The Manitou w/ Jessica St. Clair
The 1978 horror film *The Manitou* is dissected by Paul Scheer, Jason Mantzoukas, and guest Jessica St. Clair as a masterclass in confident failure. What emerges isn't just a critique of a bizarre plot involving a woman whose neck tumor grows into a demonic Native American spirit, but a celebration of its audacious, unhinged commitment to its own logic. The hosts are stunned by the film's sheer inconsistency—medical professionals with NASA-level computers in a 1970s hospital, a phony psychic played by Tony Curtis with visible man-boobs, a seance that ends with a room exploding, and a climax where the protagonist shoots lasers from her chest. Yet, despite the chaos, they find themselves charmed by its sincerity. Jessica St. Clair calls it 'beautifully unsuccessful,' noting that the film’s worst choices are made with full conviction, making it a unique kind of watch. The real revelation? The movie’s cult status on Amazon (78% five-star reviews) stems from viewers who embrace its surrealism, leaving plot holes to the imagination. Ultimately, *The Manitou* isn’t a horror film—it’s a fever dream of 1970s schlock, and the hosts love it for being exactly that.
The Manitou is a 'beautifully unsuccessful' film that makes all the wrong choices with full commitment, making it more entertaining than bad.
Tony Curtis plays a phony psychic with visible man-boobs and a dental chair in his apartment—his performance is committed, not phoned in.
The film’s most iconic scene—the old woman thrown down the stairs—is a stuntman in a gray wig, not a real supernatural event.
The movie’s ending, where the protagonist shoots lasers from her chest, is a surreal, unexplained climax that defies logic but is embraced by fans.
Despite its plot holes and inconsistent lore, the film has a cult following that values its weirdness over coherence.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
Welcome to How Did This Get Made?
The hosts introduce the show’s premise: celebrating flawed films with humor and curiosity. They set the tone for a deep dive into *The Manitou*, a 1978 horror film with a bizarre premise.
The Premise: A Neck Fetus from the Spirit World
The hosts unpack the film’s central concept: a woman develops a tumor on her neck that is revealed to be the reincarnated spirit of a 400-year-old Native American demon. The film’s tone is described as *The Exorcist* for dummies.
Tony Curtis as the Phony Psychic
Jessica St. Clair and Paul Scheer dissect Tony Curtis’s performance as a fake psychic who lives in a dental chair, wears a fake mustache, and reads tarot for elderly women—only to drop the act and drink from a champagne glass.
The Hospital’s Absurd Aesthetic
The hosts critique the film’s hospital setting: orange shag carpet, mustard-yellow lab coats, and giant wall-sized computers. They question the logic of such a high-tech hospital in 1978.
The Birth Scene: A Man from a Neck Tumor
“When that hand reaches out of her saran wrap back, I really thought, oh, here's an opportunity for the Manitou to choke her. Yeah, yeah. So I thought, oh, that's finish her off. Why don't we just finish her right now?”
“And everybody, nobody, nobody says, what the fuck? Fuck is this yeah yeah nobody says it's an illusion he does say john singing rock said this is an illusion yeah but to me it looks like the opening credits of three two one contact”
“Now, when that hand reaches out of her saran wrap back, I really thought, oh, here's an opportunity for the Manitou to choke her. Yeah, yeah. So I thought, oh, that's finish her off. Why don't we just finish her right now?”
“I was like, this is bad. It's so slow at times. But I was like, this is nonetheless a movie, which I'm very into. Yes, it's not even so bad. It's good. It's just it's confidently making a movie that has made a lot of wrong choices.”
Hosts
Guest
The Manitou
media
Tony Curtis
person
Paul Scheer
person
Jessica St. Clair
person
Jason Mantzoukas
person
HDTGM
media
William Girdler
person
Averill Halley
person
Amazon
organization
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
media
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