I’ve been pretty fascinated by the filmography of John Hayes lately. The man who gave us the atmospheric dread of Garden of the Dead and Grave of the Vampire takes a hard turn here, trading in gothic horror for the neon-and-pavement grit of the exploitation circuit, though he also directed adult films.

The story centers on Vicki March (played with a mix of wide-eyed innocence and questionable judgment by Therese Pare). At just seventeen, Vicki is navigating the hormonal minefield of teenage life. Her boyfriend, Robert (Roscoe Born), is practically turning blue in the nether regions because she won’t go all the way.

Vicki isn’t exactly a prude, though. In a sequence that feels less like a teen romp and more like a low-rent Joe D’Amato Caligula rip-off, she throws a party while babysitting that quickly spirals into hedonistic chaos. This leads to a harrowing moment where a partygoer attempts to assault her, only for Vicki to be rescued by the sophisticated Lorraine (Lydia Wagner), who claims to be an executive liaison, a title that sounds prestigious until you realize it’s just 1970s shorthand for high-end sex work.

Eventually, Vicki tries to get into the trade but doesn’t charge her first client, who has a heart attack just trying to sail the seas of mayonnaise. 

This has a van called The Desert Fox, a story that comes around to having Vicki’s man knocking out her would-be rapist and a title that promises filth and does not deliver. Yet I enjoyed it. It could be the strange line readings, the dialogue like “No way was I training you to be a hooker, but I can teach you how to watch out for dog shit!” and an appearance by Mariwin Roberts, Penthouse Pet Of The Month April 1978. And is that Michael Pataki? It sure is. And Billie Mae Richards, the voice of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

You can watch this on Fawesome.