American Psycho
starring: Christian Bale, Justin Theroux, Josh Lucas, Bill Sage, Chloë Sevigny
directed by: Mary Harron
directed by: Mary Harron
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Binding: DVD
EAN: 9780783245782
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
ISBN: 0783245785
Label: Universal Studios
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
Number Of Items: 1
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen
Publisher: Universal Studios
Region Code: 1
Release Date: September 05, 2000
Running Time: 101 minutes
Sales Rank: 85956
Studio: Universal Studios
Theatrical Release Date: 2000
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Editorial Review:
Amazon.com essential video:
The Bret Easton Ellis novel American Psycho, a dark, violent satire of the 'me' culture of Ronald Reagan's 1980s, is certainly one of the most controversial books of the '90s, and that notoriety fueled its bestseller status. This smart, savvy adaptation by Mary Harron (I Shot Andy Warhol) may be able to ride the crest of the notoriety; prior to the film's release, Harron fought a ratings battle (ironically, for depictions of sex rather than violence), but at the time the director stated, 'We're rescuing [the book] from its own bad reputation.' Harron and co-screenwriter Guinevere Turner (Go Fish) overcome many of the objections of Ellis's novel by keeping the most extreme violence offscreen (sometimes just barely), suggesting the reign of terror of yuppie killer Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) with splashes of blood and personal souvenirs. Bale is razor sharp as the blank corporate drone, a preening tiger in designer suits whose speaking voice is part salesman, part self-help guru, and completely artificial. Carrying himself with the poised confidence of a male model, he spends his days in a numbing world of status-symbol one-upmanship and soul-sapping small talk, but breaks out at night with smirking explosions of homicide, accomplished with the fastidious care of a hopeless obsessive. The film's approach to this mayhem is simultaneously shocking and discreet; even Bateman's outrageous naked charge with a chainsaw is most notable for the impossibly polished and gleaming instrument of death. Harron's film is a hilarious, cheerfully insidious hall of mirrors all pointed inward, slowly cracking as the portrait becomes increasingly grotesque and insane. --Sean Axmaker
Amazon.com:
The Bret Easton Ellis novel American Psycho, a dark, violent satire of the 'me' culture of Ronald Reagan's 1980s, is certainly one of the most controversial books of the '90s, and that notoriety fueled its bestseller status. This smart, savvy adaptation by Mary Harron (I Shot Andy Warhol) may be able to ride the crest of the notoriety; prior to the film's release, Harron fought a ratings battle (ironically, for depictions of sex rather than violence), but at the time the director stated, 'We're rescuing [the book] from its own bad reputation.' Harron and co-screenwriter Guinevere Turner (Go Fish) overcome many of the objections of Ellis's novel by keeping the most extreme violence offscreen (sometimes just barely), suggesting the reign of terror of yuppie killer Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) with splashes of blood and personal souvenirs. Bale is razor sharp as the blank corporate drone, a preening tiger in designer suits whose speaking voice is part salesman, part self-help guru, and completely artificial. Carrying himself with the poised confidence of a male model, he spends his days in a numbing world of status-symbol one-upmanship and soul-sapping small talk, but breaks out at night with smirking explosions of homicide, accomplished with the fastidious care of a hopeless obsessive. The film's approach to this mayhem is simultaneously shocking and discreet; even Bateman's outrageous naked charge with a chainsaw is most notable for the impossibly polished and gleaming instrument of death. Harron's film is a hilarious, cheerfully insidious hall of mirrors all pointed inward, slowly cracking as the portrait becomes increasingly grotesque and insane. --Sean Axmaker
Average Rating: 
Rating:
- ascensionI saw this movie at a friends home but I am going to buy the DVD.
I could talk about the movie ... Read More
Rating:
- Not for everyone, but...Because I enjoy Christian Bale's work very much, I was anxious to see this film. It is admittedly violent ... Read More
Rating:
- Horrible Horrible MovieThis movie was terrible. Barely a plot, horrible acting. I don't know what all the humdrum was about. I ... Read More
Rating:
- My Review of American PsychoI went into purchasing this film, feeling a tad uneasy of what I would be viewing. I didn't know whether ... Read More
Rating:
- RubbishVery simplistic and cliche "ooooh, he's so evil" screenplay, and Bale gives yet another stiff performance, with ... Read More
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Copyright ©2003, Mark Carey.