Helter Skelter
|
List Price: Our Price: $11.80 You Save: $8.17 (41%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $9.79 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
Movie Reviews of Helter Skelter
Movie Review: A CLASSIC REVISITED.
Summary: 5 Stars
Its been more than 35 years since the Tate-LaBianca murders and the facts of those crimes may not shock people too young to remember that brief period of history or those so inured to mindless violence through the media since 1969. But to those of us who lived through those days, especially in Southern California's San Fernando Valley, the potency of the crimes and this remarkable tele-film still reverberate today.
The movie covers an amazing amount of factual ground and does justice to Vincent Bugliosi's massive, definitive account of the Manson Family and the era in which he operated. As a movie, it's a classic example of mixing documentary style dialogue with first-rate characterizations. Though Steve Railsback's frighteningly realistic performance allegedly typecast him, this actually adds to the impact of his superb performance--it was simply TOO good. George DiCenzo is appropriately business-like as Bugliosi at the start, then slowly grows more impassioned and frustrated as the travails of the justice system wind before him. All the "Manson Girl" roles are performed well, Marilyn Burns is poignant as Linda Kasabian, but special kudos should go to Nancy Wolfe as Susan Atkins. At the least, she should have gotten a supporting actress Emmy nomination, if not the award, for her stunning depiction of the robotic, demented Manson slave who was perhaps more frightening than the leader himself. Also noteworthy are Sondra Blake (yes, Robert's ex)as the brave Ronnie Howard and young Jon Gries as the caretaker initially suspected of the Cielo drive murders. All in all, this film stands the test of time and is even more impressive next to the sickly "reimagined" version that played on early 2004 television. Some classics don't need remaking. Just revisiting. "Helter Skelter" stands in this pantheon.
Movie Review: You can feed the world with my Garbage Dump...
Summary: 5 Stars
After 33 years since this movie first came out, it still has the power to scare the hell out of you!
Steve Railsback stars as a picture-perfect "Man's Son." Charlie's whole trip is laid out here, from the Creepy Crawls to him on a jail bunk, with shaven head singing: "You can feed the world with my Garbage Dump." And the hate stare he gives at the end is the scariest part of the whole movie!
Of all the websites out there now seeking to glorify Manson and make him a urban legend, this movie will ground you with it's "Dragnet" style portrayal of the savage animalistic murders and the three ring circus court proceedings to prosecute that animal and his Garbage People.
Like in the old television series "Dragnet,"..."Just the facts, ma-am!"
There seems to be in the public mind a battle over this version of Helter Skelter and the 2004 TV movie of the same name. I think they compliment each other. This one tells of how it was done and how the "family" were convicted. The new version gets you more into the mind of Manson and WHY it was done and WHY young college student runaways became robotic murders on the "suggestions" of Manson.
Interesting enough, of the major killers, all of them except Manson now recognize the horror of what they have done and take responsibility upon themselves. Of the original "Family," only Squeaky, Sandy and Bobby Beausoleil are unrepentant and as hard core as always.
For those out there who look upon Manson as a role model, WAKE UP! There are millions of others who went through hell as a kid who became a inspiration of good to the world! Manson deliberately heaped all his bad karma upon himself!
"That sums it up in one big lump!"
Movie Review: A chilling film
Summary: 5 Stars
I remember when it happened and I remember seeing this film in 1976.
Both moments were chilling.
I was a kid in 1969 when the murders happened. The fear that gripped Los Angeles was something I'll never forget.
I read the book as a young Jr. High student and the opening words of "The story you're about to read will scare the hell out of you". I recall my aunt being not sure about letting me read the book.
When this film came out in 1976, we were living in rural part of Central California. Our house was in wooded area not unlike Benedict Canyon. My family and I watched this film together. I had to work at my part time job at our local fast food joint and got off work right before the film aired. I'll never forget driving up our long driveway after seeing the first half of this movie. I was scared out my of 16 year old wits!
This film captured that. Good or bad. I think that it vindicated thoes who died, villified thoes who killed and questioned and praised those who worked on this cause and brought the killers to justice. (Let's face it, the LAPD screwed up A LOT).
It's a chilling film with outstanding performances. It odd that Steve Railsback was not nominated for an Emmy or any of the actresses that played the Manson women, mostly Nancy Wolfe who gave a chilling performance as Susan Atkins and Marilyn Burns as Linda Kasabian who was a witness to the brutal crimes.
This film, like the book "will scare the hell out of you".
Don't bother with the 2004 film.
Movie Review: Stunning
Summary: 5 Stars
I am not a student of the Manson Family, so I don't know how accurate this movie is, but as a movie it is terrific.
It's very long. It was a made-for-TV two-parter. But that actually enhances the effect.
It starts slowly, and some of the acting is a little awkward.
I get the sense that this is less because of novice actors and more because of a tight budget: not enough takes.
But after a while the awkwardness ceases, and the emotional momentum continues to build.
The ordinary settings also contribute to a realistic feel.
Manson himself does not appear till well along in the film, and at first he is small and flimsy-looking.
What a shock, then, when he suddenly seems to grow before your eyes into this towering, fire-eyed figure of domination.
Railsback's performance is amazing. He is by turns clownish, fierce, humble, reasonable, loony, hypnotic. It is easy to see why adrift girls would fixate on him and regard his words as holy.
DiCenzo, as Bugliosi, has been criticized as stiff, and he is. But this simply adds to the overall effectiveness. Bugliosi's lack of charisma makes Manson's charisma seem the more overwhelming.
An astonishing film.
Movie Review: Unforgettable presentation of pure evil
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of the videos I've been waiting for to come out on DVD for a long time.I watched this lengthy film in one-sitting one summer when I was living alone. I remember turning the light on at one point when the plot began to take a sinister turn. I was grateful for that light when the movie ended and it was dark outside. I seem to remember sitting quietly after the credits were over, and I contemplated what I had just seen.
If you read my review of the Bugliosi/Gentry book, you'll see how powerfully the story itself affected me. Well, this presentation captures both the essence and the emotion of the narrative. It is both chilling and compelling. The acting, driven along by the astonishing Railsback, is among the best I've seen in a true-crime drama.
I'm so glad the filmmakers didn't cut as many corners as they could have. They retain the essential story line and characters to assure that those who have seen the film know almost as much as those who have read the book. Frankly a litany of all the ways the police proved themselves to be incompetent was a tedium I would gladly forego.
Both well-crafted and powerfully presented, this is a keeper, worth watching and re-watching.