Party Monster (2003)

Directors: Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato

Writers: Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato, James St. James

Composer: James Harry

Starring: Seth Green, Macaulay Culkin, Diana Scarwid, Chloe Sevigny, Marilyn Manson, Dylan McDermott, Mia Kirshner, Wilmer Valderrama, Wilson Cruz, John Stamos

More info: IMDb

Tagline: good. evil. fun.

Plot: 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.

My rating: 6.5/10

Will I watch it again? No.

I only vaguely remember hearing about the events depicted in this film so I basically had no idea what I what was going to happen or even what to expect.  I was pleasantly surprised but mostly by the acting.  Seth Green is outstanding and he really impressed the hell out of me.  Culkin does a fine job, too, but it's Green that has that extra something that brings his character to life.  I don't care that the movie is shot on video.  It gives it a cheaper look.  That could have been a budgetary decision or it could have been deliberate in order to make it look more superficial.  I'd buy either reason.  One issue I'd take the filmmakers to task is the murder itself.  It's almost an afterthought.  That again could be the point they were trying to make.  There's not much time spent on it but instead we spend a lot of time with James and Michael and their wild parties, antics and friends/groupies.  It looks like an incredibly wild and eccentric bunch, like a carnival of self-promoting freaks with no talent except for self-promotion.  Bailey & Barbato made a documentary on the subject with the same title in 1998 that I'd like to see.  That might be more interesting this this picture but for different reasons.  You'll probably get a kick out of seeing the many familiar faces and names in this picture.  It's an interesting cast, I'll say that much.  The DEJ Productions DVD offers both the widescreen and fullscreen versions of the film along with a few extras in a director/producer commentary, an almost 5 minute interview with Alig (not interesting at all - you get to briefly see how much of an empty moron this guy is), sub-five minute interviews with Culkin, Green, Marilyn Manson, Sevigny, Valderrama, Lyonne and Cruz, nine minutes of behind the scenes footage and the fullscreen theatrical trailer.