Rating: Summary: Disturbing yet Fascinating Review: After reading the book which was very interesting, I saw Party Monster the movie which was terrible. I decided to give the dvd a chance and it was very shocking and disturbing yet very fascinating at the same time. This movie is definatly for anyone who has read the book and loved it. It pulls everything togather for you and allows you to see the real characters that you have read about. This is a must see for any Party Monster fan. It is all about the wild lives of the Club Kids (sex,drugs and parties)
Rating: Summary: Good But Needing More Review: After Reading to Book Party Monster, Seeing the Movie based on the Shockumentary and then finally seeing this, I was left wanting more. The Shockumnetary seems more like something distilled from a Biography Special. Telling the Tale of Michael Alig, Angel and, of course, James St. James. St. James and Alig spin the true tale of New York's Club Kids like different sides of the same coin. Or, perhaps more like an older queen/younger queen competition. The two competed in the scene -- as is shown in the "shockumentary" and in the commentary provided by St. James.Like the costumes shown, the club kids also seem to be facades. When the guard are let down, the impression/desire of wanted to belong comes through. The only one who gets shorted in all three is Angel M. The only resonance he has is as the catalyst for the Book/Shockumentary/Movie. It is sad because true to the tale, Angel is ignored by the police in real life and almost in totality here -- except for the raw pain felt by his brother. The story is real with no gloss or glitz -- the club kids led by Alig and St. James provide enough of this on their own. I have heard it described as a car accident on the freeway -- you have to stop and look. Here however, there is more depth when you are miles down the road. Stark, real, honest and truthful. Well worth watching more than once -- and a perfect companion for the book and the "Hollywood" version
Rating: Summary: A brilliant documentary on the life of Michael Alig Review: Are you into the club scene? This film documents the life of Michael Alig, who began the Club Kid era. From his beginnings in the club scene to interviews with his friends, relatives, and the man himself, Party Monster details Michaels exploits with the Club Kids, including the murder of one of them. This film is not to be missed by club scene addicts. Michael Alig also starred in the movie Shampoo Horns before his arrest for the murder of Angel Melendez.
Rating: Summary: a little let down Review: As someone who followed the whole thing as it happened, I was really disappointed by this movie. It was very poorly done. The whole thing is sophomoric and much of it is arbitrary or dull. The editing is awful, as are the re-enactments. It's an exploitation film of the dullest variety. I am totally mystified as to why Screamin' Rachel is so prominently featured. I think that was the part where I finally realised the filmmakers didn't know what they were doing.
Rating: Summary: the good ol' days Review: for those of you enjoying club life in the early 90's, this should bring back good, but, hazy memories. it chronicles the downfall of michael alig. if you were in new york during michael's heyday, it was a wonderful, drug-induced party. however decadent it was, you knew it would eventually implode...which it did with the murder of angel, peter gatien's trouble and the mayor. new york is not what is used to be, but, the movie allows you to relive a time gone by. enjoy.
Rating: Summary: CLUB KID HELL---GET OVER THEM! Review: HELLO ALL...I JUST SAW PARTY MONSTER AT THE LONDON PREMIERE ON OCT 21st..OF COURSE JAMES WAS THERE...BUT I HAVE A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THIS WHOLE PRODUCTION...MICHAEL MIGHT HAVE CAUGHT THE ATTENTION OF A FEW , BUT THAT IS ONLY BECAUSE HE WON MR. GATIEN'S APPROVAL AND HE GAVE THAT MESS A CHANCE..BUT I CAN SAY THERE WAS SO MUCH MORE GOING ON OTHER THAN DISCO 2000..WHERE IS KEOKI NOW? THAT WHOLE CIRCLE OF PEOPLE DIDNT SURVIVE...THERE WERE SO MANY OTHER FREAKS THAT STILL LIVE AND ARE SO MUCH MORE INTRIGUING...LIKE RICHIE RICH....HELLO...HEATHERETTE!!! AMANDA AND SOPHIA. LARRY TEE...SO MANY ...AND NYC WASNT THE ONLY DISCO MECCA...LA IS WHERE THE WAREHOUSE MASSIVE THRIVED IN THE STATES..BEFORE ALL THE MTV RETARDS GOT AHOLD OF SOME TRACKS AND MADE A COMPILATION...I MIGHT SOUND DISGRUNTLED BUT SO MANY PEOPLE ARE INTRIGUED BY A LOSER WHO GOT CAUGHT AND ARE MAKING A CULT HERO OUT OF HIM...THIS IS NOT SOMEONE I WANT TO REPRESENT MY GENERATION AS AN UNDERGROUND FIGURE...
Rating: Summary: You will love it Review: I don't expect many people to purchase this film without prior knowledge and or prior judgement of Michael Alig's story. If something in all of it grabbed your attention or fascinated you, you will lean towards enjoying the documentary. As with if you loathe Michael and think the whole retelling of the story destroyed the sanctity of Angel's memory you will too loathe the film. The re-enactments are kind of lame and pointless and overall quality isn't A+, so don't expect something award winning. But if you are in love with the story like I am this is a must have, it has great interviews, old footage, and a ton of extra's!
Rating: Summary: You will love it Review: I don't expect many people to purchase this film without prior knowledge and or prior judgement of Michael Alig's story. If something in all of it grabbed your attention or fascinated you, you will lean towards enjoying the documentary. As with if you loathe Michael and think the whole retelling of the story destroyed the sanctity of Angel's memory you will too loathe the film. The re-enactments are kind of lame and pointless and overall quality isn't A+, so don't expect something award winning. But if you are in love with the story like I am this is a must have, it has great interviews, old footage, and a ton of extra's!
Rating: Summary: Shocked and Appalled Review: I have seen both the Shockumentary and the film based on this story and I have read through the reviews posted here. It's strange to say but there is so much posted here, contradictory things, that I just have to agree with. As a party promoter, Michael Alig probably was the "genius" that many people refer to him as. However, it does not change what he has become...a murderer, nothing more, nothing less. With all the success he garnered in such a short period of time, he probably could have created quite a comfortable life for himself. Instead, drugs took over and look where he ended up..jail! I guess he can legitimately use this as an excuse for his actions...I mean, take a look at some of the lunatic defense strategies that we have seen. Does anyone recall the "twinkie defense" in the murder of Harvey Milk? If Dan White can say twinkies made him do it and have jurors believe it, why not drugs?! The anser is simple, we are creating a society in which no one is "really" to blame for anything they do! As an educator, I see it all the time...parents finding excuses for why their children do what they do...and they all have one thing in common...it's not the child's fault. It's no wonder we have juries believing that the twinkies, or the drugs, were really to blame...their own parents refuse to place blame on their children when they do something wrong. Michael Alig's mother in this documentary does the same thing. Personally, I do understand the desire to "protect our own" but if we truly care about people, we will begin teaching them to take responsibility for their actions. While watching the interview with Michael from prison I was honestly appalled at what I saw and heard. When he discusses if he's sorry for what he's done, everything he says is steeped in how what he did affected HIS life...he has no feelings about what HE did to Angel and Angel's family...everything is still about Michael and how his life is ruined. In short, our society is creating people like Michael everyday...and we need to change that soon, before it's too late for us. I think if more people saw this film, they would all come to the same conclusion...it's time to stop blaming everything and everyone else for what we do...and to begin accepting our responsibilty for our own actions...when we do something so horrible, we SHOULD feel badly about it...but for our actions' effect on others, and not what they have done to our lives. Michael Alig made a choice and Angel is dead....I just wouldn't be able to live with the guilt if I had done something like that. But, then again, I was taught to see the value in another human being.
Rating: Summary: Shocked and Appalled Review: I have seen both the Shockumentary and the film based on this story and I have read through the reviews posted here. It's strange to say but there is so much posted here, contradictory things, that I just have to agree with. As a party promoter, Michael Alig probably was the "genius" that many people refer to him as. However, it does not change what he has become...a murderer, nothing more, nothing less. With all the success he garnered in such a short period of time, he probably could have created quite a comfortable life for himself. Instead, drugs took over and look where he ended up..jail! I guess he can legitimately use this as an excuse for his actions...I mean, take a look at some of the lunatic defense strategies that we have seen. Does anyone recall the "twinkie defense" in the murder of Harvey Milk? If Dan White can say twinkies made him do it and have jurors believe it, why not drugs?! The anser is simple, we are creating a society in which no one is "really" to blame for anything they do! As an educator, I see it all the time...parents finding excuses for why their children do what they do...and they all have one thing in common...it's not the child's fault. It's no wonder we have juries believing that the twinkies, or the drugs, were really to blame...their own parents refuse to place blame on their children when they do something wrong. Michael Alig's mother in this documentary does the same thing. Personally, I do understand the desire to "protect our own" but if we truly care about people, we will begin teaching them to take responsibility for their actions. While watching the interview with Michael from prison I was honestly appalled at what I saw and heard. When he discusses if he's sorry for what he's done, everything he says is steeped in how what he did affected HIS life...he has no feelings about what HE did to Angel and Angel's family...everything is still about Michael and how his life is ruined. In short, our society is creating people like Michael everyday...and we need to change that soon, before it's too late for us. I think if more people saw this film, they would all come to the same conclusion...it's time to stop blaming everything and everyone else for what we do...and to begin accepting our responsibilty for our own actions...when we do something so horrible, we SHOULD feel badly about it...but for our actions' effect on others, and not what they have done to our lives. Michael Alig made a choice and Angel is dead....I just wouldn't be able to live with the guilt if I had done something like that. But, then again, I was taught to see the value in another human being.
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