Michael is the country bumpkin turned Club Kid. His boss, roommate James and boyfriend Angel all become the objects of his affection, and the targets of his rage. He's manipulative. He's an addict. He's a murderer. He's ambisexual. He's just a club kid trying to get by.
Party Monster has been hailed as so many things that it's difficult to know what to expect from it. Based on the semi-biographical book Disco Bloodbath, it's a documentary about the club promoter Michael Alig. I, however, doubt that some of the incidental details aren't just Hollywood glamour masquerading as historical accuracies. The foundation might be truth, but the execution smells like pure fiction. I've seen Party Monster billed as a film about urban gay culture, but it's nothing of the sort. The 80's drug culture is seized upon by some, but there are more substantive films around. At it's core, Party Monster is just a fun film that takes an often outrageous peek into the darker side of the decade of excess. Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato string together a decent film that's simultaneously funny and disturbing.
In a true testament to his acting ability, Seth Green pulls off the most breathtaking performance of his career as the effeminate James. His prior castings in Austin Powers films serve as no obstacle to his freight train of flaming homosexuality. He's never put to the test by placing him lip to lip with another guy, but the film itself is almost asexual. In contrast, Macaulay Culkin encounters the familiar trouble of a childhood icon trying to make it as an grown-up movie star. We've seen this before with Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Ricky Schroeder trying to play respectable TV detectives. But instead of waiting for Screech or a riding train to come out of nowhere, we're expecting Culkin to clap his hands to his cheeks and scream. It would have been funny if he had, because he's left with an otherwise dreary performance that lacks credibility. His blocking is stiff and his dialogue is intensely awkward.
The supporting cast is another mixed bag. Dylan McDermott is sensational as the club owner whom Michael (Culkin) walks over like a doormat. He's a spineless but otherwise good guy, waiting for definition and purpose in his otherwise hollow existence. His weakness and insecurity leave him wide open for abuse and betrayal. Wilson Cruz is hot, but he's constantly eclipsed by Seth Green. He moves us at times and completely loses us at others. Even with shock rocker Marilyn Manson on board, the film falls prey to the traditional caveat of such a blockbuster cast -- it's safe.
There are lots of allusions to sexuality, but nothing tangible. It brings up drug abuse, but never really takes it anywhere. Party Monster doesn't really have an issue to speak about, and this is why Bailey and Barbato trade-off substance for style. Party Monster is a hilarious script set against a baroque background. The contrast is striking at times, but seems eerily natural at others. It's entertaining, and this is why you should see it. You won't learn anything or find life's meaning somewhere in the creases of the plot, but you'll have fun when your best judgment tells you that you shouldn't be.
The music and costumes are, well, fabulous. Despite an abysmal acting performance, Marilyn Manson exerts his tremendous creative influence with some of the more gothic costumes. The club kids range through to the exotic. We're talking angels and trolls, not just black lipstick and designer grunge. The soundtrack of the 80's club scene has never been more accurately compiled, but that doesn't mean that there aren't surprises. I nearly peed my pants when "Total Eclipse of the Heart" played.
Party Monster is a fun and entertaining film about a decade that many wish never existed. I loved Party Monster.