Entertainment
How Michael Connelly's look at the Wonderland Massacre led him to Liberace's former boyfriend
In the annals of horrific Hollywood-related crimes that have left a lasting imprint on Los Angeles, the 1969 Tate-LaBianca murders have always ranked in the top tier. The bloody killing of pregnant actor Sharon Tate and others over two days by members of a cult headed by Charles Manson has sparked its own cottage industry of books and films, including Quentin Taratino’s “Once Upon A Time … In Hollywood.’
But acclaimed novelist and former Times reporter Michael Connelly has always been fascinated by another dark and savage incident, fueled by sex and drugs, which he says left a deeper scar on Hollywood and L.A. culture — the 1981 Wonderland Massacre, in which four people were brutally slain inside a posh home in Laurel Canyon.
Adult film star John C. Holmes, drug kingpin Eddie Nash, famed entertainer Liberace and his “boy toy” Scott Thorson were among the colorful personalities caught up in the case. A juror was bribed. Even after three trials, there were no convictions, and the killers were never brought to justice, making the Wonderland murders one of the LAPD’s most infamous cold cases.
The details, Connelly contends, were outrageous even by Hollywood standards: “There’s aspects of this story that I don’t think would work in fiction because you actually have to be more believable in fiction.”
After decades of writing bestsellers — many of them featuring the fictional, no-nonsense Los Angeles Police Department Det. Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch — and adapting his novels into popular series (Prime Video’s “Bosch,” Netflix’s “The Lincoln Lawyer”), Connelly is finally taking a deep dive into his obsession with the blood-soaked slaughter in MGM+’s “The Wonderland Massacre & The Secret History of Hollywood.”
With the four-part docuseries, which concludes Sunday at 10 p.m. and will be available to stream in full, Connelly, partnering with documentary filmmaker Alison Ellwood (“Laurel Canyon,” “The Go-Gos”), extends his exploration into the case, which started with his 2021 Audible podcast. The project also probes Hollywood’s decadent culture of nightclubs and underground parties during the 1970s and ‘80s.
A centerpiece of the project is an extensive interview with Thorson, who was portrayed by Matt Damon in the HBO film “Behind the Candelabra” — his memoir of the same name served as the basis. An addict who operated in Hollywood’s dark circles, Thorson served as key witness in the Wonderland case. Thorson died in August of cancer and heart disease.
Scott Thorson, who died in August, was a key witness in the Wonderland case.
(MGM+)
The first chapter of the series, “The Heat of a Cold Case,” outlines the gruesome discovery on July 1, 1981, of four people — Ron Launius, William “Billy” Deverell, Joy Miller and Barbara Richardson — who had been bludgeoned to death. The victims were members of the Wonderland Gang, a group of small-time drug dealers. Launius’ wife, Susan, survived the attack but suffered brain damage and partial paralysis.
The slayings were allegedly ordered by Nash as retaliation for a robbery at his home, but Nash and his bodyguard, Gregory DeWitt Diles, were acquitted of the crime.
In a video interview, edited here for length and clarity, Connelly and Ellwood discussed the effect of the Wonderland case on Hollywood, its connection to the crack epidemic, the cat-and-mouse interactions with Thorson and whether there’s a possibility of reopening the case.
Why have the Wonderland murders intrigued you more than the Manson family murders?
Connelly: They’re both brutal, very shocking crimes. They both have something to say about the culture of their time. But Wonderland was on the precipice of huge change in terms of drugs being much of the inspiration and cultural change. It was the shifting to drugs that were designed to addict. That headed toward crack, which destroyed communities. So the impact was much more significant than the Manson case. Its tentacles go all over the place. It’s not only Los Angeles but representative of what happened in our society in the ‘80s.
Ellwood: When Michael first approached me, I had just finished “Laurel Canyon,” about the music scene there. The Manson murders marked the midpoint of that, this dark wave that no one was suspecting in this bucolic place. It had been mind-expanding drugs before, and then the drugs turned to cocaine. The artists leave, and then these houses become drug dens occupied by thieves. The image of what Laurel Canyon had been was taken over.
Michael, when did you first start obsessing over this murder?
Connelly: I first came to Los Angeles from Florida in the mid-’80s to cover crime for the Los Angeles Times. Any kind of story where people got away with murder was intriguing to me as a journalist. Then I transitioned to novels, and what happens in novels? Everything gets solved, there’s no loose ends. The opportunity to explore this case where justice was never served is something that intrigues and obsesses me. Over time, I’ve come to know almost every detective who has worked on this case. It has really stuck in their craws and that kind of transferred to me.
One of the most shocking images is the bloody footage from the actual crime scene.
Ellwood: It’s really brutal. I watch a lot of movies, so I’m used to gore. But when it’s real, it’s very different. There is much worse imagery, which we did not use.
How is the docuseries different from the podcast?
Connelly: It’s a visual story. The archival stuff that Allison and her team were able to pull together took it several steps above a podcast. The footage from the crime scene alone is significantly different when you see it. We got fresher interviews.
Michael Connelly and Alison Ellwood took a noir approach to shooting the docuseries.
(MGM+)
What was the main element to make it into a film?
Ellwood: The story struck me as a very negative image of what L.A. had become during this era, so we really wanted to take a noir approach. We have a lot of night driving with Michael, and very moody settings for the interviews.
The Zoom interviews that Mike was doing with Scott Thorson were immediately intriguing. You could see this back-and-forth, cat-and-mouse game that Michael was having to play with Scott. I thought, “Wow, we got to get them in a room together.” So we went to Musso and Frank’s in Hollywood, a luxury, old-time environment. Scott had hung out there a lot.
Connelly: He’s such a strange and interesting character. All these cops counseled me: “You got to watch him, don’t trust anything he says.” I went from being very standoffish about him and not trusting him to really enjoying our conversations. It was an interesting relationship. He was such an interesting foil who I would try to catch in a lie. Believe me, I tried. I thought it would be helpful if I showed him to be an unreliable narrator. I never told him where I lived, never gave him my cellphone number. But I ended up kind of liking him, despite all the bad things he did. And that’s a very strange thing for me. We knew he was sick when he did the interviews, but it was still shocking when he passed.
Is there a possibility of the case ever being reopened?
Connelly: Yes and no. Our work on this project got the head of the cold case unit of the LAPD to come in with the file and talk to us. But she basically said the case doesn’t have the things that would usually bring about a cold-case investigation decades later, like DNA and fingerprints. Someone would have to come forward to start this again.
Ellwoood: Certainly all of the detectives would be happy to bring this case to closure. It really is unrequited justice. People got away with murder.
Movie Reviews
Bandar Movie Review: Bobby Deol roars in Anurag Kashyap’s unsettling legal thriller that refuses to spoon-feed
Name: Bandar
Director: Anurag Kashyap
Cast: Bobby Deol, Sanya Malhotra, Sapna Pabbi, Saba Azad, Jitendra Joshi, Raj B Shetty
Writer: Sudip Sharma, Abhishek Banerjee
Rating: 3.5/5
Plot:
Bandar follows Sameer Mehra’s character, essayed by Bobby Deol, a fading star who is desperately clinging to his past glory. Just as he attempts to rebuild his life and finds solace in a new relationship, his world comes crashing down. A former girlfriend files a heinous allegation against him, dragging him into a vicious, high-profile legal battle. Written by Sudip Sharma and Abhishek Banerjee, the film moves away from standard Bollywood courtroom setups. Instead, it dives straight into the murky waters of social media trials, public perception, and a sluggish judicial system where the truth gets buried under layers of gray.
What works:
Known for his chaotic energy, Anurag Kashyap takes a remarkably mature and controlled approach here. He avoids sensationalizing a highly sensitive topic, choosing instead to focus on the psychological claustrophobia of the protagonist. The prison sequences are exceptionally well-shot. They create a suffocating, raw atmosphere that makes you feel the weight of the character’s confinement. The script successfully avoids preachy, black-and-white monologues. It bravely forces the audience to confront their own biases regarding modern-day public trials and the digital judge-and-jury culture.
What doesn’t:
Clocking in at nearly two hours and twenty minutes, Bandar feels heavily weighed down in the second half. The narrative stretches thin, and a few subplots demand too much patience, making you wish for a tighter edit. The film stubbornly refuses to take a definitive moral stance or offer a neat resolution. While film enthusiasts might appreciate the complexity, mainstream viewers looking for a clear-cut ending or emotional payoff might walk away feeling detached and frustrated.
Performances:
- Bobby Deol is the beating heart of this film. Stripping away the massive macho swagger and menacing villainy of his recent hits, he delivers a deeply vulnerable, understated performance. He plays Samar with a mix of arrogance, confusion, and raw helplessness, proving his immense range.
- Sanya Malhotra anchors her screen time with her trademark reliability, turning in a grounded and impactful performance.
- Saba Azad and Sapna Pabbi excel in their respective roles, bringing genuine nuance to characters that could have easily been sidelined.
- Jitendra Joshi is an absolute scene-stealer, commanding your attention every single time he steps into the frame.
- Indrajith Sukumaran and Raj B Shetty are absolute show stealers with their raw acting.
Final Verdict:
Bandar is an unsettling, morally complex thriller that refuses to spoon-feed its audience. It isn’t a comfortable watch, nor does it try to be. While the sluggish pacing in the second half prevents it from being an absolute masterpiece, it is worth a watch for Bobby Deol’s spectacular acting reinvention and Anurag Kashyap’s gritty, thought-provoking storytelling.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of Pinkvilla. No statement in this article is intended to defame, harm, or malign any individual or entity.
ALSO READ: Maa Behen Movie Review: Madhuri Dixit, Triptii Dimri, and Dharna Durga save a slow-burning mystery
Kathy Hilton will no longer be the grand marshal of West Hollywood’s pride parade.
The city and WeHo Pride on Wednesday released a joint statement, announcing that “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star would no longer serve as the Grand Marshal Icon for the 2026 WeHo Pride Parade. The event is scheduled for Sunday.
“After thoughtful discussions, the City of West Hollywood, the WeHo Pride production team, and Kathy Hilton have determined that the 2026 WeHo Pride Parade will not designate a Grand Marshal Icon honoree,” read the statement.
The decision comes less than a week after Hilton was announced. That May 28 announcement was met with swift backlash from the LGBTQ+ community and allies, who called out Hilton’s ties to President Trump and alleged MAGA-leaning politics. Critics also cited accusations that the socialite had used a homophobic slur while on a trip with other cast members of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” an action she has previously denied.
In their joint statement, West Hollywood and the WeHo Pride team expressed their appreciation for “the respectful and sincere dialogue” around both the event and the “role and significance” of Pride honorees.
“The City of West Hollywood has always believed that Pride belongs to the community,” the joint statement said. “Since its earliest days, Pride has served as both a celebration and a platform for activism, visibility, resilience, and the ongoing pursuit of equality, dignity, and justice for LGBTQ+ people. … These conversations reflect the passion people have for WeHo Pride and underscore the importance of ensuring that WeHo Pride continues to honor the history, values, and diverse voices of the LGBTQ+ community.”
In a statement, Hilton expressed gratitude for being considered for grand marshal and reaffirmed her commitment to the LGBTQ+ community and causes.
“My reason for wanting to be involved in this year’s WeHo Pride weekend was simple: to celebrate, support, and share in the joy of a community that means a great deal to so many people,” Hilton said. “Pride is, and always will be, about celebrating and uplifting LGBTQ+ voices, experiences, and achievements. … My support for the community and WeHo Pride is unwavering.”
She also mentioned several queer advocacy organizations and events she has supported over the years, including GLAAD, the Elton John AIDS Foundation, the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, Dr. Mathilde Krim, God’s Love We Deliver and Project Angel Food.
The latest Pride-related dust-up follows the abrupt cancellation of the Long Beach Pride Festival in May. The city’s Pride Parade took place as planned.
Both snafus have occurred as conservative politicians and advocates continue to attack LGBTQ+ rights and visibility nationwide. Some Republican governors have even pushed for conservative alternatives to Pride month festivities. A recent Gallup poll has found that after years of steady gains, support for marriage equality and same-sex relationships has slipped, particularly among Republicans.
Movie Reviews
Movie Review: Travolta’s “Propeller: One-Way Night Coach” is One for the Ages — All Ages
Back in the good ol’days — the ’90s — John Travolta would love to get off the topic of “Michael,” “Pulp Fiction” or “Get Shorty” in interviews with film journalists like me and regale us with how utterly besotted he had been with his first flying experience, how that drove his passion for piloting and buying planes and airfield-adjacent luxury houses.
He didn’t even seem to mind having to move house when this or that development balked at him flying his Boeing 707 out of there on the way to locations.
Travolta would tell any journalist who asked that he was writing a kid-friendly book, “Propeller: One Way Night Coach,” based on his first flights as a child in old propeller driven airliners — cheap red-eye overnight treks with too many connections for your average jet age traveller to tolerate.
I remember picking up the book when it came out later in the ’90s — at an airport gift shop — and thinking “Well, that’s as cute as I figured.”
And now, decades later and trapped in the B-movie hell of his post “Gotti” career, Travolta’s turned that cute book into the most delightful, fanciful and colorful bon bon of a movie.
“One Way Night Coach” is a child’s fantasy of flight and flying the way it used to be — with pristine, uncrowded, futuristic airports, an early ’60s era of jets and prop planes with over-uniformed stewardesses in white gloves, the days “Back before every Joe Sweatsock could wedge himself behind a lunch tray and jet off to Raleigh-Durham,” as Sideshow Bob memorably sneered on “The Simpsons’.”
It’s a fictionalized account of Travolta’s childhood about an only child (at least two Travolta siblings have bit parts in this movie) of a never-made-it/never-will actress/single-mom (Kelly Eviston-Quinnett) who indulges her aviation-obsessed eight-year-old with a cheap cross-country overnight flight.
Little Jeff (Clark Shotwell) will revel in almost every Idlewild to Pittsburgh to Dayton to Chicago to Kansas City to Denver and Los Angeles minute. He strolls into the cockpit to meet pilots, charms the stewardesses and checks out the sleeping bunks on the TWA Lockheed Super Constellation, loving even the delays if not the Chicken Cordon Bleu he’s offered on legs of the journey that offer a meal.
And as he’s an observant child, he comments (Travolta narrates) on his 50ish mother’s vamping and posing, her choice of cigarettes (Newports) and drinks, the solo traveling men whose attention she pursues and earns.
“I was her best audience,” adult Jeff remembers of the mother who’d read him plays as bedtime stories and delusionally hopes that this trip to Los Angeles might be her “big break” even though she’s pushing 50.
“Hollywood called,” she’d explain about their overnight cheap flight arrangements to ticket agents and crew. “They told me to take the next flight!”
At every turn, Jeff meets or sees kindness — stewardesses who indulge his many questions and bump them up to first class on the mostly-empty planes, a captain who fixes his toy model of a Constellation, a mentally ill flyer who flips out but is calmed by a flight attendant who isn’t overworked and frazzled in jet-powered tin-can jammed with Joe and Jane Sweatsocks who think nothing of traveling in their pajamas.
Normally, I cringe at pictures this reliant on voice-over narration. I recoil from stars who populate their picture with Sandler etc. offspring. But “Propeller” is unfailingly sweet and never cloying.
Sure, it’s fictionalized. But if you’ve followed Travolta’s life and career, a lot of him is in this — his raptoruous engagement with flying, an indulged child who developed a taste for fine food and creature comforts, a mother who was his guiding star as an actor.
I get why there are less adoring reviews than mine floating around “Propeller.” It’s unfailingly sweet. Mom’s man-hunting is seriously dated. This TWA tale is decorated with Gershwin’s majestic “Rhapsody in Blue” — United Airlines’ signature tune. And Travolta’s been around long enough for recent generations to come up and not feel a connection to the “Saturday Night Fever/Get Shorty” star whose career has fallen off and life has been visited by too much tragedy.
But I’d hate to be seated next to anybody who doesn’t appreciate this adorable, pristine and nearly perfect aviation fantasy on any flight, much less an overnight one.
Rating: TV-PG
Cast: Clark Shotwell, Kelly Eviston-Quinnett, Ellen Travolta, Ella Beau Travolta, Olga Hoffmann and John Travolta.
Credits: Scripted and directed by John Travolta, based on his book. An Apple TV+ release.
Running time: 1:01
-
Indiana53 seconds agoKelsey Mitchell eclipses 5,000 career points in Fever victory.
-
Iowa6 minutes agoDoctor fights sanctions, saying he’ll be ‘run out of practice’ by Iowa board
-
Kentucky16 minutes agoKentucky sees improvement in drought conditions
-
Louisiana21 minutes agoLouisiana Tech launches Center for Literacy and Learning to support students, educators
-
Maine28 minutes agoPilots aboard hydrogen balloon are attempting to cross Atlantic Ocean from Maine
-
Maryland31 minutes agoMaryland troopers attend high school graduation of student whose dad died in line of duty
-
Michigan36 minutes agoMichigan football beats out Alabama, Texas for 4-star DB Blake Jenkins
-
Massachusetts43 minutes agoCheers! Mass. House passes proposal to extend bar hours to 3 a.m. during World Cup, putting bill on fast track. – The Boston Globe
