The Case of the Hillside Stranglers

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.

The true chilling story of the "two of a kind", killin' cousins Angelo Buono (Dennis Farina) and Kenneth Bianchi (Billy Zane), better known as the Hillside Stranglers, is told in this TV drama. The movie concentrates on the killers story, as well as on the life of Officer Bob Grogan (Richard Crenna), who investigated their case.

I appreciated how well this followed the true story. Obviously a fair number of things were changed because it was television and had to fit a full narrative in 90 minutes. But still pretty great. I wonder about the German psychic who claimed the killers were "two Italian brothers" -- was that real??

This film has a quirky Billy Zane, early in his career. Zane has had his highs and lows, and I would put this among his better parts. This film could possibly be released to DVD and do okay.

And then we have Farina with a big mustache; to many viewers, he might seem perhaps a bit old to be Zane's cousin. However, in real life the stranglers were about twenty years apart, so this is quite accurate. I love how easily a former police officer can play a cold-blooded crook.

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.

Caught it on Amazon Prime and it stinks of low rent made for TV cheese.

I'll keep it short, it has a recognizable cast doing phone-in performances and direction that does a very good job of making a film about serial killers anything but titillating, ominous, or entertaining.

There should be at least a little fascination of the morbid kind that goes with films like this. Instead it's a bore.