Wikipedia:Today's featured article/Manos: The Hands of Fate

Manos: The Hands of Fate, abbreviated Manos, is a 1966 American horror film written, directed and produced by El Paso fertilizer salesman Hal Warren. Warren also starred in the film, alongside El Paso theater actors Tom Neyman and John Reynolds. The film is best known for having been featured in a 1993 episode of the television comedy series Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K), a show based on the premise of mocking B-movies, which gave the film cult status.

The plot of the film revolves primarily around a vacationing family taking a road trip to a hotel. After a long drive in the Texas desert, the family is trapped at a lodge maintained by a polygamous pagan cult and they attempt to escape as the cult's members decide what to do with them.

Produced as a result of a bet, Manos was an independent production by a crew that had little or no background or experience in filmmaking and with a very limited budget at their disposal. Upon its theactrical debut, the film was critically slammed, and remained in obscurity until its Mystery Science Theatre appearance. It has since gained infamy as one of the worst films ever made. (more...)