Live Freaky! Die Freaky!

Live Freaky! Die Freaky! is an independent, stop-motion musical chronicling the life of Charles Hanson (Charles Manson) and his family. It's written and directed by John Roeker and stars a plethora of famous rock stars turned temporary voice actors. The cast includes Billie Joe Armstrong as Charlie, Mike Dirnt, Tré Cool, Davey Havok, Travis Barker, Benji and Joel Madden, and others.

The movie opens with a real life futuristic Nomad dressed all in black in a sandy desert eating a dead pig. The Nomad stumbles upon a book titled "Helter Skelter" and reads it as though it is a bible with Charlie as the messiah. The movie then dives into it's stop-motion style and introduces us to Susan Hatkins who decides to liven up her night with a little LSD. While she's experiencing her trip, Charlie comes to her speaking confusing words of wisdom and even lays down a catchy song and dance. Susan is entranced by his words and agrees to be a member of his family with her new name, Hadie. The movie's main points tend to stick closely to the actual story of Charles Manson, apart from a few changes in the characters. e.g. Charlie Hanson gets his killing messages from Beatles songs and has his eye on movie star Sharon "Hate," who, in the movie, is made out to be likely just as bad of a person as the real Charles Manson saw her. Charlie makes his family do the killings, telling Hadie, "The boys will do the manly things, like killing. You stick to the girly things like painting the walls with blood and, if time permits, make some sandwiches!"

The movie itself is a new-age, innovative look into the Charles Manson story, cloaked in black humour. Every character's name is slightly skewed from the person they are based off of, always substituting a letter of the name for an H instead. While the movie is 18+, very disturbing, and I would strongly recommend never watching it with your parents, it is the kind of film that you can't stop watching once you start. While it can be compared to Robot Chicken humour-wise, it still manages to be very intriguing, and even throws in some environmental awareness amidst the bloodshed. If you are unfamiliar with Charles Manson, or don't know much about him, this movie will more than likely prompt you to do some of your own research into the real story. Plus, the movie has some very catchy songs tossed in amongst the blunt lines that adds a whole new element—including the track Mechanical Man sung by Billie Joe.

For a movie based on a gruesome real-life story with characters made entirely out of clay that do in fact have sex, it's captivating to say the least. The first fifteen minutes may have you staring in mute horror at your screen, but after it blows over you may just find that you've been sucked in and you can't look away. And it's always fun to pick out your favourite musicians' voice. For the movie's cast, one would expect better quality production, but it does kind of make sense. I hardly think George Clooney or Jennifer Aniston would be able to recite half the things the script called for. Maybe Mel Gibson would do it, but who knows where he is these days.

In conclusion, I recommend this movie to all who feel brave enough to watch it. I've warned you; although it's comprised of clay figures it manages to get graphic. If you know anything about Charles Manson, you should know just what to expect. So, enjoy, and as always, Live Freaky! Die Freaky!