Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story - (Cultographies) by Glyn Davis (Paperback)

About the Book

"Banned by the Carpenter Estate, Todd Haynes' experimental biopic Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story - which uses dolls to narrate the tragic life of the American singer - has attained significant cult status due to its illegality and lack of availability. This study details the film's fascinating history: its production and initial reception, the journey through the courts, and the subsequent bootleg circulation amongst fans. Superstar's rich, provocative and moving content is also explored, with attention focused on the film's aesthetics, generic form and its cultural position as a hybrid text."--Back cover.

Book Synopsis

Banned by the Carpenter estate, Todd Haynes' experimental biopic Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (which uses Barbie dolls to narrate the tragic life of the American singer) has become a cult hit because of both its controversy and its rarity. This study details the film's fascinating history: its production and initial reception, its journey through the courts, and its bootleg circulation among fans. It also explores Superstar's rich, provocative, and moving content, paying close attention to the film's aesthetics, generic form, and cultural position as a hybrid text.

About the Author

Glyn Davis is a lecturer at the Glasgow School of Art. He is the author of Queer as Folk (2007) and the co-editor of Queer TV (2008).