Helter Skelter

Had it not been for the Roman Polanski/celebrity slant for the mainstream media to exploit, Charles Manson and family would have been a much shorter version of 'just another '60s hippie cult' story.

Repeating detective statements and medical examiner findings just sensationalizes what happened all over again. As for Charles Manson, his parroting of the media to the media was just an attempt to keep his idea of himself alive.

Interviews weren't fresh and were subject to the editing of hindsight. Bury the bones and move on.

But obviously a sugar coated version of what really happened there and following with mansons trials and ridiculous "white privilege" type of sentencing LOL. stupid sick people are gonna do stupid sick things.. that is just how american society is and will never change. all that being said, interesting how 2020 america is basically fulfilling the manson prophecy.. hmm

and damn.. that rose ann mourehouse is smokin! id've joined a cult just to get in dem pants he he

Six hours. Six episodes. Or, rather, take away the openings and closings of each of the six episodes and it's probably 6 x 54 mins. Call it 5 1/2 hours. The definitive Manson murders and trial film. I have not one bad thing to say about the film. I watched each episode weekly. So, maybe watching it in 2 1/2 hour blocks or so would be a different viewing experience. Each episode offers a lot to digest. I guess there's some controversy about whether the murders were committed by the Manson cult to instigate a coming race war. Whatever. Why is that important? Prosecutor and subsequent author Vincent Bugliosi correctly put the theory in front of the jury to make sure Manson was convicted, even though he obviously was absent at the time of the 7 Tate - La Bianca atrocities. (post edit) Omg. It just came into focus reading the other 2 reviews. The reason the Helter Skelter theory is dismissed is because some think the deep state pedophilia porn and drug users/dealers did it. Wow. Guessing to them, Manson, Watson, and the girls are patsies. smh.

Post post edit. It's been 9 days since I posted my review. A few things have stayed in my mind about this documentary. 1. The Dennis Wilson house takeover by the Manson clan. Wilson allowed them to move in en masse because, I guess, he liked naked girls walking about. The fact he had to sell the house and move to get rid of them from his life is interesting. But, obviously, he brought it upon himself. 2. The story by one of the Manson girls in a present day interview segment about how she wanted to have sex with Charley and he was a little rough. That was exceedingly bizarre and creepy that she felt the need to share that with us. 3. The stories first hand of how the girls were picked up by Charley one by one. All went with him gladly and stayed in his group willingly. 4. Charley learning Dale Carnegie techniques in prison seems a bit far fetched.

There is absolutely nothing new in the six part series that hasn't been rehashed ad nauseam. (I chose to give it 10 stars because the trove of TV footage, interviews, and previously unseen photos was enough to make it an intense viewing.)

Considering the glut of new information that came out in print during the 50th anniversary of the murders, I was disappointed that the series didn't probe some of the much more convincing theories.

We are left with the tired "Helter Skelter"-- a motive that has been laughed out of most investigative circles, and proven Bugliosi's "facts be damned" obsession with convicting Manson.

"Helter Skelter" will go into the history books as the accepted version of what happened in August of 1969. But for the small percentage of the population that refuse to take the media's word for it, it is not that simple. The more logical theories of drug burns and a very seedy Hollywood underbelly cannot compete with a real life boogeyman.

So Tex Watson, the man who did most of the damage, inflicted most of the stab wounds, and had a direct hand in seven murders will die in obscurity. And the victims will be remembered as wide eyed innocents, despite mountains of evidence to the contrary (Sebring and Frykowski were well known drug dealers. The Tate residence was Geound Zero for wild drug parties and pornographic films involving everyone from Mama Cass to Yuel Brenner). No one will know Jack Nickolson was among friends who removed damaging film reels in the living room loft while the bodies were still warm.

In the end, it's probably safer that we believe documentary series like "Helter Skelter". When we start peeling back the layers, the truth is far more terrifying than a 5' 2" failure and his group of degenerate hippies.

Great documentary that really tells the full story in one series, for a 35 y/o dude. Only problem is that Episode 1 doesn't chrnologically fit & then several scenes after (incl episode 1 scenes) are replayed several times to a "T" in 1-2 min stretches & almost makes you think you selected an episode you already watched.