one of the worst movies ever made (I can think of one that is worse). If you've wondered how it came about, aside from the story about the bet, then this is the book for you. Jackey Neyman Jones has recorded her own memories, and those of others involved that she could reach, to write what is probably the most detailed history of the film we'll get.It's a fascinating look at the making of what is now a cult film but was more of an embarrassment at the time. Naturally Jackey gives us a lot of information about her family (after all, she, her dad and her dog were in it) but she tells us about the other people involved as far as she can. It's good to learn more about John Reynolds (Torgo) as due to his tragic early death he's only really known as "the guy who played Torgo". We get a lot of details about behind the scenes stuff as well.Joel Hodgson has written a foreword which briefly covers how the MST3K crew got involved and has some interesting thoughts about the film.If you're a Manos fan then take a look at this book. The master would surely approve.

A great read on a cult film from the actress who played Debbie. Cool behind the scenes stories and thoughts from others who worked on the film. A fascinating story of a low budget b-movie, how it was made and how it got rediscovered. Thanks Jackey!