If you have any interest whatsoever in "cult" or "camp" movies- "Beyond the Valley Of the Dolls", along with the original, are a great place to start. A sequel to the 1967 trash classic in name only, "BTVOTD" tells the tale of young girls who come to Hollywood looking for fame and fortune, but instead find lots of sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll. This is one of the strangest, most over-the-top movies ever filmed. Released in 1970, "BTVOTD" is chock full of fabulous psychedelic fashions, campy dramatics, eye-popping sexual situations, drugs- you name it, it's in here. While not as unintentionally hilarious as the original "Valley Of the Dolls", it's still tasteless, late 60's acid pop schlock that never for one minute fails to entertain. The film moves along at such a breathless pace, and offers so many outrageous characters and situations, that you almost need to stop it halfway through and collect yourself. This is one of the all-time great camp classics. The story of an all-girl group who pack up their van and schlep out to Hollywood to become famous simply has to be seen to be believed. It's such a hot, wet pile of WTF, a jaw-dropping whirlwind that just might make your head explode. This movie was made for aficionados of the bad and the bizaare- even the Strawberry Alarm Clock show up and perform their groovy smash, "Incense and Peppermints".
It's a mind-numbing parody of virtually every cliche in the book, possibly even inventing a couple of new ones along the way. At times, it almost comes across as an X-rated "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In" mixed with "Josie & the Pussycats", with the rapid-fire jokes and quick editing and the tale of an all-girl group trying to make it big. This is a true audience participation film- "BTVOTD" truly comes to life with a group of people together, watching "MST-3000" style. This almost makes "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" seem a bit drab in comparison. Endlessly amazing and entertaining, this film was way ahead of its time. There is simply no way this film could or would be made today. It's one of the most notorious and misunderstood films of all time- most people take the outrageous shenanigans onscreen at face value, but there's much more going on here. Russ Meyer and Roger Ebert (yes, that Roger Ebert- I swear!) created a bizarrely colorful and completely artificial world that's 100% silly, and 150% bizaare, but somehow relevant all the same. "Beyond the Valley Of the Dolls" offers a surprisingly good soundtrack, and is full of crisp, trippy colors. The movie looks sensational. But I'm telling you here- to truly appreciate the raunchy excess that is "BTVOTD", the film must be viewed on as big a screen as you can find, with as big a group of friends you can find. It's wacky, it's wild, it's gotta be seen to be believed. And it contains some of the greatest lines of dialogue found anywhere. "You're a groovy boy, I'd like to strap you on sometime." "This is my happening, and it freaks me out!" "Hey you still balling that rich chick with the knockers?" "Swallow the black sperm of my vengeance!" "I am Superwoman!" I could go on and on, but trust me, just watch it for yourself.
