The Manson Family review

Horror director Jim Van Bebber (Roadkill, My Sweet Satan) has been threatening to unleash this monster since the early '90s, the decade-long delay caused by his struggle for funding. Not one to compromise, Van Bebber shot what he could when he could, piecing together a psycho movie of terrifying intensity.

Following anti-Christ Charlie Manson (Marcelo Games) as he transforms his `family' of stoned hippies into crazed serial killers, Van Bebber delivers a near-incomprehensible tapestry of staged `documentary' footage, whacked-out thesping and gore-drenched set-pieces. Roughly hewn and designed to shock, it's bottom-of-the-barrel moviemaking.

Already guaranteed a place in the annals of cult-movie history by its potted shoot and ever-expanding myth, the finished movie emerges as a murderous mystery tour that every horror fan will have to take... Just the once. Let's just hope that you don't share Van Bebber's obvious admiration for America's most-reviled hippie child.