Manson - Pilot
Genre: Biography
Director: Antonio Campos
Writer: Lon Charles
Cast: Jim Sturgess, Zackary Arthur, Madisen Beatty, Domenick Lombardozzi, Ryan O'Neal
Plot: 1956. Young clean-cut Charles Manson (Jim Sturgess) is paroled from a Federal Reformatory in West Virginia. He walks through the town of McMechen, West Virginia, trying to find a job, but everyone turns him down due to his criminal record and lack of experience. He goes to a local casino to drown his sorrows and hopefully make a buck or two. While there he flirts with a waitress, Rosalie (Madisen Beaty). Manson is immediately smitten with her, openly telling Rosalie that he believes the love of a woman like her will keep him on the straight and narrow from now on.
Six months later, Manson is working a miserable job as a janitor that Rosalie's parents helped him get. Rosalie has had to quit her job as a waitress at the casino now that her pregnancy is starting to show. As Manson gets dressed to head to work, Rosalie chides him for not making enough money to support the two of them, and now that there is a third mouth on the way that they are doomed. Manson storms out of the house. He drives to work, but he can't bring himself to head inside the building. He strips off his janitor uniform and sets fire to it in the parking lot.
Manson drives over to the casino where he met Rosalie and interrupts a craps game with a local mobster, Dom Spezzo (Domenick Lombardozzi). Manson tells Spezzo that he needs money to support his family, but he's only ever been any good at being a criminal, and offers his services to Spezzo. The mobster laughs at Manson, calling the entire interaction pitiful. Nonetheless, Spezzo tells Manson there is a job he can do. Spezzo tells Manson that he needs someone to drive a stolen car down to Florida. They'll pay $500 for the car, and Manson will get to keep $200 of the pay. Manson leaps at the opportunity, profusely thanking Spezzo for the chance to prove himself. Manson goes home and tells Rosalie that he got a new job. She asks where, but he says he can't give her the details, just that he has to go out of town for a few days. He throws some clothes in a suitcase and kisses her goodbye.
Manson drives down the open road, happy as can be. However when he arrives to deliver the car down in Florida, Spezzo's contact gives him $100. Manson says he was supposed to collect $500. The guy tells him it's $100 or nothing. Manson begrudgingly accepts the money and walks away. He heads to a bar and has a few drinks. Still furious over being screwed over, Manson decides to steal the car back and drives it back to West Virginia. When he returns home he tells her that some bad people are going to be angry with him and that they need to pack up their things and leave town immediately.
When they get to California, they drive all the way to the coast. They sleep in the car that night. In the morning, they are awakened by a police officer knocking on the window, telling them they can't sleep there. Manson quickly shakes himself awake and tries to start the engine, but the battery is dead. He then rolls down the window and greets the officer. Rosalie is still asleep in the back seat. The police officer asks for Manson's license and registration. Manson smiles at the officer, who promptly arrests him for grand theft auto.
1947. 12-year-old Charles Maddox (Zackary Arthur) is sentenced to the Indiana Boys School, a reform school located on a farm in the flat plains of southern Indiana. Maddox is put to work in the dairy of the farm, moving buckets of milk for processing. While he is working, a group of older, larger boys grab Maddox and pin him down behind a large stack of milk crates. Maddox tries to struggle against them. One of the boys pulls down Maddox's pants and begins to rape him when a guard comes along. He tells them there's no wrestling in the dairy building. The older boys run off. Maddox lays on the ground crying. The guard tells him to wash his face and stop crying.
1956. Rosalie goes to visit Manson in prison, bringing their newborn baby, Charles Manson Jr., with her to meet is father for the first time. Manson assures her that the three years he was sentenced to will go by quickly and then he will be able to be with them and help her raise their son. Rosalie begins crying. She tells Manson that she can't do this, she can't bring a newborn baby to a prison to see his daddy, it just doesn't feel right. Manson gets upset and tells Rosalie that he needs her. She assures him that she will write every week, but she doesn't feel comfortable bringing Charles Jr. to the prison. Rosalie then gets up and leaves the visitation room.
Manson walks through the cell block when an older inmate, McVeigh (Ryan O'Neal), introduces himself and offers to show him the ropes of the prison. Manson says all prisons are the same, so he will be fine. McVeigh asks what Manson's in for. Manson tells McVeigh that he stole a car and drove it across the country. McVeigh tells Manson that he runs women. Manson asks if McVeigh means to tell him he's a pimp. McVeigh says yes, that he was a purveyor of the world's oldest profession. Manson asks McVeigh to teach him the ropes of being a pimp. McVeigh says why not and tells Manson that the first key to the business is getting women to love him enough to do anything for him.
1947. After curfew, Maddox steals a heavy window crank and sneaks over to the bunk of the boy who raped him. Maddox beats the boy in the head with the crank over and over again until the boy's face is a bloody mess. Maddox then hides the crank under the bunk of one of the other boys who beat him. In the morning the guards find the beaten boy bloody and unconscious. Maddox smiles as the guards begin searching everyone's bunks. The guards find the blood-stained window crank under one of the bunks and drag that boy away. The boy kicks and screams, proclaiming his innocence. Manson looks on, satisfied in his revenge.
Six months later, Manson is working a miserable job as a janitor that Rosalie's parents helped him get. Rosalie has had to quit her job as a waitress at the casino now that her pregnancy is starting to show. As Manson gets dressed to head to work, Rosalie chides him for not making enough money to support the two of them, and now that there is a third mouth on the way that they are doomed. Manson storms out of the house. He drives to work, but he can't bring himself to head inside the building. He strips off his janitor uniform and sets fire to it in the parking lot.
Manson drives over to the casino where he met Rosalie and interrupts a craps game with a local mobster, Dom Spezzo (Domenick Lombardozzi). Manson tells Spezzo that he needs money to support his family, but he's only ever been any good at being a criminal, and offers his services to Spezzo. The mobster laughs at Manson, calling the entire interaction pitiful. Nonetheless, Spezzo tells Manson there is a job he can do. Spezzo tells Manson that he needs someone to drive a stolen car down to Florida. They'll pay $500 for the car, and Manson will get to keep $200 of the pay. Manson leaps at the opportunity, profusely thanking Spezzo for the chance to prove himself. Manson goes home and tells Rosalie that he got a new job. She asks where, but he says he can't give her the details, just that he has to go out of town for a few days. He throws some clothes in a suitcase and kisses her goodbye.
Manson drives down the open road, happy as can be. However when he arrives to deliver the car down in Florida, Spezzo's contact gives him $100. Manson says he was supposed to collect $500. The guy tells him it's $100 or nothing. Manson begrudgingly accepts the money and walks away. He heads to a bar and has a few drinks. Still furious over being screwed over, Manson decides to steal the car back and drives it back to West Virginia. When he returns home he tells her that some bad people are going to be angry with him and that they need to pack up their things and leave town immediately.
When they get to California, they drive all the way to the coast. They sleep in the car that night. In the morning, they are awakened by a police officer knocking on the window, telling them they can't sleep there. Manson quickly shakes himself awake and tries to start the engine, but the battery is dead. He then rolls down the window and greets the officer. Rosalie is still asleep in the back seat. The police officer asks for Manson's license and registration. Manson smiles at the officer, who promptly arrests him for grand theft auto.
1947. 12-year-old Charles Maddox (Zackary Arthur) is sentenced to the Indiana Boys School, a reform school located on a farm in the flat plains of southern Indiana. Maddox is put to work in the dairy of the farm, moving buckets of milk for processing. While he is working, a group of older, larger boys grab Maddox and pin him down behind a large stack of milk crates. Maddox tries to struggle against them. One of the boys pulls down Maddox's pants and begins to rape him when a guard comes along. He tells them there's no wrestling in the dairy building. The older boys run off. Maddox lays on the ground crying. The guard tells him to wash his face and stop crying.
1956. Rosalie goes to visit Manson in prison, bringing their newborn baby, Charles Manson Jr., with her to meet is father for the first time. Manson assures her that the three years he was sentenced to will go by quickly and then he will be able to be with them and help her raise their son. Rosalie begins crying. She tells Manson that she can't do this, she can't bring a newborn baby to a prison to see his daddy, it just doesn't feel right. Manson gets upset and tells Rosalie that he needs her. She assures him that she will write every week, but she doesn't feel comfortable bringing Charles Jr. to the prison. Rosalie then gets up and leaves the visitation room.
Manson walks through the cell block when an older inmate, McVeigh (Ryan O'Neal), introduces himself and offers to show him the ropes of the prison. Manson says all prisons are the same, so he will be fine. McVeigh asks what Manson's in for. Manson tells McVeigh that he stole a car and drove it across the country. McVeigh tells Manson that he runs women. Manson asks if McVeigh means to tell him he's a pimp. McVeigh says yes, that he was a purveyor of the world's oldest profession. Manson asks McVeigh to teach him the ropes of being a pimp. McVeigh says why not and tells Manson that the first key to the business is getting women to love him enough to do anything for him.
1947. After curfew, Maddox steals a heavy window crank and sneaks over to the bunk of the boy who raped him. Maddox beats the boy in the head with the crank over and over again until the boy's face is a bloody mess. Maddox then hides the crank under the bunk of one of the other boys who beat him. In the morning the guards find the beaten boy bloody and unconscious. Maddox smiles as the guards begin searching everyone's bunks. The guards find the blood-stained window crank under one of the bunks and drag that boy away. The boy kicks and screams, proclaiming his innocence. Manson looks on, satisfied in his revenge.
Manson introduces us to the infamous character that is Charles Manson in what will probably be a slow-burning descent to madness with a shocking realism and with Lon Charles teaming up with his Deprogramming director Antonio Campos, I'm convinced that it will be one hell of a ride.
Many former stars try to use the small screen to be relevant again and I certainly hope that Jim Sturgess will get recognition for his role as the demented Charles Manson. We don't get to see his crazy side yet, but Sturgess shines as the calmly menacing Manson through the pilot
The series not only follows Charles Manson as a man, but also presents the early years of the man in a disturbing manner. The pilot is well-written and well shot, making Manson, not only a show to watch, but also one of the best LRTV has to offer following its first week.
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