Party Monster (2003)

Based on 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:

Macaulay Culkin, Wilson Cruz, Seth Green

4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Seth Green	...	James
Macaulay Culkin	...	Michael
Diana Scarwid	...	Elke
Dillon Woolley	...	Young James
Marilyn Manson	...	Christina
Dylan McDermott	...	Peter Gatien
Mia Kirshner	...	Natasha
Wilmer Valderrama	...	Keoki
Elliot Kriss	...	Cabbie
Janis Dardaris	...	TV Reporter
Wilson Cruz	...	Angel
Manny Perez	...	Johnny
Justin Hagan	...	Freez
Brendan O'Malley	...	Young Michael
Phillip Knasiak	...	Young Wrestler

Storyline

Set in the New York club scene of the late 1980's thru the 1990's, a tale which is based on 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 hesitate to boast of the murder. The...

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Plot Keywords:

gay | homosexual | ketamine | true crime | bare chested male | 

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Taglines:

'Til death do they party...

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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

Did You Know?

Trivia

The version of "Santa Baby" that appears in the film was orginally recorded for Jack Nicholson as a Christmas gift by Cynthia Basinet.

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Goofs

When Freez takes off his pants in the "Club Kids Invade Dallas" sequence, he is holding a cigarette in his hand. The cigarette disappears in the next shot. Then comes back again.

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Quotes

Freez: Michael look. You see that hole? There's a hole back there. There's something in there. If I could just reach my hand.
[is bitten by a rat]
Freez: Fuck! Fuck! Fucking rat! I just got bit by a fucking rat.
Michael Alig: Well what do you know. That's not a crack hole, that's a rat hole. Rats on crack attack!

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Connections

References Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)

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Soundtracks

Take Me to the Club
Written by Bruno Coviello
Performed by Mannequin
Courtesy of Peace Bisquit

User Reviews

Surprisingly Good.

When I started to watch this movie I wasn't at all aware what it was about. I just saw that MaCaulay Culkin and Seth Green were in it and thought, "Cool! Maybe this'll be good." A lot of people say this movie was bad, that it was horribly acted, but I think they just couldn't get past Culkin's shortcomings. I don't believe he was a bad actor, I simply believe he got stuck on the idea of how he had to humanize his character, and that was his ultimate downfall (in the special features he explained this was something he wanted to bring to the character).

Seth Green, as always, is adorable and can completely immerse himself into a character and really bring him to light. Marilyn Manson played Christina wonderfully, if only for a short time. Wilmer Valderrama was terrific as Keoki and it was a disappointment to see he was only in such a little portion of the film.

All in all, this movie was great. It had a great cast and a great script. The movie was meant to poke fun, not to make you think about any hidden meanings or to wonder why they were acting so strange. Club Kids were all about glamour, mocking celebrities, and, in the end, drugs. They didn't want to grow up, and they certainly didn't want to live a normal life.

Culkin had his moments where he pulled Alig off well, and in others, you could tell he was trying to stretch the character into places he wasn't meant to go. And if he was, Culkin certainly wasn't the actor to do it.

All in all, a "fabulous" film. Highly recommended if you're interested in how some of the 80's really played out.

Details

Country:

USA Netherlands

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 October 2003 (UK)

Also Known As:

Party Monster

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$15,163, 31 August 2003

Gross USA:

$742,898

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$782,606

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