Bruce Watson ('The Banana Splits Adventure Hour') is front and centre in this enjoyable trash offering, playing Tom, a pathetic, unhinged man who murders cocktail waitresses. Picking up his trail is a rumpled detective, Lt. White, played by the great screen tough guy William Smith.
Written by talented Roger Corman associate Charles Griffith ("The Little Shop of Horrors"), and directed by exploitation expert Gus Trikonis ("Moonshine County Express"), this is generally quite agreeable. It's an entertaining story with no filler, the expected amounts of sex (and nudity) and violence, and an array of solid performances. The attack scenes are pretty intense, and there's a reasonably exciting vehicle chase to cap off the film. (In his first outing as a killer, Tom is in disguise, and takes an assortment of photos of his victim. This aspect is dropped afterwards, presumably because our killer realizes that he can't continue with the same modus operandi.)
The movie benefits from engaging chemistry between our three appealing female leads - Laura Hippe ("Mausoleum") as the upbeat Jenny, Katie Taylor ("Invasion of the Bee Girls") as the sassy Susie, and Renie Radich ("Three the Hard Way") as the easygoing Marie. Top-billed Watson does quite well as the psycho, who puts up a "normal" front and even gets a job at the bar as dishwasher / bouncer, giving him increased access to potential victims. Co-starring are Dyanne "Ilsa" Thorne as an early victim, Zitto Kazann ("Waterworld") as bar owner Zitto, John Alderman ("New Years' Evil") as a detective, Milt Kogan ("Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde") as Jenny's dad, and Judith Roberts ("Eraserhead") as her mom. And Smith, of course, adds a touch of cool as the detective looking to solve these violent crimes.
Overall, this is quite absorbing and well worth a viewing for any fan of 70s trash.
Eight out of 10.
