Review of The Manson Family (1997) by Richard C — 01 Dec 2010

Infantile and non-professional. I take it it was made for TV; it'd be sad if it wasn't. The film intersperses three facets about "the Manson family" (really?), one part reenacting Manson and his clan of hippie murderers (this is the main focus), another one seemingly showcasing interviews of the Manson clan, and the last one a completely fictionalized story.

Again, the editing, acting, and directing are really poor for what this film was aiming for, which is serious treatment on this whole Manson phenomena which, the film states, tainted the late-60s and early-70s periods of sexual liberty and pacifism in the US.

It takes about an hour until the infamous acts take place, and the acts themselves expose the budget the film was limited to. Prior to that, the plot feels dead, centering solely on the relationships that Manson rounded up.

I don't know how much of the reenactment is accurate. "Based on a true story" is claimed. Ultimately, a let down, knowing the subject matter could've been frightening and invasive (The film attempts to evoke these feelings, but fails by means of its unintentional comic relief, plus the budget limitation).