American Psycho

[Bjornebye]

Just made a post on another thread in reference to a scene from this and decided to put it on.

 

Took me a few times to get the ending. did he imagine it? or is it real.

 

Superb film though.

[Carvalho Diablo]

Just made a post on another thread in reference to a scene from this and decided to put it on.

 

Took me a few times to get the ending. did he imagine it? or is it real.

 

Superb film though.

 

Terrible film, brilliant book.

 

Imagined.

[Bjornebye]

I agree. the book is always better than the film. see, midnight express, or papillon.

[Carvalho Diablo]

I agree. the book is always better than the film. see, midnight express, or papillon.

 

Usually, but not always imo mate. Haven't read either of those but both great films, especially Papillon.

 

The difference with American Psycho (again, imo) is that the book and the film have very, very little resemblance whatsoever. One is a gripping study of emasculation, isolation and a fractured state, the other is a cheap as fuck gore / splatter fest.

[kopboy11]

Loved the book. Hated the film.

[Bjornebye]

whatever, phil collins is best listened too in a bare room on speakers

[PestiRed]

Some follow-up reading, if you haven't seen them before, very funny

 

American Psycho Am.2000 Emails

[Jose Jones]

Most ironic.

[Adebisi]

I watched the film first then read the book and I like the film, but love the book. I'm kinda glad I did it this way because despite the films faults, Bale plays a great Bateman and when reading the book I pictured him.

 

I don't think they could release an accurate film version without some serious backlash. As those who have read will know, it's a hell of a lot more graphic. Fuck knows how they would do the rat scene if they ever remade a proper version for example.

[The Golden Eel]

He actually did it all but nobody gave a fuck, no?

[Sparky]

This guy does a pretty good Bateman, albeit whilst ruining one of my favourite songs:

 

[YOUTUBE]G29d6RDSK1c[/YOUTUBE]

[Alan Sex]

This guy does a pretty good Bateman' date=' albeit whilst ruining one of my favourite songs:

 

<a href="

">YouTube Link</a>[/quote']

 

Dinner dinner dinner dinner Bateman!

[Total Longo]

I read the book years ago on the recommendation of a friend, i nearly gave up as the first 150 pages were just along the lines of where he went for dinner, which designer label he was wearing, and just bland descriptions of Yuppie life in general. And then, bang! a random tramp gets stabbed and all hell breaks loose. Only then did i realise exactly why the first 150 pages had been written like that.

 

It's a brilliant book, as equally hilarious as it is vile.

 

I'm "meh" about the film. In a similar way to "Trainspotting", it was never going to live up to the book. Can't think of too many films that have improved on the original source material. "Jaws", definitely. Beyond that, i'm struggling.

[chauncey]

Can't think of too many films that have improved on the original source material. "Jaws", definitely. Beyond that, i'm struggling.

 

The Godfather?

 

Regarding American Psycho, the film is alright (nowhere near as bad as some here make out) but suffers obviously when put up against the source material, which is a near-perfect work of art.

[Skidfingers McGonical]

I watched the film first then read the book and I like the film, but love the book. I'm kinda glad I did it this way because despite the films faults, Bale plays a great Bateman and when reading the book I pictured him.

 

I don't think they could release an accurate film version without some serious backlash. As those who have read will know, it's a hell of a lot more graphic. Fuck knows how they would do the rat scene if they ever remade a proper version for example.

 

About 14 years ago we were sat in a mates flat in Netherton all taking huge tokes of this massive home-made bong that involved an old plastic sweet container (bon bons, kop kops type) and we had a small coke bottle in the middle as the coolant area and 5 tubes coming off it with a huge bowl for our skunk to go in.

 

It was a fucking beast.

 

We had been blasting on this for about an hour and a half and it is like that scene in Platoon where Sergeant Elias takes Taylor into that party room. So we start talking about the book of American Pyscho and I had only seen the film and thought nothing much about it other than Bale was awesome in it. Someone started saying how the book was boss but too graphic for them to finish. I (being completely red eyed and stoned off my tits) argued that it can't be that bad. To be fair I was basing my judgement on the film and wasn't a big reader back then.

 

So I said I bet I could read it and not freak out. I was then challenged to read a section out loud. So my mate pipes and says I will pick a scene for you to read out to everybody.

 

So my mate gets the book, picks out the scene where the Bateman has the prostitute and he shoves a habitual tube up inside her as he is having a bit of fun and then lets a rat loose inside and pulls the tube out, and leaves the rat to eat her from the inside.

 

Now as I read this section out loud I began to actually see this happening (the weed obviously played a big part in the tripping effect that was beginning to take place) Fair dues I actually read 3 pages but after I had finished I was white as a tin of brilliant white Dulux paint from B&Q.

 

I spent the whole night quiet in shock just taking hit after hit off the bong.

 

A book has never had that impact n me. I read it again 4 years later from start to finish and that rat scene has haunted me every time I have read the book since. Ii always get a picture of watching that scene happen in that state where I was off my face.

 

A brilliant, brilliant book.

[Babb'sBurstNad]

I've never read the book but i enjoyed the film. I may have to give it a read though on current recommendations. I got put off by someone saying the book was a bit hard to get through with the killings being very visceral and going overboard with their descriptions.

 

As for book vs film, i think the best most adaptations can hope for is to skew the narrative a bit. Things like Point Blank or The Shining give you a lot more visual information to chew over (as you'd expect) and leave out a lot of the details.

[Skidfingers McGonical]

I've never read the book but i enjoyed the film. I may have to give it a read though on current recommendations. I got put off by someone saying the book was a bit hard to get through with the killings being very visceral and going overboard with their descriptions.

 

As for book vs film' date=' i think the best most adaptations can hope for is to skew the narrative a bit. Things like Point Blank or The Shining give you a lot more visual information to chew over (as you'd expect) and leave out a lot of the details.[/quote']

 

To get an understanding of how Bateman's mind works, you have to envisage what he is doing. For me how the killings are described are a necessity rather than over the top.

 

it is not pretty ready at times at all and if you have a very vivid imagination (like I do) then reading it in short bursts may be best rather than just plough straight through it.

[Babb'sBurstNad]

To get an understanding of how Bateman's mind works, you have to envisage what he is doing. For me how the killings are described are a necessity rather than over the top.

 

it is not pretty ready at times at all and if you have a very vivid imagination (like I do) then reading it in short bursts may be best rather than just plough straight through it.

 

Yep, i've got a vivid imagination and i find horror fiction i have to take in small doses, i remember reading the wife/daughter murders in Every Dead Thing and wishing in a way i hadn't bothered.

 

Truth be told i'm a light reader, safe genre fiction, Richard Stark, Philip K Dick, that sort of thing. I prefer heavier stuff in film form, but i'll definitely check out American Psycho.

[Carvalho Diablo]

To get an understanding of how Bateman's mind works, you have to envisage what he is doing. For me how the killings are described are a necessity rather than over the top.

 

it is not pretty ready at times at all and if you have a very vivid imagination (like I do) then reading it in short bursts may be best rather than just plough straight through it.

 

Translation : man up ffs !

[Skidfingers McGonical]

I am man hear me roar.

 

 

Meow!

[Chairman Meow]

I thought the film was absolute garbage. Honestly one of the worst films I've ever seen, no depth to explain what is actually going on, shit use of the plot and it just meanders along without really going anywhere.

 

Also I'm not having it that Bale is any good whatsoever in it. Just showing no emotion doesn't mean you're acting.

 

The book on the other hand, absolutely fantastic.

[Bjornebye]

I thought the film was absolute garbage. Honestly one of the worst films I've ever seen, no depth to explain what is actually going on, shit use of the plot and it just meanders along without really going anywhere.

 

Also I'm not having it that Bale is any good whatsoever in it. Just showing no emotion doesn't mean you're acting.

 

The book on the other hand, absolutely fantastic.

 

I have just ordered the book.

 

As a film I think it is good and I think bale is brilliant in it.

[Pureblood]

It was an impossible film to make. I found it mildly enjoyable as I love all that yuppie/80s shit and generally dig serial killer movies. Agree with Chev that is was awkwardly paced and by no means can it be said to be a successful adaptation of the book, but it's enjoyable enough in its own right.

 

"Is that Ivana Trump?!".

[Faustus]

It was an impossible film to make. I found it mildly enjoyable as I love all that yuppie/80s shit and generally dig serial killer movies. Agree with Chev that is was awkwardly paced and by no means can it be said to be a successful adaptation of the book, but it's enjoyable enough in its own right.

 

"Is that Ivana Trump?!".

 

I agree with that.

 

The book's a masterpiece. I don't want to ruin it for people who haven't read it, but I think the section where he's meeting his secretary for lunch is a cracker. Amid all the gore and vacuous consumerism, I think it's great how you feel a degree of pathos for Bateman when he's trying to give himself over emotionally to the only character who's shown him any feeling but, ultimately, can't bring himself to do it.

 

I'm a fan of Ellis. Sometimes it's a bit of a slog reading his books when you're faced with pages and pages of individualistic characters displaying vapid traits, but I really like the simplicity of the fella's writing style; how you can evoke various emotions within the reader with the use of such a flat, nonchalant tone.

[Alan Sex]

I am man hear me roar.

 

 

Meow!

 

I am woman. Rub me raw.