The Manitou (1978)

Manitou, The (1978, USA/CDN) C-99m. SCOPE ** D: William Girdler. Starring Tony Curtis, Michael Ansara, Susan Strasberg, Stella Stevens, Jon Cedar, Ann Sothern, Burgess Meredith. Pretty campy, rather lucidrous horror film about phony psychic Curtis, whose girlfriend Strasberg develops a tumor on her neck, which turns out to be the fetus of an ancient medicine man waiting to be reborn! Curtis looks as if he will burst out laughing after each silly line, but film is also quite well-made and well-scored (by Lalo Schifrin). Worth a look for horror buffs (and those of unintentional humor). Plot is awfully similar to that of THE EXORCIST (1973). Some prints include additional scenes. Director Girdler's last film; he died after this was completed in a helicopter crash at the age of 30.


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© Ron Altman