The Manson Family

Synopsis: A shocking look into the cult of the Manson family and the horrific murder of seven innocent people including Roman Polanski's then-wife, Sharon Tate, and their unborn child.

Sixteen years in the making, Jim Van Bebber's shocking The Manson Family pulls no punches as its retina-scorching imagery metaphorically singes the screen. Pushing the limits of what is deemed acceptable even for a modern horror audience, the relentless sex, drug-taking and stabbings will be too much for some. It's a mark of the film's success that it shows the alluring magnetism of the enigmatic Manson at the same time showing what a sick and twisted individual he really was.

The Cannibal Holocaust-inspired storyline follows a documentary-maker as he looks back over footage of the Manson family as they wait on Death Row for their inevitable visit to the electric chair. As we listen to their recollections we see what actually happened, from the early days of drug-induced sexual abandon through to the desperate killings of their innocent victims.

Beautifully played by the mainly amateur cast, the film very rarely reveals its low budget origins. Shot on a variety of different mediums, the film uses coloured filters, video, deliberately-aged film including an orgy shot in the style of a vintage 60s exploitation film - in other words, every trick in the book to propel the viewer into the depths of Manson's madness.

The film's visceral punch is reduced, however, by the third story strand as a group of modern-day Manson-obsessed goths prepare for their ultimate Manson tribute. The fetishistic footage jars with the naturalistic approach of the other layers of the film. One can see what Van Bebber was trying to do but the fusion of the flower power '60s and the ultra-modern 90s just doesn't work.

The film is relentless in its depiction of depravity and makes for an uncomfortable hour and a half. A labour of love for Van Bebber, he started shooting the film in 1989. His previous shorts, Roadkill and My Sweet Satan and his debut feature Deadbeat by Dawn had shown promise but The Manson Family is a major step forward. Approach with caution and be prepared for an acid-drenched ride into a psychotic mind.

FYI: The film played a couple of festivals as a work-in-progress in 1997. This was the work print of the film complete with splices, grease pencil marks and rough sound and projected from a video tape. The film ran out of funding and was not completed until Dark Sky Films became involved. Only then was the negative cut, the sound edited and mixed, the beginning and end titles shot and the film blown-up to 35mm and given its world premiere at London's Frightfest Festival in 2002.

Want more about this film?

Want something different?