Hooptober... And Then There Were Nine

36th Kill

In hindsight, The Manson Family wasn't a very suitable pick for HoopTober, because this is supposed to be a film festival of wicked, bloody joy. Horror movies are my comfort food. But there's no joy or comfort in this film - quite the opposite. In a way, I hesitate to even call The Manson Family a horror film, because I associate the genre with fun, first and foremost. Jim Van Bebber wasn't aiming to give anyone a fun time with this movie.

Although I admired Van Bebber's Deadbeat By Dawn as a wonder of amateur, DIY film making, it was a little too rough around the edges to fully pull me in. But The Manson Family is a real step up in film-making craft. We're still in the realm of microbudget production here but, man, this is pretty damn impressive stuff. Like many, I found the "present day" narrative about a group of weird nihilist perverts wanting to kill the maker of this fake documentary to be rather surplus to requirements, but I think I get why Van Bebber included it.

I think we have this whole storyline about contemporary Manson acolytes because the really frightening thing about this film, and what I believe Van Bebber really manages to convey, is human beings' susceptibility to any idea if it is fed to them in the right way, in the right setting by the right charismatic asshole. It doesn't matter how fucking crazy, horrible or nightmarish that idea is, we know - history is literally showing us - there will be plenty of folks willing to follow it.

The Manson Family, true to its title, spends a lot of time with the "Family" itself. Manson makes sporadic, fairly brief appearances, although his presence looms large - probably much like how the average Family member would have experienced him at the time. Because the film so painstakingly recreates life in this fucked-up little community, it is actually a little tedious through the first couple of acts - just because their behaviour is so asinine and it's just not a great place to exist as a spectator. But even so, it's succeeding in developing what I think is the requisite level of insight for you to make sense of what happens in the final act.

I say "make sense" - of course it makes no sense, but this film fully conveys the hellish psychological landscape of Manson's acolytes. Particular attention is paid to Tex Watson, who is portrayed as the most independent-minded figure in the group - a guy who came for the free sex and then resisted Manson's schtick, even disparaging him to his fellow cultists. But then, when the group finally goes on its spree, it's Tex who commits the greatest atrocities, with the most enthusiasm. Although he was never portrayed as a sympathetic character at all, it's still a gut punch to see how he was the worst of them in the attacks.

The final act is shocking in its brutality - the most nightmarish aspect probably being the manic glee with which these assholes conducted their bloody business. This is a film which ushers you into an apprehension of the human psyche which will leave you desolate. It's not any kind of fun, but it's powerful film-making.

Best Kill (may contain traces of spoiler)

No such thing as a "best kill" in a true crime flick. They all suck because they actually happened. There's nothing to celebrate in this instance. But the movie achieves its aims with every murder it portrays, I'll give it that.