Woodyanders Millionaire playboy Richard Trainor (well played by Robert Culp) publishes a racy calendar that inadvertently acts as a sick map for a serial killer who starts butchering all the lovely models who posed for said calendar in chronological order. It's up to weary, but shrewd and dedicated detective Lt. Dan Stoner (the always excellent Tom Skerritt) to nab the wacko. Director William A. Graham, working from a compact script by Scott Swanton and Gregory S. Dinallo, neatly evokes the glitzy world of the models, generates several effective moments of real tension, and keeps the engrossing story moving along at a steady pace. The sound acting from a capable cast rates as another definite asset, with especially praiseworthy work from a pre-stardom Sharon Stone as the perky Cassie Bascomb, Barbara Bosson as Dan's loyal wife Nancy, Robert Beltran as amiable cop Mooney, Pat Corley as Dan's huffy superior Tony, Robert Morse as smarmy emcee Nat Corley, Alan Thicke as charming photographer Alan Conti, and Michael C. Gwynne as creepy stalker Stark. Rip Taylor has a funny cameo as himself while the ever-gorgeous Claudia Christian pops up briefly as one of the victims. Such oh-so-80's trappings as break dancing and strenuous slow motion provide a certain gaudy'n'groovy period appeal. Both Robert Steadman's polished cinematography and Brad Fiedel's funky throbbing score are up to par. A nifty little teleflick.

Poseidon-3 An example of the slightly racy, slightly tacky, slightly entertaining TV films that were popular in the mid-80's, this one concerns a serial killer, picking off the models of a nudie calendar, starting with January. Skerritt plays the laid-back cop on the case who has to navigate the world of Hugh Hefner knockoff Culp and his assistant Parkins along with their corral of shapely beauties. There is no shortage of suspects with little mini-dramas going on with somewhat slimy photographers Thicke and Gwynne, shady emcee Morse or even Skerritt's neglected wife Bosson. As the killer works his way through the calendar, Skerritt becomes embroiled in the life of model Stone, whose month is fast approaching. She makes no secret of her interest in him, and he can't help but find her striking, though he is devoted to Bosson. As the case progresses, Skeritt and his assistants Beltran and Gallardo continue to experience the decadent surroundings of Culp's lifestyle while trying to piece together the mystery. Skerritt deftly underplays his character in the laconic style that he's known for. Stone gives what could have been an extended audition for her later character in "Basic Instinct" as she creates an air of flirtatious mystery and retains a blasé attitude to the killings going on around her. Culp is well-cast as the aging playboy, though see him briefly don a speedo could give some viewers pause! Parkins' role couldn't be more thankless, though she's very attractive and classy throughout. Morse gets a rare opportunity to play drama and does fine. Bosson makes a nice companion to Skerritt. Beltran, later to gain cult status with Trekkers for his role in "Star Trek: Voyager" is hunk-a-licious here. Christian appears briefly as one of the murder victims. The year this was made, "Dynasty" was on the way to being the number-one-rated show on TV, so big hair, sequins and conspicuous consumption were the rules of the day. This lends some of the scenes a heavy dollop of camp hilarity, notably in the party sequences and modeling sessions. This being a TV-movie, the photos and photo sessions all have far more clothing involved than would have been in evidence in a real men's magazine. It's an agreeable time-filler that may make some viewers feel nostalgic for the ostentatious 80's while making other segments of the viewing audience either amused or repulsed.

kahfess I picked this movie up off a sale bin at my local store. It basically is a movie about calender girls that pose in the nude, getting killed and the search for that killer. As usual you have a cop caught up in a whirl-wind of confussion and mystery (not to mention his own family and a wife that isn't completely sure she likes her husband hanging out with these thin, very seductive girls.) My copy of the movie isn't of the greatest production quality and the picture is poor. I gave the movie a 5 out of a possible 10 because it is a little slow in places. I have seen worse, so on a good rainy day, it's one of those movies you can pop in and watch while doing something else.

helpless_dancer The police investigate the murder of a couple of models who work for the same agency. The killer is bumping off the girls according to the name of the month they go by, so the cops stake out the next girl in line. There are some good suspects, but no one they can pin the deaths on until they get just the break they need. Nothing special in this one; sort of a low budget film.