The Case of the Hillside Stranglers

A made for TV stinker with some good actors wasted by poor writing and directing. Even the musical score stinks. The story is compelling, but the treatment isn't. There aren't any spoilers in here. The odor comes directly from the movie.

Let's face it, to capture the reality of 12 brutal rapes, tortures and murders in a 2 hour film is near impossible. So instead this film focuses more on the characteristics of the two criminals who in real life were first cousins. The alpha male Angelo Buono was played to perfection by the hard working and versatile actor Dennis Farina who convinced me that he was a sick murderer. The younger cousin and charismatic Kenneth Bianchi who enjoyed his notoriety and his own press clippings was played by Billy Zane. Now you can't have a good crime film without having a cop or two who are always one step behind the bad guys.

The two detectives are actor Richard Crenna whose portrayal of Sgt. Bob Grogran was right on the money and his partner Tony Plana who plays Detective Mike Hernandez were a perfect fit. Little by little the two detectives and we the audience get a glimpse into the method of operation (MO) of these two murderers sick rape and torture of the first 10 victims who endured torture before these young women and children's bodies were dumped naked on the Los Angeles hillsides as the killers infamous trademark. The first 10 murders all took place within a five month span between October 1977 and February 1988.

Truth be told these two murderers may never have been caught if not for the egotistical personality and insatiable appetite of Kenneth Bianchi who continued striking fear by murdering two young ladies in Bellingham Washington where he was literally exiled by the older Angelo Buono because Buono could no longer control the younger Bianchi's zeal for wanting to remain in the public spotlight. Bianchi actually had the nerve and gall while still in L.A. to request and receive permission to go for ride-along(s) in Los Angeles police cars where he would openly speak about the Hillside stranglers victims and crime scenes.

The film is now over 26 years past its initial release and is a made for TV film but it still tells a factual story and provides a very real look into the lives of two real serial killers who both were caught as a result of the quick arrest and conviction of Kenneth Bianchi of his last two murder victims in Bellingham Washington which he committed on his own. Bianchi eventually ratted on his cousins involvement in the first 10 L.A. Hillside strangle murders and both got life in prison convictions. Angelo Buono died of a heart attack in 2002 at the age of 67. Bianchi continues to serve his life sentence in Washington State Penitentiary, in Walla Walla Washington.

Unfortunately we did lose the beloved actors Dennis Farina in 2013 and Richard Crenna in 2003. This film has stood the test of time and greatly assisted in the television feature film genre for its grit and reality. I give the film a 8 out of 10 rating. It is well worth watching.

Case of the Hillside Stranglers, The (1989)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Extremely well-acted and dramatic made-for-TV flick about the cousins (Dennis Farina, Billy Zane) who stalked Northern L.A. back in 1978-79 and ended up murdering a total of ten people. Richard Crenna plays Sgt. ob Grogan, the man put on the case who slowly finds everything slipping away when a lack of evidence causes the D.A. to worry about going forward with charges. I remember watching this movie when it first showed up on television but I really couldn't remember too much about it nearly twenty years later. I was pleasantly surprised to see how well the film held up over time and it actually managed to be quite dramatic from start to finish. Anyone who knows anything about the real case will say this movie portrayals everything fairly accurately and this helps the drama because it's also unbelievable how this case eventually turned out. I think the film's strongest aspect is that it pretty much gives equal time to everything involved here. We get to spend time with the killers, spend time with the police trying to crack the case but we also get to peak in at Grogan's personal life and the effect this case had on it. I thought the film managed to play all sides and for the most part we get a pretty full knowledge of everything that happened and I think we also get to know the killers quite well. The movie manages to be quite intense not only as the police try to crack down but also with the killers stalking their victims. The direction by Gethers is extremely good as he manages to keep everything moving very quickly but he also fills the film with some great atmosphere and really manages to put you right in the middle of everything going on. Crenna gives a very good performance in the role of the cop as his energy is right on target and you can believe everything he does. Zane and Farina are extremely good as the killers and you can't help but see and feel the cold blood running through their veins. Both actors really dig deep into the role and comes off quite chilling.

This is yet another film about monsters Kenneth Bianchi and Angelo Buono, not the best to be sure, but not a bad effort for all its faults. Unlike the much later (2004) film "The Hillside Strangler", this one is centred mostly on the lead officer in the case, who has appeared in documentaries about it.

The story begins halfway through the murders, so we do not see and are not told the "inspiration" for them, namely, the murder of a teenage prostitute who had ripped off Buono, after which the two men had developed a liking for murdering prostitutes, graduating to ordinary young women and underage girls while their sadism and torture grew with every killing.

The names of the victims have been changed, and there are some cameos, like the German psychic who supposedly gave the police a lead which they ignored.

Bianchi is portrayed very much as the junior partner, albeit an extremely enthusiastic apprentice. Apart from that, the film passes muster, and it certainly contains nothing that will offend true crime buffs.

I am a fan of made-for-television movies that feature true crime cases. This movie is about the true case of the Hillside Strangles, two psychopathic cousins who terrorized Los Angeles back in the 70s.

Richard Crenna plays the part of LA detective Sgt. Bob Grogan, a role that he was perfectly suited for, as Crenna has starred in several true crime films and he totally nails it. I've always admired his low key style and he seems to be completely at ease in this role.

Billy Zane and Richard Farina play the roles of Kenneth Bianchi and Angelo Buono and both are great in their parts, as they come off as very creepy characters who abduct and murder multiple women.

The film stays pretty much focused on the crimes and does not meander too far with side plots, something that can really put me off on these kinds of movies. There are indeed a few side stories within, where the focus is on the fact that the lead detective is overworked and neglecting his children, and scenes where he romances a local woman. But even those distractions are mixed in quite well with the central plot and add to the overall story quite well.

All in all, I really enjoyed this movie and it brought back all of the horror and terror of those times when two vicious killers were at large.