This is a terrific concept for a film, and at times it works. Unfortunately, it founders whenever Rick the Precious Dove is on screen 'performing' as Charlie Manson. With his pug nose and laughing eyes, Rick presents about as much danger and magnetism as Mr. Green Jeans. I'm sure Rick worked for peanuts, but no one would have killed for his Manson: at best, they might have made him a tuna salad sandwich. Sorry, Charlie.
5 Reviews
Almost Feels Like the Real Thing
Rapeman1314 December 2008
In the summer of '69 members of Charlie Manson's "family" stole an NBC-TV truck loaded with film equipment. Later on the truck was dumped and the majority of its contents given away, but Charlie kept one of the cameras. The Family also allegedly owned three Super-8 cameras which they used to produce amateur porn films. Based on this information and an interview with a one-time member of The Family which (rather vaguely) supports this, Ed Sanders speculates in his book The Family, that Charlie and his followers may have filmed their crimes and/or been involved in the production of "snuff films". This was the first recorded use of the term snuff.
With Manson Family Movies John Aes-Nihil has taken this material combined with the rumour that The Family also filmed re-enactments of their murders and produced a chillingly accurate portrayal of what these films may have been like.
The film opens with Charlie's introduction to, then seduction of Sadie-Mae then cuts to some authentic street scenes on Haight-Ashbury complete with half naked stoned hippies, blacks being arrested, crazed homeless folk with Charlie in the middle of it all rapping with / recruiting some of his girls. For the next forty or so minutes we are witnesses to The Family going about their everyday activities and the events leading up to the Tate / LaBianca murders: drug-fuelled orgies, naked fire dancing, mock crucifixions of Charlie, creepy crawl missions, group listenings of The White Album, an unsettling gangbang with ol' George Spahn and the drug-deal-gone-bad scenario.
The second half of the film covers the murders. It seems kind of pointless to go into details here as I'm sure the majority of you reading this are well aware of the grisly facts. Suffice to say Sharon's murder and subsequent "abortion" are particularly meaty.
Family Movies was shot on scratchy 8mm film stock and is silent aside from the soundtrack which is a combination of Charlie's music, Aes-Nihil's band Beyond Joy and Evil which is of a similar folksy tone to Charlie's, and avant-garde electronics, backward voice loops & squealing sax during the more atmospheric parts. The film was shot a mere few years after the murders and uses all of the exact locations where the events happened. Aes-Nihil's dedication and meticulous attention to detail here is beyond obsessive, right down to the precise spot where they dumped their bloody clothes after the Tate murders.
The gritty home movie quality coupled with the flawless soundtrack adds so much realism to the film that it almost looks and feels like the real thing. Part of this feeling of authenticity is also due to the fact that the cast is made up of a rag-tag bunch of Aes-Nihil's hippie friends and people literally pulled off the street, some of whom were acquaintances of The Family - one of the actresses playing Squeaky pulled out of the film after shooting a few scenes because her apartment burned down and she suspected it was retaliation from Family members for starring in the film.
Seeing as the film is shot from the point-of-view of The Family recreating their crimes there is a sense of comedy here too - some members play two or three characters which infrequently leads to them being in drag, oftentimes the cast struggle to keep a straight face, particularly during the murder scenes, there are recurring in-jokes like Sharon Tate's black maid constantly reading Nietzsche, an amusing nod to Valley of the Dolls and a hilarious moment during Tate's prolonged murder scene when a discordant punk song suddenly erupts on the soundtrack entitled Die Bitch (courtesy of the Sloppy Titty Freaks). Also, in the commentary track the director notes the "actor" playing George Spahn was a seventy-year-old ex-art critic who was tripping on LSD for the first time.
All in all I can honestly say Manson Family Movies is the most authentic-looking and therefore enjoyable film I've seen concerning the "legacy" of Charles Manson and his Family. It's obvious this was a highly personal project for John Aes-Nihil and all his care and attention to even the smallest of details definitely pays off.
With Manson Family Movies John Aes-Nihil has taken this material combined with the rumour that The Family also filmed re-enactments of their murders and produced a chillingly accurate portrayal of what these films may have been like.
The film opens with Charlie's introduction to, then seduction of Sadie-Mae then cuts to some authentic street scenes on Haight-Ashbury complete with half naked stoned hippies, blacks being arrested, crazed homeless folk with Charlie in the middle of it all rapping with / recruiting some of his girls. For the next forty or so minutes we are witnesses to The Family going about their everyday activities and the events leading up to the Tate / LaBianca murders: drug-fuelled orgies, naked fire dancing, mock crucifixions of Charlie, creepy crawl missions, group listenings of The White Album, an unsettling gangbang with ol' George Spahn and the drug-deal-gone-bad scenario.
The second half of the film covers the murders. It seems kind of pointless to go into details here as I'm sure the majority of you reading this are well aware of the grisly facts. Suffice to say Sharon's murder and subsequent "abortion" are particularly meaty.
Family Movies was shot on scratchy 8mm film stock and is silent aside from the soundtrack which is a combination of Charlie's music, Aes-Nihil's band Beyond Joy and Evil which is of a similar folksy tone to Charlie's, and avant-garde electronics, backward voice loops & squealing sax during the more atmospheric parts. The film was shot a mere few years after the murders and uses all of the exact locations where the events happened. Aes-Nihil's dedication and meticulous attention to detail here is beyond obsessive, right down to the precise spot where they dumped their bloody clothes after the Tate murders.
The gritty home movie quality coupled with the flawless soundtrack adds so much realism to the film that it almost looks and feels like the real thing. Part of this feeling of authenticity is also due to the fact that the cast is made up of a rag-tag bunch of Aes-Nihil's hippie friends and people literally pulled off the street, some of whom were acquaintances of The Family - one of the actresses playing Squeaky pulled out of the film after shooting a few scenes because her apartment burned down and she suspected it was retaliation from Family members for starring in the film.
Seeing as the film is shot from the point-of-view of The Family recreating their crimes there is a sense of comedy here too - some members play two or three characters which infrequently leads to them being in drag, oftentimes the cast struggle to keep a straight face, particularly during the murder scenes, there are recurring in-jokes like Sharon Tate's black maid constantly reading Nietzsche, an amusing nod to Valley of the Dolls and a hilarious moment during Tate's prolonged murder scene when a discordant punk song suddenly erupts on the soundtrack entitled Die Bitch (courtesy of the Sloppy Titty Freaks). Also, in the commentary track the director notes the "actor" playing George Spahn was a seventy-year-old ex-art critic who was tripping on LSD for the first time.
All in all I can honestly say Manson Family Movies is the most authentic-looking and therefore enjoyable film I've seen concerning the "legacy" of Charles Manson and his Family. It's obvious this was a highly personal project for John Aes-Nihil and all his care and attention to even the smallest of details definitely pays off.
The worst Manson movie ever
bredlau312 July 2006
Warning: Spoilers
This movie should only be watched if you are the kind of person that MUST see everything that has ever been put out concerning the Manson Family and case. IF you are not that type of person, don't bother then as it will be a complete waste of time. As it has been said, there has always been a rumor about the family ripping off some film cameras and filming themselves. Nowhere does the rumor ever say they they filmed the murders. It is generally believed that the family filmed themselves singing and a few various rituals. This movie is silent, filmed with obvious friends of the actors that bare no resemblance to any of the Manson family members. Though as a funny touch, the director has men dressed up as women to play some of the victims. It is a very tedious and taxing movie to watch. Any 12 year old kid could have made a better movie for a class project. Obviously due to lack of budget, night scenes had to be filmed in broad daylight, such as the murders. The only real point of intertest is the usage of actual Manson music, other than that it's completely worthless.
Creepy and effective
trevor.maclaren29 June 2000
In Ed Sanders' book, "The Family", he claimed that the Manson Family had stolen some of NBC's film equipment and filmed themselves. John Aes-Nihil shot a film of what this may have been. Not for everyone's taste, but this silent film using Manson, The Manson Family and Beyond Joy and Evil as the soundtrack, is a very effective film. At times it can be campy and at others it is just plain scary. Featuring a cast of men as women/women as men, we see the adventures of the Manson family as they hang out, kill and crucify Charlie. Definitely will interest fans of John Waters or low budget horror.
For Charles Manson Completists Only. All Others Stay Away!
Bill35718 May 2009
Warning: Spoilers
As of this writing there are only three other comments on this movie and thirty votes, which is just as well in that this is the most distasteful version of the whole Manson affair ever filmed.
That being said, it's not unentertaining or uneffective. I just wouldn't recommend it to anyone interested in the facts of the case. I'd tell them to watch the documentary Manson and the 1976 miniseries Helter Skelter. If you've seen it all and are ready for something weird and schizophrenic, this is for you.
The mix of 8mm graininess, real location footage, and the creepy music of Charles Manson (which would still be creepy if it were by someone else) make for a viewing experience so fetishistic and voyeuristic that it made me want to take a shower after it was over.
The cast was so ugly and so grimy that it made the real Manson "family" look like the cast of Beverly Hills, 90210!
The intentional comedy takes away from the film's effectiveness. Seeing female characters portrayed by men in dresses was just plain stupid. The worst part of the movie occurs during the murder of Sharon Tate when when a death metal tune kicks in and the murderers begin stabbing a fake pregnant belly loaded with hamburger meat. This part was more sickening than humorous.
Two parts I enjoyed were when the Reverend Pat Robertson suddenly breaks into the soundtrack, giving a salacious description of the Tate murder and the inclusion of an old country & western tune about the killings.
That being said, it's not unentertaining or uneffective. I just wouldn't recommend it to anyone interested in the facts of the case. I'd tell them to watch the documentary Manson and the 1976 miniseries Helter Skelter. If you've seen it all and are ready for something weird and schizophrenic, this is for you.
The mix of 8mm graininess, real location footage, and the creepy music of Charles Manson (which would still be creepy if it were by someone else) make for a viewing experience so fetishistic and voyeuristic that it made me want to take a shower after it was over.
The cast was so ugly and so grimy that it made the real Manson "family" look like the cast of Beverly Hills, 90210!
The intentional comedy takes away from the film's effectiveness. Seeing female characters portrayed by men in dresses was just plain stupid. The worst part of the movie occurs during the murder of Sharon Tate when when a death metal tune kicks in and the murderers begin stabbing a fake pregnant belly loaded with hamburger meat. This part was more sickening than humorous.
Two parts I enjoyed were when the Reverend Pat Robertson suddenly breaks into the soundtrack, giving a salacious description of the Tate murder and the inclusion of an old country & western tune about the killings.
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