Scarecrow-88
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.
lazarillo
A moralistic serial killer with a straight razor is carving up girls who have posed nude for a men's magazine. If this seems like pretty weak motivation for a killing spree, it also makes for a pretty weak plot for a movie. This one is all over the place. The first part focuses on a nurse staying at an isolated motel in the mountains (shades of "Psycho")who is abused both by the sleazy hotel owner and a Mansonesque group of hippies, and this is before she runs into the killer. In the second, and most preposterous, part the killer somehow follows a whole group of nude models and photographers to a deserted island where he kills the whole lot of them. In the third part the killer stalks a stewardess from her swinging singles apartment to northern California where her car breaks down and (after she gets picked up and raped by two sailors)the final showdown takes place.This movie is VERY sleazy. All the girls are brainless sluts who don't even seem to get too upset about being drugged and gang-raped. Every single guy meanwhile is only interesting in assaulting, molesting, or otherwise taking sexual advantage of said women. Incredibly, the deranged killer is the most well-developed and likable character in the whole film. There are only two reasons to recommend this movie. One is Andrew Prine playing one his memorable psychos (he doesn't so much chew the scenery as just gulp it down whole). The other is the truly jaw-dropping collection of early 70's drive-in actresses on display including Tiffany "The Candy Snatchers" Bolling, Jennifer "Tinotera" Ashley, Connie "Black Sampson" Strickland, Janet "Slumber Party '57" Wood, perennial 70's TV actress Jamie Lynn Bauer, and Penthouse Pet of the Year/mafia moll Aneka De Lorenzo. (The only ones missing here are Candice Rialson and Claudia Jennings). Of course, all of these actresses appear au naturel at some point, and in these pre-silicone days they were, of course, all au naturel. So I guess if you REALLY like Andrew Prine or you REALLY want to see a lot of naturally impressive breasts, this movie might be worth watching--otherwise avoid.
