"Helter Skelter" is not billed as a horror movie, but it's been my experience that some stories and films about real people can be just as terrifying, if not more so, than a monster movie. This one is a case in point.The time was the 1960's, the era of free love, drugs, discontented youth, political unrest and protests. Kids felt like they could change the world, and many rebelled against everything their parents held dear. Thousands of young people migrated to Haight-Ashbury to join in on the fun. Gurus abounded and anyone who owned a guitar and could talk the talk had a leg up on those who didn't.Enter Charles Manson, a 32 year old who was a long term convict and had just been released from prison. He gravitated to Haight-Ashbury with his guitar and over a period of time, was able to recruit young people to join his commune which he later termed his "family". There was a catch though - you couldn't join if Charlie didn't want you. The reason? Charlie was looking for people he could easily manipulate. He'd learned to be quite the chameleon in prison, and was able to tell each one of his damaged followers exactly what they wanted and needed to hear resulting in their absolute devotion and his absolute control. A career criminal, as astounding as it sounds, was able to convince these people through manipulation, sex and drugs that he was indeed Jesus Christ and that they were his "chosen". This ultimately led to the murders of Sharon Tate and her unborn child, Abigail Folger, Jay Sebring, Wojciech Frykowsk, Steven Parent and Leo and Rosemary LaBianca, among others.The movie closely follows the book written by Vincent Bugliosi, the lead prosecutor during the resulting murder trial of Manson and three of the four other participants. What makes this movie so scary? It's not just the story of manipulation, mind control and murder that makes it so frightening, but coming to the understanding that these people had absolutely no remorse for what they did and would have gladly done it again if Charlie asked them to. Listening to Susan Atkins' grand jury testimony about killing Sharon Tate in graphic detail like it was no bigger of a deal than going grocery shopping is quite chilling. And finally, understanding that this is a true story, not fiction, and at any given time or place another Charlie might be lurking in the shadows.This movie would have failed miserably if it was poorly acted or hammy - it wasn't. All of the actors were quite convincing. Casting Steve Railsback as Manson was pure genius as far as I'm concerned. This is by far the best Manson movie out there. If you are into true crime, this movie should definitely be on your watch list. A perfect example of the truth being stranger than fiction.

Personally I Think That The Story Of Charles Manson Has Always Been Something I Can Only Describe As F#ucked Up, This Guy Controlled People To Kill People He Never Met. The Movie Is A Courtroom Drama, Whereas From What I've Seen Of The Remake Its A Point A To B Film. I Have To Say Something About Steve Railsback's Performance, He Played Manson A Little Too Well, I Could See He Was Trying His Best To Make Him Seem Realistic And He Did It Very Well.The Plot Is That Manson Is On Trial But With No Actual Murders Next To His Name And With That He Could Walk Away A Free Man.Overall I Liked This Movie, There Are More Reasons As To Why I Like This Film Then Railsback's Performance As Manson And I Actually Recommend This To Anyone Whose Interested In This

This is without a doubt one of the best made for TV movies of all time Because it shows how the authorities were able to solve one of the most horrifying crimes in US history And indeed the cast none of whom could be considered "stars" all did an outstanding job in their roles.And in particular Steve Railsback as Charles Manson created a role that will be remembered forever.Also good was veteran character actor George DeCenzo as Asst DA Vincent Bugliosi who's put in charge of prosecuting the Manson Family. Also excellent were Nancy Wolfe as Susan Denise Atkins Marilyn Burns as Linda Kasabian who's testimony was largely responsible for the conviction of The Manson family.And indeed the entire cast was excellent and included many faces that were familiar to movie fans including Paul Mantee as Sgt Oneal(who gained some fame as the star of Robinson Crusoe on Mars his only leading role)And in the role of Judge Older was actor Skip Homeir.And indeed the end of the first part shows a sneering Mansons face which even now is quite scary.Irecomend this movie which is far better then the 2004 TV Movie of the same name.

Despite a hokey opening prologue by a narrator who talks directly to viewers, this three hour made-for-TV docu-drama provides a generally good overview of the real-life Tate/LaBianca murders that occurred in the summer of 1969, and the subsequent trial of Charles Manson and his "family". Based on the book "Helter Skelter" by Manson Prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi, the film has a dragnet or prosecution tone to it, as it describes events from Bugliosi's point of view. That is okay, except that the script minimizes the crucial role of Tex Watson, one of the actual killers. After the murders, Watson fled to Texas, and was initially beyond Bugliosi's prosecution reach. Later, Watson was extradited back to California.The film's first half is confusing because it presents so many Manson family names; this part of the film is somewhat hard to follow. The film's second half concentrates on the courtroom trial and is therefore more straightforward. The film's pace tends to be slow. There are several long speeches. And some scenes are either unnecessary or overly long. One scene in the second half goes on for some ten minutes. Overall, the film has a made-for-TV look and feel. Production design, costumes, and makeup are credible. As Manson, Steve Railsback's performance is ... intense.What makes this film worth watching is that it is a true story ... and a powerful one. Manson had no qualms about killing innocent people. And he sought to sublease that evil to weaker personalities, like Susan Atkins, Linda Kasabian, Leslie Van Houten, and other members of his hippie clan. And that power over others in turn fed his megalomania.Manson was a cultural scavenger, a junk man without conscience. He and his "family" subsisted on food from dumpsters behind supermarkets. And at one point in the film, he even says he wouldn't mind prison chow; "it's better than (eating) garbage". What a statement. It says a lot about him and about his followers.