I blogged the other day about a new strip poker site coming online, and speaking of strippers, Sandy Murphy, the ex-Las Vegas stripper accused of plotting and carrying out the murder of Horseshoe Casino Magnate Ted Binion is coming to life...I mean "Lifetime"! The TV cable network is set to air the movie.
In September, 1998, wealthy Las Vegas casino heir Ted Binion was found dead in his Las Vegas home by his beautiful ex-stripper girlfriend, Sandy Murphy. On the surface, it appeared that Binion, a habitual drug user, had died of a self-induced overdose. But questions arose when Binion's younger estranged sister Becky went to police with claims her brother had been murdered.
That set the stage for one of Vegas’ most shocking murders. Now, Mena Suvari ("American Beauty") and Matthew Modine ("Weeds") are set to star in the Lifetime Original Movie, "Sex & Lies in Sin City.” It’s based on the true story of Binion’s death and the ensuing trial of his lover and her con artist boyfriend. The movie is based on the book “Murder in Sin City” by Jeff German. "Sex & Lies in Sin City," produced by The Konigsberg Company and Sony Pictures Television will premiere on Lifetime in September.
"Much like a trip to Vegas, this movie is a guilty pleasure," said Tanya Lopez, senior vice president, Original Movies, Lifetime Networks. "Ripped from the headlines, 'Sex & Lies in Sin City' captures all of the true crime story elements and the madness that surrounded Ted Binion's life."
Binion was heir to the Horseshoe Casino fortune. Police discover that Murphy, who met Binion after going to Las Vegas in search of a better life, was cheating on him. Some 24 hours before his death, Binion erased Murphy from his will. Also, within hours of the suspicious death, Murphy's lover, Rick Tabish, was caught trying to steal Binion's cache of silver bullion hidden in the Nevada desert. Ultimately, a scandalous trial revealed astonishing greed that culminated in the death of one of the Desert Oasis' most notorious figures.
Suvari is best known for her role in the Academy Award-winning film "American Beauty." Other acting credits include "Factory Girl," "Brooklyn Rules," "Rumor Has It," "Domino," "Beauty Shop," "Sonny," "Spun," "American Pie" and "American Pie 2." Suvari was also a recurring character in the critically acclaimed HBO series "Six Feet Under." Other television appearances include a recurring part on the Steven Spielberg-produced series "High Incident" and "Chicago Hope." Suvari recently completed production on "The Garden of Eden" directed by John Irvin and can currently be seen in "Stuck" opposite Stephen Rea followed by "The Mysteries of Pittsburgh" with Sienna Miller and Nick Nolte.
Modine is an acting veteran with more than 50 films to his credit including "Birdy," "Married to the Mob," "Vision Quest," "Full Metal Jacket," "Orphans," "Pacific Heights" and "On Any Given Sunday.” He won a special Golden Globe Award for his work in the ensemble cast of "Short Cuts." In television, he earned Golden Globeand Emmy Award nominations for his performance in the critically acclaimed "And the Band Played On" and a Golden Globenomination for "What the Deaf Man Heard." Other television credits include the miniseries "Hitler: The Rise and Fall of Evil," Steven Spielberg's "Into the West," "The Winning Season" and "The Bedford Diaries." He was most recently seen on the Showtime series "Weeds."
Executive producer is Frank Konigsberg (Lifetime's "Caught in the Act," "The Last Don"). Peter Medak ("Romeo is Bleeding," "Carnivale") directs from a script written by Teena Booth (Lifetime's "A Little Thing Called Murder").
"We are thrilled to be working with director Peter Medak on this fascinating true story of sex, drugs and an untimely death all with exciting Las Vegas as our backdrop," said Helen Verno, executive vice president, movies and miniseries, Sony Pictures Television.
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