American Psycho

[Peggy Lane]

Isn't it sad that all I can remember from the movie is how awesome Christian Bale looked shirtless?

[magnolia]

calvin said:

After seeing it a few times, I managed to come to the conclusion that it was all in his head, none of the psychotic episodes really were happening and he really was just this complete nonentity with nothing to do all day. But I understand that in the commentary track the director claims the exact opposite: that they went out of their way to show the audience that it was all real.

I have heard that as well. I saw the movie before reading the book, mostly because I wanted to know whether the murders were real. I think the book makes a far stronger case for their being real. The film drops the ball by putting Bateman's confession speech at the end, rather than about 3/4 through as in the book. I also don't believe either work, well, works, without his actually committing the crimes in question.

They did as well with the movie as could be expected with the source material they had from the book. I ignored the warnings of how graphic it was to my peril. One night, I actually had to remove the book from my room as I could not sleep being near it. And there is a murder scene that I couldn't even finish.

That said, Bale did a spot on job as Bateman. As a pure satire on the greed, materialism, and shallowness of the culture of the 80s, both book and movie get the job done; however, the book did it far better.

[Deleted]

I've always been interested in the book because of the black humor and social satire. But the writer has a kind of freaky need to get unbelievably graphic with his violence. To the point where I kind of wonder what creepy things are going on in his head -- not just as a writer, as a real person. From what I understand, this doesn't happen in the movie, but in the book (AND SERIOUSLY, if you have a weak stomach, don't read this):

I heard that the psycho renders a woman unconscious, cuts her stomach open, puts a live rat inside her, then sews her back up. When she awakens, he sits back and enjoys the sight of her dealing with having a live rat in her stomach.
Okay? To me, anyone who can even come up with something like that in their head has to be somewhat sick. I've read one or two of his books and I'm always appalled by the relish with which he describes such things. I don't think this is a guy I'd want to spend any time with in real life. I doubt that I'll ever read anything else of his again because, at least with the 2 I read, they start out witty and satiric, then descend into nauseating violence.

At least they apparently toned down the violence for the movie version. Plus, apparently they implied that the killings were all a sick fantasy of Bateman's.

[satellite]

Bonsai-
If I recall correctly, there was a piece of cheese put in a woman's vagina for a rat to find, but I haven't read the book in years.
This is one of my favorite movies. From the way the real estate agent and Bateman's lawyer at the end acted suspicious, I got the impression that the murders were real, but they thought the real Paul Allen had committed them so they were trying to keep things quiet.
Bateman's father practically owned the company he worked for, so even if they thought Bateman had gone nuts and done it, there would be people to protect him from himself.

[greenbunny]

yea me too, I like the part when he throws the chainsaw at the girl as she's runing down the stairwell.

[Deleted]

This movie totally creeped me out! Yet somehow, I just kept watching. The scene where he was in bed with the two women?
The screaming as he was biting? the one under the sheets and the other realized this was no normal three way? It makes me kind of scared again just thinking about it

[Deleted]

I laugh harder every time I see this film, which is at least once a month. It's one of my Top Ten, and director Mary Harron's commentary is so awesomely intelligent (and she hints that Bateman did do it, though he's not quite sure, himself, by the end; regardless, he gets away with it, even if his later sloppiness indicates that he wants to be caught). Bale is better than I could ever have imagined Bateman. Killer supporting cast, too. The "Killer Collector's Edition" has some terrific minidocumentaries on the greed-soaked 80s milieu which inspired the book, as well.

[firstaid]

The screaming as he was biting? the one under the sheets and the other realized this was no normal three way? It makes me kind of scared again just thinking about it

OMG!!! That was so horrible!!! Whenever someone brings up American Psycho, that scene flashes through my head, especially when he gets up and has blood in his mouth!! and starts chasing the other girl.Even while I was watching Batman Begins, I would get flashbacks to that scene, because Christian Bale has a really red tongue and it reminds me of the blood in the mouth.

[spider]

That movie disturbed me to the point where I cannot watch Christian Bale in any other part without having flashbacks.

[Deleted]

Wow, Samantha Mathis in the movie? Was she the blonde hooker?

Reese Witherspoon I thought was great in her small supporting role as Evelyn. She was a riot. I also thought it was cool that she took a small role in such a controversial film right after, IIRC, she blew up big in Legally Blonde.