Hillside Strangler stands out as hands down one of the all time great true crime films. Chuck Parello plunges the viewer headfirst into the acid guts of sexual sadism, familial dysfunction, and spree killings. The basic plot follows the rampage of Kenneth Bianchi and Angelo Buono, two cousins who committed some of the most perverted acts of torture and homicide recorded in the annals of American crime. What makes this film stand out so well is how mundane the circumstances provoking their spree happen to be. The murders are presented as a simple, reflexive response to a single act of humiliation.Parello perfectly captures the tacky, sexually saturated milieu of the mid-1970's. The world in which these crimes occur is one of female objectification, sexual dysfunction, and brazen immorality. By spending some time charting the vapid nature of the cousin's lives - petty existences comprised of orgies, drugs, and non- stop cruising - the eventual segue into murder feels almost natural. There are some extremely disturbing scenes of rape, humiliation, and murder. However, the story emphasizes psychological and environmental factors just enough that Hillside Strangler approaches the precipice of exploitation without teetering over. It's a delicate balancing act that pushes the film to a level of repulsion it would not have reached if treated as a garden-variety serial killer flick (see Mike Feifer's EXORABLE shot on HD garbage cheapies for an example of the worst case scenario of the latter).For those who feel that this type of movie trivializes the real pain experienced by real victims, I'll point out that this film only scrapes the surface of Bianchi and Buono's evil. Parello re-stages the crimes to avoid some horrifying details (like, for example, the fact that close to half of their victims were teens - some as young as 12), and allow the audience to empathize with the killers enough to maintain interest.Hillside is a gem of indie true crime.

This is without a doubt on of the most ridiculously funny films I've seen in a long time. This is one of the most quotable films ever with lines like, "How you like it I hack off your arms and legs and stick a live rat up your snatch?" The graphic violence and rape scenes mix so well with the insanely funny lines and acting. There were several moments where I had to pause the film and wait till I stopped laughing so I wouldn't miss the film. The scene where the protagonist kills and rapes a black hooker in the back seat of a car while his Joe Pesci wanna-be cousin cheers him on from the front is to die for! A must see if you want a good laugh.

"The Hillside Strangler" is a seedy, hard-hitting and unflinching serial killer movie, based on true events that occurred in '70s Los Angeles.C. Thomas Howell plays a role very distant from Jim Halsey in "The Hitcher". His portrayal of true-life serial killer Kenneth Bianchi is very convincing, to say the least. I was genuinely taken aback by his gaunt appearance in this film - he isn't instantly recognisable.Nicholas Turturro is splendid as the psychotic, cruel other half of the serial killer duo, Angelo Buono.The Tartan-funded film contains some hard-hitting sequences but despite these it remains an entertaining experience. You won't feel like you need a shower after watching this movie but you may feel a little guilty for viewing some of its seedier content. Definitely recommended for fans of true-life crime.

Regardless of your opinion about the validity of this and similar films the fact remains that it is an interpretation of actual events and complaining about the content of the movie and bleating about the film offending your sensibilities is the same as complaing about watching the murdering of innocent Iraqis on the news. Seldom few do it because it is pointless. These things happen and people will use different mediums to tell the story.As for the film well, I settled down to watch this and It all goes downhill from there.I am well aware of the story of these murderous cousins and was looking forward to seeing this when I spotted it. I had heard nothing about it but thought that it can't be too bad with C. Thomas Howell in it. I remember him as a decent actor.How wrong was I? This has got to be one of the worst films I have had the misfortune to see in the last decade, and trust me, I've seen some utter crap. The whole thing looked like it had had a budget spent that is equivalent to my weekly beer budget. Made on a shoestring with a bunch of amateur actors ( loose term ) I can't believe Howell joined this movie let alone finished it. Even his acting was dire having been dragged down to the level of the rest. I have seen better made 1970's porn flicks that contained better dialogue and storyline than this tripe.I pride myself upon watching ( or reading ) anything I start right to the end. I considered stopping this at least three times and then when I least expected it it suddenly ended. However I was glad of that. Avoid at all cost.