There was a time in the early ’90s when I started to discover the world of underground cult cinema. I was aware of it for a very long time, but as a young teen, I wasn’t always able to get away with watching certain things. When I turned 18, an entirely new world of cinema opened up for me as the local video store had everything.
Any oddity I could think of would be stashed away on one of their shelves; they even had a section for underground cult cinema, stacked with works by Richard Kern, Nick Zedd, and David Markey. I was intrigued by the title Desperate Teenage Lovedolls (1984), which I found hanging out right next to the John Waters classic Desperate Living (1977). The tape was a bit beat up, but I enjoyed the hell out of it, especially since I was heavy into punk at the time.
As much as I enjoyed it, I kind of forgot about it over the years. Until recently, I had no idea there was a sequel titled Lovedolls Superstar (1986). There’s a chance I knew, but for whatever reason, there’s no recollection of it in my mind. Thankfully, we have physical media labels like MVD Visual that have not only released both films in a single set, but also 4K restorations of each that really satisfy the visual palette.
Desperate Teenage Lovedolls follows Kitty and Bunny, two streetwise L.A. teens who ditch hustling for rock ’n’ roll survival. Armed with a stolen guitar and attitude to spare, they chase fame, attracting a sleazy industry fixer and the wrath of rival band The She-Devils before ever hitting a proper stage.
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For the sequel, Lovedolls Superstar, a gang of punk misfits, led by reformed Lovedolls drummer Patch Kelley, reunites Kitty Carryall and sets out to resurrect the band after Bunny’s death. Recruiting a new guitarist from the streets, they clash with stalkers, rivals, and ghosts of the past while chasing a chaotic, grime-soaked comeback in Hollywood.
I love what director Markey did with these two films. The Super 8 vision he held of the punk scene in Hollywood hits the mark, much like a similarly themed film did just two years prior, Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains. The main cast, Jennifer Schwartz, Hilary Rubens, Steve and Jeff McDonald (yep, the Redd Kross brothers), Kim Pilkington, and the rest were terrific.
The films are filled with razor-sharp wit and sarcasm with a killer soundtrack featuring music from Redd Kross, Meat Puppets, Sonic Youth, The Dead Kennedys, and more, which help to make them real punk classics. The disc also contains commentary tracks, outtakes, trailers, the 40th anniversary panel, and much more.
The restoration is just as sharp as the dialogue, and this release needs to be added to everyone’s cult underground collection.
The Blu-ray is now available on Amazon Prime.
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