Manos, The Hands of Fate was a movie created for about $20,000 by a fertilizer salesman from Texas named Harold P. Warren, who wrote, directed, and starred in the film. The auteur unfortunately did not listen to the input from his photographer and cinematographer, and the motto of the movie became, "We'll fix it in the lab." You can tell when they used stock footage from a Disney short on wildlife because the footage is actually in focus for a change.
On to the plot:
While driving towards a Valley Lodge, a family stumbles into what Ravenloft fans would refer to as a "Pocket Domain," a bubble of space and time that is impossible to escape from. The Lost Woods in Zelda, the woods in Blair Witch, and the forests in the Friday the 13th movies all would seem to be good examples of Pocket Domains.
After driving aimlessly for a while, the group finds an old shack by the side of the road. They are met at the door by Torgo, who observes that it will be dark soon and that the Master would not approve of their staying at the house. Mike (who is the dad of the family) appeals to Torgo's human nature, and Torgo relents and allows them to stay. While Torgo moves to get their luggage, his haunting theme music plays in the background.
While inside, Mike and Margaret find an old portrait of the Master and his pet doberman, which is supposed to be terrifying.
One of the rooms in the house sometimes opens up into yet another world, wherein the Master and his wives dwell. On the night of the full moon, the gulf between this alternate world and Earth is bridged and the Master and his wives chase down Torgo, Mike, and the rest of the group and promptly defeat them. Mike is transformed into Torgo's replacement, and his wife and daughter are transformed into Brides of Manos. The movie ends with "The End" and a question mark after more travellers are ensnared by the magical trap.