James illuminates the glamourous monsters of the club scene by michelle goldberg. Alig was a founder and ringleader of the club kids, a group of young new york city clubgoers that became a cultural phenomenon during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Jamess attempt at closure and a stunning literary achievement. A fabulous but true tale of murder in clubland part 1. James tattles on his homicidal pal in an unformed, exploitative, and cobbledtogether work. Disco bloodbath is, among other things, a chilling reminder of the lengths.
James born james clark, is a former club kid of the manhattan club scene in the late 1980searly 1990s and the author of disco bloodbath now published under the title party monster. Hailed by newsweek magazine as a celebutante, james was one of the original club kids and has been a fixture on the nightlife scene on both coasts for more than twenty years. This is my reading of the fantastic disco bloodbath aka party monster by the equally fabulous james st. It was fabulous and i have post disco bloodbath blues.
Michael alig born april 29, 1966 is an american former club promoter, musician, writer, and convicted killer who served almost 17 years in prison for manslaughter. James isnt critically analysing the alienation having been too much a. The book specifically chronicles his friend michael aligs rise to fame and his subsequent murder of fellow club kid and drug dealer angel melendez. He was notorious for a lifestyle of excess that included heavy drug use, partying, and bizarre costumes. Read a few pages and watch the kcrazed club kid grow up. As the current nostalgia for the seventies disco years gathers steam portrayed as an innocent world of john travolta, the bee gees and tank tops james st james is here to tell us a cautionary. Sep 17, 2007 disco bloodbath author james st james has been so uppercase fabulous for so many years that its simply underwhelming to open this new book and find the fword twice in the first sentence. Lisa edelstein as many of you know was a club kid in the 80s. One of the original club kids of the late 1980s and early 1990s new york club scene, made popular by michael alig who was imprisoned for murdering his drug dealer angel melendez.
James wonderful book lets me know i probably did the right thing. James, a selfproclaimed clubkid who just happened to have been on the inside of this gruesome tale, knew the killers and the victims. I had previously read disco bloodbath and watched party monster both the movie, and the shockumentary. Michael always says that with any movement, there is the person who starts it and the person who makes the money off it. James book disco bloodbath and the documentary party monster, is a buddy movie with a twist, or a twisted buddy movie. Hello james, ive been a fan of yours since i saw you on donahue in. James curates art shows at the world of wonder gallery for the production company world of wonder, makers of both party. Michael alig was a top promoter in the deviant, drugsoaked manhattan club scene of the early 1990s. In 2003, actor macauley culkin portrayed alig in the film version of the book, titled party monster.
James, james and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. It tells the sordid tale of a sociopathic pretty boy named michael alig. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1999, hardcover at the best online prices at ebay. This movie is great, though most of it is either during a party, doing drugs, or both. James st james, friend and sometime enemy of alig, reveals a kitschcarnival existence where people are stars for no reason in their own cartoon world of crazed hedonism, decadent drug taking, glittering parties and unimaginable debauchery. James s attempt at closure and a stunning literary achievement. Trials and temptations consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. It was the first thing james ever stolea book, taken from the library, that contained the following sentence. It is mainly based on how michael alig is convicted of murder. Steven brower examines shakespeare book covers from history.
A fabulous but true tale of murder in clubland, by james st. In this novel from adult author and media personality james st. James is the author of disco bloodbath, the edgar awardnominated book that was later made into the movie party monster, starring macaulay culkin and seth green. James, a selfproclaimed clubkid who just happened to have been on the inside of this gruesome tale, knew the killers and the victims, but wastes little sympathy on them. James wrote the book disco bloodbath describing his expiriences in the club kid scene, and it was later made into the movie party monster. Disco bloodbath is a drug epic spiked with celebrity and murder. Disco bloodbath and explains the true story of new yorks club kid king. Fabulously worded, actually quite learned and articulate. A fabulous but true tale of murder in clubland by james st.
James another known club kid tells of their lives as club kids. Michael alig, the king of the new york city club kids, gets in a fight over drug money with his livein dealer. His life was the subject of the documentary party monster. James, 9780340739532, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. In 1996, new york city drug dealer and club kid angel melendez was bludgeoned, injected with drano, dismembered, and tossed into the river. A fabulous but true tale of murder in clubland by st. James is awesome with words and has a gift of interpreting them.
This movie is based on the book disco bloodbath, in which michael aligs friend, james st. James was notorious for a lifestyle of excess that included heavy drug use, partying, and bizarre costumes that first brought him to national attention as the subject of television appearances and interviews. James was born on august 1, 1966 in sagamore, michigan, usa as james clark. Club kid michael alig reclaims the celebrity he cherished. In party monster originally published as disco bloodbath, james st. Disco bloodbath is a drug epic spiked with celebrity and murder james st.
A fabulous but true tale of murder in clubland is a 1999 memoir written by james st. James vastly entertaining, scarily wellwritten and horrifically funny book, disco bloodbath, begins with a. Jamess debut book, disco bloodbath 1999, is a memoir that describes his life in the club scene, and. James infirmary off his resurrection of the bayou maharajah. The quiescent days of new yorks trendy club nightlife were in shambles by. Michael alig and ernie glam discusses some of the many inaccuracies, real and imagined, in james st. He is known for his work on party monster 2003, freak show 2017 and uncut. See more ideas about monster party, michael alig and club kids.
Nov, 20 gotta love it see more ideas about monster party, club kids and michael alig. James about his life as a manhattan celebutante and club kid. Its as if alig had to murder in order to get a book written about him, and a. Macaulay culkin stars as michael alig, a real life club kid in the 90s. James s debut book, disco bloodbath 1999, is a memoir that describes his life in the club scene, and documents the infamous rise to fame of michael alig and aligs murder of andre angel melendez. He wrote disco bloodbath that was later made into the feature film party monster, starring macaulay culkin as michael alig and seth green as st. Set in the post warhol 80s clubland, disco bloodbath tells of the fabulous and the bizarre through the astonishing tale of the king of the club kids, flamboyant michael alig.
Michael alig, the king of the new york city club kids, gets in a fight over drug money with his livein dealer, angel melendez. The world of crazed hedonism becomes the scene for murder. I admire you so much for having the courage that most do not to be yourself. Disco bloodbath is the dishy true crime debut of james st. African american women and memories of the segregated southpaperback. I just bought a first edition hardback copy of disco bloodbath and i am so proud to own it. James published his first book, disco bloodbath, in 1999, which served as the inspiration for the film party monster, starring macauley culkin and seth green who played st.
Though it will probably be shelved in the true crime section, disco bloodbath is. Disco bloodbath begins like a fellini version of rope. Back in the 90s, the club kids ruled nycs nightlife and alig ruled the club kids. James, readers are in for a wild ride as he tells billys fascinating story of bravado, pain, and unexpected love, inspired by his own experiences. Though it will probably be shelved in the true crime section, disco bloodbath is only ostensibly about ultrahip new york party promoter michael aligs 1996 comurder and dismemberment of his drug dealer. Disco bloodbath paperback january 1, 1999 by james st. James, the former club kid and author of disco bloodbath, which was later turned into the 2004 film party monster, is now witnessing another book of his being transformed into a. The party ended when he savagely murdered a drug dealer and deposited the dismembered corpse in the river. James was the author of disco bloodbath, the book that was adapted into the 2003 film party monster, chronicling aligs rise through new yorks clubland and the 1996 murder of andre. James is a writer, actor, director, sexual icon, amatuer child sports psychologist, and inventor of the chemical compound bromide. August 1, 1966 is a television personality, author. Where are new yorks club kids of the 80s and 90s now. Billys efforts to fit in and stand out at the same time are both hilarious and heartrending.
Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. From the very first sentence of freak show, i knew the book was going to be overthetop fabulous. He was notorious for a lifestyle of excess that included heavy drug. Aligs old club kid friend james st james is inside, author of the book disco bloodbath, now published as party monster, which was made into a 2003 feature film of the same name starring. Hysterically funny, heartbreakingly tragic, and wickedly decadent, disco bloodbath is both st. James st james is coeditor with stephen saban of our blog the wow report. I was around before him, but god knows he took the energy of the time and ran with it. I read it in several hours over the course of two evenings. Aug 03, 2009 this is piano great james bookers version of st. The book specifically chronicles his friend michael aligs rise to fame, and alig and his roommates subsequent murder of fellow club kid and drug dealer andre angel melendez. Set in the post warhol 1980s clubland, disco bloodbath tells of the fabulous and the bizarre through the astonishing tale of the king of the club kids, flamboyant michael alig. James book disco bloodbath, itself based on a true story, party monster is one weird movie. He is also the author of disco bloodbath, the book that was our basis for the documentary and feature movie.
Personally, in the early 90s i was enchanted with club kids, but would never let them in my apartment for fear that several somethings would turn up missing. James last novel, disco bloodbath, chronicles michael aligs real life descent into madness, ending with the hacked up body of the really. James wrote of those events in disco bloodbath, which was nominated for an edgar award for best true crime book of the year and was the source of the movie party monster, starring macaulay. A selection of photos of michael alig, club kid and convicted murderer. In 1996 alig was convicted of murdering angel melendez in a dispute over drugs. Nominated for the edgar award for best truecrime book of the year, it also. In 1999 alig was the subject of a book by james st. James, a servant of god and of the lord jesus christ, to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations.
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