American Psycho Review


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Posted by TangoMania at abd89734.ipt.aol.com on April 03, 2000 at 16:40:42:

American Psycho Review

In 1998 Gus Van Sant took a sacred property, and destroyed it. Now some folks have taken it one step farther.

I was recently "lucky" enough to catch a screening of the newest "Psycho" remake, "American Psycho." Why the title change? Well, now we're in the 80's! And ripping up yuppie culture! Oh, how clever. This writer Bret Easton Ellis is quite a silly fellow!

The outrages begin immediately. No longer is the male protagonist named "Norman Bates," he is now called "Patrick Bateman". Bates, Bateman. I guess the people who make these Hollywood movies don't think anyone will notice this little sleight of hand. Well, so far, strike one big Hollywood. I see the fastball coming and I have my eye on the ball. Better get Griffey ready, because I'm about to take you to center field.

Hitchcock would be rolling in his grave. The entire story has changed, now there's not a robbery but just lots of killing. And yuppies. There is several scenes of shower, but they are TOTALLY different. The "Marion Crane" character is now called "Evelyn Williams". There may be an anagram in there somewhere; I didn't want to play the game this time. She is played by Reese Witherspoon, who was on Friends twice and starred in the direct to video hit "Overnight Delivery." I'm not sure what else she's done, but her large chest and dreamy eyes took me out of the picture. I also liked her full lips and desperate soul. I wish the movie had focused more on Ms. Crane, as she made me feel good about myself in a way Bateman/Bates couldn't.

There was this one scene that Hitchcock might have thought could have had a place in his movie. In it Bates/Man has sex with two women and then kills them. It was shot just like Hitchcock, but in color, no doubt inspired by Van Sant's recent interpretation of the piece. Hitchcock had lots of killing in his movies and might have liked this little tribute to him.

I was also disturbed by the addition of scenes talking about music like Whitney Houston, although I thought they missed a big opportunity by not asking Ms. Houston to sing the original Psycho score over the scene in the shower. That might have saved this train wreck of a movie, but probably not, because Christian Bale, who starred in Little Women as Jo, now plays Norman Bates. This is what we who use computers call a FATAL ERROR. Bates even rips his face off and that is not real.

In closing, I suggest you rent Overnight Delivery and pretend this movie doesn't exist.

Thanks,

-=Scott=-



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