Review – Manson, My Name Is Evil

The end credits (and at least one promotional poster in the IMDb image collection) identify this as “Leslie, My Name Is Evil.” Though I’m sure the switch increased product recognition considerably, the original moniker was more honest. This over-arty little picture tells the parallel story of Manson girl Leslie Van Houten and a reluctantly square young man picked for the Tate-LaBianca jury. Or is it? Except for the convicted killers, nobody seems to be going by his or her actual name. Even the victims are robbed of their identities. I suspect this must be the result of some quirk in the rules governing use of people’s names in the Great White North; certainly someone in involved with this production is acquainted with Canadian law, particularly the tax code. I’d like to bestow faint praise for the attempt to provide any of Manson’s hapless followers (especially the women) with a back story, but this good intention is swiftly undone by a failed attempt at indie quirkiness. See if desperate