“Party Monster” is a whirlwind of drugs, parties and notoriety. This 2003 movie chronicles the rise and fall of Michael Alig, from promoting clubs to murdering in a drug-ridden haze.
“Party Monster” is based on the true story of the leader of the Club Kids, an NYC subculture in the late 1980s-’90s made up of fashion-forward, fame-motivated youths and queer misfits on the fringes of society.
It was hard to form a concrete opinion on this fever dream of a film. Watching it was an assignment for my queer film class, and knowing the context of it gave it more depth to me.
Despite the gripings of some of my classmates about how bad it was and the choppy way in which it was filmed, or maybe because of that, I found it endearing, to put it into one word. It felt like a twisted home movie.
The aesthetic of the Club Kids pulled me in despite the self-destructiveness of it all. Their creativity and self-expression endear one to the characters, even as their addictions, ego, selfishness and longing for fame at any cost dooms them, especially our main character.
Michael Alig is played by Macaulay Culkin, which fits well. The acting feels poor at times, but to me, that is only because his character is performing as much as that kid from Home Alone (Macaulay Culkin) is.
There’s a British Royal-esque lilt to the voice and insincerity that seems to sum up the flamboyant nature of the movement Michael Alig is heading. This morally ambiguous character is played with flair and exaggeration, a testament to the Club Kids.
Michael Alig’s frenemy James St. James is played in much the same way by Seth Green. Their constant banter in the movie carries with it an undertone of real malice and sabotage caked in overperformance and sweet talk.
The dynamic is an interesting one to watch unfold, especially because of their codependency: the fact that they keep running back to each other for comfort even though one is usually the other’s source of pain.
One quote from the movie that stuck out to me was during an interview with Michael Alig and a group of Club Kids in which the interviewer declared they were “famous because they’re fabulous.”
This felt like a turning point moment for me because the fame the Club Kids and especially Michael Alig were in search of was fame that came about from virtually nothing except being seen as fabulous.
This sentiment emphasizes the public’s, as well as my own, attraction for beautiful, unique, creative things, as well as the courage to express oneself and the means to do nothing but.
The aesthetic of the Club Kids is composed of flamboyant, artistic and often gender-fluid or drag looks. There are copious amounts of makeup, wigs and costumes in “Party Monster” to reflect the real-life looks of this subculture.
Just the image of Macaulay Culkin in such creative makeup and clothes was enough to get me hooked.
In a few scenes early on, Michael Alig rejects drugs offered to him and seems to have more of a conscience. It is interesting to see his journey for fame and his spiral into heavy drug use, moral indifference and finally murder.
Interwoven with Michael Alig’s story is James St. James’, which makes for a unique filmmaking choice and reflects both of the characters’ fight for fame and control, mostly among themselves. The power dynamics between them shift multiple times with each respective up and down in their lives.
The directors of this movie were somewhat close to the real Michael Alig, which makes me wonder about the problematic glorification of the movie’s events. The directors may have had a bias in favor of the murderer.
With that in mind, this movie was nothing to scoff at. I enjoyed my time with it, even with its strange quirks. Watch it for yourself sometime.
Tollaksen can be reached at [email protected].
