GIRLS KEEP SWINGIN'>>> •BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS (1970), <<<GIRLS
KEEP SWINGIN'

TONIGHT: STRICTLY MEMBERS-ONLY
* MEMBERSHIPS STILL AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR ON THE NIGHT, 'THO *
DETAILS BELOW

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SPLODGE! NOTES: 1st. Mon. JULY (07/07/03)
splodgeburger@...

ON THE FIRST MONDAY OF EVERY MONTH

"SPLODGE!"

a community FilmEdSoc project,
WE CONTROL THE CONTENT

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Unusual films of discernment, still presented in convivial
surroundings!

ALL PRESENTED ON GROOVY 16 MILLIMETRE FILM!

the back room
714 NICHOLSON (CNR. SCOTCHMER) STREET, NORTH FITZROY

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just give us a "hoy" here at splodgeburger!

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3rd. Quartile

JULY
AD 2003

Monday, 07th.

Registration: 7.30 - 8.00 pm
Screening: >>>>> 8.00 (*EIGHT*!!!!) pm <<<<<

TONIGHT: STRICTLY MEMBERS-ONLY
MEMBERSHIPS STILL AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR ON THE NIGHT
DETAILS BELOW

GIRLS KEEP SWINGIN'
featuring:

•BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS (1970),
BVD (as it has affectionately come to be known) chronicles the meteoric
rise to fame of all-girl rockstar hopefuls Kelly, Casey, and
Petronella when they leave the Midwest and head for LA to make it BIG,
and meet up with a rich aunt.

There they find success, but - luckily for us - sink into a cesspool of
decadence and corruption when, while attending a wild party thrown by a
hip fashion designer, they encounter the enigmatic, flamboyant and
hedonistic ( - even by whacked-out '60s cinema standards) rock
producer/manager, Ronnie "Zeeman" Barzell, who repackages the girls as
The Carrie Nations.

Hereafter the trio plunge headlong into Z-man's wild world of fame,
money, drug and alcohol abuse, parties (orgies), kinky - even lesbian -
sex, and legendary narcissism. In the heady rush to fame, they befall
the evils of the music industry, as well as their own inflated
ambitions. Lead singer, Kelly, spurns her jealous, unstable boyfriend,
Harris, only to realize she really does love him, but only after he
throws himself from the rafters onto the stage during one of the band's
performances. Something has to give, and the result is a cataclysmic
night of insanity and murder.

Leading up to an eye-poppingly, hilariously-bizarre climax, in what
appears to be a send-up of the Manson/La Bianca murders, a psycho boxer
leads ambisexual impresario Z-Man on a crazy-ass, indiscriminate
homicidal killing spree, the latter appearing to turn into a woman
before our eyes, believing himself to be Superwoman! He then seizes a
sword and, to the cry of "the vile blade goes snicker-snack", lops off
a friend’s head. ( - John Lazar, who plays Z-Man, claimed RUSS MEYER
ruined his career by casting him as a maniac, and eventually went
crazy-ass homicidal… on himself!) But be prepared to fall stupidly in
love with the Z-Man, - flowery Phil Spector equivalent and subject of
this last-reel twist that intentionally comes, not from left field, but
from the carpark behind it!

You either love RUSS MEYER's garishly sexist movies about bodacious
babes and priapic men, or you find them utterly disgusting. The
response to his work is that clear-cut. Seriously, not much can prepare
for the leap into the void that BVD has tucked up its sleeves. Like
many of MEYER's films, it's intelligent and ludicrous at the same time.

BVD, which, as many people are now aware, features a story written by
Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic ROGER EBERT along with MEYERS, with
screenplay by EBERT, barely qualifies as a sequel to the film based on
Jacqueline Susanne's trashy book and film bestseller, VALLEY OF THE
DOLLS (1967). (One wonders what might have eventuated with the
quickly-abandoned MEYER-EBERT SEX PISTOLS movie, WHO KILLED BAMBI?) In
fact, it is not a sequel at all, but more an exploitative parody of the
former.

Time, however, has been kind to this raunchy - in reputation only -
follow-up. At least two prominent film critics ( - one of whom was, in
all probability, he who wrote the screenplay) elected BVD as one of the
TEN best US films made between 1968 and 1978. Originally rated X but
now rating a mere NC – 17, actually BVD is rather tame by today's
standards, and surprisingly very enjoyable. Ironically, the movie
concludes with a number of moralistic lessons.

The reason BVD isn't more widely loved might be that it takes a person
with certain sense of humour to enjoy the high level of camp it has to
offer. If you enjoy the odd guilty pleasure or two, or being tricked
into thinking that a legitimately excellent film is really so bad that
it's good, you can happily indulge yourself in this hysterical, groovy,
campy trash classic.

Of course, it wouldn't be a RUSS MEYER movie without lots of giant
breasts, "B" Movie Cheesecake and plenty of sexual innuendo, and, just
to make sure things don't get boring, superheroes, Nazis, lesbian
seductions and Edy Williams as a cold-hearted nymphomaniac. However,
MEYER is less discriminating (or should that be "more"?) in this film -
this time around his trademark buxom babes don't all possess DD
artillery – democratically, women of all cup sizes are cast. And watch
out for PAM GRIER's feature film debut in there, too!

The film is augmented by an laughably ridiculous soundtrack ("Go and
Ask the Gentle People", "Candy Man" et c.), hilariously over-the-top
racial and sexual exploitation, and a script that is such a work of
art, a masterpiece of the hip lingo of yesteryear's youth, that it has
been repeatedly cannibalised in countless, subsequent films. BVD is
notable for a plethora of incredibly pulpy - to the point of
intentional badness - and wonderfully-juicy, quotable dialogue. "You're
a groovy boy, I'd like to strap you on sometime...", "You will drink
the black sperm of my vengeance!", "When does ANY party start?! When
you get there!", et c. Brit-born Dolly (KELLY) Reed's oft-failing
attempt at an American accent only adds to the fun.

In AUSTIN POWERS: INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY (1996), Powers utters
the phrase "It's my happening, baby, and it’s freaking me out!" when he
enters the Electric Psychedelic Pussycat Swingers Club. - It's a quote
from BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS! It's a real shame in a way that a
third-rate sketch comic like MIKE MYERS has stolen so much from this
film, because now first-time viewers will immediately be primarily
reminded of the Austin Powers flicks.

So there's ROGER EBERT, falling for misconceived pap like A BEAUTIFUL
MIND (2001), and then there's ROGER EBERT, having once penned lines
like, "You're a groovy boy. I'd like to strap you on” et c. and "'ere
this night does wane, you will drink the black sperm of my vengeance."
Was there a lobotomy in between there somewhere? It’s amazing that this
movie comes from the pen of the same guy who would later famously
condemn such cult classics as I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE (1978) and THE
HITCHER (1986). Talk about hypocrisy!

BVD was MEYER's first (and almost last) film for a major studio (20th
Century Fox), and the first in a series of films in which he parodies
himself. After his ill-conceived follow-up, THE SEVEN MINUTES (1971),
MEYER went back to being the King of the independents. BVD is MEYER's
ode to the unbridled lunacy of the late Sixties, the odd and the
bizarre. Everything is thrown into the mix - the sexual revolution, the
drug and pop cultures, psychedelic freak-outs, soap-opera
melodramatics. There are in-jokes and references to everything from
Rowan & Martin's LAUGH IN to the Tate/La Bianca murders.

Unlike other campy movies, but characteristic of all MEYER’s film work,
the pace is cracking. There are virtually no lulls; each scene is
packed with brilliant one-liners, ludicrous characters (portrayed by
equally crazy actors), fun music, and tons of hairspray.

EBERT described this preposterous, hilarious (and great) movie as a
"camp sexploitation horror musical" (with additional tunes by hippie
group THE STRAWBERRY ALARM CLOCK, THE SANDPIPERS and STU PHILLIPS <
http://www.spaceagepop.com/phillips.htm >) that climaxes with a
"triple wedding and a be-heading"; - how can you pass that up? EBERT
claimed that it was intended to be satirical and hilarious, but its
sheer datedness only adds to the effect, inadvertently creating the
funniest and most watchable movie of the entire RUSS MEYER oeuvre. The
film is indeed dated, the product of a Golden Age, of sorts, and that's
part of its charm. It’s definitely a work of its time and it’s all the
odder for that.

The reason why it works is because everything is taken to the extreme.
The dialogue would be nonsense were it not so elaborately contrived.
The camera never seems to establish a shot, but instead creates random
montage.

This is all done deliberately to convey a cock-eyed view of the world,
and it does it perfectly. The fantastic colour, the wild parties, all
this goes to show up the alternate reality where these drug-fuelled
individuals reside. Undoubtedly some people will dismiss this as a
mess, but others will consider it an important work purely for its
originality. There really is nothing else like it.

This was the only RUSS MEYER movie that had a budget of any sort but,
for all the money and studio interference, its still a typical MEYER
work. The movie, even when trying to be normal, still has that odd
alternative way of looking at things that is sooooo MEYER, an example
being the emotional scene where Kelly’s boyfriend dramatically leaps
from the scaffolding above a stage where The Carrie Nations are
playing, the falling body accompanied by the sound of a plane diving!
MEYER is a director who uses the full scope of widescreen with action
and reaction often happening to either side of the centre.

As our intrepid rock-group girls and their manager decide to try their
fortunes in LA, the film suddenly goes apeshit - as a man and a woman
trade lines in a voice-over, flash-forwards and brief images meant to
evoke the LA lifestyle stutter onto the screen at roughly twelve shots
a second.

This joyous foray into sheer filmic experimentation is audacious enough
to have you gaping, slack-jawed, and things stay more or less at that
level for the run of the film. MEYER and Co. appear to be aiming for
nothing less than sheer sensory overload and they damn-well succeed!

If you love cheesy, cult films with great music, fantastic fashions and
acting, that is so bad that its good - then this is for YOU! BVD stands
out as the absolute emperor of camp cult classics, the ultimate opus of
bad taste and sheer fun. By far the greatest exploitation classic of
all time, EVER!!

Original Music: Lynn Carey (songs: "Find It" and "Once I Had You");
William Loose (additional music); Paul Marshall (songs "A Girl from the
City" and "I'm Coming Home"); Stu Phillips (also songs "In the Long
Run", "Look Up at the Bottom", "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls", "Come
With the Gentle People", "Sweet Talkin' Candy Man", "Find It" and "Once
I Had You"); Bob Stone (songs "In the Long Run", "Look Up at the
Bottom", "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls", "Come With the Gentle
People" and "Sweet Talkin' Candy Man"). Non-Original Music by Paul
Dukas (from "L'apprenti sorcier").

AkA: HOLLYWOOD VIXENS (1970). Genres: Exploitation, Price of Fame, Rock
Flicks, Satire & Parody, Struggling Musicians

Cast: DOLLY REED, CYNTHIA MYERS, MARCIA McBROOM, JOHN LAZAR, Michael
Blodgett, David Gurian, ERICA GAVIN, EDY WILLIAMS, Phyllis E. Davis,
Harrison Page, Duncan McLeod, James Iglehart, CHARLES NAPIER, HAJI, PAM
GRIER; Dir: RUSS MEYER; Original story: EBERT and MEYER. Scr: ROGER
EBERT; CINEMATOGRAPHY BY: Fred W. Koenekamp; Mus: THE STRAWBERRY ALARM
CLOCK, THE SANDPIPERS, STU PHILLIPS. 20th Century Fox, 109 mins. RM.

Feature occupies entire programme tonight.


Note: If you'd like to join our "low-kilobyte", no-attachment
Splodge!-lite mailing-list, just give us a "'hoy" here at
splodgeburger!

...................... http://splodge.homestead.com/ .................

Minor programme changes may occur due to unforseen
circumstances.
Feature runs last; shorts order may vary from listing.

* Acknowledging ACMI Inc. ;) *

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ADMISSION IS RESTRICTED TO MEMBERS FOR THIS PROGRAMME

THIS IS A FILM SOCIETY SCREENING OPEN TO MEMBERS

BUT IF YOU WISH TO BECOME A MEMBER, THE JOINING FEE IS SO LOW,
IT *MIGHT AS WELL BE FREE*!

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MEMBERSHIP RATES:
Quarterly*:
Generally Socially-Advantaged: $7.00

Generally Socially-Oppressed: $6.00

*annual and half-yearly memberships available on request

If you wish to join on the night, we strongly advise you to
arrive well-prior to the time listed for the screening to
commence!

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For e-mail notification, spam your Subscribe-Request to:
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or visit:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/splodgefilms/

or register* via snail-mail (address below).

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To exit the manual mailing list, or for general correspondence,
dispatch to:
splodgeburger@...

...................... http://splodge.homestead.com/ .................

714 NICHOLSON STREET (CNR. NICHOLSON & SCOTCHMER STREETS),
NORTH FITZROY. PHONE 04 25 74 28 01


LOCATION MAP:
- http://makeashorterlink.com/?P23D21A01


ACCESS BY #96 TRAM (TRAM-STOP #21, SECTION 7):

-To > Splodge! (ie., FROM city):
http://makeashorterlink.com/?X15B31403

-From < Splodge! (ie., TO city):
http://makeashorterlink.com/?S14B31403

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SPLODGE! GETS BOLSHY WHEN IT'S MATES ARE IN TROUBLE!

Our amiable hosts at The Empress Hotel, who supply us with a safe and
congenial space for our exclusive use and enjoyment ( - which we could
never otherwise afford - ) are under siege by nefarious anti-joy
forces, so we are rallying to their help!

If you support Splodge!, you can play YOUR part in helping fight the
sound restrictions unfairly placed on our beloved venue by signing THE
PETITION! And RETURNING IT! ( - You could send it back over to
Splodge!, or straight to the kindly folk at the Empress. If you're
coming to our future screenings, you'll find a hard copy of the
petition at our admin desk.)

http://www.theempresshotel.com.au/fair%20go.htm

- Splodge! says thanks for you consideration in this matter. You could
not begin to imagine how much our l'il film society owes these people!

"VicMusic supports it. Fair go 4 Live Music supports it.
100s, if not thousands, support it and enjoy it!

This call for help is wider, though, not only punters and musicians
need to respond to this call. Anyone who has taken advantage
of the colourful and diverse live music scene in Melbourne
will be affected by this. The Threat? One resident!

The Empress stands as a 16 year old supporter and promoter of live
music.

And her demise will undermine the value and joy of our inherent musical
talent, and jeopardise the future of local businesses and artists.
The solution? Well! Its starts with your support at the benefit gigs.

Highly regarded artists such as Vika and Linda, The Lucksmiths and
Machine Translations as well as locally celebrated artists such TZU,
Curse of Dialect, Music Vs Physics and The Dave Broadly Band, to name a
few have banded together, making a stand to save a stronghold of the
Melbourne Live music scene currently under fire.

The petition, already signed by so many across Melbourne, is available
at:

http://www.theempresshotel.com.au "


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Attachments:

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- BVDpartyBW.gif (31k)
- BeyondTheValleyDolls70Drumkit.jpg (25k)





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