Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Hollywood 90028 Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf October 23, 2024

1973’s “Hollywood 90028” (a.k.a. “Twisted Throats” and “Hollywood Hillside Strangler”) is caught between its exploitation interests and its artful intent. It’s an odd one from director Christina Hornisher, who doesn’t seem particularly interested in making a serial killer story, aiming to avoid the grim details of horror while she inspects a different tale of a man who can’t control his rage issues around women. “Hollywood 90028” isn’t really a crime story, showing more confidence as a mood piece with great views of Los Angeles in the 1970s. Hornisher works with her locations to generate some atmosphere, while her tale hits a few beats of salaciousness before it returns to mildly engaging relationship woes and assorted professional and personal points of pressure.

Mark (Christopher Augustine) is a cameraman in Los Angeles, trying to make a living working on “nudies” for director Jobal (Dick Glass). Mark seems like a normal guy, but he has a fondness for strangling women soon after he meets them, leaving a trail of bodies behind in the city. During a fetish shoot, Mark meets Michelle (Jeanette Sears), with the pair enjoying immediate chemistry, feeling out the possibilities of a relationship. However, Michelle is already dealing with a sugar daddy, leaving Mark confused and angry, going back into the world to seek out fresh victims to help release his rage.

“Hollywood 90028” is in no hurry to get anywhere. Hornisher sets a casual pace for the endeavor, including scenes of murder. The feature opens with Mark wandering around the city, the first of many pedestrian tours from the character, eventually meeting a woman in a diner. They return to her place for a night of marijuana and sex, and she ends up strangled by the stranger. It’s not a suspenseful scene, but Hornisher tries to build something ominous about Mark, who comes across as a hollowed out man trying to get through the days. We also watch him at work, enduring Jobal’s crude management and daily dealings with models, making pornography with careful cinematographic concentration.

There should be a larger psychological profile being pieced together in “Hollywood 90028,” but that’s not Hornisher’s vision. We get pieces of Mark’s life, including a browbeating phone call from his sisters concerning his mother’s health. And he enjoys touring the city, even bringing Michelle to the Bunker Hill neighborhood in Los Angeles, where he shares strong ideas on housing issues. “Hollywood 90028” features real-time dinner preparation and explores lengthy conversations between the killer and Michelle, where they share their personal histories, getting closer. Hornisher doesn’t have much interest in developing subplots or ideas, but she certainly achieves atmosphere in the endeavor, and cinematography is careful at times, working to create imagery not typically associated with no-budget offerings from this decade. Hornisher goes for a gracefulness with it all, trying to stay introspective with Mark and his turmoil, and the effort is commendable.

Hollywood 90028 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is listed as a "Spectacular new 4K restoration created from the original 35mm camera negative." "Hollywood 90028" retains its film-like look, with nicely resolved grain throughout the viewing experience. Detail reaches as far as possible, examining the characters, who offer textured clothing and skin particulars. Los Angeles locations are the big star of the feature, and they remain open for inspection, with deep distances and clear signage. Interiors are spare and dimensional. Color is capable, with decent primaries and flashier hues on art. Greenery is distinct. Skin tones are natural. Delineation is satisfactory. Source is in good condition.

Hollywood 90028 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix handles the simple sounds of "Hollywood 90028" with care. Clarity is good throughout the listening experience, with dialogue exchanges a mix of on-set recordings and plenty of ADR conversations. Intelligibility isn't threatened. Scoring cues support with crisp instrumentation, setting jazzy and mournful moods.

Hollywood 90028 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• CD Soundtrack is included.

• Booklet (26 pages) contains essays by Marc E. Heuck, David Szulkin, and Richard Kraft.

Disc 1

• Commentary #1 features Marc E. Heuck and Heidi Honeycutt.

• Commentary #2 is listed as a "locations" track with Shawn Langrick.

• "Cinemadness Q&A" (47:03, HD) is a discussion of "Hollywood 90028" with actors Christopher Augustine and Gayle Davis.

• Intro (3:38, HD) is a video conference message from filmmaker Buddy Giovinazzo, who couldn't attend a screening of "Hollywood 90028," providing a brief appreciation for the feature.

• "Alternate X-Rated Cuts" (SD) include "The Simple Story" (2:53), "Darkroom 2" (1:55), and "Love Montage" (3:45).

• "The Cameraman Outtakes" (3:12, HD) collects footage from "Hollywood 90028," exploring different locations from the picture.

• Radio Spot (:58) offers a single ad for "Hollywood Hillside Strangler," also providing newspaper ads.

• Still Galleries include "Publicity," "Drive-In Asylum Newspaper Ad Gallery," "Christina Hornisher," "Cast Photos," "Cover Art by Jerry Martinez," and "Adult Bookshop."

• And Theatrical Trailers (HD) for "Hollywood 90028" (1:40) and "Hollywood Hillside Strangler" (:35) are included.

• Bonus Movie: "Twisted Throats" (84:46, SD), an alternate cut of "Hollywood 90028."

Disc 2

• "Hollywood Dreams: The Making of 'Hollywood 90028" (68:31, HD) features interviews with editor Leon Ortiz-Gil, and actors Christopher Augustine, Jeanette Sears, and Gayle Davis. Biographical information is initially explored, including Augustine's early days in the music industry and Sears's connection to director Christina Hornisher. Time on "Hollywood 90028" is detailed, with the interviewees pointing out the oddity and darkness of the film, created in the shadow of the Manson Murders. Technical issues are analyzed, including ADR efforts, and cinematography is celebrated, with the production piecing together a Los Angeles story on limited budget. Legal entanglements are highlighted, finding Ortiz-Gil trying to protect the picture from outside interests. Reflections on "Hollywood 90028" are shared, and the interviewees track the course of their lives after completing the endeavor, which basically disappeared, released under different titles.

• "Christopher Augustine at the New Beverly" (38:29, HD) is a 2022 Q&A with one of the stars of "Hollywood 90028."

• "Tom and Tina: The Early Years" (24:47, HD) is an interview with director Tom DeSimone, who recalls his experiences with Christina Hornisher, befriending the filmmaker during their days at UCLA. The interviewee shares his memories of the collegiate experience and the development of his connection to Hornisher, as the pair toured Los Angeles on the hunt for underground and experimental movies to see, developing their tastes. DeSimone tracks the development of his career, acquiring work as an editor, eventually finding his way to the director's chair with 1968's "Terror in the Jungle," bringing Hornisher with him. The friendship eventually faded over time, but DeSimone identifies occasional reunions and the trajectory of their careers. Hornisher's 2003 death is also examined.

• "Christina Hornisher Short Films" (HD) include "4 x 8 = 16" (2:52), "The Sun is Long" (6:00), "And On the Sixth Day" (5:11), and "Sister of the Bride" (21:17).

• "Los Angeles: Here and Gone" (4:14, HD) offers a split-screen understanding of "Hollywood 90028" locations and the changes the areas have experienced since 1970.

• "The Erotic Director" (30:17, SD) is a short film starring Dick Glass.

Hollywood 90028 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Hollywood 90028" doesn't wow with its storytelling, with the plot coming and going as it pleases during the run time. Mark isn't a fully fleshed-out character, but some understanding of his issues is present, and while his deadliness isn't exactly terrifying, Hornisher hopes to make up for a lack of tension with a shocker ending that does the trick, using the famous Hollywood Sign in an inventive way. One has to simply go with the flow when watching "Hollywood 90028," which isn't a strong character study or a striking serial killer tale. It's merely spending time with a man who can't always control himself, failing to handle the pressures of life and the disappointments of love. It's a European-style take on grindhouse cinema, making it quite interesting, but not dramatically fulfilling.