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Undescribable Perfection

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THE CENTERFOLD GIRLS is a psycho-thriller of the 1970s that plays out more as a skinflick than anything else. Andrew Prine's weirdo killer stalks and slashes a bunch of women who posed as nude models, and he's on a moralistic crusade to clean up a tide of filth. A bit like Mary Whitehouse, then. Much of the running time contains young and pretty women stripping to their smalls (and less) while the rudiments of a plot serve to join the dots. The sub-plot in which a girl flees from a rapist hippy gang only to encounter Aldo Ray's sleazy motel owner before being straight-razored to death is quite arresting, but then there's a lot of padding in the middle section. Some brief P.O.V. stalking shots might have inspired HALLOWEEN. Things pick up again for the last section featuring the admirably feisty Tiffany Bolling.

Exploitation bottom-feeder casts Andrew Prine as a vintage car-driving, vintage record-playing nutcase in wing-tip shoes and horn-rimmed glasses who manages to get the phone numbers of all the centerfold models in Bachelor magazine (did his fingers do the walking?). He abhors their sinful displays of naked flesh, calling the nubile beauties to warn them of his wrath before following that up with a little straight razor action. Jeremy Slate as a police lieutenant belatedly shows up an hour into the proceedings to do the usual movie-detective work, but Prine's hit list is pretty well completed by this time. Absolutely awful mixture of titillation and bloodshed: first show off the naked body, then show off the naked corpse. Old pros Aldo Ray (as a camp manager who likes a fight from his women: "When it comes out easy, baby, it's not worth it!") and Ray Danton (as a glorified pimp brow-beaten by his lover) pretend to be interested. * from ****

Andrew Pine stars as a disturbed wacko, Clement Dunne who is obsessed with "helping" beautiful women who posed for a nude pictorial in a centerfold magazine by stalking them, terrorizing them with unsettling phone calls, sending them flowers, and ultimately slicing their throats with a straight razor, removing a shoe from each victim as a keepsake.CENTERFOLD GIRLS has three different stories featuring the next victim chosen from the magazine by Clement who circles their faces, tearing them away with his razor after finishing them off, consoling himself with a music from his record player. He's very clean cut, tidy, always seen wearing a suit, glasses, bow tie, the works. He drives a beat-up blue station wagon and later tells the third victim that he's a salesman so we might know how Clement works as a serial killer, his trips "up north" a way for him to successfully carry out his methodical acts towards those selected for execution.The first victim is a beautiful nurse, Jackie(Jaime Lyn Bauer), who drives "into the mountains" to interview for a job falling prey to "the family"(Dennis Olivieri, Janet Wood, Teda Bracci, and Talie Cochrane), a group of weirdos, modeled obviously after the Manson Family, who torment her after she graciously gives one of them a place for the night in her aunt's home. Clement, perhaps a reason for his abilities as a psychopath, has a innocent, if nerdy, appearance, and doesn't seem to be such a dangerous threat, and is able to secure Jackie's trust after she is emotionally/psychologically destroyed by the family(..and after nearly being raped by the owner of a nearby hotel, Ed, portrayed by Aldo Ray)which results in a grim conclusion. The second victim, Charly(Jennifer Ashley), is a young woman who joins a crew shooting nude pictorals for another magazine. The crew consists of Melissa(Francine York), the one who calls the shots, setting up the schedule for the layout of the shoot, Perry(Ray Danton)the man "with connections" who enjoys the company of young girls and often "pimps" them demanding a cut of their profits, photographer Sam(John Denos), and two models(Kitty Carl & Ruthy Ross), renting a cabin on top of a cliff overlooking the ocean. Clement secretly boats to their location, awaiting his chances to kill each one of them. The third chosen victim, a pretty stewardess, Vera(Tiffany Bolling), provides the most problems for Clement as she, despite how fate arranges for her possible doom, finds ways to escape potential harm. Vera's car blows a tire as she rushes off to escape Clement, her pursuer(..she decides to leave her apartment after Clement kills Vera's roommate, believing the person was her)hitching a ride with two sailors who drug her, molesting her in the process. Clement offers her a ride, she discovers his magazine(..with the women's faces cut away, with hers circled as next), and a showdown will conclude the film within the charred remains of Topanga Canyon in a fight for survival.I was really pleasantly surprised with John Peyser's CENTERFOLD GIRLS, the idea of an anthology featuring three separate stories linking the killer to all of them. Interesting how the film only provides little details regarding the killer. We are witness to Clement's methods of selecting victims, how he operates, and how he carries out his dedicated mission of "cleansing" them of their immorality, in regards to using their luscious bodies to stain the minds of the viewing public. The razor murders are expertly staged in not showing the slice in grisly detail yet maintaining an impact in how he's able to attack in a quick assault, mostly from behind, without their being able to escape(..except at the end, when Clement, unlike times past, wastes time, flashing his "friend" in front of Vera's face)..director Peyser uses blood spray(..such as how blood splatters a window, or collects in a pool) instead of the typical blade carving flesh in gruesome detail, quick and concise, moving to the next scene.Pine is impressive(..the real standout, a reason his face is recognizable while others not so much)as the killer, a dedicated sociopath who hides his insecurities and sexual incapability under a desire to rid the world of filthy women. The women of the cast(..except York and maybe Bauer)won't knock your socks off with their performances, but their delectable flesh is featured extensively. The film shows the ugly side behind being beautiful and desirable, how the blessings of having alluring qualities can lead to mistreatment and cruelty. Perfectly 70's, particularly how sexually liberated women are in the film, and how mores had changed(..Clement is almost a reject from a different time attempting to right the wrongs of society by "cutting away" the trash that pollutes it). In every story, women are lustfully gazed upon by eager males who present themselves as respectable and helpful, only to reveal their primal urges later. Lots of nudity which is to be expected when dealing with such lurid subject matter. Startlingly resembles many 80's slashers with quite a head-start since John Peyser's CENTERFOLD GIRLS was released in '74..for the exception of 70's characteristics like the clothing styles and vehicles representing that era of cinema. Very effective use of Topange Canyon forests that had been decimated by a fire, whose remains, as Pine effectively proclaimed in an interview, resemble a type of hell.

Andrew Prine is Clement Dunne, a fanatic out to "help" the women who posed for some magazine's annual skin calendar. The problem? His brand of help involves stalking and slit throats. Sporting a skinny build, glasses, a bland suit and hideous shoes that don't match the rest of his attire, Dunne doesn't fit the look of your typical psychopath. However, what he lacks as far as physical menace goes, he more than makes up for in dogged determination.The Centerfold Girls is the very definition of a grindhouse film. It is a gritty, mean-spirited romp with a bleak world view and a narrow plot. Most of the men in the film are rapists, sleaze balls or exploiters. Then there is Dunne himself, who seems to flip-flop in his motivation. One minute he is wanting to "help" his victims, and the next he is telling them how they have to be punished for the smut they implant in the minds of those who view their calendar. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the film is the way in which it is structured. We follow Dunne as he hunts down three girls in particular, one segment of the film for each girl. Reminiscent of an anthology, but with the same basic storyline and key character throughout. Only the victims and settings change.The first act deals with Ms. March and her 24 hours of hell. She leaves her hospital job in L.A. to go see a doctor in a small town for a job interview. On the way there, she picks up a hippie girl who lies her way into getting a ride. Eventually, the former centerfold has to deal with the hippie's raucous friends, a rapist motel owner and naturally, the ever watchful Clement Dunne. This is without doubt the sleaziest of the film's three segments. The girl is toyed with and nearly raped twice, and it only gets worse from there. Aldo Ray plays the motel owner who has a thing for her, but only if she doesn't make things too easy for him.The second story has Dunne stalking the young Ms. May. She and a few other models are going to an island photo shoot. Dunne follows them and gets to delve out more help than he originally bargained for. This is the weakest part of the film. It follows a typical slasher film structure, but the characters are uninteresting and some of the action is choppy. There are also some really poorly done day-for-night shots. Despite the flaws, it is enjoyable... just underwhelming compared to the opening and close of the picture.The third and final segment finds Dunne gunning for Vera (the lovely Tiffany Bolling). When she's out one night, a blonde friend uses her bathroom only to fall victim to Dunne in a case of mistaken identity. Vera takes the hint and decides to get out of town. Unfortunately for her, the friend she asks to house-sit is a total moron who gives Dunne the info he needs to track her down. This is the best act of the film, thanks in large part to the strong screen presence of Bolling. I like her quite a bit, and she makes for a worthy adversary to the persistent Dunne. We also get a bit of interaction between the two sans telephone before the attempted murder, something that doesn't happens with the other victims. The final showdown in a patch of leafless trees makes for a strong close to the proceedings.I have to say, as far as exploitation cinema goes, they don't come much better than this. If it were better known, it would likely be a classic of the genre. I have the Media VHS, and the print really compliments the mood of the picture. For exploitation/grindhouse fans, it gets my highest recommendation.