| The Hillside Strangler (2004) Cast:C.Thomas Howell, Nicholas Turturro C. Thomas Howell is effective as Kenneth Binanchi (AKA Hillside Strangler) who after failing to get in the LAPD and failing at basicly everything becomes fascinated with being a celebrity serial killer, the only thing he indeed has done right in this shocking yet fascinating biography. There have been many turkeys made about serial killers over the years, some have indeed been good but for every Dahmer you have Three Gacys and therefore one went into this one a little weary, due to the fact that indeed this was about a very brutal killer and one could see this turned into a ludicrious made for tv type of movie that provided no insight but exploitive murders. However The Hillside Strangler is most fascinating because it actually doesn't focus on the murders themselves but actually on the characters, Of course you have the murders but for the most part they're handled with restraint and this approach really works since both C.Thomas Howell and Nicholas Turturro both sell their characters. Infact upon watching Howell's interview on the DVD, that he himself seems almost frightened by giving off the impression that he enjoyed his acting gig, Howell has always had a sense of boyish cuteness that always grinded one nerves unless he was presented as psychotic or if his face was altered in some way, however Howell's cuteness only adds to the overall frightening presence, he infact looks geeky and gives off the impression of that meek, nerdy guy at church who everyone is nice to but knows something creepy lurks beneath the surface. Howell filters this with effective results. Equally strong is Turturro who with his macho swagger is what drives Howell to madness, infact Howell's seems to be doing this to prove his machohood to Turturro and all of this is fascinating. Another aspect I thought was well done was how Howell and Turturro seemed to be killing women not only for their own sexual pleasure but also to get back at women in general, it's a statement that the movie grimly underlines and shows these guys not psychotic but as a sociopath. You almost feel bad for these guys, because they can't put fear in anyone with testicles so they take their anger out on women instead. Infact one haunting scene finds Howell at Turturro's mother's funeral, where Turturro pretends to choke his dead mother only to have Howell laugh as if it was a joke is a scene that is raw. The only weakness to this otherwise fascinating character study, is the ending that suggests that the producers ran out of money, so they abrubtly ended it. Infact more interesting was that Binanchi faked split personalities and was given the death penalty but saved his skin by ratting on his cousin. This is unfortunately left out but otherwise this is a very good movie. Proof that the world hasn't changed that much, for better or for worse.. D.Chuck Parello ***1/2 |