BVD

OK, so what is the sequel to a notoriously bad Hollywood bomb doing on my list of Top 12 Favorite Films of all time? It's a Russ Meyer movie, that's why! Meyer is, in so many words, a filmmaking genius. Beginning his career in the 1950's as a photographer for girlie magazines, he eventually reverted back to his love of the movie camera and has created a lengthy filmography of marvelous "adults-only" films, filled with busty women, sporadic violence, and split-second editing by Meyer himself. Meyer started out creating "nudie-cutie" films like EVE AND THE HANDYMAN and THE IMMORAL MR. TEAS. He eventually began the "backwoods nudie" genre with LORNA and MUDHONEY before entering the action/adventure genre with MOTOR PSYCHO! and arguably his most famous film, FASTER PUSSYCAT! KILL! KILL!. PUSSYCAT nearly made my list as well, but I decided to let BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS represent Meyer's extensive and never-disappointing career. But Meyer really struck gold in 1968 with VIXEN!, starring Erica Gavin as the wife of the owner of a Canadian resort whose sexual drive is insatiable. Meyer created what has been called "the most erotic film ever made" and cashed in considerably well at the box office. After years of creating independent films for little money and earning much more at the box office, 20th-Century Fox sat up and took notice of Meyer. Fox was in bad shape, near bankruptcy and in desperate need of a hit to pull them out of the gutter. They recruited Meyer and budding screenwriter/movie critic Roger Ebert (yes, THE Roger Ebert!) to make a no-holds-barred film for "the now generation", creating a movie for the ages in BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS.

Our story begins with The Kelly Affair, an all-female rock group, playing a high school prom. At the spur of the moment, the group and their manager Harris take off for Los Angeles and worm their way into the elite crowd, including eccentric music producer Ronnie "Z-Man" Barzell. Making a splash at one of Ronnie's parties, the girls are re-named The Carrie Nations and become superstars. But stardom comes with a price, as all three girls encounter their own problems: Kelly, the lead singer, becomes involved with Lance Rocke, a male gigolo who uses her for her money; Pet, the "soul sister" drummer, sleeps around on her lawyer boyfriend and pays for it dearly; and Casey, the bass player, becomes addicted to pills, booze, and lesbianism! Of course, it all winds into one huge soap opera with an ending straight out of the Manson Murders!

While BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS (or BVD among fans) is not Academy-Award material, Roger Ebert's script is genius! Filled with surprises left and right, Ebert manages to create possibly the first musical/soap opera/horror movie/morality play ever committed to celluloid! The reason why I find this movie so outstanding is the fact that it is 100% entertaining. There aren't really any drags during the entire film and it demands attention throughout the two-hour running time. All of the characters are fleshed out beautifully and, for the most part, are acted very well. Dolly Read (Playmate 1966) is very good as Kelly in her one really big movie role. Marcia McBroom is rather memorable as Pet, but it's her attempts at drama that create the most laughs. Cynthia Myers shows a possibility of being a serious actress as Casey, the troubled young bass player who eventually turns to lesbianism to fulfill her innermost desires. Russ Meyer fans will recognize many of his regular performers, such as Erica Gavin (foxy lady!), Charles Napier, Haji (exotic!), Duncan McLeod, Harrison Page, and Edy Williams (luscious!) and drive-in movie fans will enjoy seeing "women-in-prison" movie regular Phyllis Davis (gorgeous!) as Aunt Susan. But the real star of the movie is John LeZar as "Z-Man", the maniacal music producer who spouts Shakespeare, chews scenery, and imagines himself to be Superwoman for the entire final act of the film! John LeZar, wherever you are, you are one in a million! Another fantastic aspect of the film is the musical score by Stu Phillips. The rock songs performed during the film are fantastic, but unfortunately have yet to be released on CD. Currently, singer Lynn Carey (the voice of all three Carrie Nations) and Phillips are working on the CD release.

Russ Meyer has spent his entire career fending off womens'-libbers and feminists, crying out accusations of him being a chauvinist and a sexist pig. It is impossible for me to agree with them. While Meyer does have a breast fetish and his films are filled with large chests popping out of shirts and dresses, this does not make him automatically a sexist. In his best films, Meyer displays all of his women characters as strong, independent women who leave their men in the dust as they pursue their own passions and goals. Meyer, who usually wrote his own films, also loves his female characters more than his male characters. Illustrating men as bland or corrupt invidivuals, Meyer always manages to make his women memorable and sympathetic, no matter how bitchy, violent, or predatory they can be. Films like BVD, VIXEN, FASTER PUSSYCAT, and UP! feature plenty of examples of women overpowering men, not only disproving the sexist angle of Meyer's films, but also betraying Meyer's fascination with strong, dominant women in hsi personal life. Many find the lesbian subtext of BVD (with Cynthia Myers and Erica Gavin, pictured at left) exploitative, and I would half-agree, but Meyer's film is also one of the first to show lesbians in a favorable light and the fact that both characters have been developed so well as to be likable makes it all the more satisfying to see them finally unite.

Meyer's quick-paced editing is surely one of his most recognizable traits among his filmography (alongside his choice of actresses). Who knows who Meyer's influences were, as his techniques are wholly original and stylistic. Holding the camera on one object or person for more than 5 seconds is a no-no in Meyer's book and it is this ideology that keeps every single one of his films speeding along at a quick pace. The lightning-quick montage of footage during Kelly and Harris' pondering of L.A. near the beginning of BVD is maybe Meyer's greatest spectacle in any of his films; it is everything Meyer's films set out to be: sexy, captivating, funny, and memorable, all in one minute of clips! Also holding the audience's attention (besides the overabundant women) is his choice of camera angles. Meyer loves to show his women as towering goddeses of sexuality, using low-angle shots to make them seem larger than life and all the more desirable. One wonders if we are to fear or lust after these women, but in Meyer's films, it's all right to do both. Perhaps it is a hidden fear of Meyer's (to be squashed by a large bosom during sex) that can be attributed to his fetishistic tendencies, or maybe I'm just over-analyzing. It's safe to not analyze a Meyer film too much, as his films are merely entertaining to the extreme and not "message movies".

Russ Meyer's BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS was a huge success for 20th-Century Fox and Meyer was signed for another picture for the studio. THE SEVEN MINUTES was a drama about book censorship that is still pretty good, but not at all like his previous comedies. The film tanked in theatres and Meyer was dropped from the studio. Meyer's first new independent film was BLACKSNAKE!, a film about the African slave trade that features small breasts and little humor. It was another failure for Meyer and he did not return until 1975 with SUPERVIXENS, perhaps the quintessential Russ Meyer film. Filled with sex, violence, foul language, and loads of cameos/in-jokes from Meyer's previous hits, SUPERVIXENS is another instant classic for Meyer. BVD star John LeZar cameos in a take-off of MOTOR PSYCHO! and BVD co-star Charles Napier continues a role from Meyer's previous CHERRY, HARRY & RAQUEL. UP! followed and while it's still great Meyer, it's too outrageous even for me! His last film to date is BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE ULTRA-VIXENS, a hilarious semi-remake of VIXEN!.

Russ Meyer is still alive and well and just published his 3-volume autobiography "A Clean Breast" which retails for $350.00! I'm still saving up for it, but Lord knows I'm going to get it! Meyer was working on an autobiographical film since 1979 and only he knows wether he is continuing it, but there is an ever-growing legion of fans awaiting his finished product.

BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS was finally released on VHS and laserdisc in the mid-90s. The VHS is the badly cropped full-frame version and the laserdisc is widescreen. Since the film was re-rated NC-17 by the MPAA for video re-release (due to the lengthy lesbian scene), Blockbuster will not carry it. Some of your alternative video stores, like Hollywood Video, may carry it. It is well worth a search. Fox is currently working on a DVD release of BVD and I am hoping that they contact Erica Gavin, Cynthia Myers, Edy Williams, and John LeZar for a commentary, as all four have showed their interest in the project.

Other Recommended Russ Meyer Films:
Motor Psycho! (1965) - A trio of motorcycle-riding hoodlums incite the wrath of Haji and her companion!
Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965) - Three go-go dancers use sex to uncover a hidden treasure on a farm.
Finders Keepers Lovers Weepers (1968) - The burglary of a successful strip bar is thwarted by romance.
Vixen! (1968) - The wife of a resort owner has sex with anyone to fulfill her innermost desires.
The Seven Minutes (1971) - A steamy novel is accused of obscenity and taken to court.
SuperVixens (1975) - An innocent gas station attendant encounters sex and violence on the road.
Up! (1976) - A series of murders in mountain country is investigated by a busty female cop.