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.
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.