Beyond the Valley of the Dolls

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More About

• Russ Meyer
• Midnight Movie Society
• Roger Ebert
• Arts, Entertainment, and Media

The Midnight Movie Society, a monthly gathering of film buffs who screen cult favorites at midnight after imbibing the sounds of DJ Jake Rudh and competing in costume contests, presents its second offering: Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. Directed by breast-obsessed Russ Meyer and written by Meyer-obsessed Roger Ebert, the 1970 spectacle throws every key element of '60s freak-out cinema into a blender to produce in an intoxicating brew. The Kelly Affair, a Playboy-ready female rock trio, head to L.A. to claim an inheritance, yet find themselves managed and destroyed by androgynous, Shakespeare-quoting music tycoon Ronnie "Z-Man" Barzel. These vixens, plus a crowded cast of well-endowed women and strange-looking men, engage in drugs, intrigue, abortion, beheadings, and bisexual acrobatics —with time-outs for horrible music numbers. The Society, which is anyone who buys a ticket, will award prizes to those whose costumes and "behavior" best match the shameless outfits and antics of those onscreen. Anybody sporting the look of Russ Meyer superstar Haji —black body paint, and nothing else —is guaranteed my endorsement. A masterpiece of psychedelic sleaze, Beyond continues to inspire cinematic tributes from filmmakers...including, ahem, this auteur. Admission includes a toast at midnight and truffle-drizzled popcorn. 21+. (Photo by DraconianRain)
Fri., Feb. 19, 10:30 p.m., 2010