Movies And Specials: 'The Wonderland Massacre & The Secret History Of Hollywood'

Synopsis: Best-selling crime novelist, Michael Connelly (BoschThe Lincoln Lawyer), takes us on a wild journey into the twisted story of the massacre at Wonderland Avenue on July 1, 1981 – one of Hollywood’s most famous murder cases that has fascinated people for more than 40 years.

This case symbolized an era in Los Angeles – involving sex, drugs, rock n’ roll… and murder. It is the real-life story that inspired Boogie Nights.

In noir-style, verité interviews, Connelly seeks key details about this gruesome quadruple murder with the original detectives, prosecutors, and undercover cops he’d come to know as a young crime beat reporter for The Los Angeles Times.

As the investigation unfolds, weaving in rare archival footage and photos, a colorful cast of characters emerges – famous porn star John Holmes, drug dealers and kingpins, mafiosos, televangelists and multiple celebrities, including Liberace and his boy toy, enigma Scott Thorson.

In a game of cat-and-mouse, Connelly tries to pin down the facts of Thorson’s many larger-than-life and stranger-than-fiction stories. After four decades, Thorson may be the last man standing between the crime and the truth.

But do we believe him? (Courtesy MGM+, 2024)

The Cast:

Production Credits:
It is based on Connelly’s hit Audible podcast series and directed by Alison Ellwood (San Francisco SoundsLaurel Canyon).