Famous
underground documentary that alternates between brazen sympathy for Manson and
legitimate challenging of media myths about him. It’s true that Manson’s trial and sentencing
were fueled by pure hysteria more than actual justice and that it is yet to be proven in
a court of law that the man, (who is serving a life sentence), ever actually murdered anyone. It’s also true that prosecutor Vincent
Bugliosi, (co-author of Helter Skelter), was responsible for promulgating
the notion of Manson as some sort of demonic super-villain who shouldn’t
testify before a jury because his evil hypnotic power might persuade
listeners that he was not guilty. BUT,
and this is a big but, I’m concerned with filmmaking more than history on this blog, and
despite it’s cultural significance, Charles Manson Superstar is an
incredibly sloppy piece of work that loses all credibility due to Schreck’s ridiculously
hyperbolic narration, which is simply badly written, read and researched;
filled with factual errors identifiable to any casual viewer, great leaps in
paranoid logic, and embarrassing mispronunciations. Though there is a modicum of vintage footage
of the subject in younger days, the bulk of the film is comprised of a single
interview with Manson in prison. Even
here, Schreck makes a fool of himself by “directing” Manson to look into the
camera and make some appropriately menacing speech. You should know you’re in trouble when
Charles Manson appears more rational than you, as in this case where he simply
refuses to indulge the filmmaker’s cheap gimmick. Bottom line: yes, a less tabloid-oriented
treatment of the Manson case was badly needed, but there are far better and
more even-handed documentaries out there.
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