After waiting 10 years (saw the trailer in the early 90's, read the script in '99 from Creation Books) I finally saw it. And it's his best, in my opinion. I loved "Roadkill", "My Sweet Satan", "Deadbeat At Dawn" but this one is his Citizen Kane!!
Van Bebber seems somewhat inspired by the plot of "Cannibal Holocaust", two elderly TVproducers receive a tape (in 1996) with no address, and extremely eeire sick drama-docu/re-inactments of (almost) every Manson clip we have seen on TV unfolds. The 'scratchy-on-purpose' clips of the Family's sexorgies/rapes, drugtakin', and ultra-gory killings of Tate/Bianca and others are probably the most disturbing footage I've ever seen! The actors, who looks like real psycho dopefiends, are perfect (Van Bebber plays Bobby Beausoleil, and Marcelo Games is excellent as Charlie). Meanwhile the producers (us?) are being watched by a gang of Richard Kern-like punks (we see "You Killed Me First" in a s&m/drug orgy scene) who break in and kills the producer, and later a teenager wearing a Manson T-shirt (both scenes are ultra graphic and wellmade). A modern sex & violence masterpiece of American psycho culture!!
The film I saw was an 'editor workprint' from 1995/96 (of canadian VideoVortex)which is probably the version people saw at festivals in 1997/98. A 'final' version was shown according to Chas Balun at a Splatterpalooza filmfest this summer.
"Charlie's Family" is a must for any true cultfilm fan with balls of steel!
For once the (underground) hype was true....and then some.
Van Bebber seems somewhat inspired by the plot of "Cannibal Holocaust", two elderly TVproducers receive a tape (in 1996) with no address, and extremely eeire sick drama-docu/re-inactments of (almost) every Manson clip we have seen on TV unfolds. The 'scratchy-on-purpose' clips of the Family's sexorgies/rapes, drugtakin', and ultra-gory killings of Tate/Bianca and others are probably the most disturbing footage I've ever seen! The actors, who looks like real psycho dopefiends, are perfect (Van Bebber plays Bobby Beausoleil, and Marcelo Games is excellent as Charlie). Meanwhile the producers (us?) are being watched by a gang of Richard Kern-like punks (we see "You Killed Me First" in a s&m/drug orgy scene) who break in and kills the producer, and later a teenager wearing a Manson T-shirt (both scenes are ultra graphic and wellmade). A modern sex & violence masterpiece of American psycho culture!!
The film I saw was an 'editor workprint' from 1995/96 (of canadian VideoVortex)which is probably the version people saw at festivals in 1997/98. A 'final' version was shown according to Chas Balun at a Splatterpalooza filmfest this summer.
"Charlie's Family" is a must for any true cultfilm fan with balls of steel!
For once the (underground) hype was true....and then some.
Tell Your Friends