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Party Monster [DVD] [Canadian]

1 disc
Region 1 USA/CA (info)

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 glamorize the story even further.
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- Rating - Pervasive drug use, language, and some violence
Additional Info

Manufacturer Part Number (MPN): 7639DV
Credits

Macaulay Culkin, Seth Green, Chlo Sevigny, Chloe Sevigny, Natasha Lyonne, Wilmer Valderrama, Wilson Cruz, Diana Scarwid, Dylan McDermott, Marilyn Manson
Critic Reviews

"...It has many inventive and irreverent moments..."
Movieline's Hollywood Life
"...This may be the rare case of a movie in which the amateur theatricality works..."
Entertainment Weekly
"...It moves effectively from outrageous camp humor to stark pathos and in the process manages to be oddly touching..."
Los Angeles Times
"...[Culkin gives] a fearless performance..."
Chicago Sun-Times
"...[Green] steals the show, with a performance of controlled engagement with both the delights and damage of the kids' lifestyle..."
Sight and Sound