In his first film for a major studio, Russ Meyer made a film that made sure of two things: first, this was unlike any other major studio film ever made, and second, he would probably never get another shot with the majors. Beyond the Valley of the Dolls is possibly Meyer's greatest achievement, it was the closest to a real traditionally plotted film that he ever got. The film follows a rock band from obscurity playing parties to rock 'n' roll decadence in Hollywood as they become the "it" thing in La La Land. This film is a tripped out, psychedelic journey through the music industry as The Carry Nations find out that rock 'n' roll stardom is not all its cracked up to be. Trials and tribulations concerning drugs, promiscuity, infidelity, hedonism, and all manner of bizarre happenings conspire to derail them at every turn, but leave it to Russ Meyer to turn what could have been a purely cautionary tale into a stunning showcase for his trademark "pneumatic" wenches! Busty Cynthia Myers makes the, *ahem*, biggest impression with her ample endowments and her bed-trotting behavior. But it turns out that The Carry Nations very own Svengali, Z-Man, has the biggest surprise in store. While it pushed the boundaries for a studio film, and even today may have a hard time getting through the system, Meyer and co-writer and Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert, actually toned down some of Meyer's usual hysterics to make the picture palatable. Meyer's trademark editing is, however, on full display and this film does remind us what a forgotten and lost talent he was, and could have been if he'd chosen a different route or oeuvre of film to work in. As it stands, thank goodness he didn't, and for the uninitiated into Meyer's world, Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls stands as a monument to the man that could have been. Frankly, I'm glad that man never was, as his later, even more gonzo features are some of my favorites. This DVD version is as close to definitive as I'm sure we'll ever see, there are many excellent featurettes spanning all manner of topics, including the music, Russ Meyer the man, and the girls. All very worthwhile topics, if you ask me. This is a definite must-own.