Comedy Cult Classic

A messy blend of hippie spirituality, horny teens, and murder on a sun-drenched road trip.

HOT SUMMER WEEK

Q: What is Hot Summer Week about?

Hot Summer Week is about two girls who pick up a disturbed Vietnam vet on their way to a hippie retreat, only to encounter a string of murders in the area.

A hitchhiking holiday into a highway of horrors.

1972 · 1h 19m · PG · Comedy / Drama / Thriller · IMDB TMDB

Two girls on their way to a hippie encounter session pick up a crazed Vietnam veteran, who might just be the serial killer who is murdering hippies in the area.

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Quick Answer

What is Hot Summer Week about?

Hot Summer Week is a 1972 American horror film directed by Thomas J. Schmidt about two girls who pick up a disturbed Vietnam vet on a vacation, only to become entangled in a series of murders targeting hippies.

Programmer's Pick

If you ever wanted to see a film attempt hippie enlightenment, teensploitation, and serial killer suspense—with none of the above landing quite right—look no further. Hot Summer Week is a chaotic road trip where even the bras end up tossed to the wind, yet the most shocking thing might be the storytelling choices.

— SassyFlix Programmer

Overview

Hot Summer Week, also known as Girls on the Road, careens through a disjointed landscape of 1970s counterculture and low-budget horror. The story centers on spoiled teens Debbie and Karen, whose beach-house vacation heads off course when they pick up Will, a Vietnam vet with visible emotional scars. Their destination: a hippie encounter session at a spiritual institute run by a touchy-feely therapist. Along the way, the girls’ reckless antics, run-ins with oddball travelers, and fixation on sex set the stage for a tangle of misguided self-discovery. With elements of teensploitation, hippie culture, and a lurking sense of danger, the film mixes confusion, camp, and cult-worthy missteps for viewers intrigued by exploitation cinema’s stranger side.

Details & Specs

Director: Thomas J. Schmidt
Writers: Larry Bischof, Gloria Goldsmith, David M. Kaufman, Michel Levesque
Release: 1972
Runtime: 1h 19m
Country: United States of America
Language: English
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Thriller
Also Known As: Girls on the Road, Original title: Hot Summer Week

Cast & Crew

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Director: Thomas J. Schmidt Writers: Larry Bischof +3 more

Pamela Serpe Frances JM John McMurtry The Maker RF Richard Ford Grayling Motor Cop MK Michael Kopsche Psychiatrist

Charlie Picerni Pool Player #1 BB Bob Bass Pool Player #2 RK Rigg Kennedy Chip SH Sylvia Hayes Lady at Hamburger Stand ES Elizabeth Saxon Mrs. Rae PS Paul Sorensen Mr. Rae RW Ruth Warshawsky Store Keeper

John Lawrence Man In Car

Emory Parnell Bartender

Cliff Emmich Truck Driver JP Jean Paul Moran Encounter Group Member BC Bob Carlson Liquor Store Cop TW Terry Wadsworth Hippy #1 JM Jana Milo Girl at Party PD Peter De Bono Encounter Group Member JC Jane Chaback Encounter Group Member JL Jacqueline Lovejoy Girl at Party (uncredited)

Uschi Digard Beach Girl in Credits Sequence (uncredited)

Explore More

Teensploitation Independent Film Female Nudity Murder Grindhouse Film Serial Killer Beach Bikini Killer Soldier Mental Illness Hippie Hitchhiking Hitchhiker Summer Vietnam Meditation

Why Cult

Hippie Cult Institute

Watch as the girls visit a progressive institute run by a spiritual therapist, serving up era-appropriate group 'encounter sessions' and new-age therapy.

PTSD Vietnam Vet

The unpredictability of Will, a recently discharged Vietnam vet, brings a volatile edge and psychological unease to the mix.

Teensploitation Chaos

Beach-bound antics, reckless behavior, and blunt talk about sex paint an unvarnished (and unflattering) portrait of early '70s youth culture.

Sunkissed Serial Killer

Amidst bikinis and summer meditation, there’s a serial killer targeting hippies to keep the atmosphere unsettling throughout.