American Psycho

Hello All! I know I'm new here but I thought I'd contribute this article I wrote for my website, but decided to post it here on Horror.com. Enjoy! :D

I recently watched “American Psycho” for the first time. I laughed my way through the whole movie! American Psycho shouldn’t be taken seriously as a slasher film, nor do I believe it was a sad commentary on the decade of the 80’s, in which the film takes place. It is a great film, though, one I highly recommend.

The movie is about the fragile mental state of Patrick Bateman, played deliciously, wryly, and with zest, by Christian Bale (Batman Begins). His breakdown could happen in any decade, as we all know too well by constant real life headlines that report serial murder. As the movie opens, we find out that Patrick works at his father’s firm as some kind of stock executive. He has a classy office with a view, a spotless stainless steel kitchen in a trendy apartment with overstuffed furniture, and skin conditioners in the bathroom to keep his face looking its pristine best. In his world revolves a motley crew of cynical and wealthy circle of friends and co-workers who seemingly do nothing but go to endless luncheons, dinners, and parties with plenty of coke, booze, and affairs to go around. This is the three ring circus where Patrick starts to mentally dissolve.

After stabbing a homeless man for stinking and not having a job, he axes to death an annoying co-worker named Paul Allen (candy-assed played by Jared Leto), all the while running a monologue on the merits of Huey Lewis and The News. Talking a lot about the wonderful majesty of 1980’s rock like Lewis, Whitney Houston, Genesis, Phil Collins, and others while gleefully cutting up whores with chainsaws and knives is a signature in this film that has hilarious results. Nobody but Christian Bale could’ve played this part, the guy is so good. Did I mention he’s retentive about not having a coaster down when company sets a drink down on his glass top table? That knowledge alone could save or get a person killed depending on what they do.

As things proceed, a Detective inquires about the disappearance of the axed Paul Allen. Where was Patrick the night of Paul’s disappearance? One would think this would slow Patrick down on his murdering, but no, he keeps it up with gusto, adding whores to his blood list after banging them into submission in his swanky apartment. When he gets his secretary (played by Chloe Sevigny) to go out on a date with him, he opens the fridge to offer her some ice cream which is sitting by the plastic wrapped head of a model he dated, then decapitated. It’s moments like these that the director wants you to smile at and smile I did. It’s all about horrifying tongue-in-cheek gallows humor and I loved it. There’s plenty of blood and gore in this movie. I won’t spoil the movie by commenting more, but if you want to be riveted by some great performances, see this movie or check out the trailer at http://www.horror-stew.com/AmericanPsycho/index.html.

[Abishai100]

There is a lot of modern interest in understanding the human psyche as it relates to hysteria, mania, psychosis, and network frailties.

Maybe urbanization-paranoia themed comic book stories surrounding vigilantism (i.e., Batman) promote such interests.

In "Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood" (1988), the maniacal hockey-mask wearing serial killer Jason Voorhees confronts a young American woman who has unusual telekinetic abilities and she attempts to defeat the psychopath with her powers.

Our world is governed by eTrade, and it seems that computers create a sort of virtual 'telekinesis,' so we can understand the interest in themes such as those presented in "Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood" (1988).

The comic book female avatar Dark Phoenix (Marvel Comics) is a mutant superheroine who can harness extraordinary telekinetic powers to create real havoc.

In "American Psycho" (2000), we see the presentation of various women in offices and nightclubs who evoke thoguths about the emotional power women have in 'promoting' chatter, and theoretically, how meaningless talk can seem maddening like a strange dream or like psychic hysteria.

Maybe that's why the sequel, "American Psycho" (2002), presents modern paranoia about psychosis through the perspective of a young woman, herself a survivor of Patrick Bateman's eccentric killing spree.




The Dark Phoenix Saga