Manos at Crypticon! Manos Book! Manos Everything!

2015 ended on a highlight for Manos, and for me personally.  The October edition of Playboy Magazine published a feature article about the film titled The Battle Over The Worst Movie Ever by Jake Rossen.  My name was the first word in the article and my boyfriend got a lot of mileage telling friends his girlfriend was in a recent issue of Playboy.

In December, I turned in the completed manuscript to my book "Growing Up With Manos The Hands of Fate" to the publisher Bear Manor Media about a week and half before deadline and immediately turning my attention to the new project of creating a sequel to Manos titled  Manos Returns.
 I joined forces with an amazing team of Indie filmmakers and in April launched what we considered a very successful Manos Returns Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign, ending on March 2nd at $31,750.  A nice amount above the base goal of $24,000.  We jumped immediately into production and last week, my director, Tonjia Atomic and I spent three days scouting and organizing the upcoming film shoot. We secured all the locations dreamed of and looking just as written in the script.

www.ManosReturns.com

While preparing for Tonjia's visit, I had the opportunity in early March to be a location coordinator for an upcoming Bigfoot film.  The entire production team of Patrick Magee's film  traveled from Los Angeles to my backyard in rural Oregon to shoot a final scene for Primal Rage. The Legend of Oh-Mah.  A bonus is I got a walk on part and included friends, family and my community.  Primal Rage article 

I'm really excited to be a special Celebrity Guest at this years Crypticon Seattle and am looking forward to interacting with fans.  If you are in Seattle for Memorial weekend, May 27th -29th, please come say hi and pick up an autographed copy of my book.   Crypticon Seattle 2016 Promo

To order a copy of the book:
" Growing Up With Manos The Hands Of Fate is now available in hardback, softcover and ebook at Bear Manor Media.  
Growing Up With Manos The Hands Of Fate ~ Softcover~

Growing Up With Manos The Hands Of Fate ~Hardcover~

It's a busy and exciting year.  After all, this IS the 50th Anniversary year of Manos: The Hands of Fate and it just keeps going.
















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Jackey Neyman Jones of Manos The Hands of Fate at Crypticon Seattle https://youtu.be/JprGE6sK384

“Growing Up With Manos The Hands Of Fate” is Available!

I am attempting to process this whole Manos experience that has consumed my life and usually, I don’t stop and take stock, but yesterday afternoon all that changed. Don't get me wrong.  I work to remain present, express genuine thanks and do my best to recognize all the gifts, great and small that come my way.

In my normal life, I am a professional artist and all that entails.  I had a business creating faux finishes for private and commercial clients for about 25 years, and in the early days of that career, MST3K aired a movie I had been in as a child.  My entire family had been heavily invested in the making of Hal Warren’s film, Manos: The Hands of Fate and although it was something that most wished to put behind them, for me, it was a bright beacon of an otherwise often dark childhood.   In January 1993, Joel Hodgson, creator of Mystery Science Theater 3000 and his team showed Manos on television with great trepidation and thinking that airing it might be too much, even for them.  In the ensuing years, Manos has taken that spark and created a life of it’s own, claiming the title of being “The Worst Movie Ever Made” while building a loving and engaging fan base.

  I’ve tagged along since the beginning by chiming in on chat room discussions, Facebook and any social media I could find time for.  It was always a fun hobby and I loved including my dad, The Master, whenever possible and reminding him that the fans are always seeking his approval.  He gets a big kick out of hearing about it and Manos has been an opportunity for us to bond again. 

 I cherish everything about Manos culture, the great people I’ve met and and all the opportunities I have found cultivating my place as the only living cast or crew willing to talk about it, and now I am thrilled to share that place with others who were there in 1966.  My whole philosophy on life is that if it’s not for the greater good, it’s not something I want to do and Manos has become a way for all my dreams to come to fruition because I invite people to come play with me and they invite me to play and incredible projects are born.   

Along the way, I kept thinking about writing a book and decided to see if I even had enough to say or if anyone might have an interest in reading a book about Manos, so I began this blog.  Turned out, there were quite a few people interested so I began looking for someone with experience to help me through the process.  That’s when I found my incredible co-author on Facebook.  It took 16 months and a ton of research while the story grew.  One opening led to another as I discovered people who weren’t listed in the credits and others who had all but forgotten about it.  I made new friends and connected with others who remembered my family and me as a little girl.  I even connected with Joel Hodgson who wrote the foreword for me. All along, I just kept working and trying not to think too much about where all this was going.

We completed the book and sent it off to our publisher right before Christmas and I immediately jumped into my next project of producing a sequel to the original film, “Manos Returns”. (That’s a whole other story!) The Manos Returns team launched a successful kickstarter and filmed my dad’s scenes as The Master.  We are busy, busy.  In the meantime, I’m teaching painting classes to happy drinking people in bars to pay my bills and overall, having a great time.  It’s good to be me.  I can’t think of anyone who is more suited to being me than me.  So yesterday, I’m racing out the door to set up to teach a painting class to a group of 10 year olds (who are drinking lemonade or milk) and check my email one last time.  There is one from my publisher with a link to my book on their website.  WHAT??  I had no idea.  I thought I had to look at a final final final proof first.  Suddenly I could hardly breathe and I had to leave my house right now or be late for my appointment!  There was no one to tell and no time to tell.  Truly one of the most surreal experiences to date.  I’m driving and laughing and crying and pulling myself together.  So, I get there, put it away in my head and have a great class with cool kids.  By the time I get home, I’m emotionally wrung out and for some strange reason want to hold onto this moment just a little longer and keep it close so I do.  Last night, I posted in just a few of my favorite places where they know me best and the response fills my heart with joy.  I thank you all for taking me as I am and for all the love and support.

 I hope you enjoy my book...and please buy a lot of copies!

"Growing Up With Manos The Hands of Fate" Softcover

"Growing Up With Manos The Hands Of Fate" Hardcover

Debbie Does Manos Returns

For the initiated and uninitiated alike, this blog's for you.  For Manos history and behind the scenes, my early posts cover all that.  This post covers the the How's and Why's of Manos Returns, sequel to the film commonly referred to as "The Worst Movie Ever Made".

To answer the most obvious question "Why in God's name would you do such a thing?"
I say this:
Manos is so much more than a bad movie.  Yes.  As a film, it's horrible, and it's that horribleness that brought it back into the world after 27 years of oblivion, and it's that inexplicable awkward factor along with complete film ineptitude that places it high among sources of inspiration for many.  It's the sheer unworthiness of it that makes it worthy of notice.  Many quality projects have birthed from Manos and the idea of it.  A blu ray restoration that is preserved in the Texas Film Archive and was on Amazon's top 30 best seller list.  A stage adaptation in Portland, Oregon that played to sold out audiences as did Rachel Jackson's Seattle Washington puppet show, Manos Hands of Felt. An iPhone game by Freak Zone, a couple of novelizations by Steven Sullivan not to mention that Manos has remained a top title for MST3k since it aired on the program in 1993.  Even Rifftrax brought it to theaters nationwide in one of their live shows.
 All along the way, I have played on the fringe of it and although I've met so many talented people and been invited to participate in some of the projects and attend a few screenings, my dad has never had the chance to feel, first hand, that Manos love.  He's always stayed private and content to hear it through me.  So when he expressed an interest in showing the fans he is still The Master, I had to make it happen.  For him, for me and for the fans who have demonstrated their support for so long.  I know this isn't for everyone and I would not expect it or anything else to be, but for fans of Manos, Indie Film and the Creative Spirit that resides in us all, we are bringing you Manos Returns.

To answer the immediate assumption that I've heard expressed...No.  We are not making a bad movie.  We are not remaking the original Manos or trying to re create it in any way.  That would really be crazy. Besides our film team's experience in low budget film, there is fifty years of technology between 1966 to now.  We can't pretend to unknow what we know and I deeply dislike intentionally bad film so would not insult you by attempting that
.
We are creating an homage to the originals and to nod to the followers of Manos.
Manos Returns brings a new cast of characters with a few of the old mixed in. The Master and I return along with Diane Mahree who played Maggie. Bryan Jennings, son of original Sheriff William Bryan Jennings will play our Sheriff.  We will make the best most entertaining film we possibly can.  It is the Will of Manos!

Director: Tonjia Atomic, award winning Seattle filmmaker   TonjiaAtomic.com

Director of Photography: Joe Sherlock, award winning Oregon filmmaker  SkullfaceAstronaut.com

Writer: Steve Foley

Producer: Jackey Neyman Jones  DebbiesManos.com

A Huge Thank You to all 420 backers of the Manos Returns Kickstarter that ended a 31 day campaign on March first with $31,750.  We hit our second stretch goal with hours to spare.  Thanks to you, we are already hard at work to bring you our film and our first screening by the 50th Anniversary of November 15th 2016.
Manos Returns Kickstarter

To stay updated on our project please visit us at ManosReturns.com