Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, June 26, 1993 TAG: 9306260073
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: B-10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Mike Mayo
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Both "Valley of the Dolls" and "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls" have been available on tape in years past. But they'd gone out of print and so had become relatively rare collectors' items. The good folks at Fox have changed classics.
The 1967 original was, of course, the screen adaptation of Jacqueline Suzann's phenomenal best-seller. That novel set publishing records that have probably never been broken. Hard as it may be to believe, America was shocked in the mid-'60s to learn that outwardly respectable women took too many pills, drank too much booze, had impure thoughts and acted on them. Yesterday's daring revelations would hardly rate a raised eyebrow on "Oprah" now.
The film version is a grand soap opera about a young career woman (Barbara Parkins) and her friendship with two actresses (Patty Duke and Sharon Tate) in New York and Hollywood. This was an expensive production, and its glossy slickness has worn well. In that respect, it really captures the look and feel of the times much better than many more openly nostalgic works.
By the way, don't miss the terrific hyperventilating theatrical trailer that begins the tape. And, yes, toward the end, that is a young Richard Dreyfuss.
Three years later, independent "nudie" producer/director Russ Meyer went to work for a major studio and "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls" was the result. The script by critic Roger Ebert has virtually nothing to do with the original and that's as it should have been. In those three years, the country had undergone seismic changes.
Ebert and Meyer's flamboyantly overwrought story is about three young women (Dolly Read, Cynthia Myers and Marcia McBroom) who become overnight sensations as a rock band and then fall prey to the fleshpots of stardom in the City of Angels. Bizarre, campy, outrageous, sexy, trashy, unhinged, violent, "BVD," as it was known in the business, is all of those and much much more.
What may be more interesting than the film itself though, are the conflicting passions that it inspires. Naturally, anything this extravagant has acquired a cult following. But "BVD" has also inspired an anti-following, a group of movie fans who embrace alternative classics but roundly detest this one. For my money, even if this isn't Meyer's best, its crazy humor makes it fun.
Moving on to newer material, we find "Love Potion No. 9." It's a nicely done little comedy that's aimed at younger audiences. The premise is about what you'd expect, given the title.
Paul (Tate Donovan), a nerdish biochemist, visits Madame Ruth the gypsy (Anne Bancroft) who tells him that his love life stinks and gives him "love potion No. 8." Just a taste of it, she says, will make his voice irresistible to women. Whatever he says, they'll do. He doesn't believe her, but when his cat tastes a bit of the stuff and immediately becomes a major league stud tomcat, he's curious. He takes the potion to Diane (Sandra Bullock), a biochemist as socially impaired as he is, for analysis.
They discover the chemical secret; how No. 8 works on the vocal cords, stimulating hormonal responses in the opposite sex. What are they to do then but test it on themselves?
At this point, most video originals would turn into soft core male fantasies, but writer/producer/director Dale Launer is really more interested in what this power does to Diane. How would a shy young woman react when suave Italians in Armani suits start following her around and buying her diamonds? When princes hang on every word she says?
The script makes a few missteps toward the middle, but that's unimportant. The last 20 minutes - a reworking of the familiar "will he be in time to stop the wedding" routine - redeem those slips. The leads are good, particularly Sandra Bullock who's got some big screen appearances coming up in the next few months. She'll be playing against Robert Duvall in "Wrestling Ernest Hemingway" and with Sylvester Stallone in "Demolition Man."
And finally, dedicated credits-readers will note that "Love Potion 9" was edited by Hollins grad Suzanne Pettit.
The Essentials: Valley of the Dolls: *** CBS/Fox. 123 min. Rated PG for subject matter, some strong language.
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls: *** CBS/Fox. 109 min. Rated NC-17 for nudity, violence, strong sexual content, language.
Love Potion 9: **1/2 CBS/Fox. 97 min. Rated PG-13 for sexual content,\ language.
New releases this week: Leap of Faith: **1/2
Stars Steve Martin, Debra Winger, Lolita Davidovitch, Liam Neeson. Directed by Richard Pearce. Paramount. 96 min. Rated PG-13 for subject matter, some strong language.
Despite the presence of Steve Martin and Debra Winger in strong starring roles, this story of a bogus faith healer is too calculated and finally too formulaic to deal with the complexities of faith and religion. The unusual ending is almost an admission on the part of the filmmakers that they don't know where to go.
Hexed: **1/2
Starring Claudia Christian, Ayre Gross. Directed by Alan Spencer. Columbia Tristar 90 min. Rated R for nudity, comic sexual activity, violence, strong language, mime-abuse.
This irreverent low-budget black comedy is much funnier than it has a right to be. People aren't supposed to laugh at jokes about murder, fashion models and weight-loss plans, but maybe it's time they did. At its core, the film is a parody of the lethal-blonde flicks that have been so popular in recent years - from "Fatal Attraction" to "Basic Instinct."
by CNB