The Manitou

MARCH 31, 2007

GENRE: MONSTER, POSSESSION, WEIRD
SOURCE: THEATRICAL (REVIVAL SCREENING)

Holy shit this movie is hilarious. Much like this week's Killer Shrews, the dialogue in The Manitou has that little special something that makes almost every line a howler, for example: "Normally I wait three risings of the sun before I take on a job." Me too. Tony Curtis in particular is worth the price of admission alone (I got in for free but that's neither here nor there).

There's also off-kilter little touches throughout, such as when Burgess Meredith, looking for a spell book or something, picks up and considers a wig for a few moments for no real reason. And during an argument, a doctor storms to his liquor cabinet, which is typical movie behavior, but then offers Curtis one (while still yelling) and Curtis yells back "Please!". Oh man, I could go on and on, but I won't.

The end is stolen from 2001 in parts, although Kubrick, for whatever reason, declined to feature a naked woman shooting beams of energy at a naked midget Indian that looks like the doll from Trilogy of Terror.

I saw this film as part of the SBIG (So Bad It's Good) festival in LA at the Vista theater. And while the Vista can and should be lauded for being an old school theater that has plenty of leg room, the seats are still very uncomfortable, and also the theater seems to slant upwards. Very strange. But I am a full supporter of this particular festival, even if I believe that it may very well be impossible to find a better film for the event than this.

It is EXACTLY for movies like this that makes this whole 'movie a day' thing worthwhile.

Note: As relatively obscure as it is, the film is actually going to air on TV this week, Thursday April 5th, on the FLIXw channel. Check your digital cable for it, I had no idea I even had the station until the other day.

What say you?