FeistyUpper If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

VeteranLight I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Sexyloutak Absolutely the worst movie.

Geraldine The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

punishmentpark At first, 'The Hillside Strangler' seemed like a campy black comedy, but as it progressed it became more and more a simple b-film with too many 'artistic' pretensions; for instance, when a woman fights for her LIFE, dog VITO comes into the picture, barking. Or when Christina Chavez lies on the couch, telling of hér artistic intentions, why does it feel so out of place? Could it be she is really representative of Parello's?Actors Howell and Turturro try really hard I suppose, but every attempt seems to get more ridiculous than the one before, be it in the dramatic scenes or the horror scenes - but you'll have to consider the terrible dialogues they have to work with, also. All of the other actors come across the same way, from a supposed to be dead but still breathing murder victim, to the aforementioned crazy woman; just terrible.The ('70s) atmosphere looks and feels... 'clunky'. Now, I've never used that word since I heard it first in 'Things to Do...'(1995, Gary Fleder), but this seems just about the appropriate time. Had it been a (good) black comedy, it would certainly have gotten away with it, though!Somewhere in all of this, it does somehow feel like some sincere effort did go into it, but it just doesn't come out right. And it's 'funny' that I saw this one years before (intoxicated though) and gave it 6 out of 10. This time around: 2 out of 10.

Claudio Carvalho In the end of the 70's, the dysfunctional Kenneth Bianchi (C. Thomas Howell) lives with his mother and is obsessed to join the police force. When his application is refused, his mother suggests him to go to Los Angeles to live with his sadistic and perverted cousin Angelo Buono (Nicholas Turturro). Kenneth unsuccessfully tries to join LAPD, and Angelo convinces him to start a prostitution business with him. They force two girls from Tucson to work for them, but their competitors destroy their business and steals their money. The frustrated Kenneth and Angelo decide to revenge against a whore, and Kenneth strangles her, feeling a great pleasure with the act of killing. The two cousins become addicted in death, initially killing whores and then attacking single women, dumping their bodies on the hills of LA."The Hillside Strangler' is a low budget movie based on a true event that happened in 1977 in Los Angeles, with the police chasing one serial killer when actually they were two. The disturbing and violent story has many strong moments with the explicit sadism of the two cousins, and sex exploitation with many nudism, but it is well acted and attractive. This movie is not recommended for sensitive persons due to the psychopathic violence, but for those that like a cruel and credible story, it is a good choice. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): "O Estrangulador" ("The Strangler")

ZootCadillac 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.

paulnewman2001 Much like Matthew Bright's Bundy, Chuck Parello's take on serial killer cousins Ken Bianchi (The Hitcher's C Thomas Howell) and Angelo Buono (Nicholas Turturro) is content to recreate the milieu, throw in a period soundtrack and recreate their crimes.There's no attempt to ask how or why they came to be thrill-killing scumbags, leaving the unappetising spectacle of sadistic, ugly people doing sadistic, ugly things to attractive, often-naked and terrorised women.It's hard to avoid titillating misogyny in these kind of films but it can be done (Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer, Summer Of Sam).The Hillside Strangler falls woefully, and often offensively, short of the mark.