The first major studio release from director Russ Meyer, Beyond the Valley of the Dolls is a sex, drugs and rock-and-roll romp awash with avant-garde audacity. In much the same vein as independent fare like Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!, Meyer's trippy film (which was co-written by critic Roger Ebert) is a sharp satire suffused with acid-laced lunacy that is long recognized as being ahead of its time. Starring Playboy models Dolly Read, Cynthia Myers and Marcia McBroom as female rockers "The Carrie Nations", the film observes their pursuit of stardom in 1960's Hollywood.

Their careers blossom after meeting flamboyant record producer Ronnie Barzell (aka "Z-Man") at one of his hedonistic house parties. Fame and fortune soon follow, but as the hits keep rolling the group quickly comes to learn the terrible price that stardom brings. Love affairs gone bad, seedy lawyers seeking financial gain, and a never-ending orgy of sexual shenanigans and mind-altering drugs earmark their turbulent rise to the top. With additional plotlines of homoerotic exploration and homicide, Meyer leaves virtually no stone unturned in his pursuit of cinematic excess. It all comes together in this stylish piece of ultra-camp.

Featuring music from The Strawberry Alarm Clock and a cast of memorable oddballs, Beyond the Valley of the Dolls is a fast and funny flick that touches all the bases. Though perhaps a bit long at nearly two hours, the film is still loads of fun, and takes on a surreal sheen through a kaleidoscopic of rich colors and a mesmerizing trippy-rock soundtrack. With slick editing, quirky dialogue and a profusion of nubile young nudies, Meyer's self-indulgent glimpse into the heyday of acid-rock decadence is a wild ride that comes highly recommended.

Thumbs Up. Beyond the Valley of the Dolls is a toxic super-freakout brimming with bongs, booze and breasts. Good times!