Charles Manson - Superstar
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Movie Reviews of Charles Manson - Superstar
Movie Review: Manson, Jesus, Bugliosi, Time and doing time.
Summary: 5 Stars
Nikolas Schreck interviews Mr Charles Manson himself what more do you need to know? This quality work sees a genuinly impartial Schreck tackling the Manson myth and Manson himself in interview with intelligence, gently probing (whenever Charlie stops for a breath) this facinating man. The work is comprehensive, examining Manson's origins, the famous Bugliosi showcase trial, fellow characters in the 'manson family', 'hippies', the 60's and the decades of persistent media hype/myth around the era defining case. As a work of cultural study this stimulating film stands on it's own.The first thing you should be aware of in terms of Charles Manson is his insistence of his personal innocence of the murders he is serving time for. In short he maintains there was no 'family', he did not control others free will, did not order any murders and indeed was not present at any murders. (You may choose to believe or not believe he is white as snow!) The second is that he is either mad, truely enlightened, or both. The lenghty 1989 interview in San Quentin has moments of great revelation (in the purest sense of the concept) and hilarity. The shadowy Schreck seems a little over-awed in the face of Mansons energy and conviction but regardless, Manson himself does an excellent job at debunking 'Charles Manson'. He comes across as a tremendously aware human being and ultimately a true paradox - for all his awareness he seems to be less than capable of making the best of his potential for 'rehabilitation' and all that could concievably bring.
This film should give any open-minded and/or inquisitive viewer great insight into life itself - rather than Charles Manson perhaps. That's to say you may feel you know more about yourself rather than more about Manson after viewing. This cannot be a bad thing. You may want to join the Manson fan club after watching this film tho so beware.
This review was based on the video. The dvd has a section on Mansons music which is of a surprisingly high quality - the 'family' could really sing.
Movie Review: Unique and interesting
Summary: 5 Stars
Charles Manson is the symbol of the destructiveness and of cults, but you have to realize the reason WHY such things exist represents the very sickness of society--born from the endless sea of people who are lost, homeless, unwanted, people desperately trying to find something, someone to feel they belong. The garbage pits of America in the endless multitudes--seas of people who are unwanted, the unloved, the uncared for, and homeless. So rises these cults due to the large sea of the unwanted. As long as people are irresponsible and have unwanted, unloved children--which is too countless to even comprehend, so the Charles Mansons and cults and skinheads of the world will always flourish.
Charles Manson seems to be the icon of this. With all of his crazy ramblings, sometimes you hear things quite profound with a lot of thought. For example, he remarks about overpopulation and pollution--"if you run out of food, you have a LOT of meat to deal with" (referring to the multitudes of people in the near 7 billion mark). It's 100% true. Interesting interview, either he sounds totally crazy, or very deep and profound. Interesting mixture. He mostly sounds crazy though :-)
I enjoyed the film immensely. Of all the media I seen on Manson, this one is the best.
Movie Review: FREE CHARLES MANSON!
Summary: 5 Stars
In Charles Manson Superstar, Charlie finally gets to tell his side of the story. He lays it on the line. He makes America uncomfortable. The major point is that Charlie never murdered anyone. He was convicted based upon testimony from the murderers that Charlie "told us to do it."Manson is in prison for several reasons, none of which have to do with him being a cold-blooded killer. He was the personification of hippie counter-culture in 1969. He's wild-eyed and speaks his mind. He talks differently than most people. Perhaps Manson's biggest "crime" and the reason he continues to be denied parole is that he got a swastika tattooed on his forehead.
It's a very complicated case. Manson ain't no angel. He's a superstar. Watch this film without prejudice and make up your own mind. Perhaps you too will decide that it's time to free Charles Manson!
Movie Review: Not what it tries to be
Summary: 4 Stars
In this interview, producer Nikolas Schrek frames Manson as an iconic and misunderstood victim. On that level, of course, this is pure bosh. Some of the supporting historical information presented here about the "Family" and the murders is accurate but available in more detail and better format elsewhere. In other places, the filmmaker either deliberately slants or just doesn't have his facts straight. The sound and video quality of this product are low-budget and nominal.
So, why did i give this four stars? Because it provides more or less unfettered access into the mind of a pure criminal psychopath, and a very influential one at that. Charles Manson has touched the minds of many people and it behooves us as a society to try to understand how such a person can influence others. The interview should be mandatory watching for criminal psychologists and anyone involved in gang prevention or caring for juvenile delinquents.
I should add a few caveats here. If you're not familiar with the Manson case, this is not a good place to start. Pick up the Bugliosi book, maybe watch one of the TV movies based on it (both are good, not great). There are other books out there, but Bugliosi's "Helter Skelter" presents what are accepted as the facts of the case better than any of them by far. Extremely sensitive or impressionable people should probably do themselves a favor and not watch this DVD at all.
The history of the Manson cult and murders is really a fascinating one: the Beach Boys, the Beatles, Summer of Love, Berkeley free speech movement, the hippie/commune lifestyle, and (of course) lots of LSD all come together in the grisly story which brought the 60's to a tumultuous close. This interview does provide a new vision into what made helter skelter happen in 1969.
Movie Review: "Christ was a little god."
Summary: 4 Stars
I love listening to Charles Manson speak and this film is absolutely fascinating except for the interruptions to the interview. Why not just show Manson talking for 90 minutes straight? Nobody cares about the poorly made segments about the history of Charlie. We already know all that stuff; we just want to hear him talk.
And talk he does! He also jumps around, does martial art moves, beats on a trash can, does some weird yoga stuff and gets tangled up in his microphone cord about 10 times.
Even if the interviewer sucks, this is some mandatory stuff. Also for some added laughs read the biography of filmmaker Nikolas Schreck. Ha!