On Sunday, Charles Manson, the 83 year-old resident of the California Department of Corrections, or more notoriously the instigator of seven murders, died of natural causes. It’s been almost 50 years since he’s led his “Manson Family” to bid his serial killing, but the story of his actions have lived on through the narratives of urban legends and campfire tales. The voyeuristic adrenaline that comes from reliving other people’s tragedies has been a motivating factor of the rising success of online shows like Buzzfeed Unsolved and Murder With Friends. Even more than that, they’ve contributed to the inspiration for many filmmakers’ work, either as literal iterations or embedded symbolism.
Helter Skelter, 2004
Helter Skelter, the 2004 horror movie
The popular The Beatles’ song was co-opted by Charles Manson when describing his philosophy to his followers. Manson, who incidentally wanted to become a rockstar, saw The Beatles’ album The White Album as an anthem for a race war between racist and non-racist white Americans. Thinking that this was a big-enough distraction for he and his followers’ escape, he used “Helter Skelter” as the term to describe their mission, which fittingly became the title of a tell-all, subtitled “The True Story of the Manson Murders,” which later on was adapted into a horror movie.
American Horror Story: Cult, 2017
https://www.instagram.com/p/BacZpt6gnuI/?hl=en&taken-by=mrrpmurphy
We were super hyped up for latest instalment of our favourite horror anthology TV series after finding out it had been based off the 2016 American elections, and even more stoked when Ryan Murphy had announced that the cult which the season revolved around was directly referencing Charles Manson and his family of followers. Dealing with fear and phobias, the show perfectly encapsulated Manson’s ability to epitomise someone’s fear into their primal motivation to do evil. Emulating the man himself as Kai Anderson, Evan Peters convincingly pulls together a team of disenfranchised townspeople to subvert progress and torment the long-suffering Ally Mayfair-Richards played by Sarah Paulson.
“Untitled Manson Family Project,” 2018
Quentin Tarantino, Charles Manson
If you were wondering whether Manson’s legacy has the potential to surpass his life, Quentin Tarantino, mastermind behind great films like Django Unchained and Inglorious Basterds, is already on it. Set in 1969, the movie will focus on two aspiring Hollywood actors who’re living in an era of Manson having orchestrated the killings of seven people. A-list names Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Leonardo Dicaprio and Margot Robbie are currently being tossed around as potential candidates to star in the movie. With the sexual nature of the Manson Family and Tarantino’s professional ties to Harvey Weinstein, we’re expecting improprieties to be discussed at some point during the film.
Header image: The Hollywood Reporter
Other images: Pinterest, Maxim
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