Over-budgeted This flick had a budget too big for its own good. What would have been a cheapo stream-lined sleazefest became a turgid cesspool of ham-handed irony, over-addled "wit", and banal social commentary. The result stems from a very rare circumstance in Hollywood: over-generosity. The leash placed on Russ Meyer and Gene Siskel was overly long - the studio must have been in shock after hauling in this pair.
This colossal waste of celluloid is the worst motion picture I have ever chanced to witness. Unlike the many exploitation flicks of that era, including the rest of Russ Meyer's work, it cannot even rank as compellingly bad, like "Barbarella" or "Kitten With A Whip". "Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls" is so egregiously awful that it becomes an arrogant, insulting, irritating piece of trash.
Normally I would recommend viewing a film that would merit such a strong claim, which would serve to bolster the statement. But being a kind and merciful warthog, I recommend the opposite: Miss this one.