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''RuPaul is: Starbooty!'' is a 1987
low-budget A low-budget film or low-budget movie is a motion picture shot with little to no funding from a major film studio or private investor. Many independent films are made on low budgets, but films made on the mainstream circuit with inexperienced o ...
underground film An underground film is a film that is out of the mainstream either in its style, genre or financing. Notable examples include John Waters' ''Pink Flamingos'', David Lynch's ''Eraserhead'', Andy Warhol's ''Blue Movie'', Rosa von Praunheim's ''Tal ...
trilogy A trilogy is a set of three distinct works that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, and video games. Three-part works that are considered components of ...
starring and co-produced by a then-unknown
drag queen A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses Drag (entertainment), drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate Femininity, female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have ...
,
RuPaul RuPaul Andre Charles (born November 17, 1960) is an American drag queen, television host, singer, producer, writer, and actor. He produces, hosts, and judges the reality competition series ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' and has received List of awards ...
. Because it was produced on a very low budget, various posters, advertisements and video covers alternate the spelling between "Starbooty" and "Starrbooty".


Plot

Filmed on a zero-dollar budget, the movies are a
pastiche A pastiche () is a work of visual art, literature, theatre, music, or architecture that imitates the style or character of the work of one or more other artists. Unlike parody, pastiche pays homage to the work it imitates, rather than mocking ...
of 1960s
blaxploitation In American cinema, Blaxploitation is the film subgenre of action movie derived from the exploitation film genre in the early 1970s, consequent to the combined cultural momentum of the black civil rights movement, the black power movement, ...
films. RuPaul stars as Starbooty, a crime fighting federal agent who disposes of villains while getting entangled in romantic liaisons. At the time, RuPaul was still participating in a type of drag known as genderfuck; as such his appearance generally is of a man with feminine makeup and clothes, but no padding or taping to make the body look female. Outside the canon of the actual films, a sketch on RuPaul's
VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism for Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network that launched on January 1, 1985, and is currently owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global's networks division based in New Y ...
talk show continued the storyline of the character of Starbooty with a preview for an alleged new film called "Starbooty in: Take That You Honky Bitch".


Sequel and distribution

In 2006 RuPaul used his blog to discuss a film he was in the process of making which he called ''The Untitled RuPaul Movie''. The film was initially titled ''Starrbooty: Reloaded'' but was ultimately called '' Starrbooty''. The film follows similar plot lines from the previous ones, but contains more sexually explicit content. When originally produced, cheaply manufactured
video cassette Videotape is magnetic tape used for storing video and usually sound in addition. Information stored can be in the form of either an analog or digital signal. Videotape is used in both video tape recorders (VTRs) and, more commonly, videocasset ...
s were passed out on the streets and at clubs. They were also sold, on DVD, at the website of Funtone Records, a trademark established by John Witherspoon, the man who paid to produce the films originally, until Witherspoon's death. The films are currently out of print and not in active distribution.


Feature films

''Star Booty I: The Motion Picture'' opens with the
kidnapping Kidnapping or abduction is the unlawful abduction and confinement of a person against their will, and is a crime in many jurisdictions. Kidnapping may be accomplished by use of force or fear, or a victim may be enticed into confinement by frau ...
of President
Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...
’s son,
Ron Reagan Ronald Prescott "Ron" Reagan (born May 20, 1958) is an American political commentator and broadcaster. He is a former radio host and political analyst for KIRO (AM), KIRO and Air America Media, Air America Radio, with which he hosted his own da ...
, in an affluent Atlanta neighborhood by the Evil Twins, one male and the other female. The word is spread quickly. Max, a
secret agent Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering, as a subfield of the intelligence field, is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence). A person who commits espionage on a mission-specific contract is called an ''e ...
, calls Star Booty, an ex-model turned secret agent to alert her of the situation. Star Booty is then revealed in the conversation to be a patriotic
American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...
citizen. She is grateful that her employment with the
United States government The Federal Government of the United States of America (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the Federation#Federal governments, national government of the United States. The U.S. federal government is composed of three distinct ...
has turned her life into something positive, something she keeps repeating in the film. Hiding in a house, the Evil Twins reveal that they plan to infect the world with the
AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...
virus, which they have samples of bottled in a jar. When the Twins discover Star Booty snooping around, they decide to dump the virus through the water pipes. Star Booty breaks in and thwarts the plan. The Twins start to fight her and as they fight, Star Booty finds
heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a morphinan opioid substance synthesized from the Opium, dried latex of the Papaver somniferum, opium poppy; it is mainly used as a recreational drug for its eupho ...
on the male twin. As both twins are lying unconscious Star Booty gives a heartfelt
monologue In theatre, a monologue (also known as monolog in North American English) (in , from μόνος ''mónos'', "alone, solitary" and λόγος ''lógos'', "speech") is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts ...
about her mission to purge drugs from society. The Twins wake up and try to escape, but Star Booty's quick reflexes stop them. Star Booty throws the Twins from the second story to the ground and they die. Later, Max calls Star Booty to congratulate her on her success. While he is speaking, Max and his secretary are fondling and doing heroin, which may suggest a conspiracy. ''Star Booty II: The Mack'' is the sequel. RuPaul reprises her role as Star Booty. The film opens with Cornisha, leaving her pimp Mack's hideout and renouncing her harlot ways. Mack is furious and beats her down. Cornisha, injured, manages to escape and reach a
payphone A payphone (alternative spelling: pay phone or pay telephone or public phone) is typically a coin-operated public telephone, often located in a telephone booth or in high-traffic public areas. Prepayment is required by inserting coins or tel ...
to call Star Booty. As she is talking, Cornisha dies, as a result of her injuries. A helicopter arrives with Max. Max is shown from the back and played by a different actor and his face is never revealed. He meets Star Booty in downtown and gives her information about Mack. Star Booty vows to avenge her sister's death and to kill Mack. On the streets of Atlanta, a
whore Prostitution is a type of sex work that involves engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-pe ...
named Lizeth, and two unnamed ones, hustle for their breakfast. Star Booty, undercover, comes upon these girls with a swagger and a confidence that they don't have. She inquires whether they have a pimp or not and she urges them to be self-reliant and join her. Lizeth is revealed to be pessimistic and emotionally codependent on Mack and claims he treats her right and is reluctant to do so. Eventually, she befriends them and before long, they are running the streets together. Mack sees Star Booty on a street corner and takes her to his bar hideout. Mack is smitten by Star Booty and gives her a puff of his
cigarette A cigarette is a narrow cylinder containing a combustible material, typically tobacco, that is rolled into Rolling paper, thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end, causing it to smolder; the resulting smoke is orally inhale ...
. Their canoodling is interrupted by a phone call. The caller who is revealed to be Lizeth, warns Mack that Star Booty is going to kill him. While Mack is speaking on the phone, Star Booty starts snooping around for evidence and discovers files that show evidence of her sister's
murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse committed with the necessary Intention (criminal law), intention as defined by the law in a specific jurisd ...
, alcohol, and exploiting of women. Mack catches Star Booty and she reveals who she really is and why she is there. Star Booty escapes and meets with the other girls and discovers that Lizeth is the traitor and Star Booty and the other girls go find her. Unbeknownst to them, Lizeth is searching for Star Booty to kill her. Star Booty and the girls encounter Lizeth who pulls a knife on them. A fight ensues and Lizeth is killed. Star Booty searches for Mack and finds him in a parking lot. A scuffle ensues and during the fight, Mack pulls a
Tommy gun The Thompson submachine gun (also known as the "Tommy gun", "Chicago typewriter", or "trench broom") is a blowback-operated, selective-fire submachine gun, invented and developed by Brigadier General John T. Thompson, a United States Arm ...
that Star Booty manages to knock out of his hand before he can shoot. Quick thinking and fast reflexes, she picks up the gun and kills Mack. Star Booty meets with Max, gives him searches for Mack and finds him in a parking lot. The films closes with a song called “The Mack”. ''Star Booty III: Star Booty's Revenge'' is the third installment. The film opens with Max, telling Star Booty of her new assignment. The Singing Peek Sisters have kidnapped Larry Tee. This time the film takes us from Atlanta to New York city. There's an opening montage of shots that show Star Booty undercover throughout the city. Star Booty arrives at the hideout of the Singing Peek Sisters where they have tied Larry Tee with dynamite and apparently are angry with not having a recording contract while their rivals do. Star Booty encourages them to trust her and to follow her plan to success. They let Tee go and with Star Booty's help, they hit the recording studio and start promoting themselves in New York city and eventually make it to number one on the
Billboard chart The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, p ...
s. In the end, Star Booty says, "I knew they could do it".


Soundtrack

''RuPaul Is Star Booty'' was released in 1986 on LP along with the movie ''RuPaul Is: Starbooty!'', as an Original Motion Picture Soundtrack with 8 songs. It was released by Atlanta-based label, Funtone Records. On October 7, 1997 the soundtrack was released to CD in conjuncture with Every Records. It marks the first collaboration between RuPaul and producers Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato (''The Fabulous Pop Tarts''), who went on to found '' World of Wonder'', the production company that now produces ''
RuPaul's Drag Race ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the Drag Race (franchise), ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder (company), World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, ...
''.


Track listing

Writing credits adapted from
Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
.


Release history


See also

* The American Music Show


References

1


External links


Official website of 2007 film
{{RuPaul 1987 films American LGBTQ-related films Drag (entertainment)-related films 1980s English-language films 1980s American films 1987 LGBTQ-related films