American Psycho

[Belleraphone]

I have not been able to obtain a copy of the book yet, but I have watched the movie, you can download it here. http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/4564544/American.Psycho%5B2000%5DDvDrip%5B5.1%5DUncut.Edit ion%5BEng%5D-AXG

Christian Bale did a great job in this movie, and it satirizes the Yuppy culture of the late 80's, there's a nice insult thrown at Reagan towards the end of the film too. He even has grafitti on a wall that says YUPPIES MUST DIE. Arguably it's anti-cap, since the main character is arguably not a victim of mental illness, but of the superficiality and materialist ways of society.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoIvd3zzu4Y

[00000000000]

Agree, great performance from Bale. Hope you get a copy of the book, it is far superior to the film in it's satire (whole chapters devoted to Bateman's obsession with Hi Fi systems and Genesis albums) and in the level of sexual violence (the rat scene especially, quite brutal). Some parts are really tough and mysogynist, but that's his character
I've read it a few times and it never fails to amuse and shock in equal measure

[roy]

I just read the book then watched the movie, which was disappointing having read the book first, but Christian Bale did an excellent job portraying the hollow psychopath Bateman, drowned by the consumer culture in which he participates to "fit in" yet despises all the same.

The film was really a hugely watered-down version of the book, though. I can't imagine anyone in Hollywood would really be willing to commit the violence and intensity of the novel to film.

[Rooster]

I read the book and then watched the film. I knew there was a film version of the book so as I was reading it, I was picturing scenes with Bale and stuff. When I saw the film I was really, really disappointed. Bale was okay for the most part, but the bit with the axe and the yuppie was stupid. There's whole parts of the book that aren't in the film, obviously, but they could have at least tried to stick them in as they were really good parts and themes of the book and added a lot to the character.

[roy]

I read the book and then watched the film. I knew there was a film version of the book so as I was reading it, I was picturing scenes with Bale and stuff. When I saw the film I was really, really disappointed. Bale was okay for the most part, but the bit with the axe and the yuppie was stupid. There's whole parts of the book that aren't in the film, obviously, but they could have at least tried to stick them in as they were really good parts and themes of the book and added a lot to the character.

^ This.

I can't understand why the book received and continues to receive such harsh criticism. Bret Easton Ellis (the author) had to go into hiding due to death threats... Then the movie receives rave reviews. That suggests to me it's not so much a matter of principle as people having knee-jerk reactions to something they found offensive (understandably so, as the book was actually far more graphic than the film).

As a side note, the novel can't be sold legally in my state.
I find it very sinister that the government openly tells people, "You can't read this because we say so", and people are just like, "k".

Either I'm very thick-skinned to not have suffered psychological trauma having read AP or the general public is very sensitive and my state government is run by megalomaniacal fucks. I'm definitely gonna go with the latter.

[x359594]

For those of you too young to remember, American Psycho was the subject of acrimonious controversy at the time of its publication; many feminists hated the novel for its (to their perception) full blown misogyny, while the book was defended by the likes of Norman Mailer (at one time feminist public enemy #1.) So when the movie came to be made the studio sought to diffuse some of this controversy by hiring a woman to direct it and had to tone down some of the more brutal sections while eliminating others altogether.

[Astarte]

I don't see how American Psycho is much different from any other horror story or movie. On the suggestion of a friend I read it several years ago. While the book shows the soullessness of 1980's Wallstreet (which we already knew about) the bulk of the book and movie just seem to be gratuitous 'Good Ole American' violence i.e. PROLEFEED. Not even anything much to take seriously. Its like the modern 120 days of Sodom. The book is mostly apolitical and it really is no big shit.

[Os Cangaceiros]

I read the book and then watched the film. I knew there was a film version of the book so as I was reading it, I was picturing scenes with Bale and stuff. When I saw the film I was really, really disappointed. Bale was okay for the most part, but the bit with the axe and the yuppie was stupid. There's whole parts of the book that aren't in the film, obviously, but they could have at least tried to stick them in as they were really good parts and themes of the book and added a lot to the character.

Oh man, you don't like that scene? I laugh really hard whenever I watch that scene, esp. when Bale screams "TRY GETTING A RESERVATION AT DORSIA NOW!" :lol:

[00000000000]

Oh man, you don't like that scene? I laugh really hard whenever I watch that scene, esp. when Bale screams "TRY GETTING A RESERVATION AT DORSIA NOW!" :lol:

Hahaha and his whole speech about Huey Lewis whilst jigging around, putting on the raincoat then BLAM, axe in face. Love it.

[thriller]

Had no idea it was a book, I'll have to read it. As far as the film goes, I thought it was great. The scene where Bateman and his colleagues are showing off their business cards is just awesome.

[Dreamer...]

I've read the book and seen the film and think both are pretty good. Christian Bale is very good as Patrick Bateman, I like the inane chit-chat about Huey Lewis before he whacks him.

Little moments in the book add more to his deteriorating character. One moment when he kills a food delivery boy but, after smelling the food, realises he was the wrong nationality. It's his total indifference after killing those he did not especially want to kill that is truly chilling. It's an "Ah, well..." attitude that is horrible.

The descriptions in the book are extremely graphic and started to drag a bit after the first few. I can see why people get the idea that it is done for shock value because some of the killings don't seem to have any real message or tell you much new about Bateman's character.

The film had good parts but did not even nearly do justice to the book. The satire was...missing. It was a different horror film but not the satire it should have been. I think there's only so much you can get across in two hours and this could've been done better.