Indio, a relic of the American dream, is a small town in the Californian desert. Tammy wants out. At 17, Tammy can see her future in the lives of those around her - corroded by disappointment and wearied by the harsh environment. Tammy decides to escape. Running away with her boyfriend, Tammy dreams of a new, unknown life, but their plans disintegrate and she decides to go it alone. Shot on 35mm, "Indio, USA" is a meditation on place, dead ends and desire.
This was the second of Roger Corman's "Poe" films. He had intended to do "The Masque of the Red Death" but felt that it was too close to the content of Ingmar Bergman's recent Sjunde inseglet, Det (1957) (US title: "The Seventh Seal"). Several years later Corman would go to England to make The Masque of the Red Death (1964).