List of Hippie Exploitation and Manson Family-Inspired Films
Assembled here is a list of hippie exploitation and Manson family-inspired films, spanning the years from 1967 to present. Most of the films involve fictional Hollywood plots, with a few masquerading as “documentaries,” but which really amounted, then and now, to little more than anti-hippie propaganda. However, because most of these films were produced during the actual time of the hippie movement, shot on real locations and often employed actual hippies as “extras,” they serve as excellent time capsules for that period. Also included here for reference purposes are those more “authentic” films produced during the hippie era (such as Woodstock and Gimme Shelter) that depict the 1960’s counter culture at its height. (Feel free to suggest additions to this list that I may have missed. Also, here's a hint: many of these movies have been uploaded to YouTube, where you can watch them for free).
List activity
12K views
• 3 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
41 titles
- DirectorRichard RushStarsSusan StrasbergDean StockwellJack NicholsonA deaf runaway is taken in by a psychedelic band while searching for her missing brother in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury hippie district.Yes, this is a somewhat silly story, but most importantly, it is an absolutely outstanding time capsule containing actual footage shot in Haight-Ashbury during the height of the original hippie scene.
- StarsGeorge DiCenzoSteve RailsbackNancy WolfeThe investigation and trial of the horrific Tate-LaBianca mass murders orchestrated by the psychotic pseudo-hippie cult leader, Charles Manson.Made for television movie that is surprisingly entertaining, even though it is over the top at times, and inaccurate in some of the details. Stars Steve Railsback, who portrays Manson as a wild-eyed maniacal hippie elf whom nobody in their right mind would dare follow to the outhouse, let alone into madness and murder. Based on the true crime book of the same name by Manson prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this movie.
- DirectorQuentin MastersStarsMichael BurnsMeg FosterBruce DernAn adventurous couple of hitchhikers decides to accept every ride that is offered to them. no matter how odd the driver might be. They'll get more than they bargained for.The joys of being young and free hippies on the road are contrasted to the dangers encountered while hitchhiking. A simple, yet entertaining film about coming of age in the Age of Aquarius. Great location shots of San Francisco and the California coast back in the day.
- DirectorJohn GrayStarsJeremy DaviesClea DuVallAllison SmithA new take on the Manson Family murders, with a keen focus on Charles Manson himself.Remake of the original 1976 made for television movie that is worth watching, but left me with the feeling that they could have done so much more with this film. (Too much of the back story was left out). Actor Jeremy Davies' portrayal of Manson is spot on in places, completely over-acted in others. Definitely worth your time, as this remake corrects a few of the mistakes made in the original, but frustratingly, adds some new ones of its own.
- DirectorEdgar BeattyStarsMuhammad AliCarl FranzoniWilliam Arthur MatonsA documentary chronicling the "youth movement" of the late '60s on Los Angeles' Sunset Strip and San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district.An awkward and meandering exploitation film masquerading as a documentary, but still good. The footage was shot in the Haight-Ashbury district during the historic 1967 Summer of Love.
- DirectorRobert HendricksonLaurence MerrickStarsBobby BeausoleilMary BrunnerVincent BugliosiDocumentary on Charles Manson and his family. Has a number of insightful interviews with many family members most notably Squeaky and Sandy (Blue and Red). There is also a history of Manson from his birth to the family formation to the Tate/La Bianca murders. Plenty of footage of the family playing at Spahn Ranch.This film rates as among the best of the original documentaries about the Manson family. It features interviews that were conducted with actual Family members just shortly after the arrest of Manson and the others. An excellent soundtrack is provided by former Manson family members Brooks Poston and Paul Watkins. It doesn't get anymore real than this.
- DirectorRay DantonStarsRobert QuarryBill EwingBrenda DicksonQuarry is a mysterious, articulate stranger who draws a cult like following of local hippies. Rather than showing them peace and love, he has more sinister plans for them, as he is a vampire.A group of eager young hippie disciples, consisting mostly of a harem of young girls, worship and kill for a hypnotic hippie guru vampire, a character obviously inspired by Charles Manson. Good, in that 70s B-movie, schlocky sort of way, dig? (P.S. You can generally find and watch this full movie on YouTube)
- DirectorDavid E. DurstonStarsBhaskar Roy ChowdhuryJadin WongRhonda FultzA group of Satanic hippies wreak havoc on a small town where a young boy whose sister and grandfather were victimized by them tries to get even--with deadly results.Silly 1971 film about a cult of homicidal, acid-dropping, devil-worshiping hippies whose Mansonesque leader utters the classic line, "Let it be known, sons and daughters, that Satan was an acid head." (From the press-book accompanying the release of "I Drink Your Blood," we find the warning "Did you ever imagine what would happen if your community were invaded by hippies? You can now see what can happen to a town when hippies go wild!") This film has been humorously described by one reviewer as "the quintessential tale of a group of Satan-worshipping hippies who ingest meat pies contaminated by the blood of a rabid dog and go on a murder spree."
- DirectorLee MaddenStarsJeanne CrainAlex NicolDan SpellingA woman is persecuted by Jesus freaks after they've crucified her preacher husband.A Masonesque figure leads a group of Jesus-obsessed hippies on a murder spree. Campy and over the top, (and the Manson clone has a unibrow) but worth a look. (P.S. You can generally find and watch this full movie on YouTube).
- DirectorPaul WendkosStarsDennis WeaverEstelle ParsonsKristoffer TaboriA family's outing turns out badly as they are terrorized by a gang of young thugs.Made for television movie (featuring Dennis Weaver and Susan Dey) about a family on a beach vacation who are terrorized by a group of crazed dune buggy driving, Manson Family-like hippies. This movie is plodding in a couple of places, but the overall scenario is quite creepy and you can really feel the tension as it builds. I really enjoyed this one. (P.S. You can generally find and watch this full movie on YouTube).
- DirectorJim Van BebberStarsMarcelo GamesMarc PitmanLeslie OrrA dramatization of the horrific and notorious Manson Family Murders, in the form of super 8 home movies.Of all of the modern Manson films, this one easily rates as the most violent and bloody as it reconstructs the Tate-Labianca murders. It also contains lots of sex and full-frontal nudity. It is not a bad movie, but in my opinion, there are better ones out there. Your own experience will depend on what your tastes are and what you expect from a film covering this subject.
- DirectorFrank HowardStarsBrian KlinknettErica BigelowPaula ShannonA mixture of documentary footage and re-enactment scenes, some filmed on the action locations, of the infamous Tate-LaBianca murders committed by the gang known as the Manson Family.Alternate title, "The Helter Skelter Murders." This is a sleazy 1970 film produced in record time, appearing almost immediately after the arrest of the Manson family and was a blatant attempt to cash in on all the lurid publicity, while claiming to depict the “true story” of the Manson murders. (The movie was shot on several authentic locations and features a dramatization of Manson’s “Helter Skelter” race war. Also includes one of Manson’s own songs, “Mechanical Man” in the score.
- DirectorStuart HagmannStarsBruce DavisonKim DarbyBud CortAn apolitical college student joins a group of campus protesters to meet girls but gets swept up in their cause and involved in a violent confrontation with police.A film about the counterculture and student revolts of the 1960s. Has a great soundtrack and won an award at the 1970 Cannes Film Festival.
- DirectorRobert L. RobertsStarsTroy DonahueRenay GranvilleFrancine MiddletonA Manson-like cult leader takes his "flock" to New York City, where they do drugs and kill people.Also known as "The Love Thrill Murders," this is actually just a soft-core porn film that features actor Troy Donahue as “Moon,” a violence-obsessed, Manson-clone who is the leader of a murderous Jesus freak hippie cult in New York City’s Greenwich Village. (P.S. You can generally find and watch this full movie on YouTube).
- DirectorAlbert ZugsmithStarsMakee K. BlaisdellDebbie OsborneSean KenneyA monk-robed cult leader who lives in a coffin, is transported around in a black hearse. At times he gets sadistic with his girl followers.Alternate title, "The Manson Massacre." This film could serve as the perfect example of what is meant by a "hippie exploitation" film. Has a meandering plot that seems to exist primarily to showcase the nudity of the various actresses portraying the "Manson girls."
- DirectorMichael FindlayHoracio FredrikssonSimon NuchternStarsMargarita AmuchásteguiTina AustinAna CarroA so-called "snuff" film involving the exploits of a cult leader leading a gang of bikers in a series of supposedly real killings on film.1971 film (later renamed Slaughter) in which a bearded and very creepy Manson-like cult leader uses hypnosis on young girls in order to orchestrate a series of murders.
- DirectorTom LaughlinStarsTom LaughlinElizabeth JamesJeremy SlateBilly Jack battles a motorcycle gang in a small California beach town.First film in the Bill Jack series finds our "Champion of the Hippie" super hero Billy Jack in his debut role, battling a vicious biker gang. I really enjoyed this movie, if for nothing else, than just because I love a good tale of an underdog who risks it all to fight for truth and justice.
- DirectorTom LaughlinStarsTom LaughlinDelores TaylorClark HowatEx-Green Beret hapkido expert saves wild horses from being slaughtered for dog food and helps protect a desert "freedom school" for runaway.Second (and best) film in the Bill Jack series. We once again find our "Champion of the Hippie" super hero Billy Jack standing up for the defenseless, this time battling against small-minded, ruthless townspeople hell bent on destroying the hippie enclave known as the Freedom School. This film has everything you could possibly want in a hippie action film. Highly recommended.
- DirectorTom LaughlinStarsTom LaughlinDelores TaylorVictor IzayAfter Billy Jack in sentenced to four years in prison for the "involuntary manslaughter" of the first film, the Freedom School expands and flourishes under the guidance of Jean Roberts. The utopian existence of the school is characterized by everything ranging from "yoga sports" to muckracking journalism. The diverse student population airs scathing political exposes on their privately owned television station. The narrow-minded townspeople have different ideas about their brand of liberalism. Billy Jack is released and things heat up for the school. Students are threatened and abused and the Native Americans in the neighboring village are taunted and mistreated. After Billy Jack undergoes a vision quest, the governor and the police plot to permanently put an end to their liberal shenanigans, leaving it up to Billy Jack to save the day.Third film in the Bill Jack series. Takes up where the second film left off, as Billy emerges from prison to once again battle against The Man in defense of the hippie haven known as the Freedom School. Like all of the Billy Jack movies (with the exception of The Born Losers), this one also references actual events in counterculture history, most notably in this film, the Mai Lai massacre in Vietnam and the shooting of student protesters by National Guardsmen at Kent State university.
- DirectorTom LaughlinStarsTom LaughlinDelores TaylorE.G. MarshallAfter a Senator suddenly dies after completing (and sealing) an investigation into the nuclear power industry, the remaining Senator and the state Governor must decide on a person who will play along with their shady deals and not cause any problems. They decide on Billy Jack, currently sitting in prison after being sent to jail at the end of his previous film, as they don't expect him to be capable of much, and they think he will attract young voters to the party. Billy is pardoned, released, and nominated, after which he begins his duties. He soon notices that things aren't right, and starts trying to find out just what is going on.Fourth and final film in the Bill Jack series (and, in my opinion, the least interesting of them all, included here mainly because I dislike incomplete lists). This is kind of the hippie version of the film, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Billy Jack is now a United States Senator battling against the final, ultimate corrupt force manifested in the guise of the United States government. (The premise of this film from the 70s proves that some things never change, eh? Oh, Billy, we sure could use you now).
- DirectorDennis HopperStarsPeter FondaDennis HopperJack NicholsonTwo bikers head from L.A. to New Orleans through the open country and desert lands, and along the way they meet a man who bridges a counter-culture gap of which they had been unaware.Obviously, I'm a total fan of the hippie era, but am I the only person who thinks that this movie, while interesting and important, is just a bit too tedious in places? Regardless of my opinion, this is a great time capsule of the time period, and the final message it delivers is subtle, yet compelling.
- DirectorJack O'ConnellStarsToday MaloneHerb CaenR.G. DavisA documentary that explores the counterculture of San Francisco in the mid-1960's. In HD.Alternate title, "Hippie Revolution." Nicely done documentary film by Jack O'Connell, made in San Francisco in 1967. Highlights include the 19 year old hippie chick named Today who drops acid and sells the Berkeley Barb underground newspaper on Haight Street. Soundtrack features Ace of Cups, Country Joe and the Fish, Steve Miller Band, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Mother Earth, and Dan Hicks.
- DirectorRoger CormanStarsPeter FondaSusan StrasbergBruce DernA disillusioned TV-commercial director is guided by his friend through an LSD trip, during which he evaluates his identity and his relationships with women.Stars Peter Fonda (of Easy Rider fame) as a troubled young man who takes an LSD trip. This movie was directed by Roger Corman and written by Jack Nicholson. Great time capsule showing various locations in 1967 California during the original hippie era.
- DirectorBarry ShearStarsChristopher JonesShelley WintersDiane VarsiA young man gains significant political influence as the leader of a counterculture rock band with his rallying cry of voting rights for teenagers.A cult classic of the counterculture era that, in my opinion, has not held up well for modern audiences. Features cameo appearances from major personalities of the period (1968) as well as the memorable Max Frost and the Troopers song, "Shape of Things to Come."
- DirectorWilliam GreféStarsJeremy SlateSteve AlaimoJohn Davis ChandlerA gang of dope peddlers sails out to meet a Cuban boat. The trouble starts when they are forced to throw their narcotics overboard and are seen by a young couple.This film will always be in competition for the worst example of hippie exploitation films ever made. Listed here primarily because this list would be incomplete without it. Watch it at your own risk (of thinking that you've totally wasted over an hour of your life).