| Leslie, My Name Is Evil | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Reginald Harkema |
| Written by | Reginald Harkema |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Jonathon Cliff |
| Edited by | Scott Vickrey |
| Music by | Paul Kehayas |
| Production company | New Real Films |
| Distributed by | Lionsgate |
| Release date |
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| Running time | 85 minutes |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
Leslie, My Name Is Evil is a 2009 Canadian film written and directed by Reginald Harkema. It was renamed Manson, My Name Is Evil after its initial release.
Plot
Leslie is a troubled 1960s teenager who eventually becomes a follower of Charles Manson and is charged, convicted, and sentenced to death in August 1969 for the murders of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. The story revolves around how a young juror, Perry, becomes infatuated with Leslie during her trial.
Cast
- Kristen Hager as Leslie Van Houten
- Gregory Smith as Perry
- Ryan Robbins as Charlie Manson
- Kristin Adams as Dorothy
- Peter Keleghan as Walter
- Kaniehtiio Horn as Patricia Krenwinkel
- Anjelica Scannura as Susan Atkins
- Travis Milne as Bobby Beausoleil
- Sarah Gadon as Laura
- Tom Barnett as Bob Ronka
Release
After the film was renamed, Twitch Film criticized the film's marketing as deceptive, as it emphasized Manson instead of Van Houten.
Reception
Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregator website, reports that 67% of nine surveyed critics gave the film a positive review; the average rating is 5.96/10. Rick Groen of The Globe and Mail rated it 2/4 stars and called it "a cinematic essay that occasionally seems smart and sometimes just smart-alecky." Peter Howell of the Toronto Star rated it 1.5/4 stars and wrote that Harkema's comparison of the Manson murders to the Vietnam War "a dubious, illogical and frankly offensive connection to make". Todd Brown of Twitch Film wrote that "despite some very promising elements, Harkema is just not quite up to the task."
References
- Brown, Todd (2010-09-06). "Dear Lionsgate And Lightning Entertainment: Please Stop Lying To Your Audience". Twitch Film. Archived from the original on 2014-10-25. Retrieved 2014-10-24.
- "Manson, My Name Is Evil (2009)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2020-04-28.
- Groen, Rick (2010-05-21). "Leslie, My Name is Evil: Connecting the parallel universes". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2014-10-24.
- Howell, Peter (2010-05-20). "Leslie, My Name is Evil: Message pounded home with sledgehammer". The Toronto Star. Retrieved 2014-10-24.
- Brown, Todd (2009-09-10). "TIFF 09: LESLIE, MY NAME IS EVIL Review". Twitch Film. Archived from the original on 2014-10-25. Retrieved 2014-10-24.
External links
Categories:- 2009 films
- 2009 drama films
- Canadian drama films
- Canadian independent films
- English-language Canadian films
- Courtroom films
- Cultural depictions of Charles Manson
- Films shot in Toronto
- Films set in San Francisco
- 2009 independent films
- 2000s English-language films
- 2000s Canadian films
- English-language independent films