Headed to Seattle and Tacoma

If you are in the Seattle area or know any crazy Manos fans, send them my way.

On Friday Dec 9th I'll be hanging out at Comics Dungeon for three hours and hoping I won't be alone.  As an author, I've heard those horror stories of book signings where no one shows up.  I will report back next week.  Stay tuned.

Comics Dungeon Book Signing

If you can't make the book signing and/or face to face contact is too much for you, please come watch the beautifully restored HD Bluray of Manos: The Hands of Fate.  You watch it with me or watch me watch it.  Either way is fun and you are are free to Riff it too.  This event is happening Saturday night in Tacoma Washington.  Come for Manos.  Stay for Rocky Horror.

                                         Blue Mouse Theater Manos Event

Ready to hit the road.  I enjoy traveling and meeting fans so if you've got some ideas of venues, just let me know.  Look forward to meeting you someday.  

If you don't live in Washington State or the weather is too crappy to go out, or the scheduling doesn't work, or you just don't want to go anywhere then you can sit in your comfortable home and listen to this awesome Podcast interview by Derek Koch of Monster Kid Radio.  Monster Kid Radio    

Email me at jackey@debbiesmanos.com

Happy Birthday to The Master

Happy 82st Birthday Dad

The man who is known to the larger world as The Master, from the 1966 cult classic film Manos: The Hands of Fate would be eighty one years old today. He was born on November 23, 1935.  

He passed away on on November 12, 2016.

I wanted to honor him today by writing about him but struggled with how to do it.  What to say.  What to focus on.  How do you sum up a person's life in a blog post?  You can't possibly.  Not for any life because life is complicated and when someone has lasted almost 81 years, there are a lot of experiences to account for.  I finally decided to share a little of what he was to me.  Not the hard stuff or the sad stuff.  Just maybe a couple anecdote's to show you the Spirit his body housed and the Spirit that is now free.  I want to share a little of who he was besides the guy in "The Worst Movie Ever Made"

Tom Neyman was my dad and I was his first born child.  He adored me when I was small and I felt his love always, even in all the years we lost.  In the end, we found our way back together and it was because of Manos The Hands of Fate.  That's a whole other story and one you can learn in my book Growing Up With Manos The Hands Of Fate.  

My birthday is on July 2nd and family lore says I was due on the 4th but the doctor induced labor early so he wouldn't miss his family BBQ and celebration of our country's Independence.  BBQ is big in Texas so no one ever blamed him for that, but dad loved any reason to blow things up so for my 8th birthday he decided to write my name out in gun powder glued to a piece of plywood and light it on July 4th from our front porch so all of lower El Paso could see.  It was such a sweet thought and although it fizzled out at every bend in the letter, he persevered nearly till the end.  I wasn't disappointed.  

After my parents divorced and he moved far away to Southern California, I knew I couldn't live without him so when he came to visit summer of 1972, I had my bags packed and could not be talked out of going back with him.  I was going to be a Sophomore in high school and dad had no choice other than to become a single dad to a teenage girl.  He was barely getting by in those days and we had to sleep in the back of the Datsun pickup on the trip and at one point he used his tools to somehow change the expiration date on a gas card so we could fill the tank in the Arizona desert in order to make it home.  As stressful as it must have been, my memories are of driving across the desert at dusk in the un air conditioned cab of the Datsun truck and belting out show tunes at the top of our lungs from plays he had done and I had memorized from helping him run lines and attending so many performances at The Festival Theater where he had owned the stage for years.

The last time I saw my dad was a few days before I left for Chicago on to appear at the Music Box on November 11 for a screening of the Restoration of Manos.  He was really happy for me and said if he were stronger and younger, he would love to go with me.  I promised to take lots of pictures and bring lots of stories home.  That day we were together, I was helping him at a community food bank. It happened every Friday and was the third time I had taken him in an effort to help him and his family in their tough times.  We were going through the line choosing items he might want or need when we came to the end where the bread and pastries were.  He was diabetic but had a ferocious sweet tooth and I saw his greatest weakness laid out before us.  A big box of maple bars.  I tried to distract him while reaching past it for a slightly more practical apple coffee cake.  As I turned back with the coffee cake, he was already holding the box of maple bars in both arms and looking down upon it with a look of great hope and reverence.  Without looking up, he whispered, "Can I have this?"  He looked just like a sweet little boy with a new train set at a toy store.  Without a beat, I laid down the box I held and said. "You can have whatever you want, dad."  

That is a choice I will always cherish.

Today is the 50th Anniversary Of Manos

Yes.  It has been a while since my last post here.  This fiftieth Anniversary since the November 15th premier of Manos The Hands of Fate at The El Paso Capri Theater seems a good time to start again but there are other deeply compelling reason to write again as you will see in the next few sentences.

My dad Tom Neyman who played The Master in that film, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday night, November 12,  just three days before this anniversary and eleven days before his 82nd birthday.  I was away in Chicago for a screening of the restoration of Manos at the Music Box Theater on Friday night and a book signing event at BucketOBlood Books and Records scheduled for Sunday.  I got a call Saturday night from the charge nurse at Salem Hospital in Oregon that dad's heart had stopped and they needed instruction on how to proceed with heroic measures.  My answer or anyone else's became a moot point anyway as nothing else could have been done.  The hospital was following procedure.  She said she wished she could give me a big hug before we hung up.

It was a rough night and I had to decide how to proceed in my own life and particularly in regards to the next day's book signing event.  I immediately knew that dad would never have wanted me to cancel because of him.  He was a gentle loving and humble man who was in constant awe that anyone even cared about him at all.  I knew I had to find the strength to show up authentically to celebrate and honor him.  In spite of the heartbreak I was determined to avoid a maudlin affair.

Some of the people who came to talk to me and Laura Mazzuca Toops,  co-author of my book Growing Up With Manos The Hands Of Fate, had not yet heard the news of dad's passing and some had.  It was a challenging and odd balance of smiling for photos and receiving hugs of condolence.  I had to step outside of any vanity concerning my pale face and puffy eyes.  Everyone seems satisfied with the evening.

After the signing and visiting with people who came, Laura and I stepped into the back room with Ian Simmons for a prescheduled podcast interview.  Our interview became a tribute to dad on the spot and I feel is one of the most beautiful and appropriate things I could have done for him.

Kicking The Seat Podcast

I do hope you listen to the end and learn something of what made my dad so very special and maybe is some of why you love Manos for all it's flawed glory.

Podcast Audio

I like to think now that The Master has ascended and has become Manos himself.
Manos is Permanent!

 As many of you know, the world also lost Leonard Cohen on November 7th, and the ending song that Ian chose for his podcast is a perfect way to say goodbye to both these men.


Love each other.  It is The Will of Manos

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.
















Please share these tweets
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



 

Kickstarter Countdown! Tuesday March 1st Online Party!

The Kickstarter Countdown Event

Welcome to the Weekend, MANOS Fans!

We’ve been quiet for a few days, because we wanted to give you a bit of a break after the big push to beat the funding challenge. But now we are back and in the Last 3 Days of the Campaign, so it’s No. Sleep. ’TIL MANOS!

The Kickstarter Countdown Event

We hereby cordially invite you all to our live streaming event to celebrate our successful campaign! We thought it would be fun if we all got together and watched some MANOS. Tune in Tuesday, March 1st, starting at 6pm PST and join Jackey, Tonjia and the whole MANOS Returns crew as we countdown the final moments of our Kickstarter campaign and announce the grand total live!

Watch online here: http://www.indiehorror.tv

or Here:http://fromdusktilcon.com/

Comment and tweet along as we watch the puppet musical MANOS -The Hands of Felt followed by a quality non MST version of MANOS - The Hands of Fate that we can riff together.

Sponsored by our friends at From Dusk Til Con Radio and IndieHorror.tv

No Stopping the Stover

We’re obviously really excited to have artists from the original MANOS - Tom Neyman, Nicki Mathis and Jackey - joining us for MANOS Returns. And we hope to be able to stretch our budget to include even more - Diane Mahree, Bryan Jennings and soundtrack musician Curt Warren.

But we have another genuine B Movie Cult Star joining our cast: The incredible George Stover!

Basically if you’ve seen any John Waters or Don Dohler, you’ve encountered George. Or is you’ve seen Cinematic Titanic’s riff of The Alien Factor. George is a massively versatile actor with a well-honed sardonic sense of humor and we are beyond excited that he wants to be part of MANOS Returns. Check out this trailer from the upcoming documentary about him, No Stopping the Stover, to learn more.

https://www.facebook.com/NoStoppingStover1/videos

We are so close to the end of this Kickstarter and, as I type this, so close to achieving our first Stretch Goal: a second Nicki Mathis song for All Backer Levels! Please, please keep sharing our project. Every little bit we can add to our budget will help us make a better movie. Let’s make these final 3 days the best 3 days!

- Jackey

p.s. Please share these ready-made posts today!

B-movie star George Stover is in @ManosReturns?! Join him & make the sequel awesome! kck.st/1P2LjDs

Back @ManosReturns today kck.st/1P2LjDs and then join us Tues @ 6pm PST to countdown to the grand total live!

Torgometer Hits 100%!!

What a week it's been.  In the last few days, our Manos Returns kickstarter hit our goal of $24,000. a full 7 days before the end of the campaign.

A huge boost came by way of an interview with CNET

Worst movie ever, take two! 'Manos' star raising funds for comedic sequel

and then another great boost this morning on

BJ Shea's Geek Nation Podcast - 99.9 KISW The Rock of Seattle

If you want to go straight to the Manos interview skip to 37:45

as of this moment (looks at watch) we are funded

$25,162.00

which means that YAY, we are making a movie and we believe that you are going to really enjoy it.  We still have 5 more days on 

Manos Returns Kickstarter

until March 1 Tuesday 9pm PST

and we have some very cool stretch goals so we can make this an even better film.  Talent equals a lot but talent and more money equal better.  Keep sharing and keep giving!

The Master Approves!!

Torgo's Staff returns to Manos Returns

It's not apparent at first glance that my dad Tom Neyman, who played The Master in Manos The Hands of Fate in 1966 was a tremendously talented guy, but he was.  He was a kind of rock star in community theater in El Paso 1965 to 1972 until he left for California and other opportunities.  He played the lead in a number of plays at the Festival Theater now renamed The El Paso Playhouse.  Man of La Mancha, The prime of Miss Jean Brody, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Camelot, Arsenic and Old Lace to name only a few.  He was also an artist who worked in any medium he was interested in trying.  In Manos The Hands of Fate, my dad created all the art, props, and some costumes including The Masters robe, the wives gowns and Torgo's outfit.  Some of the sculpture of hands was already created in his body of work and other things he made especially for the film.  The Master and Dog painting and Torgo's staff are two of the props that are most iconic.  I, in turn followed my dad down the art path with the idea that I could do anything and with the same curiosity and interest in doing many different things.  I'm not a girl who shys away from a challenge.  Unfortunately, none of that art is in the possession of our family and so, I decided to recreate some of dad's works as close to the original as I can from photographs and memories of sitting in his studio and studying his method while he worked on an art project or ran his lines for the next play. 

In 2012 I produced one version of his painting to use as a Portland Oregon comedy stage production of Manos and to offer as prints

Debbies Manos on Etsy 

and then, two weeks ago, I created a second one to use as a prop in our new film Manos Returns and as prints for backer rewards on our Kickstarter crowdfunding.  I knew we would need a Torgo staff for a prop as well and took up the challenge to make it myself.  With my boyfriend's help and welding equipment, we got some 16 gauge steel and got busy.  I loved making them and I love how they turned out.  As close to the original as I can recall and made by me, The Master's daughter.

We made 18 total.  15 for Kickstarter backer rewards. One for the film prop.  One for me and one for my boyfriend in appreciation for making it possible to create them.

Our Kickstarter is very near funding with 8 days to go and I'm so proud to be part of this cool project with the opportunity to work with such a talented production team.  Check us out, share and support so we can bring you a quality fun fan film while honoring Manos and the original surviving cast in the spirit of Indie film.  Manos Returns Kickstarter

Debbie from Hands of Felt with Rachel Jackson

 "Forgetting You" and Manos soundtrack is being recreated by Cory Fujimori

...and if you read this before 9pm Tuesday Feb 23rd 1016, get us to our goal early to get in on some cool new perks

Manos Returns Challenge

A few words from The Masters Daughter about Manos Returns

Manos Loves Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day, 

Hope you and all your Brides or you and your Master are having a lovely romantic day.  It will be dark soon!

I've been very busy the last few weeks keeping up with all the attention coming with the launch of the Manos Returns sequel Kickstarter 
Manos Returns Kickstarter

 and here we are at the halfway point of our campaign, which just happens to be Valentine’s Day.  A good day to return a little of the Manos love with the return of the MANOS Returns T-Shirt

The Master t-shirts from our fundraiser to pay my dad and get his scenes filmed last fall were very popular, but were available for such a limited time that a lot of people missed out on their chance to get one so here they are again, but for only a couple weeks. Check out all the cool perks on our kickstarter that come with your shirt too. 

New!  The Little Debbie Shirt 

While plenty of you are excited for the return of The Master, don't forget about me. Our second mid-point celebration t-shirt features a haunting portrait of Debbie from the cover of my upcoming book “Growing up with Manos the Hands of Fate" in black on a red 100% cotton high quality t-shirt.  I love this Badass artwork by artist Phil Dragash and really can't wait to get my Debbie Shirt. It's definitely not just for girls!

- T-Shirt Add Ons: If you've backed us at levels $50 (Signed Script) through $275 and need a t-shirt, you can add one on by adding $25 more to your pledge.

- We Got Blu-Rays: Due to popular demand, we've added some new rewards featuring Blu-Rays at level $40 and $55.

- Blu-Ray Add Ons: Also, anyone backing at levels $50 (Signed Script) through $275 can turn their DVD into a Blu-Ray by adding $5 more to their pledge.

- More Signed Scripts: Also due to popular demand, we've increased the number of Signed Shooting Scripts (level $50) we're offering. Get yours before we run out for good.

I finished my version of my dad's iconic painting of The Master and Dog this week.  I think it came out pretty good.  We'll be using this one as a prop in our film but for the lower perk levels you can get a download for wallpaper or a 11 X 14 print of your very own.  Shouldn't everyone have The Master watching over them with approval?  

Jackey with her Master and Dog painting

As of this moment, The Torgometer just now hit the 70% level!  Can we get it to 80% by the end of MANOS Monday?  With your help, yes we can!

The Torgometer

Thank you so much for anything you can do in supporting MANOS Returns. Please share our campaign on social media. We think plenty of people would like to help MANOS come back and I hope you will help.  Word of mouth is a powerful tool.

 Here are some posts you can share: 

Support indie cinema, get great perks, & celebrate Women in Horror in one donation. Kickstart @ManosReturns http://kck.st/1P2LjDs

@ManosReturns just added fabulous new t-shirts to their Kickstarter. Support them at http://kck.st/1P2LjDs

That question mark at The End? of MANOS deserves an answer. Help Kickstart the sequel @MANOSReturns http://kck.st/1P2LjDs

The Master Speaks!

This week our Torgometer blasted to, and past the 60% level.  We are currently 66% and the next level is within our grasp before the coming weekend with the wonderful support we are finding among our project backers and in the fan world at large.  Our most sincere thanks and gratitude!  Please... Please keep spreading the word of Manos far and wide! 

The personal journey of beginning this project was both frightening and exhilarating.  I wondered if I would be able to do something wonderful for my dad and something equally fun for the fans.  I clearly knew that alone, I could not do more than dream.  Once again I invoke the Will of Manos.  Never in my life have things conspired to follow a particular path.  I have learned that my job is simply to follow it.  What an amazing journey with a fabulous production team this has become.

Check out our Writer/editor Steve Foley's new promo video.  I love it!  The Master Speaks!

The Master Speaks!

Yesterday, I finished the Master and Dog painting that we will be using in Manos Returns.  As many of you know, my dad The Master painted the original painting along with doing all the artwork and most of the costuming.  Some of his work including the iconic painting went home with the director of the original Manos The Hands of Fate,  so now, as an artist myself, I am re creating a few of dad's pieces to use in the film and to offer as Kickstarter perks.   Hint: Check out the Limited Edition Torgo staff in the perks! 

Manos Returns Kickstarter

Jackey and her Master painting

 ...and in case you missed it, Tonjia Atomic and I had a great live interview with Final Cut.  You can watch and listen here.  I love the acknowledgement to Tonjia for being a rare woman in horror film.  She is a trail blazer and I'm proud to be on her team.

Final Cut Podcast with Tonjia and Jackey

Stay tuned to the project.  We are announcing some cool new swag on Valentine's Day for all who love Manos!  I know I want some!!
Manos Returns Kickstarter

Manos Returns Kickstarter is 36% funded in a few days

As terrifying as it is to put myself out there so publicly and with a project that has the potential to draw scrutiny from fans and detractors of Manos, I still felt it had to be done, and so far no one else had.  The other thing is, that if my dad were to be part of the project and have an opportunity to see it finished, time was of the essence.  Dad is 80 and although he is one tough old bird, we are all mortal.   A sequel to Manos was in the works…again.  Way back in 2010 another sequel had been planned and even partially executed.  Part of what was filmed were my dad’s scenes and some other scenes that included other key people of Manos.  That project never got finished and never will.  The guy putting that together burned every bridge he walked across it seemed, in the debacle that was the first attempt at a sequel to Manos.   It was a big disappointment to all the people who had already put so much into it and I was sorely disappointed that I had dragged dad into something he would never see a benefit from doing.  A deeper sore point that it was Manos related and dad had only done it for me. 

  Fast forward to 2015 and much has happened in the interim.  Rachel Jackson’s Manos Hands of Felt in Seattle Washington, Manos The Hands of Fate as a stage production by Brian Koch in Portland Oregon, The Restoration of the original film in Blu-ray by Ben Solovey,  a prequel by David Roy titled The Rise of Torgo in postproduction.  And I wrote a book, Growing Up With Manos The Hands of Fate which will be available for sale within months.

Manos has given me opportunity to meet and collaborate with so many interesting and talented people and somehow during the journey, the right group of creative successful people just fell together and decided it was time to make a sequel.   We say it’s the will of MANOS and we’re kind of kidding, but we’re also kind of not. It's very strange how MANOS makes things happen, but we know enough by now to just go with it.

 A few days ago as we prepared to launch our Manos Returns Kickstarter on Friday the 29th, I felt sick.  I thought "What if me and a few crazy friends are the only ones that believe this is a cool thing to do?  What about my reputation?"  and then my very next thought was, "What reputation?  Geez Jackey, look what you're known for, after all."  and then I was fine.  So we launched and the thing  just took off.   Whether you love Manos or love to hate it, you have an opinion and the fans are speaking.  We are on the fourth day and as of this writing, we are 36% funded and coming up on $9000.00, and because of you, our project is #8 most popular in Kickstarter Film and Video projects.

This photo was last night before going to bed exhausted and happy.

We have a ways to go for our base goal and if we want to make our dream movie it's going to take more than that.  Please keep sharing and helping us get the word out so we can bring you the best fan film possible.

Manos Returns Kickstarter

Thank you so very much for your support.

Jackey

Manos Returns Kickstarter January 30

I’ve talked a little about the sequel to Manos and now it’s time to really start talking.  We are ready to get to work with a talented team of creative entrepreneurs and indie filmmakers and get this movie made.

 Jackey Neyman Jones (producer, lead actor) -  My dad was The Master and I was little Debbie in "Manos: The Hands of Fate.”  I live in the Great Northwest as a professional artist, art instructor and author of "Growing Up With Manos: The Hands of Fate" which is to be released soon.  I have been a special guest at numerous events like The El Paso Classic Film Festival, Hollywood Independent Film Festival, and Seattle’s Crypticon and have appeared in several film and theatrical projects including “Manos The Rise of Torgo”, “The Curse of Pelican Bay”(post production) and “She Run” (in production)

Tonjia Atomic (director) - Tonjia is an award-winning filmmaker, actress, musician, jeweler, and freelance writer. Her films range from the dark and disturbing to the light and comedic. She is best known for the films "Plain Devil," "Hobo with a Trash Can," and "Walking to Linas." Her writing has been featured in several online and print magazines. She's in the bands Duet To-It, Huh-Uh, and Filthy Issue. Her music has been featured in several films including "Bikini Gorilla" and "Scarewaves."

Steve Foley (writer/editor) - Steve, owner of Foley Video Productions, Inc. based in Tallahassee, FL, spent 17 years in broadcast television production before starting his own company in 1995. His recent film-related projects include post and effects on several short films and he is currently putting the finishing touches on a low budget horror anthology feature. In addition, Steve is working with the stars of cult film "Alien Factor" to produce DVD extras for the upcoming Blu-ray release.

Joe Sherlock (Director of Photography) - Joe is an award-winning filmmaker and a veteran of over 30 feature and anthology films. Joe’s extensive body of work includes "Drifter," "Bloodsucking Redneck Vampires" and "Twisted Fates," which have been screened across North America. His work as director of photography includes "Dead Ink," "The Evilmaker" and "Platoon of the Dead." Cult movie expert Joe Bob Briggs comments, "Drive-In Academy Award nominations for Joe Sherlock, the writer/director/composer/editor, for doing things the drive-in way."

Rachel Jackson is our behind the scenes everything from crafting the Kickstarter to marketing and sage advice.  She and her Manos puppets will be making an appearance in the film as well.

MANOS Returns is a tongue-in-cheek return to Valley Lodge. It follows a group of young would-be filmmakers who learn their favorite movie, “MANOS: The Hands of Fate,” is based on a true story. They set out to visit the site of the events that inspired the original and of course they find more than they bargained for.

Thanks to Mystery Science Theater 3000, MANOS has become a pop culture phenomenon, gaining more and more fans as time goes on. We think it’s high time we found out what became of everyone at Valley Lodge, so we want to film MANOS Returns this summer, release it on DVD and have it ready to screen in time for MANOS’s 50th anniversary on November 15^th.

There have been a number of Manos inspired projects through the years.  Some fizzled out, a few other completed the goal, and others are still in progress.   Several have been very successful.   Ones such as Manos Hands of Felt by Rachel Jackson, the HD Blu-ray of the Manos Restoration by Ben Solovey, distributed by Synapse and the Manos game by FreakZone Games for iPhone.   Manos Hands of Felt and the Restoration both launched Kickstarter campaigns to fund their projects and both far exceeded expectations.  Such is the love of Manos.  And let’s not forget the ones who made Manos known to the world to begin with.  Mystery Science Theater 3000, headed by Joel Hodgson (did I mention he wrote the foreword to my soon to be published Manos book?).   The November Kickstarter campaign to bring back MST3k quickly set records when the MST3K campaign became one of the top 10 most funded Kickstarter campaigns ever, closing near 6 million dollars . 

 So….  We’re not asking for nearly that much.  We don’t need that much.  Seriously.

In addition to the people already willing to help us with their time and resources, we know we can make a bare bones version of MANOS Returns for $24,000 (20,000 after the Kickstarter fees and reward fulfillment).  For $55,000, we can make the dream movie we envisioned when we started talking about this project. 

We’ve committed to this project and thanks to fan support we’ve already filmed The Master, my dad Tom Neyman in his part.   And we’ve got everything lined up to get Nicki Mathis, the vocalist on the original soundtrack, into the studio to re-record “Forgetting You” for our soundtrack as soon as the Kickstarter has ended.

The Kickstarter goes live January 30th. That’s the day that Mystery Science Theatre 3000 first brought MANOS back from oblivion in 1993, so we thought it was the perfect day to launch MANOS Returns. As soon as we launch, www.MANOSReturns.com will take you directly to our Kickstarter page. Please consider backing us on that first day; the faster we gain backers out of the gate, the more successful we’ll be.

If you can’t spare any money right now, but still want to help us get back to Valley Lodge, spreading the word about this campaign is a huge way you can show your support. Please share our Kickstarter far and wide. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Use the hashtag #MANOSReturns to bring the word of MANOS to all!

And thank you, as always, for your awesome support.

Manos Looks Ahead

Another very long gap between posts.   I sometimes think I’m done writing this blog but then realize there are always things to talk about when it comes to Manos.  Especially these days.  In the last year alone, the Restoration of Manos in Hd Blu-ray, distributed by Synapes was released to the public through Amazon and hit the top thirty best seller list in pre orders the week before it was available.   At the same time, the October 2015 issue of Playboy Magazine featured an article titled The Battle Over The Worst Movie Ever Made.  I had interviewed for it and my name begins the article.  The fun part for me was to be able to say that I was in Playboy.   Marking that off my bucket list at 56 years old.  My boyfriend loved using that as bragging rights.  My twenty one year old son?  Not so much.  Ha!                                                          Playboy Article

I was invited to Crypticon in Seattle last September to attend a screening of a short documentary “Conversations with Jackey Neyman”.  It was a last minute thing so I wasn’t a Special Guest and didn’t have a table or anything.  Little secret?   It was my first Con ever. I have never been to one.   I had the best time walking around anonymously with my Manos t shirt on and talking to people who recognized and commented on it.  Seems I got enough attention that I am invited back for Crypticon 2016 as a Special Guest.  Woo Hoo!  See you there!

I wrote a book.  Not only that, but I finished it and it is now in the hands (manos) of my publisher, Bear Manor Media. This project could not have possibly happened without my fabulous co-author Laura Mazzuca Toops with her editing skills and gentle prodding.  I just can’t imagine.  Started with a couple years thinking about writing it, then a couple more talking about it and then another length of time to find someone to guide me.  Took sixteen months to research and write, with a ton of sitting around staring into space with a stupid look on my face.  No one was around, so I’m just assuming that’s how it would have looked.  During all that time, I couldn’t seem to write anything else.  Grocery lists were a chore.  I also didn’t pick up another book to read.  So weird.  I love to read.  Now that I’m done writing (for a while, at least) I’m reading two.  Initially, I was going to write a story about my memories and those of my dad, The Master.  One thing led to another and I began uncovering things I had not known and people who I thought had disappeared forever or who were unknown in the first place.  I learned that I’m pretty good at research and that I enjoy it.  Maybe shoulda been a private eye.   This journey  resulted in recovered stories, new friendships begun, old ones renewed and much family healing. 

 I’ll let you all know the release date as soon as I hear anything.  Expecting it to be within the next few months and then some traveling to promote and meet the fans of Manos.  Check out the awesome cover art by Phil Dragash.  Also take a moment to notice the foreword is written by Joel Hodgson, the creator of MST3K!

So now time to focus on the next big Manos project, Manos Returns.  A sequel to Manos The Hands of Fate that I'm producing and my dad, The Master is appearing in.  Watch for our crowdfunding campaign coming soon.  Follow me here for notifications and updates and check out                                                                                               Manos Returns