|
 Beyond the Valley of the Dolls
A beautiful, buxom rock trio travels to Los Angeles in
search of music stardom and to claim an inheritance,
but they find drugs, murder, lots of sex, and the dangerously
unhinged rock impresario Z-Man in 1970’s Beyond
the Valley of the Dolls, sexploitation auteur Russ Meyer’s
jaw-dropping ahead of its time cult fave. This in-name
only-sequel to the 1967 film was (in)famously co-penned
by film critic Roger Ebert and Meyer himself and premieres
on DVD in a two-disc set. There’s something for
everyone here—sleeping women forced to perform
fellatio on guns, drugged-out grannies, psychedelic musical
numbers. Though many try, they just don’t make
them like this anymore. Bonus features: An audio commentary
by Ebert and another by cast members; the documentary "Above,
Beneath and Beyond the Valley: The Making of a Musical-Horror-Sex-Comedy," offering
a thorough look at the film and its legacy; and various
featurettes, including "The Best of Beyond," in
which cast members select their favorite scenes, and
screen tests. —Jeremy Kinser
Imagine Me and You
Piper Perabo (sporting a spot-on British accent) stars
as Rachel, a young bride who on the day of her wedding
to gorgeous hubby (Matthew Goode) day meets the person
she’s meant to be with—a female florist (Lena
Headey). After the first half hour when screenwriter/director
Ol Parker’s debut film Imagine You and Me stops
being a poor relation of Four Weddings and a Funeral,
it’s actually a serviceable LGBT spin on the standard
romcom. Bonus features: A self-deprecating commentary
by Parker, who comments on the problems he faced as a
first-time director, deleted scenes, and a making-of
featurette. —JK
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Narrated with an ease only Robert Downey Jr. can deliver,
director Shane Black’s Kiss Kiss Bang Bang follows
small-time New York thief Harry Lockhart (Downey), who
meets up with Destiny (Michelle Monaghan) at a Hollywood
party. The party gets better when the two are joined
by “gay Perry” (Val Kilmer), who delivers
terrifically written lines like, “I call it my
faggot gun … because it's only good for a couple
of shots, then you have to drop it for something better!” The
haphazard romantic plot leads to family plots, which
at times make you want to plotz! But the film’s
noir styling and the bang-bang banter that occurs between
Downey and Kilmer is worth a kiss or two. Bonus Features:
Audio commentary by Downey, Kilmer and Black, and a gag
reel. —Jim Holmes
Take The Flame
Narrated by Greg Louganis, the documentary Take The Flame
offers an enlightened look at the history of the Gay
Games. From its San Francisco inception in 1982, the
event is chronicled through six games spanning more than
20 years. Combining elements of the summer, winter, senior,
and special Olympics, along with an international arts
festival, various conferences and a series of mega parties,
the Gay Games has turned into the ultimate queer convention.
Throughout the film, interviews with visionary founder
Dr. Tom Waddell, Olympic gold medalists Bruce Hayes and
Greg Louganis, as well as world-class athletes like Dave
Kopay and Billy Bean, are both profound and inspiring.
If you're attracted to athletics, Take The Flame is a
first place winner. For those less athletic, like some
of its participants—who range in age from 18-88—there
is something for everyone. It is a sporty slice of homo
history! Bonus features: Director's biography, a “best
of” David Secter film montage, film trailer and
photo gallery. —JH
Valley of the Dolls
At the beginning of 1967’s Valley of the Dolls Barbara
Parkins (as wistful model Anne Welles) informs viewers
in her inimitable sultry purr (perhaps the movies sexiest—sorry,
Lauren Bacall), “You have to climb Mt. Everest to
reach the valley of the dolls.” And climb it
she does along with Patty Duke and Sharon Tate as three
young women out to make it big in show business but felled
by booze and dope (the Dolls of the title refer not only
to the three heroines but the pills they take to, ahem,
sparkle). Based on Jacqueline Susann’s then-scorching
bestseller, the movies‘ great unintentional comedy
is a delirious melange of amped-up performances (Duke as
songbird Neely O’Hara gives one of those high-pitched,
you-have-to-see-it-to-believe-it performances and her ladies
room catfight with Susan Hayward is perhaps the defining
moment in camp cinema), guffaw-inducing dialogue (“You
know how bitchy fags can be” is a particular audience
pleaser), yet the film demonstrates a remarkably matter-of-fact
acceptance of gay characters in show biz pre-Stonewall.
VotD finally makes its DVD debut and the deluxe two-disc
set was worth the wait—this is a must-own for any
self-respecting gay man. Bonus features: Audio commentary
by Parkins and E!’s gossip columnist Ted Casablanca
(who lifted his moniker from a character in the film); "Gotta
Get Off This Merry-Go-Round: Sex, Dolls and Showtunes," a
comprehensive doc on the making of the film and its enduring
legacy; vintage featurettes on author Jacqueline Susann
and the film‘s premiere on a cruise ship; “You’ve
Got Talent” karaoke, which lets viewers sing along
to three songs while following the bouncing doll (and wig
for “I’ll Plant My Own Tree”); and screen
tests. —JK
|
