The Manson Family

Directed by: Jim Van Bebber

RS: 4of 4 Stars

2004 All Movies

Had enough of Manson mythology? Cult director Jim VanBebber cuts right through it. Fifteen years in the making, this ultragraphic film gains its strength from the intercut narratives of Charlie's Family and a showdown between a TV reporter and a gang of armed miscreants. By creating a continuum between acid-mad anti-hippies and the current crop of nihilist punks, VanBebber shows a desperate, marginalized mind-set that remains virulently alive. Crucial.