The Manitou (1978)

 Okay, I'm gonna say it.  It's hard to explain why I love this film.  It's cheesy, misinterrets Native American beliefs and has an ending so CRAPTASTIC that words can not describe it.  I'm not even going to try.  You'll have to scroll down to see what I mean.

Oh, the ending is why I love this film.  Also, Tony Curtis trying to pull off jeans with leather back pockets.  Such CHEESY goodness.  And we've got solid acting, including Michael Ansara as John Singing Rock taking on the evil medicine man for a donation to Native American resources and a pouch of tobacco.  He sells the line, but he's risking his life for that?  What could go wrong?  Well, everything.  But that doesn't mean it's not a fun time, IF you overlook the flaws.

Based on the 1976 novel by Graham Masterton, the film involves Karen Tandy (Susan Strasberg), who has a tumor growing on the back of her neck.  The medical doctors figure out it's actually a living being, who begins to strike out at the doctors, as the use of X-rays is stunting its development.

 Hey, John Hurt, got any advice for this scene?  Oh damn, I'm a year too early.

Karen reaches out to her ex, phony psychic Harry Erskine (Curtis), who starts talking to actual psychics (including one played by Burgess Meredith), and deduces the growth is an old Native American shaman, Misquamacus, reincarnating himself to take revenge on the race that invaded his land and exterminated its native people.

Curtis enlists the help of John Singing Rock, about an hour before the movie introduces a Native American character into a plot based on Native American beliefs.  But hey, it's the late 70s, so you should expect that the white guys would carry the bulk of the film, no matter how poorly it aged.

 I have no idea what's happening, but that doesn't mean I won't be the hero.  I'm the white guy, after all.

Despite John's, and the Western science professionals, best efforts, they are unable to keep Misquamacus from returning and taking his vengeance by releasing some shadow lizard monsters and freezing the entire wing of the hospital.  John says the Manitou of nature are not match for Misquamacus, but Harry implores him to call on the Manitou within the hospital technology.

OOOOkay, let's pause here for a moment.  Manitou, according to some Native American theology, is the spiritual and fundamental life force in all things.  Of course, Europeans misinterpreted the term, as this movie does.  Medicine men could manipulate manitou to see the future, change the weather and cure illnesses, but my (meager) research says nothing about reincarnation.  And the manitou were connected to nature, leaving the idea of such spirits lurking within modern technology seems pretty far fetched.  But what do I know, I did a few minutes research on the Internet, but I don't think technological devices have manitou.  At least that's my opinion, and I reserve the right to be wrong.

 But watching stuff blow up is so much fun!

But we have such glorious cheesiness to get to, so let's get offline and get back to the movie.

John tries to call the manitou of the machines to act through him, but fails.  However, they focus their power through Karen, resulting in the wackiest ending to a horror film since the nuclear explosion in Bride of the Monster.  I'm serious, it's the most crap-tastic ending I can think of, and given how many bad movies I've watched, that's saying something.

 That's some serious Jedi hands going on there.

 Okay, I know this movie isn't respectful to Native American beliefs and culture.  But I don't expect it to be, as it took almost an hour to bring in a Native American actor, and ends with a white woman floating on a hospital bed within a star field, shooting lighting at an evil medicine man.  I'll admit, I'm old enough to know some of the films I love have flaws, but I can accept them for what they are.  Just as I can accept Lovecraft's OBVIOUS racist tones, but appreciate the stories his view produced.

I'm not saying The Manitou comes close to the literary significance of Lovecraft's cosmic horror.  But it's a fun, gloriously, cheesy ride, and for those with similar appetites, this is a feast best enjoyed with the substance of your choice, some greasy snacks, and friends with similar tastes.  It's not high art, but damn, it's fun.

Look, the effects crew did their best.  Try not to laugh.