The Manson Family (film)

The Manson Family is a 2003 American crime drama film. The film covers the lives of Charles Manson and his "family" of followers.

Overview

The Manson Family is a cross between fictional story and documentary, overseeing the crimes of The Manson Family as led by Charlie Manson. The fictional story centers on a Crime Scene-esque TV series of the same name and its host, Jack Wilson (Carl Day). Documentary-like footage of the real Manson Family is intercut within the film, albeit all members being portrayed by actors.

Cast

• Marcelo Games as Charlie Manson
• Marc Pitman as Tex Watson
• Leslie Orr as Patty Krenwinkel
• Maureen Allisse as Sadie Atkins
• Amy Yates as Leslie van Houten
• Jim Van Bebber as Bobby
• Tom Burns as Clem Watkins
• Michelle Briggs as Linda Kasabian
• Sherri Rickman as Snake
• Nate Pennington as Shorty
• Carl Day as Jack Wilson

Production

The film had a long and troubled production history. Director Jim Van Bebber personally financed the production starting in 1988, and then continued to shoot it sporadically on weekends and off days.

Despite support from various people, including members of the band Skinny Puppy, who provided a musical score (in the form of Download's Charlie's Family album) that was released separately years before the film itself, the film remained incomplete. It screened on video as a work-in-progress at a number of film festivals during that time.

In 2004, Dark Sky Films stepped in with the funds to finish the film properly, and it has since been released theatrically and on home video.

Phil Anselmo of Pantera, Down, and Superjoint Ritual provided his voice as Satan.

Classification

Despite not being banned in any country in the world, it is classified harshly in almost all countries of the world due to its graphic violence and sexuality.

• An unrated version is available in the United States, running an extra 11 minutes (95 minutes) to the R-rated cut (84 minutes).

Reception

The Manson Family received mixed to positive reviews; the film currently holds a 68% 'Fresh' rating on review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes.^[1]

References

External links

• Official website [CAUTION: Contains nudity and graphic violence]
• The Manson Family at the Internet Movie Database
• The Manson Family at AllRovi
• The Manson Family at Box Office Mojo
• The Manson Family at Rotten Tomatoes