Police try to halt a psychotic killer's (Andrew Prine) rampage against women who posed nude in men's magazines.
Andrew Prine
Clement Dunne
Tiffany Bolling
Vera
Jennifer Ashley
Charly
Aldo Ray
Ed Walker
Jaime Lyn Bauer
Jackie
Ray Danton
Perry
Francine York
Melissa
Janet Wood
Linda
Tallie Cochrane
Donna
Teda Bracci
Rita
Jeremy Slate
Sgt. Garrett
Paula Shaw
Mrs. Walker
Mike Mazurki
The Caretaker
Kitty Carl
Sandi
Connie Strickland
Patsy
Ruthy Ross
Glory
Anneka Di Lorenzo
Pam
Janus Blythe
Room Mate
Dan Seymour
Proprietor
John Hart
Sheriff
Dennis Olivieri
Tim
John Denos
Sam
Scott Edmund Lane
Sailor #1
Richard Mansfield
Sailor #2
Director
John Peyser
Screenplay
Bob Peete
Story
Arthur Marks
December 25, 2023
6
**_Beautiful women in a wicked world_**
A puritanical psycho (Andrew Prine) targets women on the coast of the Los Angeles area who have appeared as centerfold models (Jaime Lyn Bauer, Jennifer Ashley and Tiffany Bolling), as well as anyone who gets in the way.
“The Centerfold Girls” (1974) is a crime thriller in the tradition of "Corruption" (1968) with the first act borrowing from “Psycho.” The soon-to-come “The Toolbox Murders” was obviously inspired by it; "Island of Blood" (1982) as well. Needless to say, it was a precursor to the slasher genre and innovatively features the final girl trope.
There are several lovely ladies with quite a bit of top nudity (so stay away if that offends you). While everyone has their favorites, I favor Janet Wood (Linda) and Ruthy Ross (Glory), as far as looks go. Speaking of which, Francine York is a sharp redhead, but her character (Melissa) is such a cold biyatch, it’s impossible to warm up to her. Blonde Kitty Carl (Sandi) is worth a mention.
The three-act structure is taken to the extreme with each act introducing a new set of characters linked to the prey, except for the antagonist, of course. The theme is depressing in that there are no noble men in SoCal with every male being motivated by either lust or misogyny. If a guy APPEARS good, it’s just a pretense; and his lower nature will soon manifest.
The movie runs about 1 hour, 32 minutes, and was shot in Los Angeles (Aloha Apts. & Topanga Canyon) and Malibu (Paradise Cove & Pacific Coast Highway).
GRADE: B-
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$0.00
Revenue:
$0.00