Party Monster *** (2003, Macaulay Culkin, Seth Green, Diana Scarwid, Chloë Sevigny, Marilyn Manson, Dylan McDermott, Mia Kirshner, Natasha Lyonne) – Classic Movie Review 2853

It’s a shock in 2003 to see a grown-up Macaulay Culkin (aged 23) in his first film since Getting Even with Dad, The Pagemaster and Richie Rich in 1994 as real-life party organiser Michael Alig, who, in the glitzy New York of the 80s, rises and falls in a blaze of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll – and looking fabulous.

But the party is suddenly over and Culkin’s character Alig ends up accused of murder after he boasts on TV about killing his his friend, roommate and drug dealer, Angel Melendez (Wilson Cruz). Giving a complex, scary, in-your-face performance, Culkin is astonishing and so is Seth Green as his disco pal mentor James St James, in this outrageous, disturbing but compelling movie.

It also stars Diana Scarwid, Chloë Sevigny, Marilyn Manson, Dylan McDermott, Mia Kirshner and Natasha Lyonne.

Based on James St James’s book Disco Bloodbath, it is written and directed by Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato.

Former child star Macaulay Culkin was 35 on August 26 2015.

In 2016, he joined the Meercats to advertise comparethemarket.com.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2853

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