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Overrated

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

"Buyer beware" that's the cautionary tale underscored in Russ Meyer's campy, melodramatic foray into the seedy underbelly of Hollywood, where sex, drugs and every vice imaginable runs rampant after dark. The film is co-written alongside Meyer by Roger Ebert. Together there cynicism and self-awareness help elevate a scattershot screenplay that's filled with clichés, and under-cooked plot threads.The film follows three young women performing in a rock band 'The Kelly Affair' featuring Kelly (Dolly Read), Casey (Cynthia Myers), and Petronella (Marcia McBroom). They are managed by Kelly's boyfriend Harris (David Gurian). Together they head to Los Angeles to collect Kelly's inheritance. Upon arrival she meets with her estranged aunt, who invites them to a party, which gives the group a taste of the high-life. Whilst simultaneously, outside influences begin digging their claws in, which starts splitting the four friends apart piece by piece, as is the nature of the beast.For the most part this film doesn't live up to the craziness the films reputation has. For it's time I could imagine the ruckus it caused, but by today's standard it's fairly tame. So where this films main focus is now, is in its characters, all of whom are hyperbolic and aren't given a great deal to work with. However there's a strange likability to the characters that makes you care for them.There isn't a great deal of plot in this film, other then a power struggle over the band between Harris and the bands new manager, which isn't fully explored. The film acts more as voyeuristic look at the hippie scene of the late 60's early 70's, as the parties become more and more crazy and dangerous. All of which leads up to a final act that is so over the top, and so far out of left field. I've never seen a film shift gears into sheer mania so quickly.Beyond the Valley of the Dolls is a dated film. It's script and parables are at times fairly clunky and in your face. However there is a-lot of fun to be had from this film, and it's a film that still has a-lot of gas left in its tank.

This is not a sequel to the Valley of the Dolls. Kelly MacNamara, Senator's daughter Casey Anderson, and Pet Danforth are in a girl rock band. Along with Kelly's boyfriend Harris Allsworth, they decide to drive to L.A. Kelly finds her estranged aunt Susan Lake who inherited the family fortune. To her sleazy money man Porter Hall's dismay, Susan promises one third of the fortune to her niece. Rock producer Z-Man Barzell takes over the band and Kelly falls for money grubbing gigolo Lance Rocke. Harris feels Kelly drifting away and is seduced by porn star Ashley St. Ives. Kelly wants more of the inheritance. The young group gets pull further and further into the wild risqué world.This is definitely a Russ Meyer movie with his love of the female body. Roger Ebert has written a hippie soap opera. By the time of Harris' attempted suicide, this ridiculous movie turns into a comedy. An abortion has never been filmed in a more silly way. The scramble eggs are not lost on the audience. The problem is always the limited acting talents of the cast. They fail to make their characters compelling. The cheese factor is very high. It's almost a spoof. The ending does spin out of control as if Ebert knew that he had to top all the ridiculous stuff from before. I don't want to be mean-spirited but I laughed at Harris and his wheelchair.

With my Russ Meyer marathon having unintentionally stopped in its tracks after viewing writer/directing auteur Russ Meyer's over looked title Black Snake for the IMDb boards Horror Challenge last year,I decided to celebrate my 9th year of being on IMDb,by taking a look at Meyer's ample epic.The plot:Visiting her aunt Susan Lake after manager Harris Allsworth has sent fledging all-girl Rock band The Kelly Affair up to LA,lead singer Kelly MacNamara is shocked to discover that Lake is planning to give her a third of her inheritance in a will.Fearing that he is about to lose out on a huge piece of cash,Lake's financial adviser Porter Hall attempts to stop Lake's plans by calling MacNamara and her band a bunch of 'dirty hippies'.Ignoring Hall's less than helpful advice,Lake tells MacNamara that along with the inheritance,she is also going to try and get The Kelly Affair to reach the top of LA's Rock scene.Getting introduced to a wild and extremely flamboyant manager/Rock producer called Ronnie 'Z-Man' Barzell,the band dump Allsworth as they set out to use all of Barzell's links in the industry.Renaming themselves The Carrie Nations,the band find their rise to fame to be matched by an increasing prescience of 'hangers-on' which leads to the group finding out how low the highs can go,as they go beyond the valley of the dolls.View on the film:Making his major studio debut,co-writer/ (along with Roger Ebert)director Russ Meyer shows an amazing determination to not soften his distinctive style for a major studio.For the film's eye-catching appearance,Meyer creates an irresistible fizzy atmosphere,with Meyer making the surprisingly good Rock songs (written by Stu Philips) scatter across the screen as Meyer brilliantly using dazzling colours,whip-pans and razor sharp editing to show the dizzy good times that the band experience.Bringing The Carrie Nation down to earth,Meyer uses muted colours to show the darkening of the bands lives,with Meyer entering into some unexpected proto-Slasher regions,which are met by Meyer breaking a large number of taboo's during the Nation's down with large dollops of overly- exaggerated charm .Whilst he appeared to be far too up-tight in his reviews for other movies which took a wonderful overly exaggerated approach to serious subjects,writers Roger Ebert and Russ Meyer reveal themselves to be a winning combo who are able to perfectly mix super sweet melodrama with off-beat 'women's pictures' shavings and delightfully bonkers slices of Slasher Horror. Making very good thumb nail impressions of each of the band members,the writers take a great kaleidoscope approach with the bands rise to fame,as Meyer & Ebert showing all of the wild and deranged frolics to be something which leads the band dazed,and very confused.Crashing down to earth,Meyer and Ebert pair up The Carrie Nations moments of doom with hilarious whip-smart one liners,which gives even the title's most dramatic moments a real Pop sensation.Shown as a group who has travelled up and down every dusty road,each of the beautiful Carrie Nations members give superb performances which compliments each of the different elements the other band members bring to the film.Taking on lead singer duties, the very pretty Dolly Reed gives a tantalising performance as MacNamara,with Reed giving hitting high-kicks as the band reach their heights,which are countered by Reed showing MacNamara's real unease at how to pull the band out of the doom that they are sinking into.Joining Reed,the stunning Marcia McBroom gives a fantastic performance as Petronella 'Pet' Danforth,with McBroom showing the joy fade away from 'Pet's' face,as the band start to relies the valley that they have entered.

I didn't know much about this movie going into it, except what kinds of films Russ Meyer was known for. The story is about an all girl rock group and their rise to stardom. Although it's been said that this movie was meant to be a parody, it seems to play it straight for most of the duration.The central character would probably be the lead singer, who has a powerful Joplin-like voice. Her entrance to the big time begins with discovering her long lost aunt, who brings her to a party where she meets the right people. Everyone involved quickly let things get out of control, until everyone's lives are turned upside down.There is a bit of 60's counterculture involved with lots of drugs and pills and swinging parties. The dialog is very hippie-dippy, and the ending was very heavy handed. If it was meant to be a satire, I would consider it a failure in that nothing about it struck me as satirical. Taken straight, I still don't find much to recommend. 4 out of 10.