The Six Degrees of Helter Skelter (2009)

Pretty Good

Absolutely the worst movie.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

As someone with a slight knowledge of the actual details of the Tate/LaBianca murders, there is much to learn from this documentary. And the writer and narrator have apparently studied the events and those involved quite thoroughly. In fact they almost provide more background on the murder victims than Manson and his "family." Some of it seems non essential so you must have patience for the actual murder events to properly unfold. Also, as was said by another reviewer, the very beginning seems to be nothing more than an opportunity for the narrator to sell his tour business and himself. Throughout the rest he guides us to various locations in California in relation to Manson and the murders, during which he provides a substantial amount of anecdotal, personal commentary. Luckily for him he is amiable enough but i did find myself wishing for a more properly produced documentary for which the budget obviously would not allow. Or maybe it was intentionally written that way. Regardless, there were plenty of genuinely creepy moments on location and enough information to keep me interested.

The narrator begins by basically selling his business and showing off his collection of rubbage gathered from celebrities. At certain times he gives way to storytelling and his own theories which kind of takes away some credibility. He does a very thorough job but there are times where he points to an object and says it has to be a relic of the Family when he has no proof. There were times when I wanted to shout "just because you see the words Helter Skelter doesn't mean the Manson Family wrote it". There are brief moments when he seems to become too attached to the Manson Family activities to the point it looks like he is excited about the killings. At one time he even makes a joke about the Lablanca couples murder.

This documentary had a wealth of information that I don't think many would know about the Manson family, unless they're a die-hard Manson enthusiast. I enjoyed all the odd facts I'd never heard but it was soooooo horribly narrated that it was almost unwatchable. I will give him props for his enthusiasm and honest interest in the subject. However, he is so enthusiastic that he tends to ramble, and quickly, it is hard to tell where one sentence ends and the next begins.I'm not sure if there was a script written, and if there was, I don't know if the narrator knows the purpose of a comma and/or a period. Or if perhaps there was no script and the narrator was simply allowed to ramble on the subject at his pleasure. This would be a great documentary with a different narrator.

This is a very engaging, well-researched documentary that details a great many additions to the Tate/LaBianca murders that were never made public. Mr. Dorsey is a likable, enthusiastic host throughout the film, who clearly has an obsession with Hollywood trivia. Despite his legal troubles, I've always considered Roman Polanski to be one of the world's best and original directors, and the film gave me a little more depth into his life and what he must have gone through during this horrific period. The doc appears to be shot on video, and I'd never heard of it until now; am curious if Mr. Dorsey managed to make a profit off of it, as it looks as though he put a great deal of work into its production. It's chilling at times and a little on the black/ghoulish side, but a bit like driving by a car wreck... you want to, but you can't look away. Manson and his followers were clearly very sick individuals who created a great deal of destruction besides just the Tate/LaBianca killings; this is an excellent documentary that explains that in a lot more detail.