PARTY MONSTER (DOCUMENTARY VERSION)
US, 1997, 70 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato.
There have been several films about the club scene in New York City, for instance, The Last Days of Disco and 54. This is a story of the club scene of the late 1980s to the mid-1990s, a time of hedonism and a cult of celebrity just for being there (and trying to demonstrate how eccentric you were). It was a period of drugs in abundance. And it led to mindless violence.
A young man from the mid-west, Michael Alig came to New York, hung on to the coattails of party goers and established himself as the king of mad parties, on subways, in diners in the Limelight club. They were gaudy and self-indulgent, often using horror movies for a bloodfest motif. He persuaded Peter Gatien, the owner of the Limelight to bankroll him. He relied on his love-hate relationship with cross-dresser, James Saint James, and a strong of acolytes, both men and women.
Alig and one of his friends murdered their drug dealer, cut up and disposed of the body and boasted about what they had done. Alig is now serving a gaol sentence for manslaughter.
Soon after the trial, documentarists Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato made a film for television, with interviews of the main protagonists, including Alig and his mother and James Saint James. The video clips of the actual parties were fascinatingly repellent. The film-makers gave information, dates and situated their story within a historical context. It was called Party Monster. Now the directors have used the same title for a feature film. It offers portraits and mood. To that extent the documentary is more real and effective. The re-created parties lack the pizzazz and drama of the clips of the real thing. They also now omit dates and times so that the events are in some indeterminate period after the death of Andy Warhol.
On the acting side, Macauley Culkin impersonates Alig as a spoilt, sometimes naive, go-getter who believes in his camp image. Diana Scarwid compares very favourably as his mother with the interviews in the documentary. In fact, one learns a bit more about her from the movie and her involvement in her son's scene. The movie is stolen, however, in an excellent performance by Seth Green as James. The nuances and quality of his acting show up the impersonations of the other members of the cast.
But, then, you might not want to spend the time watching a group of hedonistic, self-destructive would-be somebodies.
1. The re-creation of clubbing for young adults in New York City in the late 80s and in the 90s? Bizarre? Famous for just being? Wanting to be fabulous? The parties, the drugs, the androgyny, sexual identity and relationships, costumes and décor, the gradual licentiousness, the ending in violence? (The dramatised version in the feature film compared with the documentary presentation of this world - the re-creation of the characters and parties compared with the interviews with the actual characters, including Michael Alig, and the footage from the actual parties - seemingly more daring and extravagant than those in the re-creations in the feature film?)
2. The structure of the film: James St James and his talking about his film, the discussion with Michael Alig wanting to take it over? The comment about starting with something brutal and then doing flashbacks? The flashbacks to the relationship between James and Michael? The love-hate relationship, the mutual dependency? The flashbacks to Michael's childhood, his relationship with his mother, coming to New York City? (The interview with Mrs Alig in the documentary, her coming across more strongly, her opinions? Michael Alig himself and the greater detail about his childhood and problems at school as well as his coming to New York City?)
3. The visual style, the documentary perspective, the fiction perspective? TV interviews? The television appearance? The gaudy colours, the subdued colours? The musical score, the range of songs from the period? Marilyn Manson performing as Christina?
4. The character of Michael Alig: sufficient explanation of him as a little boy, his problems at school, being bullied, his wheeler-dealing and selling, going to New York, meeting up with James St James, working in the diner, taking notes of advice? Wanting to give parties, meeting with Peter Gatien, his wife and her dislike of Michael? Gatien and his caution, bankrolling him, fear about being busted for drugs, the FBI? Michael and his personality, Macaulay Culkin's presence and style, appearance? His friendship with James, James moving in, doing the domestic work? The parties, James's cross-dressing? Michael as being host, learning how to circulate around the room from Michael, getting people to the parties? Their becoming more extravagant, in the subway, in the diner with the young man getting all the burgers, the back of the truck and the police finding them after Christina was high at the wheel? His relationship with Kioke, coming on to him, becoming his boyfriend, Kioke and his decision, moving in, his work as a disc jockey, drug-dependence, moving away? His cleaning up his act? Later meetings with Michael and his wanting him back? The presence of Angel, the drugs, Angel and his wings, his being humiliated by Michael, not allowed in the truck, yet his coming back, the increasing supply of drugs, Michael using them all, building up to anger with Angel? Gitzi and her watching the television, her coming to the studio, joining in the song on the television, coming to New York, becoming his acolyte, drug-dependent, the real nature of affection between them, love? Her overdosing? Brooke, her strong presence, her being an agent, the music, coming to New York, keeping a more sombre eye on Michael? His mother, her commentary, joining in the enjoyment, being given some Ecstasy, her interview on the television, coming in a limousine, upset that she wasn't leaving in a limousine? The growing use of James, the drugs? The build-up to the murder (and later its being visualised)? Explaining it to James, his disbelief? Yet calling the police? Michael and his boasting, the police arresting him, being charged? Sentenced and in prison? A credible life, motivation, glamour, extravagance, drugs? The madness?
5. The contrast with James, the strong performance by Seth Green? The film being based on his subsequent book? His explanations, the initial meeting with Michael, giving him points, fascinated yet feeling that Michael had moved in on him? Moving in, the domestic situation with Kioke, with the other visitors? The drugs? The dresses, the growing extravagance, the parties? James's camp attitude and its being cultivated as a persona and his not wanting his real name spoken? His further decline, drugged out listening to Michael confess about the murder? The police? His attempts to write, a sentence at a time and his flamboyant attitude - but his serious intentions? Finally seeing him at the swimming pool, hanging up on Michael?
6. Kioke, being picked by Michael, his being flattered, joining the parties, the drugs, leaving? (The documentary and the actual interviews with Kioke and his having settled down in life?)
7. Angel, his wanting to be in the group, the Latin American background, his friends, the angel's wings and costume, his coming to the parties, his being blocked by Michael, ousted? The drugs, the final clash and his death?
8. Peter Gatien, his age, experience, the patch over his eye, Michael's taunts, his wife's dislike of Michael? Caution, making money, drugs, the FBI? (And the documentary's presentation of Peter Gatien in sequences and images rather than interview?)
9. Christina, singing, drugs, driving, the camp figure?
10. The range of friends, the people in New York, the Club Kids? Fashionable to be at the parties, the blood fest and the other parties? (And their being more vividly portrayed by actual footage in the documentary and explanations given?)
11. What had Michael Alig achieved? Glamour, being fabulous - for no reason whatsoever? The media commentators, the television interviewer, the song of the Club Kids and their explanation of themselves on television? The extreme make-up and costumes for the television interview? Everything collapsing into violence - and people cleaning up their act? (The documentary and its presentation of interviews with James St James immediately after the situation, his camp style? Michael Alig's friend, the participant in the murder, dying of an overdose in prison?)
12. The dramatic impact of the feature film style, of the documentary?
