Delayed Reaction: The Hillside Strangler

The Pitch: Remember that Dahmer movie? Same idea, different killer.

How I Came Into It: Occasionally, I'll find a movie in my Netflix queue that I don't remember how it got there. This is absolutely one of them. There's one of two reasons I added this: 1) I thought it would be like Henry: Portait of a Serial Killer or even the Jeremy Renner Dahmer, or 2) naked Natasha Melnick, Cindy from Freaks and Geeks. Really, neither option says anything about me that's particularly favorable. Regardless, here it is, next in my queue.

Why I Saw It: Well, Natasha Melnick did get naked, so I guess that fulfills half of my mission. Then again, she's getting murdered, so that takes out the fun of it.

Why I Wish I Hadn't: The reason that I appreciate Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is that it's a grizzly portrayal of a killer. It doesn't pull any punches. It's detached and disturbing. The Hillside Strangler isn't that. It tries, but it's not willing to go far enough. It's detached but in a way that's more of a checklist. The acting is pretty bad. Nicholas Tuturro and C. Thomas Howell are surrounded by a collection of actresses and actors who mostly left the business or went into porn. Even if the two leads were doing above average work (which they aren't) it would be wasted. This is one of those movies that feels like an assignment for everyone involved. A job to get to fill the time.

Verdict (?): Strongly Don't Recommend