Tetrady not as good as all the hype

Lumsdal Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

Griff Lees Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Edwin The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

ben hibburd "Buyer beware" that's the cautionary tale underscored in Russ Meyer's campy, melodramatic foray into the seedy underbelly of Hollywood, where sex, drugs and every vice imaginable runs rampant after dark. The film is co-written alongside Meyer by Roger Ebert. Together there cynicism and self-awareness help elevate a scattershot screenplay that's filled with clichés, and under-cooked plot threads.The film follows three young women performing in a rock band 'The Kelly Affair' featuring Kelly (Dolly Read), Casey (Cynthia Myers), and Petronella (Marcia McBroom). They are managed by Kelly's boyfriend Harris (David Gurian). Together they head to Los Angeles to collect Kelly's inheritance. Upon arrival she meets with her estranged aunt, who invites them to a party, which gives the group a taste of the high-life. Whilst simultaneously, outside influences begin digging their claws in, which starts splitting the four friends apart piece by piece, as is the nature of the beast.For the most part this film doesn't live up to the craziness the films reputation has. For it's time I could imagine the ruckus it caused, but by today's standard it's fairly tame. So where this films main focus is now, is in its characters, all of whom are hyperbolic and aren't given a great deal to work with. However there's a strange likability to the characters that makes you care for them.There isn't a great deal of plot in this film, other then a power struggle over the band between Harris and the bands new manager, which isn't fully explored. The film acts more as voyeuristic look at the hippie scene of the late 60's early 70's, as the parties become more and more crazy and dangerous. All of which leads up to a final act that is so over the top, and so far out of left field. I've never seen a film shift gears into sheer mania so quickly.Beyond the Valley of the Dolls is a dated film. It's script and parables are at times fairly clunky and in your face. However there is a-lot of fun to be had from this film, and it's a film that still has a-lot of gas left in its tank.

SnoopyStyle This is not a sequel to the Valley of the Dolls. Kelly MacNamara, Senator's daughter Casey Anderson, and Pet Danforth are in a girl rock band. Along with Kelly's boyfriend Harris Allsworth, they decide to drive to L.A. Kelly finds her estranged aunt Susan Lake who inherited the family fortune. To her sleazy money man Porter Hall's dismay, Susan promises one third of the fortune to her niece. Rock producer Z-Man Barzell takes over the band and Kelly falls for money grubbing gigolo Lance Rocke. Harris feels Kelly drifting away and is seduced by porn star Ashley St. Ives. Kelly wants more of the inheritance. The young group gets pull further and further into the wild risqué world.This is definitely a Russ Meyer movie with his love of the female body. Roger Ebert has written a hippie soap opera. By the time of Harris' attempted suicide, this ridiculous movie turns into a comedy. An abortion has never been filmed in a more silly way. The scramble eggs are not lost on the audience. The problem is always the limited acting talents of the cast. They fail to make their characters compelling. The cheese factor is very high. It's almost a spoof. The ending does spin out of control as if Ebert knew that he had to top all the ridiculous stuff from before. I don't want to be mean-spirited but I laughed at Harris and his wheelchair.

jlomax28 This is not a sequel and there has never been anything like it. It is a shame that Russ Meyer didn't make more films like this at 20th Century Fox. All of his films has a professional look to them but Beyond looks polished and perfect. Russ Meyer called this film one of his, "most important." As far as editing and cinematography, the film is beautiful. Roger Ebert's script is funny and the tone is curious at times. I am a firm believer that Russ Meyer's films were funnier and more unique before Roger Ebert's influence of self parody. With that said, I still think Beyond is one of his best films and is the one he is most known for. The tone of the film totally changes by the end and plays out almost like a serious horror film. I think it is amusing that Roger Ebert and RM changed the ending after the murder of Sharon Tate by the Mason family. John Waters (who pays many homages to RM) changed the ending to his film Multiple Maniacs 1970 based on the Manson murders as well. Great minds think alike I guess... The film has so many endings that it is hard to remember how many exactly. One of them has a narrator reciting a moral road map for the audience. Hilarious. Especially the part about Susan Lake, "Perhaps TOO pure." And how even, "excessive goodness," in itself can be a bad thing. Russ Meyer only made one more film at 20th, The Seven Minutes, a film I like but most people, even the director, dismiss. After seeing the end of 'Dolls' and the bathtub scene in 'Supervixens,' I really wish RM would have made an entry into the horror genre. His violence and gore is always so extreme. This is a great introduction to RM's style. Better with multiple viewings. Erica Gavin is in the film without her weird Vixen eyebrows. I wish she was in the film more but her scenes with Cynthia Myers are some of the most memorable.

jfgibson73 I didn't know much about this movie going into it, except what kinds of films Russ Meyer was known for. The story is about an all girl rock group and their rise to stardom. Although it's been said that this movie was meant to be a parody, it seems to play it straight for most of the duration.The central character would probably be the lead singer, who has a powerful Joplin-like voice. Her entrance to the big time begins with discovering her long lost aunt, who brings her to a party where she meets the right people. Everyone involved quickly let things get out of control, until everyone's lives are turned upside down.There is a bit of 60's counterculture involved with lots of drugs and pills and swinging parties. The dialog is very hippie-dippy, and the ending was very heavy handed. If it was meant to be a satire, I would consider it a failure in that nothing about it struck me as satirical. Taken straight, I still don't find much to recommend. 4 out of 10.