Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbado's sinister documentary "Party
Monsters" details the rise and fall of New York club guru Michael
Alig, culminating in his participation in last year's "disco
bloodbath" murder of a fellow clubber. The two filmmakers rely on a
number of sources, including stunning archival video shot by the
"club kids" gang during the early part of the decade when they ruled
the Manhattan club scene with wildly hedonistic nights of sex, drugs
and techno. But more impressive is their use of interviews with
Alig's mother, friends and even Alig himself, who essentially
confesses to the murder of ex-roommate Angel Hernandez during one
piece of mouth-dropping video. The snappy pacing of "Party Monsters"
has a tabloid feel but the editorial content never delves into
sensationalism. Though concern may arise out of a sense that Bailey
and Barbado almost deify an alleged murderer at times, those fears
are put to rest by the film's conclusion. Scheduled to air on Cinemax
later this year, "Party Monsters" is an intriguing if not haunting
tale and has all the elements to make an even better feature film.
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