Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Hanleymac"s comment john-brouhard7 June 2008 There is not much I can add to Hanleymac"s comments except I hope Richard Carpenter can find a way to completely stop this mess from ever being seen ANYWHERE!!! GET, IF YOU CAN, "THE KAREN CARPENTER STORY, 1989. I think you'll find it much more informative, and that it deals with Karen's suffering more than "Superstar". It, as I recall, helped make all of us aware of the problems associated with Anorexia and other eating disorders. "The Karen Carpenter Story" doesn't free the Carpenter family from some responsibility for what happened to Karen, but it doesn't bash them either. The attempt on the part of Harold and Agnes was simply to try and protect them (Karen and Richard) from the problems of the entertainment world. If my wife, Terrie and I had been their parents, we might possibly have done things the same way. As for "Superstar, The Karen Carpenter Story", it should be sent as far away as the East is from the West.MY COMMENT ON THE ABOVE, TO ITS AUTHOR: Just 3 things, really. Because I can't restrain myself. 1) It was obvious by 2008 that SUPERSTAR would never be fully suppressed in our lifetime. Despite his obvious genetic & creative superiority to almost anyone I can think of, not even Richard Carpenter can subjugate the internet. We all know he's tried. and clearly failed, since the illicit outlaw Mattel-mockery SUPERSTAR continues to survive.2) If the commentator above had fathered Richard & Karen Carpenter (I'm leaving his wife Terrie out of this, in fairness to the woman) the siblings' DNA would have contained no talent of any kind, and so The Carpenters as we know them would never have existed. So the reviewer could never have "possibly done things the same way as" Harold and Agnes Carpenter, with regard to Richard & Karen, who would have been entirely different children and adults than the celebrities we're all so familiar with today. Specifically, the way one manipulates, emotionally and psychosexually poisons, and takes financial advantage of gifted platinum-selling international recording superstars would be worlds away from parenting long-term minimum-wage retail, food service and/or janitorial "cast members" at Downey-adjacent Disneyland. However, elementary deductive reasoning establishes beyond a statistical doubt that in the hypothetical parallel world in which the initial comment-poster is father to Richard & Karen, ironically both siblings would have perished many years ago, either through severely compromised congenital physical and/or mental disabilities, or suicide, either separately or in some type of macabre brother/sister pact.3). As anyone who's ever owned, used or seen a globe should realize, the East and West actually border each other, so the commentor's wish for where copies of Todd Haynes's SUPERSTAR should be "sent" actually expresses a desire for the film's position (be it in Haynes' manager's safety deposit-box, a website for downloading bootleg content, or in the blackest, most brainless chamber of loathing in. the reviewer's heart) to remain completely unchanged.Thank you.

This is a very charming debut by Todd Haynes, signaling his talent, but it is also understandably raw. The approach is the most fascinating thing here. Having dolls instead of real actors, but filming it as if were made by cameras of the 70's works great. Thus acting is nonexistent, but the conversations are not lacking in spark. In the dramatical context, the minimalistic approach is spot on, but the actual dialogues are too banal for my liking. Also, the messages about anorexia nervosa are not subtle enough, so it sometimes feels like we are in a commercial. Even though I found several significant flaws, I enjoyed the movie on a substantial level. At the end of the day, it is a very original idea, but perhaps not done to its full potential. It is as if the director was 'too nice' to make something even greater, somehow reminding us of the Carpenters themselves.

I have seen this long illegally circulated film on YouTube after nearly twenty years of hearing about it. Filmmaker Todd Haynes' dramatization of Karen Carpenter's life story and her battle with anorexia nervosa with Barbie dolls makes this one of the most fascinating depictions of a superstar's descent into madness. Karen's fellow musician brother Richard and mother Agnes also make impressions though not always positive ones. Interspersed with actual news footage of '70s events and Carpenter songs playing at the same time, there's a disorienting atmosphere throughout. You also get commentary, both pro and con, on Karen's music from some real people on screen. Haynes, who would later make Far From Heaven and Safe, plays various Carpenter songs alone to illustrate Karen's feelings clearly when scenes focus on her. The video I saw was a bit fuzzy but don't let that stop you. For the unusual way you see an entertainer's life depicted, Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story is certainly one of the most mind blowing experiences I've ever had!

I am lucky enough to have seen this movie although I know that it is very difficult to get hold of. This is one of the most interesting and unusual underground films I have seen in a long time. Although the cast consists of mainly Barbie type dolls it is in no way kitsch or camp. It tells the story of Karen Carpenter's battle with anorexia in an intelligent and touching manner, leading to its inevitable end result. The film inter cuts the drama with scientific information and dramatised vox pops as well as segments of Derek Jarman-like Super 8 footage. It makes for a dream-like quality in parts, something which only adds to its charm. Todd Haynes is a true original and the film is remarkably, beautifully shot. The story is well written, and despite being acted mainly by dolls it is strangely believable, the characters having a surprising amount of depth. I haven't seen anything like it to compare it to. A superb film in every respect. It is a terrible shame it can no longer be seen.