|
|
Post by andydecker on May 5, 2022 10:51:34 GMT
Graham Masterton - The Manitou (Neville Spearman, 1975, hc, 160 pages, this edition Pinnacle Books, 1976, also Star Books, 1977)  Often written about, but no entry found in the Vault.
I have a kind of love-hate relationsship with this prolific writer, I love his beginnings and mostly hate his last thirds/endings which seldom worked for me.
His first novel I read decades ago in a translation. It didn't leave a big impression, but that may be more due to the case that even back then I never was a fan of those native American ethnic/shaman/indian burial mound type of story than the novel being dull. It spawned 5 sequels and a not very well regarded movie and started Mastertons career as a writer.
The printing history is quite interesting if you are into such things. Seems Neville Spearman did mostly reprint American writers like Derleth, Howard and Smith, so this is kind of strange place to look for a original hardover horror novel in 1975. Pinnacle in America also quite rolled out the red carpet with this fold-out cover edition. On the other hand, Masterton already had published about ten successful books at the time, often with a pseudonym, on the popular at the time sex instruction front so it wasn't that much of a gamble.
|
|
|
|
Post by sadako on Oct 6, 2024 20:53:15 GMT
Bought this copy after seeing the marvelous movie!  |
|
|
|
Post by andydecker on Oct 7, 2024 14:01:06 GMT
Is this really a movie to look out for? Always had the impression that it fell in the trash category and a low point for Tony Curtis.
|
|
|
|
Post by sadako on Oct 7, 2024 14:08:10 GMT
Personally, I love the movie version, though I was disappointed that the ‘police in the lift’ scene hadn’t been included.
It’s a widescreen, medium-budget 1970s horror, fairly fairhful to the book. A mixture of practical and optical special effects obviously struggle, and Curtis starts off with a lightly comedic touch as a fraudulent psychic. But the cast buckle down and provide some scares and icky moments. Can’t remember if the ending is faithful to the story, but it’s probably not, but still spectacularly unforgetable! I rate it higher than the Poltergeist sequels. Same director as the also entertaining Grizzly, one of the first Jaws rip-offs!
|
|
