Before I get to the Chicago Film Fest reviews, here's a quick look at the documentary version of Party Monster, my review of the narrative is also available. Tomorrow, I'm off for the second weekend of the festival and will be back with plenty more to write about.
Party Monster (1998)
Review by Jon Waterman
*1/2
Michael Alig is a Club Kid. He supports himself by partying. Back in the late 1980s, many people made a living through being paid to show up in elaborate costumes and project their elitist image on various parties. Alig was king and master promoter of the New York scene. He revived downtown when celebrity appearances were waning. His ego got inflated and he felt invincible. He took all sorts of drugs and constantly lived the party lifestyle to the fullest. One night, he took things too far and killed drug dealer/club kid Angel, cut up his body, put it in a box and threw it in the ocean. What motivated him to do this? Was it actually just an extension or progression of the club kid way of life?
Directors Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato are out to discover just that. They interview all the living key players and a few supporting people to get inside the mind of not only Alig, but also the entire community they created. What drew them in to this environment to begin with were the glamour and the fame and the respect and the money they got for doing virtually nothing. All they had to do was have fun and drink. The further they went into the scene the less glamorous they became. The drugs took their toll and the stakes needed constant raising in order to keep par. The parties continued to become more and more grotesque and off the wall as the hallucinogenic drugs took a stronger hold. The build up is interesting and quite clear, almost to a point where it’s not a shock that Alig committed the crime.
This is a low-budget effort. The lighting and video quality represent the small cost, but do well for what they are. They use colorful backgrounds and appropriate scenery for the interviews. Where the true fascination lies is within all the video footage and how huge these people were. It’s astounding to see the stuff they got away with and the lengths they were willing to go. I didn’t find myself caring for Angel. They sensationalized his murder through harsh text and looming, dark music. They failed to put a human side to him. We don’t learn anything about him that makes us necessarily care that this specific drug dealer is dead.
Alig’s interview is too short. He’s such an intriguing character that he should have been utilized more. Bailey and Barbato refuse to delve deep within his personality to really give the documentary a much-needed pop. Also, if they have interviews then they shouldn’t need any text explaining the backstory. The subjects should be able to relate that information to the cameras. There is true potential in the story, even without the murder subplot (and it is basically a subplot). It’s just not realized to its fullest potential. This party is over.
Party Monster (1998)
Review by Jon Waterman
*1/2
Michael Alig is a Club Kid. He supports himself by partying. Back in the late 1980s, many people made a living through being paid to show up in elaborate costumes and project their elitist image on various parties. Alig was king and master promoter of the New York scene. He revived downtown when celebrity appearances were waning. His ego got inflated and he felt invincible. He took all sorts of drugs and constantly lived the party lifestyle to the fullest. One night, he took things too far and killed drug dealer/club kid Angel, cut up his body, put it in a box and threw it in the ocean. What motivated him to do this? Was it actually just an extension or progression of the club kid way of life?
Directors Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato are out to discover just that. They interview all the living key players and a few supporting people to get inside the mind of not only Alig, but also the entire community they created. What drew them in to this environment to begin with were the glamour and the fame and the respect and the money they got for doing virtually nothing. All they had to do was have fun and drink. The further they went into the scene the less glamorous they became. The drugs took their toll and the stakes needed constant raising in order to keep par. The parties continued to become more and more grotesque and off the wall as the hallucinogenic drugs took a stronger hold. The build up is interesting and quite clear, almost to a point where it’s not a shock that Alig committed the crime.
This is a low-budget effort. The lighting and video quality represent the small cost, but do well for what they are. They use colorful backgrounds and appropriate scenery for the interviews. Where the true fascination lies is within all the video footage and how huge these people were. It’s astounding to see the stuff they got away with and the lengths they were willing to go. I didn’t find myself caring for Angel. They sensationalized his murder through harsh text and looming, dark music. They failed to put a human side to him. We don’t learn anything about him that makes us necessarily care that this specific drug dealer is dead.
Alig’s interview is too short. He’s such an intriguing character that he should have been utilized more. Bailey and Barbato refuse to delve deep within his personality to really give the documentary a much-needed pop. Also, if they have interviews then they shouldn’t need any text explaining the backstory. The subjects should be able to relate that information to the cameras. There is true potential in the story, even without the murder subplot (and it is basically a subplot). It’s just not realized to its fullest potential. This party is over.
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