My Duck Is Dead

Wayward and uninhibited young runaway Kim has fallen in with a bad crowd. Kim decides to flee said crowd and goes to the west coast to reunite herself with her uptight and neurotic estranged older sister Hilary so she can collect some of the inheritance left behind by their deceased parents. However, evil drug dealer Maury and his flock follow Kim to Hilary's house.

Writer/director Anton Holden relates the sordidly engrossing story at a steady pace, delivers a handy helping of tasty gratuitous female nudity, maintains a powerfully downbeat and seamy tone, and vividly depicts the foul and unpleasant underbelly of the dark, dangerous, and depraved hippies-gone-to-seed early 70's youth scene.

The strong chemistry between Lane and Fontaine as the two radically contrasting siblings holds the picture together; they receive sturdy support from Anthony Massena as Hilary's struggling artist boyfriend Adam, Eric Jay as the wimpy Eric, and Jack Garner as a leering pervert truck driver. Moreover, this film warrants extra praise for the way it presents the decadent and hedonistic youth of the period in an extremely ugly, damning, and negative light. Jacques Demarecaux's rough cinematography gives the picture a suitably gritty look.

The funky music by Joe Dein and Steve Seltzer and the groovy folk-rock soundtrack both hit the right-on spot. The startling bummer ending packs a pretty harsh punch. Recommended viewing for 70's exploitation cinema aficionados.