Party Monster
2003
With PARTY MONSTER, directors Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato (THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE) rework their 1999 shockumentary into a feature film. Based on the book by James St. James, PARTY MONSTER tells the lurid tale of Michael Alig (Macauley Culkin), a self-made party promoter who made a big splash in New York City nightclubs in .. Read more
| Starring | Macaulay Culkin, Seth Green, Chloe Sevigny, Dylan McDermott |
|---|---|
| Director | Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato |
| Genres | Drama, Gay/Lesbian |
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Party Monster
With PARTY MONSTER, directors Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato (THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE) rework their 1999 shockumentary into a feature film. Based on the book by James St. James, PARTY MONSTER tells the lurid tale of Michael Alig (Macauley Culkin), a self-made party promoter who made a big splash in New York City nightclubs in the 1980s and early '90s. Told in shifting perspectives between Alig and James (an utterly fabulous Seth Green), the film recounts the events that eventually landed Alig in jail for manslaughter. The story begins like so many others: an innocent, fresh-faced Midwesterner arrives in New York City with dreams of superstardom. And after a brief bit of struggling, Michael turns his fantasy into a reality. Soon, the confident youngster is the toast of the town, throwing parties at the infamous Limelight for owner Peter Gatien (Dylan McDermott). But eventually he succumbs to drug abuse and paranoia, which climaxes in the murder of his drug dealer Angel (Wilson Cruz). Bailey and Barbato recreate this wild moment in history with glee, and they pack their film with enough celebrity firepower (Chloe Sevigny, Natasha Lyonne, Marilyn Manson) to glamorise the story even further.
| Starring | Macaulay Culkin, Seth Green, Chloe Sevigny, Dylan McDermott, Marilyn Manson, Natasha Lyonne, Wilson Cruz |
|---|---|
| Director | Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato |
| Studio | PALISADES TARTAN |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 35 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama, Gay/Lesbian |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 01 Mar 2004 Production year: 2003 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (3)
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Macaulay Culkin makes a triumphant return to the screen after a nine-year absence in this colourful, true-story drama. Attempting to bury his cute Home Alone past, the former child sensation slaps on glitter and lip gloss to portray late-1980s nightclub promoter Michael Alig. The toast of Manhattan, flamboyant Alig and his Club Kid pals turned dance floors into living art installations, only for drugs, in-fighting and ultimately murder to shatter their hedonistic dreams. Having already presented the sensational story in a 1998 documentary, directors Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato have more than done their homework. Vividly capturing the wild and superficial glamour of these Warhol-inspired youngsters, they match their meticulous attention to period detail with spot-on casting. Though Culkin may seem implausibly theatrical to those unfamiliar with the real Alig, Seth Green is a delight as his campy mentor James St James. The dialogue is wonderfully witty too, giving extra sparkle to this revealing portrait of a scene where style reigned supreme.
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Based on fact and an earlier documentary by the same directors, a gaudy look back at the drug-fuelled excesses of the early 80s that is knowingly shallow.
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Most helpful member's review
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12 out of 16 people found this review helpful
shudderingly bad
I did actually physically cringe at both the acting and the lines in this film. In fact there is no getting away from it, it was dreadful. Culkin certainly wasnt right for the part and looked as uncomfortable as I felt watching him. Supposedly based on the docu-book I found the story to be disjointed and committed the heinous crime of fast forwarding at times. I didnt really find it that shocking as it was done in such pantomime fashion. Regretted seeing it due to curiosity and I should have remembered what that did to the cat.
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Most recent members' review
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
I loved it!
I really enjoyed this film. Seth Green is amazing and I didn't find Macaley Culkin as anoying as I was expecting. Highly recommend giving this a go, even if you end up hating it.
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66.6% from 3 members
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With PARTY MONSTER, directors Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato (THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE) rework their 1999 shockumentary into a feature film. Based on the book by James St. James, PARTY MONSTER tells ... -