Manson (1973)

Documentary on Charles Manson and his family. Has a number of insightful interviews with many family members most notably Squeaky and Sandy (Blue and Red). There is also a history of Manson... See full summary »

Directors:

Robert Hendrickson, Laurence Merrick

Writers:

Joan Huntington, Laurence Merrick

Stars:

Mary Brunner, Vincent Bugliosi, Bruce Davis

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Credited cast:
Mary Brunner	...	Self
Vincent Bugliosi	...	Self
Bruce Davis	...	Self
Lynette Fromme	...	Self
Sandra Good	...	Self
Steve Grogan	...	Self
Ronnie Howard	...	Self
Charles Manson	...	Self
Jesse Pearson	...	Narrator (voice) (as Jess Pearson)
Phil Phillips	...	Self
Nancy Pitman	...	Self
Brooks Poston	...	Self
Catherine Share	...	Self
George Spahn	...	Self
Paul Watkins	...	Self

Storyline

Documentary on Charles Manson and his family. Has a number of insightful interviews with many family members most notably Squeaky and Sandy (Blue and Red). There is also a history of Manson from his birth to the family formation to the Tate/La Bianca murders. Plenty of footage of the family playing at Spahn Ranch.

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Plot Keywords:

interview | charles manson | murder | dumpster diving | counter culture | 

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Taglines:

Manson is the word... for MURDER

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Genres:

Documentary | Biography | Crime

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Brooks Poston and Paul Watkins, who provided the musical score for the film, were both former members of the "Manson Family".

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Quotes

Paul Watkins: We used belladonna, hashish, smoked marijuana a lot, mescaline, opium, we never used any hard drugs.

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Connections

Referenced in House of 1000 Corpses (2003)

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Soundtracks

Moments
Written and Performed by Paul Watkins and Brooks Poston

User Reviews

Weird.

This documentary not only captures the deranged philosophy of the Manson family, but it looks sleazy overall. Much of the footage is grainy and unsteady, adding to the brittle feel of the movie, but the interviews with Manson's followers speak for themselves. Makes for interesting viewing in conjunction with "Gimmie Shelter", which documented the clash of hippie culture and violent bikers at the Rolling Stones concert at Altamont Speedway. Both of these events signalled the end of the "flower power" movement, but these two movies seem to point out the danger that mind-altering drugs can pose to suggestible kids.

Indeed, a lot of the interviews contained in "Manson" outline the essential role of marijuana and acid in the lifestyle of "the family," and the film clearly posits that Manson used drugs, as well as sex, to brainwash his followers. What's most terrifying about this movie are the candid appearances of the Manson women, staring wide-eyed and generally behaving like automatons. The time was clearly right for an evil individual such as Charles Manson to invade a supposedly peace-loving culture like the hippies, stoned and generally aimless, and orchestrate chaos, and the altered state that these people were in clearly contributed to their own propensity for disillusion and mind control.

What comes off as mostly lacking is the depiction of Manson himself. Although the filmmakers give plenty of background on him, the bizarre images of this man contained in the film do very little to give an accurate depiction of how he must have appeared to his followers. I was haunted by the lingering question of what could possibly have motivated Charles Manson to orchestrate these heinous murders, and even worse is to think that his wishes were carried out by kids who came from seemingly normal backgrounds.

The use of split-screen, as well as the "flower power" soundtrack, add to the quintessentially 70s feel of the movie, but even through all the kitschy hippie images, the shocking nature of the murders, and the tragic phenomenon of Manson's cult, remains. It left me feeling dirty and disturbed after watching it.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

January 1973 (USA)

Also Known As:

Manson and Squeaky Fromme

Filming Locations:

Shoshone, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Merrick International, Tobann International Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1