Party Monster (2003)

This is the true story of Michael Alig, a Club Kid party organizer whose life was sent spiraling down when he bragged on television about killing his drug dealer and roommate.

Directors:

Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato

Writers:

Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato,

Stars:

Seth Green, Macaulay Culkin, Diana Scarwid

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Seth Green	...	James St. James
Macaulay Culkin	...	Michael Alig
Diana Scarwid	...	Elke
Chloë Sevigny	...	Gitsie
Marilyn Manson	...	Christina
Dylan McDermott	...	Peter Gatien
Mia Kirshner	...	Natasha
Wilmer Valderrama	...	Keoki
Daniel Franzese	...	The Rat / Dallas MC
Natasha Lyonne	...	Brooke
Elliot Kriss	...	Cabbie
Wilson Cruz	...	Angel
Janis Dardaris	...	TV Reporter
Dillon Woolley	...	Young James
Manny Perez	...	Johnny

Storyline

Set in the New York club scene of the late 1980's thru the 1990's, a tale which chronicles the rise and fall of club-kid promoter Michael Alig, a party organizer, whose extravagant life was sent spiralling downward when he boasted on television that he had killed his friend, roommate, and drug dealer, Angel Melendez. Originally from Indiana, Alig moved to New York, and came to be an underground legend, known for his excessive drug use and outrageous behavior in the club world. At his peak, he had his own record label, and magazine, and hosted Disco 2000, one of the biggest club nights in New York in the '90s. He was doing a lot of drugs, and as his addiction got worse, his party themes became darker and more twisted. Alig's saga reached its tragic crescendo when he viciously murdered his drug dealer, Angel, by injecting him with Drano and throwing him in the East River. The power he wielded on the club scene made him feel untouchable, so he didn't hestitate to boast of the murder. The...

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Plot Keywords:

drugs | party | drug dealer | club kid | 1980s | 

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Taglines:

good. evil. fun.

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Genres:

Biography | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for pervasive drug use, language and some violence

Details

Official Sites:

Official MySpace Official site

Country:

USA Netherlands

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 October 2003 (UK)

Also Known As:

Party szörnyek

Filming Locations:

Chateau Marmont, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$68,719 (USA) (12 September 2003)

Gross:

$296,665 (USA) (12 September 2003)

Company Credits

Production Co:

World of Wonder, Killer Films, ContentFilm

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Club Kids' appearance on a talk show is based on a The Geraldo Rivera Show guest spot from the early 1990s. They also appeared on The Joan Rivers Show and The Jane Whitney Show around the same time.

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Goofs

When Michael Alig is getting out of the hospital bed he is wearing socks. When walking out of his room, he is barefoot.

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Quotes

Michael: We're like two peas in a pod, you and I, James.
James: I pity the pod.

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Connections

References The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

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Soundtracks

"Good Is Bad"
Written by General Norman Johnson, Gregory Perry, Angelo Bond and Ricky Barrow
Performed by Headrillaz and Ricky Barrow
Courtesy of Kin Lush Productions

User Reviews

Want to take a strange trip?

The old saying is "truth is stranger than fiction," and you know what, it's true. In "Party Monster" we are taken on a very trippy and true little journey that allows us to see first-hand, the crazy club life of New York City in the 1980s. In particular, we get an up-close and personal biography of the "club kids." The "club kids" were a group of young party monsters that were actually paid by club owners to show up at their clubs. Mind you, these kids did not do any kind of performing at all, they simply showed up. However, when you see their outrageous costumes and attire, you see why people had their eye out for them. These kids were bizarre and odd and stoned and well, weird. Livng lives that were so out of balance, tragedy was inevitable. Green and Culkin portray the two most prominent members of this group and they are both good. However, it is Culkin that really steals the movie, breaking away from his stereotypical characters of the past and playing somebody that very few actors would be brave enough to take on. The reason I gave this movie 10 stars, is the look and sound. This movie is like watching an acid flashback from the 1980s. I mean, you are there, in the room with them as they strut in and snort up. The music is 1980s, the attitude is 1980s, it is hard to describe. Much of the film is dream-like. Moreover, Culkin is mesmerizing as a character too odd for words. No, the story and acting are not Oscar-worthy, but the look of the film, the feel of the film, wow! I predict that this film will become more popular as the years go by. It has the qualities of all those great midnight movies of the 1980s. I really recommend it for people craving something different and historical (in a weird sense).