☆ ☆ ½
Beyond
the Valley of the Dolls (1970) – R. Meyer
Famously scripted by critic Roger Ebert,
this was exploitation director Russ Meyer’s big shot at success, backed by a
major studio. However, today it comes
across as terribly dated, half-baked, and, alas, pretty boring. The stars weren’t exactly chosen for their
acting prowess (given Meyer’s well-known predilections) and the camera tends to
leer until the editor quickly cuts to something tamer (but too many quick cuts
annoy this viewer). The plot revolves
around a girl rock band that travels to California and possibly gets an
inheritance but certainly gets mixed up with some odd characters (one of whom
spouts Shakespeare-sounding lines – Ebert’s contribution?), do a lot of drugs,
and pretend they are the Strawberry Alarm Clock. Originally rated X for violence (not sex,
apparently, although don’t quote me on that).
Give it a miss.
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