ridiculous rating

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

For anyone who doesn't know, Helter Skelter was a psychopathic idea that criminal Charles Manson had after listening to a Beatles song by the same title (which is really too bad because The Beatles had nothing to do with these horrible murders but were likely blamed once or twice). Charles Manson was the leader of a hippie group in 1969 and he influenced various murders and is now spending his life in jail.This remake of the 1976 movie Helter Skelter is very good if you want some more information on the Charles Manson case and his story. However, if you're watching it for the nostalgia of the Sixties, you won't find it. The soundtrack for the most part sounds obviously 21st century and the actors, especially the hippie girls, talk, act and dress like people in the 21st century do. Most of the actors and actresses look like they should be sitting there texting on their pathetic cellular devices, crouched on an electric recliner wrapped up in Snuggies and eating Pizza Pockets right out of the box. I'm not trying to get too technical or anything, but watch the Hair musical (1979), I Drink Your Blood (1970), Running With Scissors (2006) or the original Helter Skelter (1976) if you want to see what the Sixties and Seventies counterculture was really like.

Helter Skelter: its a confusion, confusion based on fantasy, paranoia, hate and lies of a prosecutor. This is what the phrase means. Helter Skelter as a movie: 1976 it was a good movie according to the 70'ies but it was a movie and not reality, it was more a sci-fi movie again based on the same lies, paranoia, jealousy etc of the prosecutor. Helter Skelter as a movie: 2004 it was absolutely fake and boring on the first place. Secondly it was very a poor directed movie with bad characters and extremely bad actors who most probably didn't take a little bit extra time to look at the facts and read the trial transcripts. They believed all that they heard in the TV from Geraldo Rivera etc interviewers. That lead them to a totally misunderstanding. The leading role Jeremy was the only one who tried at least to give a little extra to the movie but he was fighting alone against all those lies and the whole crew without any other help his efforts were in vain and ultimately failed. The story line is very boring with all those practical and comfortable lies that they presented again as facts of the reality. So what did they do really? Luckily this movie failed everywhere in every stage and it will fail in the future totally to the lies and garbage of the worst movies of history when the justice finally will be served and the US supreme court will have a look into the case again! And they will read the transcripts instead of the Helter Skelter book or movie. Which is both well deserved the title: The book of lies and the movie of lies. Sad to see that these people are so locked up into their fantasy world so they can't see the forest from the tree or from their Ferrari?

The only real problem I had with the film was that they didn't get into the whole Beatles / Revolution / Apocalypse angle enough. I would have liked to see more of Charlie talking about his ideas and philosophies. You never get a clear picture as to why these kids were so attached to the hippie guru.I think that in order to get a more complete picture of the murders etc, you need to view this along with the original TV movie.As far as this film not telling us anything new? Well, it's been over 30 years since the murders. There ISN'T anything new to tell.If some of the dialogue is taken from the Manson documentary, that is great. These are the words of the people who were there so that only seems appropriate.

This is a must see movie. It really consist of focusing on Manson himself and who he was then of the original one. It is very detailed and I myself know a great deal about Charlie and the family and I must say every detail is absolutely correct with the exception of maybe 2 or 3 very small unneeded things you would need to know. But believe me the point is made very well. Grey did an excellent job directing and I just loved the negative visual effects he threw in there to give it a one of a kind horror/thriller look to the film. Also it's great to get the DVD if you can because you will want to check out the special features and Jermeny Davies preparation for this film and his exact on the money portrayal of Manson.