Fascinating film about crimes that gripped the nation in 1969. Had the first victims not included Hollywood celebrities, I doubt the sensationalism would have been so pervasive. Nonetheless, the state's account is told in painstakingly detailed fashion, while it's a tribute to the filmmakers that not even the many lawyerly conflabs manage to pall. Of course, there were social-political agendas at stake at the time. Many folks saw the Manson murders as logical outcome of an undisciplined, hedonistic hippie movement. After all, what else could be expected of rootless sex-happy druggies. On the other hand, counterculture folks did their best to disassociate a lunatic Manson and his witless followers from movement principles. The movie essentially presents the case from prosecutor Bugliosi's point of view, but is wisely careful not to indict the counterculture as a whole. Railsback plays the bearded lunatic with wild-eyed abandon—how much is true to life and how much caricature is open to speculation. Most unnerving to me, however, is Nancy Wolfe as Susan Atkins. Her need to believe in a leader-type, any leader who pays her attention, suggests an undercurrent more alarming than Charlie himself. Then too, Wolfe plays Atkins with effective and understated malign. On the other hand, DiCenzo's prosecuting attorney is clearly the hero. Wisely, Bugliosi comes across as a consummate professional, without swagger or ego. Thus the contrast with Manson is striking, leaving no doubts about the trial's outcome. Note too, how police bureaucracy mishandles the Tate murder weapon, making prosecution more difficult, a good touch to include. Too bad, however, that Manson's charismatic side is not included. For example a scene that shows how he was able to emotionally seduce his followers. As things stand, we get the dramatic effects without the seductive cause.On the whole, the long version, 180-minutes, is slickly done, especially for a TV movie. Now that 50-years have passed, most Americans have no living memory of what a splash the freighted crimes made. In that sense, the movie—for better or worse-- amounts to an entertaining visual record.

Told almost exclusively from the perspective of prosecutor "Vincent Bugliosi" (George DiCenzo) this movie details the events that occurred on August 9, 1969 (and again on the next day) by Charles Manson and his followers along with their subsequent arrest, trial and conviction for the murders of seven people in Hollywood, California. Even today the entire story is both shocking and bizarre. Now rather than reveal any more of this movie and risk spoiling it for those who haven't seen it I will just say that although it is told in a documentary style it still manages to retain the horror of the events to a great degree. I especially liked the performance of Steve Railsback (as "Charles Manson") who performed in a very excellent manner. Likewise, Nancy Wolfe (as "Susan Atknins") was also very good. At any rate, there are apparently several versions of this movie available and since I have only seen the long version (about 194 minutes) I can only say that this particular version is very good and I rate it as above average.

Although I was still a generation or two away, I have always thought that the Sixties must have been a great time to be alive – the "Nouvelle Vague" and the full blossoming of art-house cinema, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, psychedelia, the birth of the all-star rock festivals, etc. – and, where I to have a time machine at my disposal, I would probably decide to be a 25-year old stranded in 1967 for the rest of my life (either that or during the Roman Empire)! However, when I eventually realize how painfully naïve and misguided that whole "Flower Power" generation was (the fantastic notion that somebody could change the world through music or achieve world peace through free love) soon makes me reconsider and come back crashing to reality – the same way that the Tate-LaBianca killings brought America back to its senses from its hippie dream-state in the Summer of 1969. Given that the death of imprisoned ex-Charles Manson acolyte Susan Atkins and the surprise arrest of Roman Polanski in a Switzerland airport occurred within days of each other, I thought it was high time that I watched this much-lauded dramatization of The Manson Family court hearings. Since the horrific events were a mere seven years old at the time this 3-hour TV-movie was made (becoming one of the most viewed of all time), it is not surprising that the murders themselves are not inordinately dwelt upon and, being based on the prosecuting District Attorney's best-selling-book, its focus lies on the accumulation of the evidence and the lengthy trial itself. Although eventually a shorter cut of the film was prepared (probably for theatrical distribution in Europe), I cannot say that I found the considerable running time a burden so fascinating were the events unfolding on the screen. Sparked by a formidable performance by George DiCenzo (as the dogged D.A. Vincent Bugliosi) and an electrifying one by Steve Railsback (as the loathsomely hypnotic Charles Manson), the film also gives the opportunity for two supporting female performers to shine: Nancy Wolfe (as the boastful Susan Atkins) and Marilyn Burns (as the Prosecution's key witness, former Manson follower Linda Kasabian). Tom Gries' direction is admirably matter-of-fact and only lapses into flashiness during the re-enactment of the murders themselves (with Kasabian providing voice-over narration from the witness stand) – scenes which, I thought, were further marred by the overly loud playing of The Beatles' all-important songs on the soundtrack…only, what we actually hear are cover versions by an obscure band called Silverspoon! The sequence in which another collaborative male witness explains to Bugliosi how much Manson's mantra was 'influenced' by the music of The Beatles – especially "The White Album" (1968) and "Revolution 9" in particular – is a fascinating one but even a small fragment of said song underscoring it – or elsewhere in the movie – would not have been amiss (but, perhaps, the covering band did not quite know how to tackle that "mind-blowing" epic)! On a personal note, the same witness reveals that, in Manson's mind, the song was referring to the Holy Bible (Revelations Chapter 9) and, for what it is worth, a quote from that book, Revelations 9:15, is also heard (by sheer coincidence, I might add!) in my own first "unpublished" screenplay (which I co-wrote with my twin brother)!! Besides, it seemed awkward to me that no reference whatsoever was made to the reason behind the fact that the fourth Manson Family member personally involved in the Tate-LaBianca murders (Charlie "Tex" Watson) was tried separately than the other four. Apart from the utterly chilling portrayal of the dominance Manson held over his drug-crazed followers and their animalistic lifestyles, I must say that HELTER SKELTER (which, of course, refers to another song off of "The White Album" – arguably The Beatles' heaviest and one of my own personal favorites) also served to reveal a few new tidbits and dispel some myths that I had heard on the now-40-year old events: Charles Manson was not actually present on the premises of Sharon Tate's rented house the night she and her four guests were brutally murdered; Susan Atkins did not cut out Tate's unborn baby boy; Manson's only actual participation in the LaBianca killings was to tie up the two victims; the words "Helter Skelter" – apparently misspelled as "Healter Skelter" – were written in blood on the LaBianca's refrigerator and not Tate's; Charles Manson, who was 34 at the time of the killings, actually admitted to 35 murders; Manson had, by then, already spent half his life locked up in jail and other similar institutions; Manson and his gang were originally only arrested by the L.A.P.D. for setting an 'earth machine' on fire, etc. Seeing how VALLEY OF THE DOLLS (1967) is the only remaining film (from the six significant ones that Sharon Tate appeared in) left for me to watch, it might have been a good idea to give it a first look right now as well but, having just been made aware how one of the most beautiful actresses ever had her life callously ended at 25 years of age thanks to the megalomaniacal delusions of Charles Manson et al, I believe it would be better to leave that campy pleasure for another time.

'Helter Skelter' is a three-hour CBS TV movie chronicling, in almost documentary-like detail, the investigation, arrest, and trial of Charles Manson and the Manson Family for the Tate/LaBianca murders of 1969. Nothing is shown of the killings themselves, just the aftermath, and being told from the point-of-view of the investigators, nothing is seen of Manson and his followers in the period leading up to the murders. The whole thing, therefore, is a pretty standard legal procedural thriller, often highlighting the unbelievable incompetence of the LAPD and associated authorities.The movie has dated, not only in its look, but in its style of storytelling. When the CSI team can wrap up three cases in a 40 minute running time, 'Helter Skelter' seems, at times, overly long and leisurely in its pacing – not so much a fault of the movie as a sorry comment on contemporary expectations. This extended running time does, however, present an opportunity to go into minute detail about the case, and patience is often rewarded.The film is lifted above the norm by exceptional performances from Steve Railsback as Charles Manson and Nancy Wolfe as Susan Atkins. So fascinating and genuinely chilling are the two characters that these actors create that the movie seems to fall flat when they are not around. I, for one, was far more interested in them than the investigation and wanted to know more about their background, the origins of their unquestionable insanity, their motives, their relationships, and how the Family came in to existence in the first place. Though these issues are hinted at, none are developed as much as the brilliant characterizations demand.Worth watching for some incredibly cold and chilling performances, but offers little in the way of real explanation for their actions.