Film

What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases

Updates:

Time Out's 50 greatest animated films: part 6 Oct 5 2009
Michael Winterbottom: interview Sep 18 2008

50 greatest music films ever

Top 50 index | 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-6 | 5-1

1 Superstar: the Karen Carpenter Story
(Todd Haynes,1987)
Not to be confused with the distinctly ropey TV movie, ‘The Karen Carpenter Story’, which emerged two years later, this is Todd Haynes’ version of the fragile American singer’s story – told with emaciated Barbie dolls, archive footage, fake talking heads and ample, unauthorised use of The Carpenters’ music. If all this sounds a little mocking, even distasteful, for the story of a young woman whose fame and success contributed to her early death from anorexia, the important thing to stress is that Haynes walks an interesting tightrope between irony and sincerity with ‘Superstar’. Certainly, there’s an element of wink-wink knowingness and satire to this extraordinary and inventive film, but his target is never Karen Carpenter. Rather, Haynes has in his sights the hackneyed machinery with which so many filmmakers, reporters and documentarists deal with the troubled lives of artists. Indeed, Carpenter herself emerges as a sympathetic figure, the tragic heroine of the piece. The music, too, is treated with the utmost respect: the live scenes are often very moving, made even more powerful by the stillness of the dolls apparently performing The Carpenters’ songs. Formally, it’s definitely an odd experiment, but as a biographer, Haynes grapples with the essence of his subject in a linear, even traditional fashion. The sadness of Carpenter’s story is never lost along the way.

The film begins with a grainy, black-and white sequence in which Karen Carpenter’s mother finds her dead daughter – a Barbie doll wrapped in sheets – on the floor of the family home. A portentous voiceover then kicks in over the opening-credits to the tune of The Carpenters’ hit ‘Superstar’ and a shot of a pretty suburban home. ‘Why, at the age of 32, was this smooth-voiced girl from Downey, California, who led a raucous nation smoothly into the ’70s, found dead in her parents’ home? Let’s go back,’ drawls a laconic, male voice. Intriguingly, the opening of the more orthodox TV movie is almost identical: we watch as Carpenter’s mother discovers her daughter’s body, and it’s then that both films lunge into the past. The focus of Haynes’ film is Carpenter’s anorexia and he doesn’t deal lightly with the subject, promising, via a block of text on the screen, ‘an extremely graphic picture of the internal experience of contemporary femininity’.

‘Superstar’ is a genuine horror movie. The flesh creeps when the A&M Records boss signs Richard and Karen with a lugubrious ‘We’re a real family here at A&M.’ That scene is cut with footage of the Holocaust and ends with a body being thrown into a pit: the open arms of celebrity beckon for Karen. The scenes of Carpenter with her family are creepy too: her brother is portrayed as a control-freak, while her parents come across as domineering. ‘What are you trying to do? Ruin both our careers?’ is Richard’s chilling response to his sister’s illness.

The chances of Haynes’ 43-minute film ever getting a legal release were pretty slim. Not only did he use The Carpenters’ music without the family’s permission but there’s nothing sympathetic about his treatment of Karen’s brother and his parents, Agnes and Harold. It’s been suggested, too, that Mattel considered taking legal action over the use of the Barbie dolls in the film. But there was no need: Richard Carpenter got there first. He sued Haynes in 1990 and won, which meant all copies of the film were recalled. The only way to see it now is by Googling it on the internet. Dave Calhoun
Greatest hit When Carpenter collapses during a performance of ‘Rainy Days and Mondays’. Who would have thought a Barbie doll could be so moving?

Top 50 index | 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-6 | 5-1

Author: Dave Calhoun. Written by Derek Adams, Geoff Andrew, Dave Calhoun, Wally Hammond, Michael Hodges, Martin Horsfield, Martin Hoyle, David Jenkins, Trevor Johnston, Eddy Lawrence, Sharon O'Connell, Chris Parkin, Graeme Thomson, Peter Watts

« PREVIOUS

Page 12 of 13 9 10 11 12 13

Bookmark
|
Print
Send to a friend

User comments on this story

Vince said...

this list is horse shit, wot's the deal, because the brits hate the irish you can't out "the commitments" or "once" up in the top 50? and did you forget about a movie one of your own made called "the wall"? and the number one film listed is a bloody movie about the world's worst singer karen carpenter? wot the hell???? Posted on Oct 06 2007 05:04

Report as inappropriate
Massimo said...

The worst movie ever, with the best soundtrack ever: Streets of Fire! Posted on Oct 05 2007 20:53

Report as inappropriate
vagabondjohn said...

What? No "Sunshine Daydream" or "Renaldo and Clara"? But at least "Be Here To Love Me" broke the top ten... Posted on Oct 05 2007 20:43

Report as inappropriate
Marc said...

...and that Carpenters film told with dolls is better than "The Kids Are Alright"?
Man, April Fools Day comes earlier every year. Posted on Oct 05 2007 17:39

Report as inappropriate
kanchi said...

RISE ABOVE - THE TRIBE 8 STORY directed by TRACY FLANNIGAN this is such a cool film about the lesbian punk band from california who are on the dead kennedys label - alternative tenticles. even if u don't like their music it is a well-made, interesting and inspiring film. i was sad (but not suprised) to see this (and other riot grrl/ women in music etc) films missing from the list. is it still uncool to be a feminist? Posted on Oct 05 2007 16:19

Report as inappropriate
Matthew W said...

Some amazing films here but c'mon, you're just trying to get a rise out of us with Superstar at No 1. What about Rockers, Stardust & That'll be the Day, Quadropeinia, Woodstock, (Slade in) Flame? Posted on Oct 05 2007 14:15

Report as inappropriate
jules henry said...

What about Babylon (1980)? Posted on Oct 05 2007 13:37

Report as inappropriate
steven menkin said...

What? Where is The Great Rock & Roll Swindle Posted on Oct 05 2007 13:30

Report as inappropriate
Matt said...

anyone any ideas on how I could find a copy of "So You wanna be a rock 'n' roll star?", or will I have to wait until it comes back on BBC four?
any help would be much appreciated.
cheers. Posted on Oct 05 2007 12:35

Report as inappropriate
monkeystar said...

I dont want to be funny but how could you leave out The Blues Brothers??? Really, with Aretha Franklin, Cab Calloway, James Brown and all the other superstars, this is one of the best films about a band and top music ever..
MS Posted on Oct 05 2007 12:30

Report as inappropriate
Matt said...

anyone any ideas on how I could find a copy of this film, or will I have to wait until it comes back on BBC four?
any help would be much appreciated.
cheers. Posted on Oct 04 2007 13:50

Report as inappropriate