#836: MEYER, Russ: Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls (1970)

MEYER, Russ (United States)
Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls [1970]
Spine #836
Blu-ray


In 1970, Twentieth Century-Fox, impressed by the visual zing "King of the Nudies" Russ Meyer had been bringing to bargain-basement exploitation fare, handed the director a studio budget and the title to one of its biggest hits, Valley of the Dolls. With a satirical screenplay by Roger Ebert, Beyond the Valley of the Dolls follows three young female rockers going Hollywood, in hell-bent sixties style, under the spell of a flamboyant producer — whose decadent bashes showcase Meyer's trademark libidinal exuberance. Transgressive and outrageous, this big-studio version of a debaucherous midnight movie is an addictively entertaining romp from one of cinema's great outsider artists.

109 minutes
Color
Monaural
2:35:1 aspect ratio
Criterion Release 2016
Director/Writers


Story by Roger Ebert and Russ Meyer.
Screenplay by Ebert.
Meyer was 48 when he directed Beyond the Valley of the Dolls.

The Film

A

Film Rating (0-60):

60

The Extras

The Booklet

Thirty-six page booklet featuring an essay by film critic Glenn Kenny and excerpts from a 1970 account in the UCLA Daily Bruin of a visit to the film’s set.

Commentary

From 2006 featuring actors Read, Myers, Page, Lazar and Gavin.

Interview 1

With filmmaker John Waters.

Episode

From 1988 of The Incredibly Strange Film Show on director Meyer.

Q&A

About the film from 1992 featuring Meyer, Ebert, Lazar, and Read: and actors Gurian, Napier, Blodgett, and Williams, with host Michael Dare.

Interview 2

With cast members from 2005.

Five documentaries

From 2006 about the making of the film, featuring the case and crew:
  1. Above, Beneath, & Beyond the Valley
  2. Look On Up at the Bottom
  3. The Best of “Beyond”
  4. Sex Drugs Music & Murder
  5. Casey & Roxanne
Screen tests

Trailers

Extras Rating (0-40):

39

60 + 39 =

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