“Superstarlet A.D.” is a hi-powered send-up of classic(s) exploitation cinema that takes place in a post-apocalyptic world. The men have de-evolved into club carrying neanderthals and the women are machine gun toting glamour dolls. Not the fence post supermodels of today, but those bra-busting babes of yore. The chicks you’d find working for the Russ Meyer’s or Irvin Klaw’s. If you’ve seen any of John Michael McCarthy’s other films (“The Sore Losers,” “Broad Daylight,” “Teenage Tupelo” etc.) then you know the drill. It ain’t new, but damn it’s still fun!
The town of Femphis is where it all goes down. While the males have become cavemen the women have continued to evolve, but they are still afflicted with the gift of gab. They hate others with different hair colors and wind up splitting into separate beauty cult factions. The Phayrays are blonde, the Satanas are brunette, and those unpredictable redheaded spitfires have donned the name Tempests. Only one bunch are equal opportunity hair doers-The Superstarlets. Each gang is insanely jealous of the others. They are impulsively violent and forever on the prowl for the two hottest commodities around; lipstick and ammunition. From this point the story takes on subplot after subplot (another McCarthy-ism). While the film does bog down a bit in the pacing department, it is so over-the-top and gonzo in its execution that things like narrative and storyline are easily overlooked.
Shortcomings or not, McCarthy is still the king of kitsch and retro. He blasts through the delightful and deliciously incoherent mess with a rocket fueled finesse that is unmatched in his world of filmdom.
McCarthy knows where the lines are drawn and right where to cross them.
This Troma release comes with a bevy of extras including; Audio commentary, photo gallery, interviews with the cast and director, trailers and more.
