(Photo by John Cox)
By Jonathan Weichsel
House of Manson, directed by Brandon Slagle, the filmmaker best known for The Black Dahlia Haunting and Dead Sea, stars Ryan Kiser as Charles Manson, and tells the story of the rise and fall of The Manson Family. The film also stars Devanny Pinn, Reid Warner, Serena Lorien, Suzi Lorraine, Chriss Anglin, Erin Marie Hogan, Tristan Risk, Britt Griffith, Max Wasa, Adrian Quihuis, Mel Turner, Julie Rose, Ryan Cleary,Tawny Amber Young, Trish Cook, Jason McNeil, Amy Hessler, and many, many more.
Given its large and popular cast, it is no wonder that House of Manson had such a well-attended Los Angeles premier at the North Hollywood Cinefest on Monday, April 13th. The film had such an overwhelmingly positive reaction from the audience, made up of filmmakers, actors, and fans of Director Brandon Slagle’s previous films, that rather than give my own impression, I decided to talk to some of the audience to get their immediate, unfiltered reactions to the film.
Corpsy Rhine, publisher and deaditor-in-chief at Girls and Corpses magazine had a visceral reaction to the movie, stating that “House of Manson is like being in the room invisible and watching the entire gore and mayhem and feeling each stab in your own body. Ryan Kiser gives a haunting, brilliant, and oddly sympathetic portrayal of Manson.”
Corpsy wasn’t the only audience member to be affected so directly and physically by the film. Actress Carole Ita White, who has acted in a slew of exploitation movies from the 1970’s onward, including the 1976 Manson biopic Helter Skelter, was glowing with ecstasy when she told me right after the screening, “This movie here is very erotic and very terrifying. This director for the first time painted the real portrait of Manson who tenderly seduced these girls.”
I also spoke with a bunch of Brandon Slagle’s fellow filmmakers who were in the audience, and everybody was very impressed with Slagle’s work. Pearry Teo, director of the upcoming The Curse of Sleeping Beauty, said that House of Manson is “Brandon Slagle’s most mature piece. Surely a classy addition to the mythos.”
Dave Reda, director of Horror of Our Love and My Undeadly, was also supportive, stating, “I am very proud of my friends and fellow filmmakers for killing it. I felt they did a really good job at telling the story of Manson the person.”
Out of all the filmmakers I spoke with, Patricia Chica, the director of Ceramic Tango and Serpent’s Lullaby, gave the most detailed reaction to the film, stating, “I am impressed by how with limited resources Devanny Pinn and Brandon Slagle, their cast and crew, were able to create an epic experience around Charles Manson. The film is intriguing, insightful, entertaining, and makes you think about what leads a man to influence a group to commit such horrendous crimes. I really enjoyed the viewing. Congratulations!”
Christian Ackerman, the director of Hell’s Belles and The Summoners, also gave an analytical response, stating, “House of Manson is an excellent rendition of the family’s story that focuses not on the drug hazed chaos, but on the story of how people can fall when a leader falls. All around excellent work.”
Everybody was so impressed with Ryan Kiser’s performance as Manson that I asked him what went into the preparation for the part. Kiser told me, “Playing Charles Manson was a fantastic opportunity as an actor because he is a very complex character. It took a lot of dedication from me and the rest of the cast, as well as Brandon Slagle as the director and writer, to learn the story.”
Since House of Manson is actor Britt Griffith’s fourth film with Brandon Slagle, I asked him what it is like working with the director, and he gave me what is surely the strangest quote of the evening. “Working with Brandon Slagle,” says Griffith, “is like putting your puppy in a blender and a masterpiece comes out the other end.”
House of Manson has a long festival run ahead of it. To learn when you can see it, follow the film on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HouseOfManson
*Photo courtesy of John Cox
SOURCE: More Horror – Read entire story here.