If you’re seeing this, you may have at least some idea of what kind of journey you may be in for. The movie is called American Psycho, after all. And it is that, in plenty, in full 80s glory. Based on the book by Bret Easton Ellis, this is either just a brutal story of a serial killer, or a poignant look at the total vapidness of this slice of corporate culture and its effects on society. Weird theme going on this month. I’m seriously going to have to offset this with, like, a bunch of Wallace & Gromit. This movie has some not pleasant scenes. Or pleasant themes at all, really.
Patrick Bateman is high class. Stock broker? Trader? Does it matter? Not really. He gets paid really well for doing, what now? And it becomes quite clear very quickly, this dude is a total psychopath. He tells the audience straight up in the narration that He is simply… not...there. And he just does what he does. Clubbin and Cokin. Listens to and pontificates on suspect 80s music (as most of it was, let’s be honest). And is enraged when someone else has a nicer eggshell-colored business card with a classier font than his. He is a Chameleon within his group of other asshats who think they are the most important person in the room. Perfect camouflage. Who can even tell them apart, even within their own circles? Blatant cheateries with no consequence. Money and Status. Narcissism and Excess. And with Bateman, a whole lotta Rage. This fucker, he’s got issues. The worst kindsa issues. And just ghosts on through, filled with greed and disgust.
I wasn’t kidding about the Wallace & Gromit thing. This movie paired with watching after Brian Yuzna’s Society is a bit too much of the shit sandwich to take a bite from without cleansing the palette a bit afterwards. I am reminded why I haven’t watched this movie again in decades. While lead Christian Bale (aka Batman v5?) does a tremendous job pulling off the role, it’s just such a fucked identity to begin with it just leaves you wanting to shower afterwards to get clean. It’s not like a Basket Case seediness and its somewhat fantastic plot, this one slices closer to the bone. It makes you wonder how many people out there, nice clean and neat, are actually just the worst dark-souled empty motherfuckers that can be. For the less fortunate of em, there’s consequences. At this level of society? Apparently there are few, if any. Jeebus. If I ever hear Gavin Newsome talk about the intricacies of Phil Collins post Genesis, I will not be surprised. Not sure why I’d type that, totally random, moving on. News at 11. Huey Lewis and the News at 12.
