The Carrying On of A Wayward Son

This review originally ran in The Battalion, Texas A&M’s student newspaper.

Movie: “The Manson Family”

Plot: A collage of filmmaking techniques and styles, director Jim Van Bebber’s exploration of Charles Manson’s group of followers took more than six years to film. The end result is a nice tall glass of disturbing with a twist of perversion.

Charles Manson, the sometimes charismatic, always crazy cult leader, cast a dark shadow on the tail end of the 1960s. Leading his followers in a series of killings and mischief making, Manson believed himself to be a god. His family (consisting of  former teachers, football players and students) were his drug-loving acolytes, carrying out his word with bloody detail.

Filmed in a combination of mock interviews and dramatizations, the film never spends too much time on Manson (played by Marcelo Games), instead focusing on the sex and drug-fueled misdeeds carried out by his followers. Concentrating on the various personalities that constituted Manson’s inner circle, Van Bebber outlines their descent into murder from their innocent hippie beginnings to the eventual trials that landed most of Manson’s followers in jail.

The cast, a spattering of unknown actors, burrows deep into their roles, transforming themselves into their real-life inspirations. The film’s production values and atmosphere radiate a 1970s exploitation-vibe – a perfect match for the film’s subject matter. Van Bebber’s music video background is utilized heavily in the film’s editing. Flashes of color and abstract symbolism punctuate underwhelming acting and over-the-top production.

Unfortunately, the film’s excess sex and violence prevents audiences from taking “The Manson Family” too seriously. Instead of crafting an in-depth exploration into a genuinely interesting historical case, Van Bebber produces pure, unadulterated schlock.

Connection to Texas A&M in Six Degrees: Jim Van Bebber’s Charlie Manson was believably played by Marcelo Games in “The Manson Family.” Games made his acting debut in Van Bebber’s earlier film, “Deadbeat at Dawn” with Paul Harper, a graduate of the University of Texas. Harper also made an appearance in the television western “Ghost Rock,” which starred Gary Busey, the star of many films, including “Black Sheep,” a Chris Farley film. One of Farley’s earliest films, “Coneheads,” also featured an early appearance from comedian Eddie Griffin. Griffin would later go on to appear in “The New Guy,” which featured A&M graduate Lyle Lovett in a supporting role.

Cheese Whip: The film is framed by the present-day story of a television journalist seeking to uncover the truth behind the Manson family. Unfortunately for him, a group of modern-day Manson followers have made time in their busy schedule of trips to Hot Topic and playing Dungeons and Dragons to threaten him with bodily harm. The overtly fictionalized framing sequence seems shoehorned in and removes audiences from the flow of the film, but it is a prime example of the film’s philosophy: The truth isn’t as important as a really cool slasher scene.

How to Watch: To watch “The Manson Family” for the fullest impact, gather up your own family, heat up some popcorn and settle down for this touching story of family values and the tie that binds and gags. If you’re lucky, your parents will awkwardly try and emphasize that not everybody in the 1960s was having promiscuous sex, doing drugs and killing people. Make sure and send the little ones to bed early though, as the film will undoubtedly scar them for life, leaving them scared of experimental films and hippies.

~ by robsaucedo2500 on February 18, 2010.

Posted in Movies
Tags: bad movies, Black Sheep, Charles Manson, Chris Farley, Coneheads, Deadbeat at Dawn, Dungeons and Dragons, Eddie Griffin, Gary Busey, Ghost Rock, hippies, Horror, Hot Topic, Humor, Jim Van Bebber, Lyle Lovett, Marcelo Games, Movies, Paul Harper, Texas A&M, The Manson Family, The New Guy