Editing Party Girl (1995 film)

{{Short description|1995 film by Daisy von Scherler Mayer}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2013}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Party Girl
| image          = Pgirlposter.gif
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Daisy von Scherler Mayer]]
| screenplay     = {{Plainlist|
* Harry Birckmayer
* Daisy von Scherler Mayer
}}
| story          = {{Plainlist|
* Harry Birckmayer
* Daisy von Scherler Mayer
* Sheila Gaffney
}}
| producer       = {{Plainlist|
* Harry Birckmayer
* Stephanie Koules
}}
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Parker Posey]]
* [[Anthony DeSando]]
* [[Guillermo Díaz (actor)|Guillermo Díaz]]
* [[Donna Mitchell]]
* [[Liev Schreiber]]
* Omar Townsend
* Sasha von Scherler
}}
| cinematography = [[Michael Slovis]]
| editing        = [[Cara Silverman]]
| music          = [[Anton Sanko]]
| studio         = Party Pictures
| distributor    = [[First Look Pictures]]
| released       = {{Film date|1995|1||[[Sundance Film Festival|Sundance]]|1995|06|03|Internet broadcast for [[Seattle International Film Festival|SIFF]]|1995|6|9|US wide release}}
| runtime        = 94 minutes
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $150,000
| gross          = $472,370
}}

'''''Party Girl''''' is a 1995 American [[comedy-drama]] film starring [[Parker Posey]], directed by [[Daisy von Scherler Mayer]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-06-09-ca-11122-story.html|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|title=This 'Party Girl' Knows How to Have Fun|date=June 9, 1995|last=Rainer|first=Peter|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306062736/http://articles.latimes.com/1995-06-09/entertainment/ca-11122_1_party-girl|archive-date=March 6, 2016}}</ref> and the first feature film to premiere on the Internet.<ref name="dazed">{{cite web |last=Ghrist |first=Taylor |url=https://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/24991/1/the-secret-history-of-party-girl |title=The secret history of Party Girl |work=[[Dazed]] |date=June 10, 2015 |access-date=November 11, 2018}}</ref>

==Synopsis==
Mary is a free-spirited young woman living in New York City who fills her days by going to nightclubs and house parties. When she is arrested for organizing an underground [[rave]], she gets her godmother Judy to pay her [[bail]]. To repay the bail, Mary reluctantly agrees to work as a clerk at a branch of the [[New York Public Library]] that Judy manages. Despite her initial misgivings, Mary is inspired to learn how to use the [[Dewey Decimal System]] after smoking a [[Joint (cannabis)|joint]] and strikes up a romance with Mustafa, a Lebanese [[Street food|street vendor]] and aspiring teacher. Gradually, she becomes highly adept at her job but is later fired after having sex with Mustafa in the library. With no money to pay the accumulating rent, she and her roommate, club DJ Leo, face eviction from their apartment. In desperation, Mary sells her vintage [[Haute couture|couture]] to pay the bills.

During one of her parties, Mary takes drugs to forget a fight with Mustafa. The next day, she decides to seriously commit to being a librarian and investigates getting a [[Master of Library and Information Science|graduate degree]] in [[library science]]. She invites Judy over for a serious talk but then Mary is dismayed to discover a raucous surprise birthday party complete with a [[male stripper]]. Mary convinces a skeptical Judy to take her seriously. She proclaims that she has finally found her calling in life, then Leo and Mustafa each share how Mary used her library science skills to help them improve their careers. Impressed, Judy gives Mary her job back, then joins the party.

==Cast==
* [[Parker Posey]] as Mary
* [[Anthony DeSando]] as Derrick
* [[Guillermo Díaz (actor)|Guillermo Díaz]] as Leo
* [[Donna Mitchell]] as Rene
* [[Liev Schreiber]] as Nigel
* Omar Townsend as Mustafa
* Sasha von Scherler as Judy Lindendorf
* [[Becky Mode]] as Ann
* [[Simon Verhoeven]] as Kurt

==Production==
The film had a budget of $150,000<ref name="WSJ">{{cite web |last=Saperstein |first=Ari |title=How the First Popular Movie Ever to Stream Online Was Made |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/party-girl-oral-history-parker-posey-11591621366 |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=June 8, 2020 |access-date=June 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200608135245/https://www.wsj.com/articles/party-girl-oral-history-parker-posey-11591621366 |archive-date=June 8, 2020}}</ref> and was shot in 19 days.<ref>{{cite web|last=Ryan|first=Kyle|url=https://www.avclub.com/guillermo-diaz-1798219220|title=Guillermo Diaz|website=[[The A.V. Club]]|date=February 25, 2010|access-date=June 9, 2020}}</ref> Much of the cast and crew were already immersed in the queer downtown club scene long before the film was made. In an interview with ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', Posey recalls that in the early 1990s she "would go out rollerblading at [[The Roxy (New York City)|The Roxy]] on Sundays and to [the party] Love Machine, where I first saw [[RuPaul]]", and that, much like in ''Party Girl''{{'s}} club scenes, Posey "would dance with the queens, and they would just annihilate me on the dance floor with their moves."<ref name="WSJ"/>

According to director Daisy von Scherler Meyer, "the fashion was really invented for the film. [Michael Clancy] created an aesthetic for the character and for the movie and combined that with Parker Posey's own fashion obsession."<ref name="WSJ"/> Posey says that they relied on favors to assemble the outfits: "The wardrobe designer, Michael Clancy, and his assistant Vicky Farrell ... pulled a lot of things from their friends", such as designer [[Todd Oldham]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Sellitti |first=Renata |title=Parker Posey on Her Eccentric Look in Party Girl |url=https://www.thecut.com/2015/04/parker-posey-on-her-eccentric-look-in-party-girl.html |website=[[The Cut (website)|The Cut]] |date=April 15, 2015 |access-date=June 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609202141/https://www.thecut.com/2015/04/parker-posey-on-her-eccentric-look-in-party-girl.html |archive-date=June 9, 2020}}</ref>

==Internet broadcast==
''Party Girl'' had an [[Internet]] premiere ahead of its wide release, transmitted from the office of Glenn Fleishman and his Point of Presence Company on June 3, 1995.<ref name="dazed"/> While the early video transmission was limited to black and white, it marked the first time a feature film with an American [[movie theater]] release was broadcast generally online.<ref name="Saperstein">{{cite web | last=Saperstein | first=Ari | title=How the First Popular Movie Ever to Stream Online Was Made | website=[[The Wall Street Journal]] | date=2020-06-08 | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/party-girl-oral-history-parker-posey-11591621366 | access-date=2023-09-17}}</ref> 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 [Internet] 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 [in] 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.<ref>{{cite web |last=Fleishman |first=Glenn |url=https://glog.glennf.com/blog/2003/09/06/first_film_premiered_on_internet |title=First Film Premiered on Internet? |website=Glenn Fleishman Writes Words About Things |date=September 6, 2003 |access-date=November 11, 2018}}</ref>

==Music==
With much of the action driven by clubs, party scenes, and a DJ character, most of the film's music is [[Diegesis|diegetic]], with characters often engaging with music appropriate to the mid-1990s club scene.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! 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 (musician)|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 (musician)|Arthur Baker]], Lati Kronlund || [[Brooklyn Funk Essentials]] || Derrick and Mary stealing clothes
|-
| "[[My Adidas|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. || Final scene while the stripper is dancing
|-
| "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
|}

===Soundtrack album===
Selected tracks were compiled for the ''Party Girl'' soundtrack 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 (musician)|Khaled]]
# "I'll Keep Coming Back" – Chanelle
# "Big Apple Boogaloo" – [[Brooklyn Funk Essentials]]
# "Anyone Could Happen to Me" – Nation of Abel
# "[[Peter Piper (song)|Peter Piper]]" – [[Run–D.M.C.]]
# "To Be Loved" – Basscut
# "Never Take Your Place" – [[Larry Heard|Mr. Fingers]]
# "Music Selector Is the Soul Reflector" – [[Deee-Lite]]
# "Party Girl (Turn Me Loose)" – [[Ultra Naté]]

==Reception==
The film opened on June 9, 1995, and grossed $472,370 during its initial theatrical release,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3899229697/weekend/|title=Party Girl|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref> and has since become a cult classic. Posey says she often gets approached by librarians who are fans of the film: "Librarians and people who work in bookstores are like 'Oh my God, thank you so much. ''Party Girl'' made me want to become a librarian.{{' "}}<ref name="WSJ"/> Von Scherler Meyer believes ''Party Girl'' resonates with audiences because of the film's authentic depiction of underrepresented communities: "When people say 'Oh, the world [in ''Party Girl''] is so diverse,' it's like 'No. That's the world. You don't represent the world in your stuff. Why is your world so segregated?' I think the world is messed up, and ''Party Girl'' is normal."<ref name="WSJ"/> On the [[review aggregator]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film holds an approval rating of 82% based on 38 critic reviews, with an average rating of 6.3/10.<ref>{{cite web |title=Party Girl |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1066050_party_girl |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=February 12, 2024}}</ref>

The film often is noted for its influence on fashion, particularly in the case of Mary's wardrobe.<ref name="Nahman2017">{{cite web | last=Nahman | first=Haley | title='Party Girl' is the Ultimate Fashion Movie | website=Man Repeller | date=2017-06-09 | url=https://www.manrepeller.com/2017/06/parker-posey-party-girl-fashion.html | access-date=2020-06-14}}</ref><ref name="Hess">{{cite web | last=Hess | first=Liam | title=25 Years Later, the Makers of ''Party Girl'' Reflect on the Film's Enduring Fashion Legacy | work=[[Vogue (magazine)|Vogue]] | url=https://www.vogue.com/article/party-girl-25th-anniversary-parker-posey | date=June 10, 2020 | access-date=2020-06-14}}</ref>

==Television spin-off==
{{Main|Party Girl (1996 TV series)}}
A television series based on the film was produced in 1996, starring [[Christine Taylor]] as Mary and [[Swoosie Kurtz]] as Judy. Although six episodes were filmed, only four were aired and the show was quickly cancelled.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tv.nytimes.com/show/158775/Party-Girl/overview|work=[[The New York Times]]|title=Party Girl}}</ref>

==Home video==
The 2023 Blu-ray release includes audio commentary by radio personality [[Jake Fogelnest]].

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|0114095}}
* [https://www.allmovie.com/movie/party-girl-am9673 ''Party Girl'' at AllMovie]
* {{TCMDb title|id=86307}}
* {{AFI film|60052}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|1066050-party_girl}}
* [https://defector.com/how-1995s-party-girl-became-the-first-movie-to-premier-online How 1995’s ''Party Girl'' Became the First Movie to Premiere Online]

{{Daisy von Scherler Mayer}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Party Girl}}
[[Category:1995 films]]
[[Category:1995 comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:1995 directorial debut films]]
[[Category:1995 independent films]]
[[Category:1990s American films]]
[[Category:1990s coming-of-age comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:1990s English-language films]]
[[Category:American coming-of-age comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:American independent films]]
[[Category:Films adapted into television shows]]
[[Category:Films directed by Daisy von Scherler Mayer]]
[[Category:Films scored by Anton Sanko]]
[[Category:Films set in libraries]]
[[Category:Films set in New York City]]
[[Category:Films shot in New York City]]
[[Category:Films about librarians]]
[[Category:English-language comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:English-language independent films]]