Synopsis
The investigation of two horrific mass murders leads to the capture and trial of the psychotic pseudo-hippie Charles Manson and his "family".
Helter Skelter
Cast
George DiCenzo Steve Railsback Nancy Wolfe Marilyn Burns Christina Hart Cathey Paine Alan Oppenheimer Rudy Ramos Sondra Blake George Garro Larry Pennell Skip Homeier Robert Ito Jon Gries Roy Jenson Edward Bell Marc Alaimo Paul Mantee David Clennon Eileen Dietz Sondra Lowell Linden Chiles Carole Ita White Doug McGrath Sidney Clute Bruce French Jonathan Goldsmith Rod Arrants John Furlong Show All…
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This is the best Manson film ever made. Released just a number of years after the real events, this is based on the actual events, facts and trial records and focuses on the Manson trial in the late 60's and early 70's.
Steve Railsback is absolutely hypnotic as Charles Manson, delivering rambling speeches about the society that has shackled him and made him who he is. Marilyn Burns from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre plays Linda Kasabian, and Nancy Wolfe is tremendous as the apathic and remorseless Susan Atkins. The film is incredibly realistic and pays great detail to the actual testimonies and events. It spends a lot of time on every part of the case save the actual murders…
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This was just really well done for a 3 hour 1976 Made for TV film about the complete investigation/trial about Manson. Just really impressive.
They start with the gunfire and screams in the Hollywood Hills and then finding the bodies and how they try to put together the case.
It's astounding the utter incompetence of the police in this. I mean, I never can underestimate police enough, but wow I mean the gun is turned into them and they don't even check it out; the prisoner Sadie confesses to tries to tell the police and no one will listen to her or take her seriously -
oh my gosh that was so well done, that poor woman who Sadie told… -
Rather than dramatizing the Tate-LaBianca murders and going from there, the movie makes the wise and interesting decision of bypassing that element entirely and focusing only on the subsequent investigation and hearings. Part 1 illustrates just about every detail related to the initial detective work, while part 2 becomes a full-on riveting courtroom drama.
It's clearly being done on something of a budget, and the whole thing is crowned under a distinct bootheel of melodrama providing a dead giveaway of its TV-based origin, but I'm thankful that we have a singular document containing a litany of relevant and specific details that might otherwise have faded into obscurity. The entire first half is notable for evoking a constant feeling of "these…
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"It's a lot of psychos running around"
This Manson story begins with a short presentation of the murders, to then spend about its first half with the investigation continuing with the trial. With a runtime of about 3 hours, this TV movie manages to cover a lot of ground on the subject. But probably having spent a hundred times more than that on this case myself, I have some things to say about this movie, but I'll keep it short.
Helter Skelter plays out in a documentary style manner, with a narrating voice over giving us small pieces of information while real events are dramatised. Trying to be informative and giving an impression of wanting to give an accurate description…
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Gritty and realistic, this 3 hour TV movie really is an informative film about the Manson murders. The story is told documentary style from the lead prosecutor, who even breaks the fourth wall a couple of times after a sequence to inform the viewer on even greater detail. The cast are all really strong in there roles, and utterly believable all the way through. Main storyline is the investigation and then trial of Manson and his followers, which is exciting to watch unfold on screen.
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What I know about the Manson murders has mostly been learned through books I've read about 1970s movies, that song "It's a Shame About Ray" by The Lemonheads, and how nine inch nails recorded The Downward Spiral in the Sharon Tate murder house. But really, if you're born in the US the knowledge of this real life horror film incident is tattooed onto your consciousness upon entrance, it seems. It was one of the key components to darkness (still) reigning, and any measure of hope actually happening, never seeming to happen ever, still. So depressing.
This made for tv 1979 mini-series adaptation of Vincent Bugliosi's account of the investigation was super watchable in it's brown suits and wide ties, wood…
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Despite being a dramatization, the pacing and feel of everything is far more akin to a documentary. The use of narration and shot composition captures that Dateline style, and ther performances all seem remarkably natural (particularly Manson himself).
All that aside, this drags quite a bit and its 3+ hour runtime is not easily missed. This was created to serve as a two part television special, and is likely a lot more serviceable as such.
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Incredibly engrossing and informative awesome made-for-tv Manson movie. I think I loved it?
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Surprisingly similar to David Fincher's Zodiac in its narrative approach and attention to detail, this three-hour reenectment trades style for substance, focusing on performance and never betraying its roots as lead prosecutor Bugliosi's personal recounting of events after August 1969. It's flat and uninspired at times, but for those interested in the case, it avoids egregious sensationalism and sticks to the facts while giving a few performers room to devour chintzy TV courtroom sets.
Its lack of visual ambition and its straddling of the line between good and bad taste is what makes it unique. They don't make them like this anymore.
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Taking a star off for the rather moralising speech from Bugliosi to Manson at the end but otherwise this is pretty much the best straight Manson dramatisation ever made because it doesn't do anything but let the material speak for itself, and it's fucking chilling. Railsback makes this, though, of course, over-the-top as he is (you can't NOT be over-the-top playing Charles Fucking Manson).
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Ass-kicking police procedural. The People's movie. Still got that good, TV-movie flatness that, if it gets in your way, is not helped much by sunny Los Angeles locations such as the police stations and courts. Not much magic hour photography for this by-the-book adaptation. Bugliosi even breaks the 4th wall to bookend: he's so unimpressed with Manson that after their post-trial chat (they had many brief chats during the case but only one in the film), the lawyer goes into Dragnet mode, differentiating US from the monster (which he was) family leader. He had a tough case to prove, a wild motive to get across to a jury (pretty sure they could see how nuts their entire outfit was), and…
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Filmed in the 70s this captures something of the feel of the time -its not a glossy hollywood version - these seem like real people with real bad haircuts and ugly clothes. In the 70s mainstream society was genuinely horrified and shocked and totally unprepared for Manson. Looking back from now - with our much more jaded view -with our memories full of mass killings, serial murders, cults and the like - we are at a remove from this horror. I only wish that Manson's misogyny and racism was more acknowledged -of course the 70s was full of that shit anyway. Still waiting on a really good version of this story -doubt Tarantino will provide it - needs more than…
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This was just really well done for a 3 hour 1976 Made for TV film about the complete investigation/trial about Manson. Just really impressive.
They start with the gunfire and screams in the Hollywood Hills and then finding the bodies and how they try to put together the case.
It's astounding the utter incompetence of the police in this. I mean, I never can underestimate police enough, but wow I mean the gun is turned into them and they don't even check it out; the prisoner Sadie confesses to tries to tell the police and no one will listen to her or take her seriously -
oh my gosh that was so well done, that poor woman who Sadie told… -
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I know this was a made for TV movie and it aired in two parts but god watching it all in one go is LONG. The second half is easily superior to the first but that could just be because I love courtroom drama. The scene where Manson makes his statement is just WILD, Railsbeck does an incredible job of portraying Manson and I’d say the whole thing is worth it just for that one scene
This scene is so fucking funny to me I can’t stop thinking about it
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Helter Skelter was the 1976 CBS TV movie about Charles Manson and his “family.” Covers from the murders to the trial. No one of note in the movie. It’s somewhat narrated, moves along nicely, and the actor playing Manson IS creepy. The murders in the beginning were probably kind of shocking in the 70s on tv from what was shown. (5 out of 10)
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Haven't seen this since the late '70s, has aged pretty well as an example of the mainstream history of what went down. Railsback is amazing, of course. Love the thriller/horror injections, and it's fun spotting all the character actors in small parts.
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Hard not to roll your eyes at some parts. Wish they chose a better actor for Charlie, this kids eyes were too soft, no evil in them. Interesting to learn more about the trial itself though, and that if the Beatles never put out the White album, maybe none of this would've happened.
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What I know about the Manson murders has mostly been learned through books I've read about 1970s movies, that song "It's a Shame About Ray" by The Lemonheads, and how nine inch nails recorded The Downward Spiral in the Sharon Tate murder house. But really, if you're born in the US the knowledge of this real life horror film incident is tattooed onto your consciousness upon entrance, it seems. It was one of the key components to darkness (still) reigning, and any measure of hope actually happening, never seeming to happen ever, still. So depressing.
This made for tv 1979 mini-series adaptation of Vincent Bugliosi's account of the investigation was super watchable in it's brown suits and wide ties, wood…
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Good movie. But Nancy Wolfe, the actress who played Susan Atkins... phenomenal. The monotone and dead eyes were chilling.
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The most boring murders possible. Hard to believe that the main producer who spent the final 20 minutes fellating himself also made most of the details up.
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"They raid the Spahn Movie Ranch, arresting a skein of dirty hippies for Grand Theft Auto(the charge, not the game, youngbloods.).In jail, Sadie(Nancy Wolfe) grooves on the sounds of a transistor radio and gleefully relates all the gruesome details of the murders to Ronnie Howard(the petty criminal, not the flameheaded kid who sings "Wells Fargo Wagon" in "The Music Man"(1962), mind you). Bugliosi is named the new prosecutor, and tries to work a deal in exchange for testimony with Straight Satans biker Danny DeCarlo(Rudy Ramos).Ronnie tries to spill her guts but no one seems too interested. Bugliosi grills Family gals for candy, and finds out that Charlie is love. Bugliosi watches Manson(Railsback) being led in by deputies on charges he set fire to an earth mover, and makes Christ jokes."-
wopsploitation.blogspot.com/2011/06/helter-skelter1976dtom-gries.html
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