Party Girl (1995 film)
| Party Girl | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Daisy von Scherler Mayer |
| Written by |
Harry Birckmayer Sheila Gaffney Daisy von Scherler Mayer |
| Starring |
|
| Music by | Anton Sanko |
| Cinematography | Michael Slovis |
| Edited by | Cara Silverman |
| Distributed by | First Look Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 94 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $150,000 (estimated) |
Party Girl is a 1995 film directed by Daisy von Scherler Mayer starring Parker Posey.[1] It is notable as being the first commercial comedy-drama feature film shown in its entirety on the Internet.
Synopsis
The film follows the misadventures of free-spirited Mary, who spends all of her time dancing in clubs and throwing house parties. When she is arrested for illegally charging attendees at an underground rave, she calls upon her godmother, Judy Lindendorf, to bail her out. So Mary can repay the loan, Judy employs her as a clerk at the library where she works. Mary reluctantly begins her new job while striking up a romance with Lebanese street vendor and aspiring teacher Mustafa. She gradually becomes very good at her job, in particular by mastering the Dewey Decimal System, but she gets fired after having sex with Mustafa in the library. With no money to pay the rent, she and her roommate Leo, a club DJ, are evicted from her apartment.
During one of her parties, Mary has a fight with Mustafa and takes drugs to forget. Her friend Nigel tries to take advantage of her, but she fights him off. The next day, she decides to get her life in order and become a librarian. She invites Judy over to talk, but when they arrive Mary discovers to her horror that her friends have thrown her a surprise birthday party, complete with a male stripper. Mary tells a skeptical Judy that she has finally found her calling in life, and Mustafa and Leo tell Judy that Mary used her library science skills to help them with their careers. Impressed, Judy gives Mary her job back, and joins her god-daughter in dancing with her friends.
Cast
- Parker Posey as Mary
Music in the film
Much of the film takes place in clubs and at parties, and a supporting character is a DJ. There are many scenes directly discussing or playing music appropriate to the mid-1990s club scene, several local performers, and most music is diegetic, being clearly played in the scene.
| Track | Written By | Performed By | Scene in Film |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Mama Told Me Not to Come" | Randy Newman | The Wolfgang Press | Opening party |
| "Beautiful" | C. Frantz T. Weymouth | Tom Tom Club | Mary, Leo, and Derrick getting ready to go to Rene's |
| "Les Ailes" | Hadj Brahim Khaled | Khaled | Mustafa's Falafel Stand |
| "Let's Go" | Joseph Longo | Pal Joey | Outside Rene's with Mary, Leo, Nigel, and Derrick |
| "Aase Hechchagide (Desire Soars Up High" | S.P. Balasubrahmanyam, Vani Jairam | S.P. Balasubrahmanyarn & Vani Jairarn | Mary's Mustafa fantasy dance |
| "The Boom" | Eric Hilton | Peace Bureau | The "Imitate a Cat Puking" scene |
| "What You About? (Vocal Version)" | The Angel | The Angel featuring Cokni O'Dire | Outside Rene's with Mustafa and Nigel |
| "Puerto Rico" | Frankie Cutlass | Frankie Cutlass Show | Mary walking out of the library after she yells at the patron who put the book back incorrectly |
| "In The Dark We Live (Thee Lite)" (Dave Clarke's 312 Mix) | Felix Stallings | Aphrohead, AKA Felix Da Housecat | The song just before Leo puts on Teddy Rogers |
| "To Be Loved" | Heiner Zwahlen, Elisa Burchett | Basscut | When Leo flirts with Venus |
| "You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)" | Dawn Penn | Dawn Penn | After Beautiful is done playing |
| "U Got Me Up" | Cajmere, Dajae | Dajae | The Natasha scene inside Rene's club |
| "Big Apple Boogaloo" | Arthur Baker, Lati Kronlund | Brooklyn Funk Essentials | Derrick and Mary stealing clothes |
| "My Adidas / Peter Piper" | Darryl McDaniels, Joseph Simmons | Run-DMC | Leo and Mustafa |
| "Anyone Could Happen to Me" | A Baker, A. Kroell, C. Reeves | Nation of Abel | During Leo's first night working as a DJ at Rene's club |
| "If You Believe (Believer Mix)" | Chantay Savage, Eric Miller, Michael Dawson | Chantay Savage | Leo's first night working as a DJ at Rene's club, intercut with Mary's drunken adventure learning the Dewey Decimal System at the library |
| "Lick It! (No Afro Sheen Mix House of Love More Phearce)" | Karen Finley | Karen Finley | The song supposedly produced by the fictional Teddy Rogers, when Rene screams at Leo to turn it off |
| "Mustafa's Theme" | Peter Daou, Vanessa Daou | The Daou | Unknown (possibly Mustafa and Mary in the library) |
| "House Of Love (In My House)" | Erick Morillo, Kenny Lewis | Smooth Touch | Mary's Arabic-style party |
| "Keep It Up!" | Lutz Ludwig, Klaus Jankuhn | L.U.P.O. | Unknown |
| "Throw" | Carl Craig | Carl Craig Presents Paper Clip People | Mary's Arabic-style party (mixed with Les Ailes) |
| 'Music Selector Is the Soul Reflector" | Dmitry Brill | Deee-Lite | Mary's Drunken Dance |
| "Never Take Your Place" | Larry Heard | Mr. Fingers | Leo and Derrick setting up Mary's party |
| "I'll Keep Coming Back" | Charlene Munford, Al Mack, Terry Jeffries | Chanelle | Mary harassing Mustafa |
| "Hopefully Yours" | Stina Nordenstam | Stina Nordenstam | Leo and Mary in the shower |
| "Carnival '93 (Mardi Gras Mix)" | G. Pizaro, R. Morillo | Club Ultimate | Mary's surprise party |
| "Party Girl (Turn Me Loose)" | U. Nate, A. Mack | Ultra Naté | End Credits |
Internet debut
Party Girl premiered on the Internet on June 3, 1995, transmitted from Glenn Fleishman's Point of Presence Company (POPCO). Appearing live in the POPCO offices, Posey welcomed Internet viewers and then introduced the film. Fleishman recalled the event:
- I helped launch the first official full-length movie premiere in 1995 in my offices in Seattle. The film was broadcast to several hundred people worldwide over a CU-SeeMe reflector at Point of Presence Company's offices in downtown and then a few minutes, it was projected at The Egyptian in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood. Parker Posey was in our offices to hit the start button on the broadcast. I was one cog in a larger set of wheels that involved the Seattle International Film Festival, Film.com (now part of RealNetworks), First Look Releasing, and the film's producers, as well as another online development company and a CUSeeMe engineering consultant, Joseph Kahan who also worked at NASA down in Texas. The launch was shown on NBC Nightly News in a five-minute segment at the bottom of the Sunday broadcast that week.
Television series
A television show based on the film was produced in 1996. It starred Christine Taylor as Mary and Swoosie Kurtz as Judy. Although six episodes were filmed, only four were aired and the show was quickly cancelled.[2]
Soundtrack
The Party Girl soundtrack was released June 8, 1995 by Relativity Records.
- "Mama Told Me (Not to Come)" – The Wolfgang Press
- "Beautiful" – Tom Tom Club
- "You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)" – Dawn Penn
- "Les Ailes" – Khaled
- "I'll Keep Coming Back" – Chanelle
- "Big Apple Boogaloo" – Brooklyn Funk Essentials
- "Anyone Could Happen to Me" – Nation of Abel
- "Peter Piper" – Run–D.M.C.
- "To Be Loved" – Basscut
- "Never Take Your Place" – Mr. Fingers
- "Music Selector Is the Soul Reflector" – Deee-Lite
- "Party Girl (Turn Me Loose)" – Ultra Naté
References
- ↑ Peter Rainer (June 9, 1995). "This 'Party Girl' Knows How to Have Fun". The Los Angeles Times.
- ↑ "Party Girl". The New York Times.