1988 biopicRating: 14/20
Plot: The Karen Carpenter story, detailing her rise to fame in the 70s with The Carpenters and her battle with anorexia nervosa.
But with Barbie dolls.
This is Todd Haynes first movie, and it looks like it's probably a student film. It's made on the cheap, but the use of the dolls is definitely effective. The initial fun of watching this reenacted with dolls does wear off a bit after a while, and I'm glad this movie isn't longer than the forty or so minutes that it is. I happen to like The Carpenters' music, but the fact that there is so much of it in this little film made it really difficult to both watch this movie or find a poster since its use (and probably the use of Barbie dolls actually) makes this movie illegal to sell. Well, the former wasn't all that tough actually since you can see this thing on the Internet. You'll see the use of the dolls as novelty, but it really does help drive home a point of some kind. I might not know exactly what that point is, but I'm sure there is some kind of point.
By the way, if you're into this sort of thing, there is a Barbie spanking scene in this one. Hot!
You seeing this is one of my bigger disappointments of this holiday season. Not that I hated this movie, or am some sort of Richard Carpenter apologist. Its just that this little film was one of those extra cool things that I had over everyone I ever met. See, back in January of 1988, my friend Scott Bishop saw that this was playing at the Boston Museum of Art. We went and saw it and I loved it. It is really amateur and yeah the whole doll thing does get old, but ever since then I have had a mild obsession on Karen Carpenter. Since the movie was pulled from release very soon after I saw it, I was the only person (Besides Scott) who I ever met who had viewed this movie. Now I am just another shlub who is no better than the rest of you people. Anyway, I give this sucker a 17.
ReplyDeleteHere is a link to watch it online, if anyone wants to view it, since you still cant buy it anywhere.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=622130510713940545
Heh. Well, you've still got 'Monolith Monster' on me. Although I did see that I can have that one sent to me(with 'Shrinking Man') from Netflix...
ReplyDeleteI'd seen this before, by the way. My brother's got a bootleg copy. Anyway, sorry to ruin your Christmas.