In choosing "Party Monster" as his first film in 9 years, Macauley Culkin follows a traditional pattern. He quickly became America's favorite cute little kid in the first 2 "Home Alone" movies, but then began to fade in popularity after starring in one mediocre kid flick after another. So he went into hibernation, grew up, and now returns, going for acting credibility in a tough indie movie this time rather than mainstream popularity. Sure, it's calculated, but I'd rather see him as a narcissistic, gay killer in "Party Monster" than in another movie like "Getting Even With Dad", so I'm not complaining.
Culkin plays the real-life character of Michael Alig, a gay kid from the Midwest who moved to New York in the 1980's. He met James St. James (Seth Green), a ridiculously flamboyant socialite who is always dressed in bizarre costumes. There is a great scene in a doughnut shop early on where James demonstrates to Alig how to work a club, and this is Alig's introduction to that culture.
Alig, shy at first but extremely ambitious, gets a job promoting parties at the Limelight and for a short time there, becomes a genuine subculture "celebrity". Him and the "Club Kids" even appeared on talk shows because of their elaborate costumes and crazy lifestyle.
Eventually, his life spiraled out of control because of drug addiction and his own outrageous self-absorption, culminating in the murder of his drug dealer, Angel (Wilson Cruz), by hammer and injections of Drano. He let the body lay in his apartment for several days, before finally dismembering it and throwing it in the river.
Culkin is great as Michael Alig. It's hard to imagine how he makes a character who is so shallow and self-involved likable, but Culkin does it. Even in the end, after Alig has committed murder, we still don't completely hate him.
It's Seth Green, though, who absolutely steals the movie. As James St. James, the only character present who seems to have a real life force and a human heart beating under all that glitter, his performance is funny, touching, and surprising. It's also amazing how Green utterly transforms his voice and stature. He still LOOKS every bit like Seth Green, but he becomes almost unrecognizable because of his complete transformation into this larger-than-life character.
"Party Monster", on such a low budget, is rather sloppily made and it goes on for too long, but on the whole it's a good movie. One that shifts gears from entertaining to disturbing with comfort and ease. And in Seth Green's performance, it has one of the most interesting characters of the year.
Culkin plays the real-life character of Michael Alig, a gay kid from the Midwest who moved to New York in the 1980's. He met James St. James (Seth Green), a ridiculously flamboyant socialite who is always dressed in bizarre costumes. There is a great scene in a doughnut shop early on where James demonstrates to Alig how to work a club, and this is Alig's introduction to that culture.
Alig, shy at first but extremely ambitious, gets a job promoting parties at the Limelight and for a short time there, becomes a genuine subculture "celebrity". Him and the "Club Kids" even appeared on talk shows because of their elaborate costumes and crazy lifestyle.
Eventually, his life spiraled out of control because of drug addiction and his own outrageous self-absorption, culminating in the murder of his drug dealer, Angel (Wilson Cruz), by hammer and injections of Drano. He let the body lay in his apartment for several days, before finally dismembering it and throwing it in the river.
Culkin is great as Michael Alig. It's hard to imagine how he makes a character who is so shallow and self-involved likable, but Culkin does it. Even in the end, after Alig has committed murder, we still don't completely hate him.
It's Seth Green, though, who absolutely steals the movie. As James St. James, the only character present who seems to have a real life force and a human heart beating under all that glitter, his performance is funny, touching, and surprising. It's also amazing how Green utterly transforms his voice and stature. He still LOOKS every bit like Seth Green, but he becomes almost unrecognizable because of his complete transformation into this larger-than-life character.
"Party Monster", on such a low budget, is rather sloppily made and it goes on for too long, but on the whole it's a good movie. One that shifts gears from entertaining to disturbing with comfort and ease. And in Seth Green's performance, it has one of the most interesting characters of the year.