Have I ever mentioned how much I love the Independent Film Channnel? Last night they showed two cult films back-to-back, Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Beyond the Valley of the Dolls.

Hedwig really wasn't my cup of meat. I thought that the songs had a nice Bowiesque glam feel to them, but the characters were unlikeable and the actors seemed as if they were self-consciously reaching for a level of so-bad-it's-goodness that just sounded bad. I suppose it's some sort of breakthrough film for transexuals, but others will probably find it tedious and contrived.

BtVotD, on the other hand, is TGT...Truly Great Trash...the unholy love child of filmmaker Russ Meyers, screenwriter/film critic Roger Ebert, and the wildly spinning corpse of author Jacqueline Susanne whose own Valley of the Dolls bears no relationship whatsoever to this gobbler. After watching it, I felt compelled to go a' googlin' on the film's stars which turned up surprisingly little of interest with the exception of this tongue-in-cheek Doll's Tarot deck and information clearinghouse by the oft-linked Howard Hallis.

Russ Meyers' films are primarily known for two things, gigantic breasts and astonishingly bad dialogue, and this movie delivers both in spades. BtVotD tells the story of the rise and fall of a female rock trio called the Carrie Nations, roles assayed by former Playboy Playmates Dolly Read (NSFW) and Cynthia Meyers, along with soul sister Marcia McBroom who went on to star in a number of 70's blaxploitation flicks. Read gives a full-throttle performance as the stoned sex kitten, Kelly, and gets to deliver some hilarious lines. It's too bad she doesn't have a bigger presence on the Intarweb.

I should mention that the film's acid-rock soundtrack is FANTASTIC, featuring great songs by the Strawberry Alarm Clock, and wildly dramatic tunes by composer Stu Phillips who went on to score, of all things, Battlestar Galactica.

Hang cool, teddy bears!