Nessieldwi Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

Derry Herrera Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

Mehdi Hoffman There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

Janis One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

krugstilo-1 THE MANSON FAMILY really is a work of art, and I rarely use that term. It's a savage, carefully made, justifiably violent mix of docu-crime film and '70s drive-in aesthetics. The strange thing is, I've seen low-budget films made for five or six million that look like garbage compared to THE MANSON FAMILY, and, if I'm not mistaken, all told, THE MANSON FAMILY cost less than two million. The editing is nothing short of mad genius. The effects are always convincing - and again, I've seen movies with much bigger budgets whose effects aren't half as real-looking. The acting is fine and, if T&A's your thing, the flick has gobs and gobs of nudity. Contrary to most reviews, I found it more beautiful than disturbing, although I completely agree with director VanBebber - the Manson family slaughtered virtually defenseless people like cattle and should never be viewed as some "hip" counterculture icon. I've always been a huge fan and proponent of VanBebber's work, ever since the early '90s when I purchased a VHS copy of DEADBEAT AT DAWN. It saddens me that VanBebber's script for a TOOLBOX MURDERS remake wasn't used (the ultimate Tobe Hooper remake was laughable and forgettable). I'm glad Phil Anselmo helped VanBebber get THE MANSON FAMILY finished. And, personally, I feel directors such as Tarantino should throw VanBebber a few million and just let him do whatever he wants. If I were in, for example, Tarantino's position, I'd write VanBebber a check and tell him, "Do whatever you want. Don't worry about paying it back, either." Jim VanBebber's a visionary and THE MANSON FAMILY is wholly unique and shouldn't have been so difficult to fund and finish. I'm eagerly awaiting VanBebber's next movie.

tonymurphylee **1/2 out of ****By golly, it's about time that a film about the Manson Family wasn't made to be more of an event then it really was. I mean sure, it is very tragic that those people died, I always will mourn for their families and them, being that they were innocent people who did not deserve to die, but the family isn't something that should be really feared. When you really break it down, the members of the cult were not smart people. They didn't ask questions as to what was the purpose was for murdering all those innocent people, they didn't see Charlie as someone who should not be taken seriously, and they didn't even know who they were murdering. They were very foolish people, and they should be anything but feared. I don't understand the rationale of someone who finds the incident of the cult to be so shocking. I mean sure, it's shocking that these people actually went out and committed these murders, but they were just a group of people who had obviously lost too many braincells. That is why I thought this was a good movie. Because it is honest, shows the incident from the evil side, and does it in a responsible and realistic manner.The film structure consists of the members of the family being interviewed in jail about what they did. We briefly see Charlie as the ringleader and we see him as a foolish looking funny man who mostly doesn't know what he is talking about. The film builds up to a Roman Polanski's MACBETH style third act in which the family goes on their killing spree, but by the time they begin to do these things, the audience realizes that these people don't have any rationale except for hate, and they gradually became blinded by it and began thinking that they were doing something of purpose, which they were certainly not.I don't recommend this to the casual movie goer. People who rent this thinking that it's just a horror film are wrong. This is not just a horror film. This is an extremely disturbing, gruesome, tasteless, and senselessly brutal film that just so happens to depict an honest representation of the family. People who will see this film will wonder if it merits any purpose. Indeed, it may not. That is not the point though. The point is that Mario Vanbebbler wanted to make the most realistic version of The Manson Family as possible, so even though the film may not be good, I am happy to say that he has succeeded in doing exactly what he wanted. That is something I greatly admire, and that's why I like this film.Not Rated. Adults only. contains explicit violence and sexuality, and drug use.

mhulsing Great intense movie found this film utterly amazing. I'm a sucker for exploitation cinema and would love the film for it's intensity alone. But this one manages to add many layers and unique qualities. Basically the film allows a certain amount of chaos in it's structure, especially at the beginning, but out of that arises a film that is strangely enough very coherent in the final (very strong) impression it left on me. A few things that stand out are the way in which the film has the period charm that belongs to sixties movies, not only in the feel of the colors and lightening but especially in the way the actors display a certain amateurish (by lack of a better word) enthusiasm, which could easily become tacky, but it doesn't. All actors portray perfect acid-heads. Especially the female actors manage this very well. There's lots of violence and nudity. All is very well timed and it comes in brilliant doses and one final appropriate over-dose. The modern day punky Mansonites add a nice underground feel to movie as well and allow the structure of the film to be broken open. I've read this film would not be for everyone. Yeah, I guess you could say that, but what does it mean? It probably helps when you are a sixties/seventies exploitation enthusiast but if you're not I would still advise you to see it as a work of film art that is not easily compared to anything else. It's raw and violent but is positive in it's creativity.

sith-lover I compare the style of this movie to Rob Zombie's "House of 1000 Corpses" or "The Devil's Reject's". There's plenty of blood and gore to go around. It's also gets two thumbs up for the nudity and strong sexual content. The movie was very coherent and clearly expressed the mood of The Manson Family at the time from their perspective. A group of young adults got caught up in acid-induced orgies and created their own religion and reality during the hippie movement. Over time, Charlie brain-washed them into thinking he was a deity and they (the family) his disciples. The documentary style of the movie may be a deterrent for main-stream movie goers.