Helter Skelter (2004)

A new take on the Manson Family murders, with a keen focus on Charles Manson himself.

Director:

John Gray

Writers:

Vincent Bugliosi (book), Curt Gentry (book)

Stars:

Jeremy Davies, Clea DuVall, Allison Smith

Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jeremy Davies	...	Charles Manson
Clea DuVall	...	Linda Kasabian
Allison Smith	...	Patricia 'Katie' Krenwinkel
Eric Dane	...	Charles "Tex" Watson
Mary Lynn Rajskub	...	Lynette 'Squeaky' Fromme
Michael Weston	...	Bobby Beausoleil
Hal Ozsan	...	Joey Dimarco
Rick Gomez	...	Milio
Robert Joy	...	Detective Morrisy
Graham Beckel	...	Jerry
Chris Ellis	...	Sgt. Whiteley
Isabella Hofmann	...	Rosemary LaBianca
Robert Costanzo	...	Leno LaBianca
Yvonne Delarosa	...	Catherine 'Gypsy' Share (as Yvonne De La Rosa)
Cheselka Leigh	...	Kathryn 'Kitty' Lutesinger

Storyline

A new take on the Manson Family murders, with a keen focus on Charles Manson himself.

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Plot Keywords:

scene of the crime | murder of a pregnant woman | serial murder | murder | charles manson | 

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Taglines:

How did one man turn all-American teens into cold-blooded killers?

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Genres:

Biography | Crime | Drama | History | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

CBS

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 May 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

Helter Skelter

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles Center Studios - 450 S. Bixel Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lakeside Productions, Wolper Organization, Warner Bros. Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

180 min 137 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In 2001, Jeremy Davies was in preparations for a different independent film about Charles Manson. He made a tape for the filmmakers of himself playing Manson and the tape became a popular bootleg in the industry. CBS cast Davies and allowed him to rewrite his lines due to his performance in the tape.

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Goofs

When Squeaky takes Linda's wallet, she opens to a photo driver's license. Driver's licenses did not include photos until the late 1970s.

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Quotes

Charles Manson: The time is now. Helter skelter.

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Connections

References Cry for Cindy (1976)

User Reviews

Complements the 1976 original

If you are really interested enough in the whole Manson affair to

devote 7 hours to it, it would probably be best to see this together

with the 1976 original, because the two fascinatingly complement

each other like yin and yang, or two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

Moreover, in spite of the chronology of their release, it would

probably be better to see the 2004 version first, then the 1976

version. The 1976 version begins with the murders already having

occured, whereas the 2004 version focuses mainly on the events

leading up to the murders, and hardly at all on the legal aspects. It

could be summed up: 1976 version, mostly detective and legal

work, 2004 version, mostly a psychological study.

The 2004 version succeeds quite well in showing how Manson

had the power that he did. Nothing that Manson says makes

much sense; he exhibits what shrinks call tangentiality, i.e., the

inability to focus on a point. While this leads most people to avoid

Manson in the outside world, in the cloistered environment of

Manson's commune, it forces the listener to listen all the more

closely. In Jeremy Davies' riveting performance, Manson seems

almost oracular; the very obscurity of what he was saying can

make him seem, to the young naifs with whom he surrounded

himself, profound. It is easy to see how they found him hypnotic.

Davies makes Manson seem scarier than ever.