Rating: 
Summary: Terrifying as it was a true story
Review: Finally, the original 1976 movie of "Helter Skelter" is released on DVD.Although there are no special features, I assue when the CBS re-make, which airs in May,204, is released on DVD, it will have them.Even without any special features, this DVD is well worth the purchase price. Although some events are slightly altered, this film is 95% accurate. Considering this was made in 1976, it holds up very well. And, as I understand it, it was and still ranks as one of the highest rated tv movies of all time. Very ground breaking for a 1976 tv movie.It defines an era that ended the "peace and love" late 60's flower power.Charles Manson and his sick, demented "family" is depicted in startling reality.The film covers everything from the murders, to the compelling trial that followed. Much of the original statements and testimony in the trial are repeated here.Excellent acting, writing, production and direction.Sharon Tate, and the other victims died in a horrible fashion none of us would ever want to experiance.If the story wasn't true, we would never have believed the sick members of the so called "Manson family" could do such a horrific crime.The only thing I would like to add is, it's just horrible the death penalty was briefly abolished, as these killers all deserved to die instead of being kept alive with our tax dollars, not to mention it is a mockery they are even given parole hearings.I pray to God they never ever get released.I live less than two miles from the Labianca house, and just knowing it is there gives me chills.It will be interesting when CBS airs the re-make next month. Some say a re-make should not be made. I think reminding the public of how horrific these crimes were IS important, as maybe it will inspire people to continue to send letters protesting the release of the killers each time they are up for parole.All the killers now say they have found God, and should be released.Well, the victims will never get the chance, as they are buried, so I simply feel the killers deserve to rot in jail the rest of their pathetic lives. If they truly have found God, they should realise what they did deserves punishment on this earth, and they should direct their goals to helping fellow inmates to learn from their mistakes.Parole? NO WAY!I reccomend this DVD to anybody interested in learning about the "Manson" case. And, I weap for the victims and the victim's families.What a shame this had to happen.Truly, a horrific American tragedy.
Rating:
Summary: Terrifying as it was a true story
Review: Finally, the original 1976 movie of "Helter Skelter" is released on DVD.Although there are no special features, I assue when the CBS re-make, which airs in May,204, is released on DVD, it will have them.Even without any special features, this DVD is well worth the purchase price. Although some events are slightly altered, this film is 95% accurate. Considering this was made in 1976, it holds up very well. And, as I understand it, it was and still ranks as one of the highest rated tv movies of all time. Very ground breaking for a 1976 tv movie.It defines an era that ended the "peace and love" late 60's flower power.Charles Manson and his sick, demented "family" is depicted in startling reality.The film covers everything from the murders, to the compelling trial that followed. Much of the original statements and testimony in the trial are repeated here.Excellent acting, writing, production and direction.Sharon Tate, and the other victims died in a horrible fashion none of us would ever want to experiance.If the story wasn't true, we would never have believed the sick members of the so called "Manson family" could do such a horrific crime.The only thing I would like to add is, it's just horrible the death penalty was briefly abolished, as these killers all deserved to die instead of being kept alive with our tax dollars, not to mention it is a mockery they are even given parole hearings.I pray to God they never ever get released.I live less than two miles from the Labianca house, and just knowing it is there gives me chills.It will be interesting when CBS airs the re-make next month. Some say a re-make should not be made. I think reminding the public of how horrific these crimes were IS important, as maybe it will inspire people to continue to send letters protesting the release of the killers each time they are up for parole.All the killers now say they have found God, and should be released.Well, the victims will never get the chance, as they are buried, so I simply feel the killers deserve to rot in jail the rest of their pathetic lives. If they truly have found God, they should realise what they did deserves punishment on this earth, and they should direct their goals to helping fellow inmates to learn from their mistakes.Parole? NO WAY!I reccomend this DVD to anybody interested in learning about the "Manson" case. And, I weap for the victims and the victim's families.What a shame this had to happen.Truly, a horrific American tragedy.
Rating:
Summary: WELL ITS ABOUT F****G TIME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: I HAVE WAITED 28 YEARS TO SEE THE WHOLE MOVIE!ITS ABOUT TIME THEY PUT IT ON DVD.ITS THE BEST!THE REMAKE,WELL IT SUCKED!I WAS SO EXCITED WHEN I HEARD A REMAKE WAS ON ITS WAY,WELL WHAT A LET DOWN.DONT BOTHER IT TRULEY SUCKS
Rating:
Summary: Charlie Manson never seemed so real
Review: I read the book, then watched the movie and with a few exception the movie followed the book very closely. Those of us who remember when Sharon Tate was killed and finally first heard of the "Family" of Charlie Manson felt shivers in our spine. I love horror and while this isn't graphic, it certainly hits home when you realize that all that you are watching is true and the victims were real.
Rating:
Summary: Incredibly well made TV movie!
Review: I saw this film many years ago on television and was enthralled by the horror of it. The film moves at a very quick pace and is true to the characters it portrays. The guy playing Manson is freaky and his eyes are frightening in a "get under your skin" type of way. The film does have some light moments (and dare I say unintentionally funny), such as the cleaning lady running out of the Tate home screaming & the prison scene where Atkins confesses, "Charlie's Jesus Christ." That poor inmate must have been terrified! In all, this is one of the better TV movies and still holds well nearly 30 years later. I am hopeful now that we'll soon get a release for the Jonestown film with Powers Boothe.
Rating: 
Summary: Stagy 1970s production
Review: I'll never forget the evening I was browsing the local video store. On the shelf I ran across a copy of the 1976 made-for-TV miniseries "Helter Skelter." Since I had never seen the film and had read the Vincent Bugliosi book on which it was based, I decided to rent it. Knowing full well the original series was around 200-plus minutes long, I picked up both copies of the tape assuming they were parts 1 and 2. With a line waiting behind me on that busy evening, the clerk looked at both tapes and screamed across the store, "Is 'Helter Skelter' two tapes or just one!"Every customer in the store stared at me, and I blushed as if I had just rented "Showgirls." To this day, there's this ghastly boogeyman aura that surrounds Charles Manson and his puppet clique of attractive, promiscuous, murderous teenagers. This video version was only 98 minutes long, and for some strange reason, the store had two identical copies. Stupid me. Oh well, the original version of "Helter Skelter" has now been released on DVD. So friends, family and dogs can now wallow in the full 200-minute criminal epic. After viewing the full-length version, I was surprised how closely it remained true to the known facts. The trial itself, which takes up the second half, is based entirely on court transcripts. And it gives us the best scene when Manson abruptly decides to make a statement to the courtroom. The jury was appropriately led out of court, though this was irrelevant to Mr. Charlie Boy. His speech was intended for reporters and audience members. The rambling proclamation, in which he discussed his skewed philosophy, is authentic (though I doubt he delivered it with unblinking eyes a la actor Steve Railsback). For the one and only moment of this stagy 1970s production (I was expecting Jack Webb to make an appearance any second) we see inside the demented philosophy of this horrible cult. It's probably as good a clue as any as to why these kids began committing random murders around Los Angeles during the summer of Woodstock, 1969. Fascination with the Charles Manson cult is nothing new. The book "Helter Skelter" has remained in print for years, making Bugliosi millions. A new made-for-TV movie is to be broadcast, including additional facts unknown in 1976. Fresh converts can now revel in a new-millennium retelling of the Manson mythos. Believe it or not, one can find as many books related to Manson as to the JFK assassination. It's a damn cottage industry. I have read several, the best of the lot being "The Family," first published in 1971. The book, unlike this film, details the constant use of psychedelic drugs combined with the isolation of Spahn Ranch. Manson and family enter an alternative zone having little to do with President Johnson's Great Society. It became the Cult of White Trash Group Think, formed by the hangover of one endless lost summer weekend. Very little of this is seen in the 1976 film version. Manson is portrayed as some kind of Devil who can stop watches by smiling. The cops, adorned in the best polyester money can buy, eventually take down these very creepy kids - and thankfully so. There are no truths to be found in "Helter Skelter," just as there are no truths whenever someone tries to understand evil. It's fascinating, no doubt. Why else would we watch Bela Lugosi stand on a cobwebbed staircase uttering "Children of the night. What music they make!" I suppose Charles Manson is the vampire of our generation. He could even be Dracula, if Dracula were a hillbilly redneck who could barely read and write.
Rating: 
Summary: Long Awaited Helter Skelter
Review: It's taken years to finally get this tele-film released in it's entirety as seen on CBS in two nights during March of 1976. It's a good enough print but I was disappointed that there were no extras included on this Dvd. It would have been interesting to have a documentary etc included in the pkg. Previously this film was released by Key video on VHS in it's edited down European theatrical release version. I say edited down because although an hour was cut there were also present a number of profane words that didn't make it to Tv and also the two murders they show snippets of were not over ghosted by Linda Kasabian (Marilyn Burns) sitting on the witness stand telling about the horror the night at Sharon Tate's house. This new Dvd version is released just how CBS presented it back in 1976 for it's first airing. Steve Railsback still sends chills down your spine as Manson and George DiCenzo does admirable job as prosecutor Bugliosi as does the rest of supporting cast. I give the movie four stars but no kudos to Warner Home Video for releasing it rather plainly. It will be interesting to see how the new CBS tele-movie also named "Helter Skelter" will hold up against this still frightening account of the Manson Family and subsequent murder spree that "scared the hell out of us all!"
Rating:
Summary: helter skelter
Review: its about time this movie came out on dvd in full length.people can see the whole story now.
Rating:
Summary: A CLASSIC REVISITED.
Review: Its been more than 35 years since the Tate-LaBianca murders and the facts of those crimes may not shock people too young to remember that brief period of history or those so inured to mindless violence through the media since 1969. But to those of us who lived through those days, especially in Southern California's San Fernando Valley, the potency of the crimes and this remarkable tele-film still reverberate today.
The movie covers an amazing amount of factual ground and does justice to Vincent Bugliosi's massive, definitive account of the Manson Family and the era in which he operated. As a movie, it's a classic example of mixing documentary style dialogue with first-rate characterizations. Though Steve Railsback's frighteningly realistic performance allegedly typecast him, this actually adds to the impact of his superb performance--it was simply TOO good. George DiCenzo is appropriately business-like as Bugliosi at the start, then slowly grows more impassioned and frustrated as the travails of the justice system wind before him. All the "Manson Girl" roles are performed well, Marilyn Burns is poignant as Linda Kasabian, but special kudos should go to Nancy Wolfe as Susan Atkins. At the least, she should have gotten a supporting actress Emmy nomination, if not the award, for her stunning depiction of the robotic, demented Manson slave who was perhaps more frightening than the leader himself. Also noteworthy are Sondra Blake (yes, Robert's ex)as the brave Ronnie Howard and young Jon Gries as the caretaker initially suspected of the Cielo drive murders. All in all, this film stands the test of time and is even more impressive next to the sickly "reimagined" version that played on early 2004 television. Some classics don't need remaking. Just revisiting. "Helter Skelter" stands in this pantheon.
Rating:
Summary: Very good adaptation of a book on true events.
Review: This is a very good movie based on the book which was about true events. Everybody knows who Charles Manson is but not everybody knows what Charles Manson's motivations were. I encourage every one to read the book. As far as the movie goes, it doesn't change anything from the book besides a few names here and there. If you read the book you can tell who is who, as some scenes are lifted word for word from the book. I was afraid that this would never be released as a DVD and if it was, it would be the European theatrical cut that was available on VHS for a few years. This version is far superior to that 2 hour cut. The picture quality isn't perfect, but its a lot better than the one they've been showing on TBS for years. The sound quality is what stands out here. It is much better than anything I expected. I strongly recommend that anyone interested in the Manson murders should buy this. They will find it very faithful to the true events.
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