Charles B. Griffith (1930–2007)

Psycho killer Tom (Bruce Watson) is killing the busty barmaids who work at sleazy LA bar, "The Swing-A-Ling Club". Tough guy detective Harry White (William Smith) is soon on his murderous trail, with the campy assistance of the surviving barmaids. This is a cheap slice of sleaze cinema that’s slickly directed by Gus Trikonis with plenty of breathless pace and an eye to exploitative murders. The murders are brutal, with the women losing their clothes and the killer subsequently posing his nude victims to take photos. Trikonis’ approach is aided by Irv Goodnoff's rough-and-ready cinematography with plenty of hand-held camera work during the murders and fight sequences. The script, by Corman regular Charles B. Griffith, is gritty, especially when compared to his earlier work. It’s also pretty silly; particularly the killer’s ability to ingratiate himself with the barmaids simply by having a shave and colouring his hair. The female cast are all attractive, with Dyanne Thorne, in particular, giving a bitter, sarcastic and all too short performance as the first murder victim, Boo-Boo. “The Swinging Barmaids” is a bit of a misnomer of a title, the plot is stupid and some of the violence edges into unnecessary brutality, but overall it is a decent sleazy slice of trashy exploitation cinema.… (more)