A psychic faces off against a vengeful shaman reborn as a tumor in 1970s San Francisco.
THE MANITOU
Evil does not die… It waits to be re-born!
A psychic's girlfriend finds out that a lump on her back is a growing reincarnation of a 400-year-old demonic Native American spirit.
The Manitou is a 1978 Canadian-American crime, horror, science fiction, and thriller film directed by William Girdler about a woman whose tumor is the reincarnation of a 400-year-old demonic Native American spirit seeking revenge.
Synopsis
The growth is the old Native American shaman, Misquamacus; he is reincarnating himself through the young woman to exact his revenge on the white men who invaded North America and exterminated its native peoples. Karen's boyfriend, psychic fortune teller Harry Erskine (Curtis) contacts a second Native American shaman, John Singing Rock (Ansara), to help fight the reincarnating medicine man, but the kind of spirits he can summon and control appear to be too weak to match his opponent's abilities.
- Director
- William Girdler
- Writers
- William Girdler, Graham Masterton, Thomas Pope, Jon Cedar
- Release
- 1978
- Runtime
- 1h 44m
- Country
- Canada, United States of America
- Language
- English
- Genres
- Crime, Horror, Science Fiction, Thriller
Why Cult
Witness a battle between a Vegas psychic and the reincarnated spirit of a Native American shaman, complete with supernatural hijinks.
A San Francisco hospital becomes ground zero for grotesque medical mysteries and supernatural terror when a tumor proves to be more than it seems.
Tony Curtis, Susan Strasberg, and Burgess Meredith mix it up with ancient spirits and medical staff for a truly eclectic ensemble.
The film taps into themes of historical retribution as a shaman seeks payback for centuries-old wrongs through supernatural means.
Trailer
Questions from the Vault
What is The Manitou about? +
The Manitou is about a woman whose tumor is actually the reincarnation of a vengeful 400-year-old Native American shaman, and her psychic boyfriend’s efforts to stop its supernatural revenge.
When was The Manitou released? +
The Manitou was released in 1978.
Who directed The Manitou? +
The Manitou was directed by William Girdler.
How long is The Manitou? +
The Manitou has a runtime of 104 minutes.
What genre is The Manitou? +
The Manitou is a crime, horror, science fiction, and thriller film.
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