Fun-loving bombshells Kelly, Casey and Pet have a rock band, and they’re headed to Hollywood to make it big.  Thanks to Kelly’s well-connected aunt, the soon find themselves at a hedonistic love-in thrown by eccentric music promoter Ronnie “Z-Man” Barzell.  He takes them under his wing, and a new world of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll unfolds.  Superstardom is within reach, if only their newfound distractions don’t get in the way.

Critique

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, as the opening title card makes clear, is not a sequel to 1967’s Valley of the Dolls.  In fact, only the basic premise remains: three small town girls head out to the big city in search of fame and fortune, only to be brought down by, in this case, sex, drugs and debauchery.  Meyer explodes the concept by throwing every melodramatic cliché imaginable into the film.  The result is a portrait of 60’s culture that both holds it up and knocks it down.

The Carrie Nations go from playing a senior prom somewhere (we never really know where exactly, but most likely some place like Dogpatch) to Hollywood, where Kelly hooks up with her rich aunt Susan.  In a moment of serendipity that would make Anne Welles blush, Susan quickly offers Kelly half of the family inheritance and invites them to a big party.

The party is kaleidoscopic, part Magnificent Ambersons, part Laugh-In.  We bounce from line to line, person to person, in Meyer’s trademark rat-a-tat-tat editing style.  Z-Man leads Kelly through the different rooms of his sprawling home, a “Masque of the Red Death”-meets-Greek orgy scene of utter debauchery: one room after another, each with its own theme.  Z-Man talks like a character out of Shakespeare, or like a character who wishes he was out of Shakespeare.

Z-Man’s delivery is not out of step with the rest of the film, which has a vaguely Shakespearean flair.  Kelly is the new girl in town with the rich aunt.  Rich aunt Susan has an attorney, Porter Hall, who is out to get his hands on all her money.  Kelly’s new beau, Lance Rocke, whispers in Kelly’s ear like Iago, intimating not only about the money, but that he may have had an affair with Susan as well.

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls deals in generic satire.  Look at the character of Randy Black (what a name!), the heavyweight champion of the world.  Randy is a total alpha male, big, muscular, cocky in every sense of the word, and he almost never wears a shirt.  When Emerson catches Randy in bed with Pet (“But you said you were studying!”), Randy runs him over with his car.  Later, Randy beats him up.

Melodrama is stacked on top of melodrama.  Beyond the Valley of the Dolls is one of the greatest put-ons in cinema history.  The film ends with a hilarious series over the top moments and a loooong voice over, the point of which seems to be that the traditional happy ending is a joke.

What makes Beyond the Valley of the Dolls so great?  Where should I begin?  The direction.  The editing.  The writing.  (The script is so brilliant, so quotable, and it shows that Ebert knows how to write more than just reviews.)  The music perfectly punctuates every moment, whether it's rock music, or a soap opera style organ.  The imagery is hilariously sly.  When Emerson and Pet hook up for the first time, we cut from their orgasmic faces to a wooden beam, framed between their legs.  When Casey goes for her abortion, she sees the stirrups she is to climb into, screams, and we cut to … pancake batter.  Of course, the most famous shot is the gun-in-the-mouth blow job of Erica Gavin’s Roxanne.

If all of this sounds ridiculous, it should.  There is a lot going on here, but this is not the kind of film that should be taken too seriously.  It is meant to be fun, and that is exactly what it is.

Video

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls is presented in a perfect anamorphic 2.35:1 widescreen transfer.  This film is loaded with vivid colors, light scenes and dark, and the full spectrum is translated expertly.

Audio

This DVD offers English tracks in stereo and monaural sound, as well as a French mono track.  The presentation is sharp.  There is a lot going on in this soundtrack, and it gets a great treatment here.

Special Features

Disc One

Commentary by Roger Ebert: Ebert, who wrote three films for Meyer, gives an insightful, intelligent commentary.  He goes into the state of Fox at the time Meyer was approached to make a film for the studio, how he and Meyer met, the writing process, Meyer as a filmmaker, and much more.  There is much bonus material in this set, but this piece is one of the best.

Cast Commentary by Harrison Page, John La Zar, Dolly Read, Cynthia Myers, and Erica Gavin: not quite as informative as Ebert’s commentary, but this is a lot of fun and there is much to learn.  The cast sounds like they are looking at an old scrapbook as they talk about working with Meyer and their memories of the film.

Disc Two

Introduction by John La Zar: is exactly that.  La Zar, delightfully in character as Z-Man, introduces the bonus material.

Above, Beneath, and Beyond the Valley: The Making of a Musical-Horror-Sex-Comedy: Ebert, Meyer’s production assistants, biographer Jimmy McDonough, the cast and others trace the life and career of Russ Meyer.  His work is examined, as is the evolution of his career and more.

Look On Up At the Bottom: The Music of Dolls: composer Stu Phillips and the cast talk about creating the music of the film and making it look like the girls could play.

The Best of Beyond: a look at all the things that make this movie so watchable 36 years later: the best lines, the best kiss, and, of course, the best breasts.

Sex, Drugs, Music & Murder: Signs of the Time, Baby!: an interesting piece that looks at the time in which the film was made and released.  The cast and others talk about the relaxing of certain morals, and the dark days that came at the end of the decade.

Casey & Roxanne: The Love Scene: Erica Gavin and Cynthia Myers talk about the genesis of this scene, from concept to filming.

Trailers: a teaser and two full trailers.  These are a blast.  Trailers like this just aren’t made anymore.

Screen Tests: original test footage of Michael Blodgett & Cynthia Myers and Harrison Page & Marcia McBroom.

Still Galleries: six galleries with over 300 photos.

Final Thoughts

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls is a blast of a film, much more fun than the original and with a lot more going on than meets the eye.  This film is quotable, and easy to watch over and over.  The bonus material is insightful and extensive, and it is fun to watch.  This DVD would be a bargain at any price.