10 Made-For-Television Movies That Are Actually Worth Your Time

5. Helter Skelter (1976)

I didn't mean to have Charles Manson become a recurring theme in this article (he appeared in the Beach Boys TV movie), but you can't write a list like this and not include Helter Skelter. After all, the film defined the nightmares of a whole generation of TV-watchers. The movie is based on Vincent Bugliosi's book about the Manson murders. The movie begins as the police investigate the murders at Roman Polanski's Los Angeles house (the victims included Sharon Tate, Polanski's wife, and his unborn child). The movie eventually boils down to a showdown between two men, Mr. Bugliosi (George DiCenzo) and Manson himself (Steve Railsback), as they duke it out in the courtroom. The movie isn't anything special from a stylistic standpoint; you can tell the movie was made on a small budget. Most of the acting is pretty lame, too. The movie does, however, have two performances that elevate the movie to legendary status. George DiCenzo delivers the first of these performances; he does a great job playing a stoic, driven attorney. Railsback blows DiCenzo out of the water, though, with his performance as Manson. Railsback radiates so much power and force that you're almost scared to look at him.