Artist and musician Rob Zombie is a connoisseur of the exquisite art of depravity, and some of this comes from real inspiration, specifically Charles Manson, the notorious cult leader of the Manson Family. The former creator and frontman of White Zombie moved his interests from screaming waves of groove and industrial metal to the art of cinema.
Zombie’s noticeable interest in Charles Manson is evident in both his music and films. Zombie includes sound clips of Patricia Krenwinkel, a member of Manson’s Family, and Manson himself in the song “Real Solution #9”. This fascination with the culture surrounding the Manson mystique is obvious in Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses trilogy. The first noticeable reference to Charles Manson and the Family is the aesthetic in his movies, particularly in his Firefly family films.
In many of Zombie’s films, the grainy and sepia tinted cinematography comes straight out of the Video Nasties playbook of the 1960s through the early 1980s. In 3 From Hell specifically, the intro pulls from the Manson trial with a fictional news reel that runs parallel to the culture clash of the 1970s. Some see the Family as filthy degenerates with no soul while others view them as revolutionaries placed in their position by a corrupt system. The most interesting aspect of this particular film is the movie poster, which is a striking homage to Helter Skelter, penned by the Manson trial’s prosecuting attorney, Vincent Bugliosi. However, with a bit of deeper digging, more references to Manson become apparent.
All The Charles Manson References In Rob Zombie Movies
The first thing that comes to mind when viewing his films through the lens of true crime, is the overall feeling of chaos and wanton destruction. Every single crime the Manson Family committed was writhe with disorganized, drugged-out intensity. Despite this, there is a familiarity and sympathetic air that comes from a sense of belonging. Cults like the Manson Family tend to exude those emotions. The basic underlying theme is lost children in a crazy world doing crazy things.
Even the characters invoke a feeling familiarity. The Firefly Family represents the Manson Family. Sid Haig, a B-Movie aficionado, appears as a redneck John Wayne Gacy prototype, keeping with the serial killer vibe. Baby Firefly aka Vera-Ellen Wilson, played by Sheri Moon Zombie, is an amalgamation of the sweet-faced girls who committed atrocities in the name of the Family. The spookiest character similarity comes in the form of Bill Mosley’s Otis Driftwood. The resemblance to Charles Manson is so on point, it’s scary. Otis speaks and even seems to think like “Crazy Charlie”. The crazed, intoxicated antics of even secondary characters rings true somewhere in the Manson mythos.
All of these factors could be dismissed as an artist’s attempt to give the audience recognizable content. House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil’s Rejects, and 3 From Hell are full of barely unrestrained gore and horror that somewhat mirrors insidious real life crimes. While true, Rob Zombie is also narrating the documentary, Charles Manson, The Final Words. After Manson’s death, Zombie admitted, even though he wouldn’t mourn him, he would miss his crazy quotes and ridiculous antics. Apparently, Zombie isn’t alone in his captivation. It’s difficult to judge a man whose entire career is based on the bizarre and depraved. Audiences are rather fortunate to be able to experience true crime’s intensity without truly taking part in it.
Next: What Is Rob Zombie’s Next Movie After 3 From Hell?
