Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story

Glyn Davis

Research output: Book/ReportBook

Abstract / Description of output

Banned by the Carpenter Estate, Todd Haynes' experimental biopic Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (1987) - 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 monograph details the film's history: its production and initial reception, the journey through the courts, and the subsequent bootleg circulation amongst fans. Superstar's dense, provocative and affectively-charged content is also explored, with attention focused on the film's aesthetics, generic form, and its cultural position as a hybrid text.

Original languageEnglish
Place of PublicationLondon and New York
PublisherWallflower Press
Number of pages117
ISBN (Print)978-1-905674-88-6
Publication statusPublished - 2008

Publication series

NameCultographies

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • Todd Haynes, cult cinema, independent cinema, queer cinema, genre, production studies, bootlegs

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