Cult Classic Corner: American Psycho

By Matt Wenner

Synopsis:
Patrick Bateman is a man who works on Wall Street in the 80s, a decade marked by its decadence and excess. He is obsessed with material possessions that supposedly show self-worth. He, for instance is jealous of a man whose business card color is ‘eggshell,’ as opposed to his own ‘bone.’ Oh yeah, Bateman also has an interesting night life that includes brutally killing his co-worker with an axe and having threesomes with hookers and then killing them with a chainsaw.

Why it’s great:
To be honest, I don’t really know why I enjoy this film. It doesn’t have many redeeming qualities or contain any social values, although it does poke fun at the 80s to an extent. I guess its Christian Bale’s performance as a psychopath that does it for me. It is fun to watch his maniacal personality on screen and in fact Bateman becomes quite a memorable character.

Favorite Scene:
After Bateman has drugged a co-worker of his, they go to his apartment; once there, he starts calmly talking about the works of the band Huey Lewis and the News as he puts on a raincoat, retrieves an axe, starts playing the song “Hip to be Square” on the tape deck. He then goes on to brutally murder his co-worker with the axe. It shouldn’t be an entertaining scene, but the way Christian Bale performs it is perfect. He is just so calm and serene talking about an 80s pop band as he is about to hack someone to death.

Trivia:
Toy company NECA recently released an action figure of Patrick Bateman that includes the following accessories: 2 knives, an axe, a briefcase, a video tape, a nail gun, a walkman, and an alternate hand as well as a newspaper covered base (recalling my favorite scene).

Great Quotes:
Patrick’s Fiancée: “Where are you going?”
Patrick: “I was just leaving.”
Patrick’s Fiancée: “But where?”
Patrick: “I have to return some video tapes.”

ATM Instructions: “Feed me a stray cat.”

Waiter: “Would you like to hear today’s specials?”
Patrick: “Not if you want to keep your spleen.”

Patrick: “I don’t think we should see each other anymore.”
Patrick’s Fiancée: “Why? What’s wrong?”
Patrick: “I need to engage in homicidal behaviour on a massive scale.
It can not be corrected but I have no other way to fulfill my
needs.”