Todd Haynes
When I saw his excellent 2002 film Far From Heaven, I really didn't know anything about writer/director Todd Haynes. I didn't really know anything about Douglas Sirk either, but that didn't stop me from liking Far From Heaven, in which Haynes masterfully creates a world in tribute to Sirk's excellent 1955 film All That Heaven Allows. When I finally saw the Sirk film, my appreciation of Haynes's film went up. It also went up again when I saw Haynes's previous film, Velvet Goldmine, in which a reporter in 1984 tries to figure out whatever happened to that glam rock star who shot to stardom in the 70s, only to crash just as quickly after staging an assassination attempt on himself. While I had mixed feelings about Velvet Goldmine, its style, which is light years away from that of Sirk, gave me an even deeper appreciation of Far From Heaven. It sort of made me feel that Haynes had to restrain himself even more to emulate Sirk's style that I hand initially thought. It made me want to look to see what else Haynes had wrought. That's when I found out about Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story.
Haynes's first film, Superstar is a 45 minute film shot on 16mm that tells the tragic story of Karen Carpenter's struggle with anorexia. It can't be shown because it was made without the permission of Richard Carpenter, who owns the rights to the duo's songs that comprise a large portion of the film, and who is not portrayed in the most sympathetic light. (I just downloaded and watched it tonight.) This movie is fascinating. Were I to have written this post before I saw it, I would have including this in my initial description--everyone in this film is played by a Barbie doll. (Well, the guys are Ken dolls, but you get the point.) Before watching it, it seems so silly, and indeed, I'll admit that I would not have watched it if he had chosen to use live actors for more than just voices and the occasional close-up of a singing mouth. However, in its very low budget way, this film has a kind of brilliance to it. I'd definitely recommend it, especially if you're a closet Carpenters fan, which you know you are. You don't have to admit it though.
Haynes's first film, Superstar is a 45 minute film shot on 16mm that tells the tragic story of Karen Carpenter's struggle with anorexia. It can't be shown because it was made without the permission of Richard Carpenter, who owns the rights to the duo's songs that comprise a large portion of the film, and who is not portrayed in the most sympathetic light. (I just downloaded and watched it tonight.) This movie is fascinating. Were I to have written this post before I saw it, I would have including this in my initial description--everyone in this film is played by a Barbie doll. (Well, the guys are Ken dolls, but you get the point.) Before watching it, it seems so silly, and indeed, I'll admit that I would not have watched it if he had chosen to use live actors for more than just voices and the occasional close-up of a singing mouth. However, in its very low budget way, this film has a kind of brilliance to it. I'd definitely recommend it, especially if you're a closet Carpenters fan, which you know you are. You don't have to admit it though.
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