Helter Skelter (1976) (TV)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Tom Gries

Writers:

Vincent Bugliosi (book) and
Curt Gentry (book) ...

Release Date:

1 April 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

The investigation of two horrific mass murders leads to the capture and trial of the psychotic pseudo-hippie Charles Manson and his "family".

Plot Keywords:

Trial | Murder | Manson | Charles Manson | Cult

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

George DiCenzo	...	Vincent Bugliosi
Steve Railsback	...	Charles Manson
Nancy Wolfe	...	Susan Atkins
Marilyn Burns	...	Linda Kasabian
Christina Hart	...	Patricia Krenwinkel
Cathey Paine	...	Leslie Van Houten
Alan Oppenheimer	...	Aaron Stovitz
Rudy Ramos	...	Danny DeCarlo
Sondra Blake	...	Ronnie Howard
George Garro	...	Rosner
Vic Werber	...	Lt. Brenner
Wright King	...	Friend
Jon Gries	...	William Garretson
Edward Bell	...	Sgt. Hank Kruger
Roy Jenson	...	Punchy

Also Known As:

Massacre in Hollywood (USA) (video title)

Runtime:

119 min | USA:194 min (original version) | USA:184 min (DVD version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Norway:18 | Singapore:NC-16 | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Bel Air, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Lorimar Productions

Trivia:

While the LaBianca house was used in the movie, the Tate house was not.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The Tate/LaBianca homicides took place in 1969. Yet some of the squad cars that are shown when the LAPD responds to the Tate house are 1971 Dodge Polaras. Besides being incorrect for the year of the murders, the LAPD patrol cars of the era were 1968 and 1969 Plymouth Belvederes.

Quotes:

Housekeeper: MURDER! MURDER! MURDER!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Texas Chain Saw Massacre: The Shocking Truth (2000) (V)

Soundtrack:

Helter Skelter

The Garbage People

Despite a hokey opening prologue by a narrator who talks directly to viewers, this three hour made-for-TV docu-drama provides a generally good overview of the real-life Tate/LaBianca murders that occurred in the summer of 1969, and the subsequent trial of Charles Manson and his "family". Based on the book "Helter Skelter" by Manson Prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi, the film has a dragnet or prosecution tone to it, as it describes events from Bugliosi's point of view. That is okay, except that the script minimizes the crucial role of Tex Watson, one of the actual killers. After the murders, Watson fled to Texas, and was initially beyond Bugliosi's prosecution reach. Later, Watson was extradited back to California.

The film's first half is confusing because it presents so many Manson family names; this part of the film is somewhat hard to follow. The film's second half concentrates on the courtroom trial and is therefore more straightforward. The film's pace tends to be slow. There are several long speeches. And some scenes are either unnecessary or overly long. One scene in the second half goes on for some ten minutes. Overall, the film has a made-for-TV look and feel. Production design, costumes, and makeup are credible. As Manson, Steve Railsback's performance is ... intense.

What makes this film worth watching is that it is a true story ... and a powerful one. Manson had no qualms about killing innocent people. And he sought to sublease that evil to weaker personalities, like Susan Atkins, Linda Kasabian, Leslie Van Houten, and other members of his hippie clan. And that power over others in turn fed his megalomania.

Manson was a cultural scavenger, a junk man without conscience. He and his "family" subsisted on food from dumpsters behind supermarkets. And at one point in the film, he even says he wouldn't mind prison chow; "it's better than (eating) garbage". What a statement. It says a lot about him and about his followers.