The Manitou
Encyclopedia
The Manitou is an American horror movie from 1978 with Tony Curtis
and Susan Strasberg
, based on a 1975 book by Graham Masterton
. The movie is based on an old legend about the Native American
spirit-concept Manitou
.
on her neck. After a series of X-rays, the doctors begin to think it's a living creature, a fetus being born inside the tumor. Eerie and grisly occurrences begin when the tumorous growth perceives himself to be under attack as a result of the X-rays used to ascertain its nature starting to stunt and malform its development. The growth is actually an old Indian shaman reincarnating himself through the young woman, to exact his revenge on white men who invaded North America and exterminated its native peoples. A Native American shaman is contacted and hired to help fight the reincarnating medicine man, but the kind of spirits he can summon and control appear to be simply no match for the raw, unbridled energies his opponent can tap into.
The film was released theatrically in the United States
by AVCO Embassy Pictures in 1978
.
The film was initially released on VHS
in North America by Magnetic Video
. It was later re-released on video by Charter Entertainment.
The film was eventually released on DVD
in 2007 by Anchor Bay Entertainment
.
Tony Curtis
Tony Curtis was an American film actor whose career spanned six decades, but had his greatest popularity during the 1950s and early 1960s. He acted in over 100 films in roles covering a wide range of genres, from light comedy to serious drama...
and Susan Strasberg
Susan Strasberg
Susan Elizabeth Strasberg was an American film and stage actress.-Background and career:Strasberg was born in New York City, New York, the daughter of theatre director and drama coach Lee Strasberg of the Actors Studio and former actress Paula Strasberg...
, based on a 1975 book by Graham Masterton
Graham Masterton
Graham Masterton is a British horror author. Originally editor of Mayfair and the British edition of Penthouse, Graham Masterton's first novel The Manitou was released in 1976. This novel was adapted in 1978 for the film The Manitou...
. The movie is based on an old legend about the Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
spirit-concept Manitou
Manitou
Manitou is a general term for spirit beings among many Algonquian Native American groups.Manitou may also refer to:- Geography :* Manitou, Manitoba, Canada* Manitou, Kentucky, USA* Manitou, Oklahoma, USA- Other uses :...
.
Plot
A woman named Karen (Susan Strasberg) enters a hospital in San Francisco suffering from a growing tumorTumor
A tumor or tumour is commonly used as a synonym for a neoplasm that appears enlarged in size. Tumor is not synonymous with cancer...
on her neck. After a series of X-rays, the doctors begin to think it's a living creature, a fetus being born inside the tumor. Eerie and grisly occurrences begin when the tumorous growth perceives himself to be under attack as a result of the X-rays used to ascertain its nature starting to stunt and malform its development. The growth is actually an old Indian shaman reincarnating himself through the young woman, to exact his revenge on white men who invaded North America and exterminated its native peoples. A Native American shaman is contacted and hired to help fight the reincarnating medicine man, but the kind of spirits he can summon and control appear to be simply no match for the raw, unbridled energies his opponent can tap into.
Release
Tagline from the movie: "Evil does not die... it waits... to be reborn".The film was released theatrically in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by AVCO Embassy Pictures in 1978
1978 in film
The year 1978 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* February 1 - Bob Dylan's film Renaldo and Clara, a documentary of the "Rolling Thunder Revue" tour premieres in Los Angeles, California....
.
The film was initially released on VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
in North America by Magnetic Video
Magnetic Video
Magnetic Video was a home video/audio duplication service established by Andre Blay in 1968 and based in Farmington Hills, Michigan. In 1977 it became the first corporation to release theatrical motion pictures onto Betamax and VHS videocassette for consumer use. Magnetic Video was a home...
. It was later re-released on video by Charter Entertainment.
The film was eventually released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in 2007 by Anchor Bay Entertainment
Anchor Bay Entertainment
Anchor Bay Entertainment is a U.S. based home entertainment and production company and is a division of Starz Media, which is a unit of Starz, LLC. It was previously owned by IDT Entertainment until 2006 when IDT was purchased by Starz Media. Anchor Bay markets and sells feature films, series,...
.