AniInterview Sorry, this movie sucks

Dorathen Better Late Then Never

Sameer Callahan It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Matylda Swan It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

azathothpwiggins While not perfect, there's enough here to make HOTEL TORGO recommended viewing for the MANOS-MANIACS (like me!) out there. Like others, I was a bit concerned that the Neyman's were not involved, since they were pivotal to the brilliant anti-magnificence of the film. It was great to hear from someone from the production crew, and his stories were priceless! The tour of the original "sets", including the hellish house and those damnable pillars and slab, is a grand slam for seekers of schlock's true north. Best enjoyed immediately after one's viewing of the masterpiece. Somewhere, up above us, Torgo nods and quivers...

Horst in Translation (filmreviews@web.de) "Hotel Torgo" is a Canadian English-language documentary from 2004 that runs for slightly under half an hour and takes a look at the making of the 1960s Harold P. Warren movie "Manos: The Hands of Fate", what is widely considered one of the worst films ever made. Strangely enough the filmmakers even won awards for their work here, but I cannot share any of the praise for this little documentary. It becomes painfully obvious that the people who made this (directors/producers) had no experience in film before and it does indeed look pretty amateurish. Honestly, the only reason this documentary is known today is because of the film it is about. The interviewees here are all forgettable. There is a film critics rambling on about Manos without telling anything interesting, a judge and I have no clue why he was allowed to give his opinion and finally Bernie Rosenblum (who died recently) and cast and crew member from the movie who had basically nothing memorable to say about the film at all. Maybe they could have included an actress instead as some of them are still alive today. And lets be honest, Rosenblum had such a tiny minor part in the entire project that they really should not have picked him. Shockingly weak documentary we have here. The part with the interviews of cinema-goers at the very end basically summarizes this film perfectly. I guess they needed to get past the 27-minute mark and that's why they included this viewing. They had no idea what they were doing and they were doing it pretty badly. Stay far far away. I see the producers I mentioned earlier are back to working in film after a break of a decade roughly and I really hope they improved since then. For us and for them.

Sandcooler "Hotel Torgo" is sort of a making-of to "Manos: The Hands Of Fate", one of the most fascinatingly awful movies ever made. The makers meet up with Bernie Rosenblum, the last surviving member of the cast/crew. Together they go visit some of the filming locations, meanwhile Rosenblum tells various anecdotes about the filming process. We also get some background about what happened to the rest of the cast.And there you have the problem: pretty much every fact they give about the other actors is wrong. Rosenblum was NOT the last survivor, Jackey Neyman (Debbie), Diane Mahree (Margaret) and Tom Neyman (The Master) are still alive and kicking in 2016. The history of "Manos" is murky and difficult to research, but Jackey Neyman stated that she actually called up the makers while they were filming this. Apparently, other surviving cast members didn't fit their narrative, so they just ignored them. I guess this was done to add to the mystique, but you can interview every single cast member of this movie and you probably still don't know what's going on. Claiming Diane Mahree died in a car crash with no evidence whatsoever seems very unprofessional.With that said: I enjoy the bits with Bernie Rosenblum, who passed away last year. Rosenblum played a very minor part in the movie, but he's a decent storyteller and genuinely seems like a nice guy. He certainly saves this 'documentary'. Particularly the part where he goes back to the Valley Lodge and shows us what's left of it is worth your time. It's pretty much the only thing that keeps "Hotel Torgo" from being totally useless, because the research (or lack thereof) is downright horrendous.

Michael_Elliott Hotel Torgo (2004)** 1/2 (out of 4)Decent documentary about the making of and eventual popularity of MANOS: THE HANDS OF FATE, which is considered by a great many to be the worst movie ever made. MANOS historian Richard Brandt is on hand here talking about the film's production and we get a first-hand account from Bernie Rosenblum who is perhaps the only crew member still living from the film.HOTEL TORGO runs just 28-minutes and for the most part it's entertaining, although there's no question something a bit more polished and detailed would be welcomed. The film does manage to at least give you some basic ideas about the production of the movie as well as what happened to some of the cast members. Rosenblum tells some nice stories about the making of the picture and the highlight of the film comes when we visit the locations where the movie was shot. With such a small running time there's not too many details shared here but for fans of the film it's worth watching.