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Party Monster

R Released Sep 5, 2003 1h 38m Biography Drama List
29% Tomatometer 78 Reviews 75% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
In this film based on a true story, Michael Alig (Macaulay Culkin) arrives on a Greyhound bus in New York City desperate to leave his boring Midwestern past behind. After meeting downtown club kid James St. James (Seth Green) and influential nightclub owner Peter Gatien (Dylan McDermott), a fame-hungry Alig decides to throw the most controversial and over-the-top parties in the city. In just a few years Alig's drug addiction and erratic behavior threaten to destroy the empire he's created.
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Party Monster

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Critics Consensus

The lurid display of camp soon turns tedious.

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Critics Reviews

View All (78) Critics Reviews
David Ansen Newsweek There isn't an ounce of genuine affection on display. Mar 12, 2018 Full Review Owen Gleiberman Entertainment Weekly Rated: B Sep 7, 2011 Full Review Empire Magazine Rated: 3/5 Dec 30, 2006 Full Review David Ehrenstein New Times ... shows that there's a lot more to this sordid story than first meets the jaundiced eye. Oct 3, 2017 Full Review Film Threat Rated: 3/5 Dec 6, 2005 Full Review Matt Kelemen Las Vegas CityLife Rule No. 1: If you use black humor in a film about real-life characters and events, make sure you have a feel for it first. Mar 30, 2004 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Erik A Don't be fooled by negative reviews this movie is one of Macaulay Culkin's best. How he transforms into the Michael Aligs character showcases Macaulay Culkin's creative in-depth and personal acting skills to a new level. The music soundtrack to this movie is exceptional and still holds true 20 years later. From the over the top costumes to Seth Green and Culkins' acting abilities and skills this movie is a must see especially for those that remember the club scene of the 1980s and 1990s and club kids themselves. This movie is provocative in depth and has a sexiness about it. Culkin truly transforms himself into the Michael Allen character from the mannerisms The voice the style is spot on. I can't tell you enough how this movie is truly one of my top five favorite movies of all time. If you're a Midwest gay boy lost and yearning for the big City club and party life you don't want to miss this movie. If you were fortunate enough to live and survive that lifestyle this movie will bring back memories both good and bad. It's been 20 years since this movie has come out I wish Macaulay Culkin would have put out as many movies let's say as Leonardo DiCaprio has he truly is an equal talent I would say even more so. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/15/23 Full Review Tristan H Virtually nothing of consequence happens in this movie. It's basically just an hour-and-a-half showcase of people being vane, doing excessive amounts of drugs, wearing bizarre costumes, and competing for the "world's least humane person" award. And don't get me wrong, those characteristics can be entertaining... but there's no ultimate point to it here. There's no self-examination, no revelation, no evolution, no redemption or fall from grace. The characters just basically do stuff until too many people (or themselves) get hurt, are forced to stop, and don't learn anything from it. It's like watching someone's pet dog (who's in an elaborate costume) continuously shit in the house (even though you know the owner's attempted many times to teach the dog not to), and then at the end of the movie the dog's given away... but you know he's still out there shitting someplace he shouldn't. I will say, however, that Seth Green was very good in the movie. I love seeing actors act outside their generally typecast roles, and Mr. Green did a good job of being... whatever the hell he was supposed to be in this movie. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 08/08/23 Full Review StephenPaul C The greatest 01 hour: and 38 minutes based on a true story about the end of a drug user and his friend and their party, starring Seth Green, and Macaulay Culkin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/26/23 Full Review m s Tedious, silly, and disappointing. For a much grander vision/version of this beyond belief story read the book of the same name. Culkin and Green are terrible in this. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Despite the bad reviews, I enjoyed this film. Was interesting to look in to it's background and this time. Very unique and unusual, it's original, I'll give it that. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review camille l Party Monster est un film extrêmement déroutant. Après avoir réalisé un documentaire sur le sujet, Fenton Bailey & Randy Barbato en font une dramatisation signant le retour au cinéma de Macauley Culkin dans le rôle de Michael Alig, un ancien "roi de la nuit" new-yorkaise ayant tué et démembré un de ses collègues de soirée. Bailey & Barbato livrent alors un film poisseux, d'une saleté dont le format DV n'est qu'une des nombreuses explications, qui oscille constamment entre le jugement de ce groupe de "Club Kids" et la pitié devant tant de vacuité, de narcissisme, de naïveté et de méchanceté gratuite. Plein de mal-être, de désespoir et de fièvre, Party Monster gagne toutes ses lettres de noblesse grâce à l'interprétation exceptionnelle de Seth Green, qui personnalise toutes les qualités et les thèmes du film à lui tout-seul. Il vole tous les plans, il est magnétique et attire l'oeil à chacune de ses apparitions. A l'image de Party Monster, il parvient à transcender les attentes. Un petit bijou, aussi désagréable que réussi. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Party Monster

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis In this film based on a true story, Michael Alig (Macaulay Culkin) arrives on a Greyhound bus in New York City desperate to leave his boring Midwestern past behind. After meeting downtown club kid James St. James (Seth Green) and influential nightclub owner Peter Gatien (Dylan McDermott), a fame-hungry Alig decides to throw the most controversial and over-the-top parties in the city. In just a few years Alig's drug addiction and erratic behavior threaten to destroy the empire he's created.
Director
Fenton Bailey
Producer
Jon Marcus, Brad Simpson, Christine Vachon, Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato
Screenwriter
Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato
Distributor
ContentFilm, Strand Releasing, DEJ Productions
Production Co
Killer Films, World of Wonder, ContentFilm
Rating
R
Genre
Biography, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 5, 2003, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 23, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$668.1K
Runtime
1h 38m
Sound Mix
Surround, Dolby SR, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Dolby Stereo
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