Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970)

The magical big-breasted acid fantasy that is Russ Meyer's Beyond the Valley of the Dolls has in my opinion been overlooked for the most part by audiences. I know I've made no attempts to disguise my undying love for the work of Russ Meyer, Or my great unfulfilled need to be a "Russ Meyer girl"... all of those facts aside, here's why i think this film tops my list (if I were humoring myself into thinking that I could ever pick a top 5, 10 or even 25 without frying my brain) of all time favorite, watch over and over again with the same enthusiasm as ever, quote shamelessly at full volume regardless of the fact that very few people I know can't play along list.

Reason one: They (the Hollywood machine) just don't honor the female form like they used to! My GAAAAWD, he had fantastic taste in women. One might argue that his movies are of a somewhat sexist point of view BUT, I don't subscribe to that black and white guerrilla feminism. I find it encouraging to see a real figure on the screen! Yes, he was all about the most top-heavy type of women and they certainly were dressed up like tasty little morsels but, these female characters time and time again are outspoken, dominant and larger than life; women who go after what they want and get it.. for better or worse.

Reason two: Russ Meyer is the master of one-liners. And by no means do I compare that to silly unnecessary tag lines that live on in infamy thanks to popcorn action films produced for the masses. The dialogue is a fantastic mix of kitschy pop culture of the 60's, sexual liberation and human depravity with a tiny bit of moral message; not too much (just enough to show you the consequences of the characters' actions.)

Reason three: The music!!! Oh man. I loooove 'the Kelly Affair/Carrie Nations' (credit actually goes to the dynamic duo Lynn Carey and Barbara Robinson, their versions were used for the movie) and I had to admit that Strawberry Alarm Clock was pretty amazing as well (turns out there's more to them than 'incense and peppermints'); all of which has an amazing, almost addicting psychedelic 60's sound! What's not to like?

And the final reason being that this movie as well as others was a testament to that old school, gritty, meat n' potatoes film making that is certainly and sadly a thing of the past. I think a lot of credit is due to his artistic vision, an element that set his films apart from other sexploitation of the era. This movie could never be called boring, the story sucks you in to the world of fame, inebriation, self destruction and preservation of the self in the pursuit of ones dreams. I think that the balance of depravity, drama and an affection that Russ Meyer seemed to have for each character comes through in this film. Also, the sets and wardrobe are done with the utmost care and attention to detail, which I respect very much.