E-Mail This Article to a Friend THE MANSON FAMILY

Fifteen years in the making, James Van Bebber’s film about the eponymous group of free lovers turned homicidal psychopaths is an original and uneven exploitation effort that wiggles and darts from one narrative level to another. A mockumentary in which former family members recount their days with Manson is intercut with faux archival footage of the group from the late ’60s that often contradicts the narrated recollections. All this is framed with scenes from an S&M gang’s crack house in 1996. Van Bebber isn’t just making a film about Manson and his followers; he’s inhabiting their psych(ot)ic space and imagining their self-portrait. Make no mistake: this is a ridiculous and disgusting film. If blood-smeared orgies and acid-induced infanticides aren’t your idea of groovy, stay clear. Nevertheless, there are redemptive moments between the dilettantism and the splatter. With its critical mass of titillation and high-school drama-club acting, The Manson Family has huge camp value and could attract a cult following. (93 minutes)