Seeing as we’re lousy with polls here on AoG, I thought I’d give you teenaged girls a choice of which movie to see this Saturday at 8pm.

Option 1: Perhaps the Worst Movie of All Time (but made funny with wisecracking MST3K Robots)

Manos: The Hands of Fate

IMBD Plot Summary:

A family’s driving across the country where they stumble across a mysterious house, inhabited by the satyr-man Torgo. When the family decide to stay over at the house, the family’s mother is now the object of desire for Torgo and the owner of the house, The Master: a mysterious figure whom dresses in a black robe, decorated with red hands.

Not going to lie... this one is rough. 1.9/10 IMDB Score rough. However, the Mystery Science Theatre 3000 version—which, I’ve got to be honest, is the literal only way to get through this one with your sanity in tact— has a 9.2/10 IMDB Score!

Tom Servo: You know, there are certain flaws in this film.

Option Two: An Underrated Comedy Gem that Far Too Few People Have Seen

The Wrong Guy

I’ll not spoil anything here, but this film was supposed to be Dave Foley’s ticket to stardom, but for some reason, it got shelved. Then, in the early 2000s, Comedy Central aired it, and it was given a new lease on life. It’s legitimately one of my favorites, and a film I show my students when discussing postmodern comedy, absurdist comedy, or an exercise in perspective and subverting expectations (for my creative writing students). I’ve legitimately made lifelong friends based only upon having seen this film. Sure, the other people at the party didn’t want to talk to us, but few things are better than bonding over an obscure shared experience.

If you ever hear someone saying, “Zero shooter theory... Kennedy’s head just did that,” they are in the elite club of comedy nerds who revere this film.

If you’re interested in the odd studio politics behind its shelving, as well as a lot of interesting other stuff surrounding the film, the cast, and Dave Foley’s sad story, check out this excerpt from Nathan Rabin’s book My Year of Flops.

IMBD Plot Summary:

After his boss is murdered, Nelson is on the run for fear of prosecution. He hides out in a small town to avoid the police, which should be easy because they know he didn’t do it and they aren’t looking for him.