Dir. Robert Hendrickson, Laurence Merrick
1972 | USA | 83 min | DVD

Nominated for an Oscar in the Best Documentary category (it lost out to the evangelical expose Marjoe), and banned from screening in California for many years, Manson provides a chilling insight into the mindset of Charles Manson and – more particularly - his followers, most of whom were still in the grip of a fierce loyalty to their leader. Filmed when Manson and the convicted Tate-LaBIanca slayers were still languishing on Death Row, Manson captures the climate of the times, when the killings were still fresh in the public’s mind, and Manson himself was already being looked upon by many as a counter culture anti-hero. The highlight of the film is no-doubt the chilling footage of Manson girls Sandra Goode and Lynette ‘Squeaky’ Fromme holed-up in a shack, brandishing firearms and threatening to kill anybody who gets in their way. Co-director Laurence Merrick was murdered in Hollywood in 1977, in an unsolved case which many have tied to vengeful Manson extremists.

Tuesday July 13th 7pm | Gertrudes