WTF? Russ Meyer’s ‘Beyond the Valley of the Dolls’ Joins Criterion Collection
The Criterion Collection is releasing one of the most famous bad movies of all time, along with its predecessor
Jeremy Fuster | June 16, 2016 @ 5:36 PM
Last Updated: June 16, 2016 @ 9:12 PM
At long last, Russ Meyers has entered the canon. His 1970 camp classic “Beyond the Valley of the Dolls,” along with the 1967 schlock-fest that inspired it, will be released in September by The Criterion Collection.
The Criterion Collection has become known as the ultimate haven for cinephiles. Since 1984, it has taken the most important works in film history and made them more accessible than ever before. It should be noted that these are “important” works, not the “best,” because one of the upcoming additions to the series is one of the most famous bad movies of all time.
Mark Robson’s 1970 drama “Valley of the Dolls” quickly gained cult status, following three women (Barbara Parkins, Sharon Tate and Patty Duke) through their sex-and-drug-riddled lives and their attempts to make it big on Broadway.
What ensues is a tour de force of terrible acting, nonsensical plot, and one scene that Roger Ebert said should “be preserved in permanent form so future historians can see that Hollywood was not only capable of vulgarity, but was also capable of the most offensive and appalling vulgarity ever thrown up by any civilization. I can’t believe that scene. I really can’t.”
What was even more unbelievable was that three years later, Ebert would help Meyer pen a second “Valley of the Dolls” film to satirize the first. The X-rated “Beyond The Valley of the Dolls” also achieved a cult status similar to the film that inspired it, and it is twice as ludicrous.
In the words of Ebert himself, the last 20 minutes features “a quadruple murder, a narrative summary, a triple wedding, and an epilogue.”
There has been renewed interest in the film following Ebert’s death in 2013 and after it was featured prominently in the documentary about Ebert’s life, “Life Itself.” Now film buffs looking for a train wreck can immerse themselves in this insane double feature.
For those looking for something with less dubious quality, the Criterion Collection’s September release list also includes Krzysztof Kieślowski’s “Decalogue” and the Coen Brothers’ directorial debut, “Blood Simple.”
Check out the trailer for “Valley of the Dolls” above.
10 Journalism Movies To Share the 'Spotlight' With
"All The President's Men" is the film that many critics have compared "Spotlight" to, and there's little wonder why. "Spotlight" follows the path blazed by the Robert Redford/Dustin Hoffman classic recounting the Watergate scandal, showing the investigative reporting process in great detail and exposing the roadblocks that reporters face when trying to uncover the truth.
It's a shame the "Star Wars" prequels made many moviegoers cringe at the thought of Hayden Christensen, because his performance in "Shattered Glass" is a must-see. Christensen plays Stephen Glass, a reporter from The New Republic who was fired in 1998 for fabricating many of his stories.
Forty years after its release, "Network" remains one of the most potent satires not just in cinema, but in any medium. Paddy Chayefsky's Oscar-winning script bitterly attacks broadcast media for sacrificing the public good for salacious stories that will get ratings. Today, as the media chases after Donald Trump for more and more scandalous quotes, "Network" has proven to be prophetic. Again.
In a similar vein as "Network," but a generation earlier, there's Billy Wilder's "Ace In the Hole," which stars Kirk Douglas as an opportunistic, down-on-his-luck reporter who discovers a man trapped in a collapsed cave in New Mexico and uses it as an opportunity to regain his former big-city glory. Even back in 1951, sensationalism in the press was being examined in film.
Back on the more idealistic side of journalism movies, there's George Clooney's "Good Night And Good Luck," which features David Strathairn as Edward R. Murrow as he takes on Joseph McCarthy and the Red Scare. The concluding speech cautions about the potential and dangers of television that "Network" looks at more cynically.
From Australia, "Balibo" retells the true story of Roger East, a reporter who traveled to East Timor to investigate the disappearance of five other journalists just before the invasion of Indonesia in 1975. The film features "Ex Machina" star Oscar Isaac as Nobel Peace Prize winner Jose Ramos-Horta before his rise to the East Timor presidency.
The wittiest take on arts journalism is Cameron Crowe's "Almost Famous," a dramedy about an aspiring music journalist covering a rising band for Rolling Stone. The film is based on Crowe's own experiences at Rolling Stone, and features Philip Seymour Hoffman as legendary rock writer Lester Bangs in one of the most famous "job warning" speeches ever.
The words of Hunter S. Thompson, patron saint of gonzo journalism, are captured brilliantly by Johnny Depp in "Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas." Thompson's writing crackles with life, and Depp's narration sets it ablaze. Listen to his reading of the famous "Wave Speech," which brings forth Thompson's ability to find beauty even in the ugly side of America that he always reveled in.
"Broadcast News," James L.Brooks' rom-com drama, has been praised for its insightful look at the day-to-day life inside a broadcast newsroom. Featuring a love triangle between an unseasoned anchorman (William Hurt), a high-strung producer (Holly Hunter) and an ambitious reporter (Albert Brooks), this is a much lighter alternative to "The Newsroom."
"Citizen Kane." Come on, does this need further introduction? Orson Welles' masterpiece is one of the heavyweight contenders in the Greatest Movie Ever debate, and a sobering look at the slow death of journalistic idealism at the hands of power and greed. Some 75 years later, that loss of faith in journalistic ideals seems to be more widespread in society. Maybe that's why "Spotlight" won Best Picture: it reminds us that truth-seekers aren't as extinct today as we sometimes may think.
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From odes to investigative reporting to biting satires of mass media, journalism and the movies have a long history together
"All The President's Men" is the film that many critics have compared "Spotlight" to, and there's little wonder why. "Spotlight" follows the path blazed by the Robert Redford/Dustin Hoffman classic recounting the Watergate scandal, showing the investigative reporting process in great detail and exposing the roadblocks that reporters face when trying to uncover the truth.
