Starrbooty
Encyclopedia
Starrbooty is a low-budget film written by and starring drag queen RuPaul
. The movie is the fourth in a series of films starring the title character, a top secret government agent and supermodel. The original three films were all made in the mid 1980s by RuPaul and his friends with a budget of around $100, and were sold out of shopping carts around gay bars in Atlanta, Georgia
.
The film is an homage to blaxploitation
and sexploitation
films of the 1960s and 1970s. In an article for EdgePhiladelphia, RuPaul stated, "The goal was to make an exploitation film that was part Russ Meyer
, part John Waters
and part The Naked Gun
." The film utilizes things like obvious vocal overdubbing, grainy footage and dramatic cuts to mimic these low budget films of the past.
Page and Starrbooty go undercover as prostitutes (as Pepper and Cupcake, respectively) and in order to be convincing enough to infiltrate Annaka's inner sanctum, they go "all the way" (this includes numerous sex scenes with explicit male nudity, generally designed for laughs). When Starrbooty finally confronts Annaka she discovers that Cornisha was in on the plot all along, and has become Annaka's lover. Informing them that they are actually mother and daughter, Starrbooty reveals Annaka's plans to double-cross Cornisha by selling her clitoris
to a wealthy socialite (in one of the more memorable jokes, Annaka is also planning to sell Starrbooty's long legs to a "famous female rapper," quipping, "I guess they won't call her 'Lil' anymore!").
A final showdown between Starrbooty and Annaka leaves Annaka dead, and they are able to salvage Cornisha's genitals by taking Annaka's (a perfect biological match). Thus everyone who deserves to lives happily ever after.
The movie's supporting cast is primarily made up of pornographic film stars, both male and female. It is unrated, and though there is no explicit sex, it does feature several of its male stars frontally nude and erect, and at one point RuPaul is depicted graphically fondling a man's penis. Though this is primarily played for comic effect, it is a marked departure from the "Drag Queen Next Door" image RuPaul cultivated during the height of her fame.
The film ends with an on-screen dedication to Jerry Falwell
.
The DVD was released October 31, 2007. There was no distribution deal reached, and thus it was released by RuPaul under the imprint "Starbooty, Inc.".
RuPaul
RuPaul Andre Charles , best known as simply RuPaul, is an American actor, drag queen, model, author, and singer-songwriter, who first became widely known in the 1990s when he appeared in a wide variety of television programs, films, and musical albums. Previously, he was a fixture on the Atlanta...
. The movie is the fourth in a series of films starring the title character, a top secret government agent and supermodel. The original three films were all made in the mid 1980s by RuPaul and his friends with a budget of around $100, and were sold out of shopping carts around gay bars in Atlanta, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
.
Production
During production the film's working title was Starrbooty: Reloaded, but when screened at film festivals it was simply called Starrbooty. The DVD title is Starrbooty: The Movie.The film is an homage to blaxploitation
Blaxploitation
Blaxploitation or blacksploitation is a film genre which emerged in the United States circa 1970. It is considered an ethnic sub-genre of the general category of exploitation films. Blaxploitation films were originally made specifically for an urban black audience, although the genre's audience...
and sexploitation
Sexploitation
Sexploitation, or "sex-exploitation", describes a class of independently produced, low-budget feature films generally associated with the 1960s and serving largely as a vehicle for the exhibition of non-explicit sexual situations and gratuitous nudity. The genre is a subgenre of exploitation films...
films of the 1960s and 1970s. In an article for EdgePhiladelphia, RuPaul stated, "The goal was to make an exploitation film that was part Russ Meyer
Russ Meyer
Russell Albion "Russ" Meyer was a U.S. motion picture director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, editor, actor and photographer....
, part John Waters
John Waters (filmmaker)
John Samuel Waters, Jr. is an American filmmaker, actor, stand-up comedian, writer, journalist, visual artist, and art collector, who rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films...
and part The Naked Gun
The Naked Gun
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! is a 1988 American comedy film that is the first in a The Naked Gun series of films starring Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley, George Kennedy, and O. J. Simpson...
." The film utilizes things like obvious vocal overdubbing, grainy footage and dramatic cuts to mimic these low budget films of the past.
Plot
The film's plot combines several elements from these original films. Starrbooty is in the middle of a major karate fight when she receives a phone call informing her that her adopted niece Cornisha has been kidnapped. With the help of fellow crime fighter Agent Page Turner, Starrbooty learns that her arch nemesis Annaka Manners is using her billion-dollar cosmetics company as a front for kidnapping prostitutes and selling their organs on the black market. Starbooty also discovers that Annaka is actually her long-lost sister, making Cornisha Annaka's daughter.Page and Starrbooty go undercover as prostitutes (as Pepper and Cupcake, respectively) and in order to be convincing enough to infiltrate Annaka's inner sanctum, they go "all the way" (this includes numerous sex scenes with explicit male nudity, generally designed for laughs). When Starrbooty finally confronts Annaka she discovers that Cornisha was in on the plot all along, and has become Annaka's lover. Informing them that they are actually mother and daughter, Starrbooty reveals Annaka's plans to double-cross Cornisha by selling her clitoris
Clitoris
The clitoris is a sexual organ that is present only in female mammals. In humans, the visible button-like portion is located near the anterior junction of the labia minora, above the opening of the urethra and vagina. Unlike the penis, which is homologous to the clitoris, the clitoris does not...
to a wealthy socialite (in one of the more memorable jokes, Annaka is also planning to sell Starrbooty's long legs to a "famous female rapper," quipping, "I guess they won't call her 'Lil' anymore!").
A final showdown between Starrbooty and Annaka leaves Annaka dead, and they are able to salvage Cornisha's genitals by taking Annaka's (a perfect biological match). Thus everyone who deserves to lives happily ever after.
Cast
- RuPaulRuPaulRuPaul Andre Charles , best known as simply RuPaul, is an American actor, drag queen, model, author, and singer-songwriter, who first became widely known in the 1990s when he appeared in a wide variety of television programs, films, and musical albums. Previously, he was a fixture on the Atlanta...
as Starrbooty/Cupcake - Lahoma Van Zandt as Page Turner/Pepper
- Candis CayneCandis CayneCandis Cayne is an American actress and performance artist.Known in the New York City nightclub scene since the 1990s, Cayne came to national attention in 2007 for portraying transgender mistress Carmelita on ABC's prime time drama Dirty Sexy Money...
as Annaka Manners - Gus MattoxTom JudsonTom Judson is an American musical theatre actor and composer, particularly for off-Broadway and Broadway plays, and a former porn actor. His credits include writing music for the films Metropolitan, Good Money and The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love, as well as performing on...
as Max - Jazmine Jimenez as Cornisha
- Dee Finley as Diesel Fortensky
- Corey Corey as Junebug
- Michael LucasMichael Lucas (director)Michael Lucas is an American-Russian-Israeli gay pornographic actor, director, activist, writer and the founder/CEO of Lucas Entertainment, New York's largest gay-adult-film company...
as Alexi Popov - Owen Hawk as Dirty Talker
- Richard Lynch as Ol' Smeller
- Lady BunnyLady BunnyThe Lady Bunny is an American drag queen originally from Chattanooga, Tennessee, who has lived in New York since the 1980s. She is the founder of the annual Wigstock event and is well-known as a nightclub DJ, promoter and celebrity...
as Ms. Tasha - Laura Forbes as Mrs. McGillicutty
- Sweetie as Olestra
- Ari Gold as Tyrone Cohen
- Tim Wallis as T'Misha
- Kayla Aguirre as Kim She
- Kayvon Zand as Suicide bomber
- Andre Robert Lee as Barley
- Joe Ovbey as Kidnap caller
- Ray Stewart as Doctor
- Joelle Pezely as Nurse
- Wilmer Fernandez as Manner man
- Dale Kan as Recepcionist
Screenings and reception
The film began screening at various gay and lesbian film festivals in July 2007. RuPaul presented the film in person at each screening, often with other cast members. Erik Schut of The Philly Film Guide said "Starrbooty is a fried, dyed and laid to the side-splitting kick-ass good time!" It was the only film at the Philadelphia Gay & Lesbian Film Festival to be sold out at both screenings.The movie's supporting cast is primarily made up of pornographic film stars, both male and female. It is unrated, and though there is no explicit sex, it does feature several of its male stars frontally nude and erect, and at one point RuPaul is depicted graphically fondling a man's penis. Though this is primarily played for comic effect, it is a marked departure from the "Drag Queen Next Door" image RuPaul cultivated during the height of her fame.
The film ends with an on-screen dedication to Jerry Falwell
Jerry Falwell
Jerry Lamon Falwell, Sr. was an evangelical fundamentalist Southern Baptist pastor, televangelist, and a conservative commentator from the United States. He was the founding pastor of the Thomas Road Baptist Church, a megachurch in Lynchburg, Virginia...
.
The DVD was released October 31, 2007. There was no distribution deal reached, and thus it was released by RuPaul under the imprint "Starbooty, Inc.".
External links
- Official website of 2007 film
- Starrbooty on the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...