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the rules of american psycho zero
Apr. 15th, 2007 12:20 pmI think my mask of sanity if about to slip.
-Patrick Bateman
This may be strange, but I adore Bret Easton Ellis and his novels. I started reading Ellis in the summertime, out by the pool in bright white sunlight alone.
I love their weird flat affect. I love their entrenched roots in the cocaine addled 1980s of people with lots of money. These stories feel sort of hollow at the core, all the violence, sex and drugs becoming a mask that no one ever takes off. The only real emotions in these novels seem to be despair and rage. Everything is out of control but no one really seems to care.
I'm watching the uncut version of American Psycho this morning. You can't really ever go wrong with Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman. Of the three film adaptations of Ellis novels I've seen, this is arguably the better one. I watched The Rules of Attraction last night, and enjoyed the odd backwards film trick in the story. It's been too long since I read the book, so I can't speak as to how well that translated but the hollow, flat feeling was definitely present.
American Psycho reminds me intensely of In the Company of Men. There's a similar undercurrent of uncontrolled misogynist rage. There was a lot of hue and cry about Company when it came out, but I believe it is an interesting film. It's hard to make a main character you hate. Even Bateman is sort of creepily interesting and likeable for his psychotic good looks and OCD charm.
-Patrick Bateman
This may be strange, but I adore Bret Easton Ellis and his novels. I started reading Ellis in the summertime, out by the pool in bright white sunlight alone.
I love their weird flat affect. I love their entrenched roots in the cocaine addled 1980s of people with lots of money. These stories feel sort of hollow at the core, all the violence, sex and drugs becoming a mask that no one ever takes off. The only real emotions in these novels seem to be despair and rage. Everything is out of control but no one really seems to care.
I'm watching the uncut version of American Psycho this morning. You can't really ever go wrong with Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman. Of the three film adaptations of Ellis novels I've seen, this is arguably the better one. I watched The Rules of Attraction last night, and enjoyed the odd backwards film trick in the story. It's been too long since I read the book, so I can't speak as to how well that translated but the hollow, flat feeling was definitely present.
American Psycho reminds me intensely of In the Company of Men. There's a similar undercurrent of uncontrolled misogynist rage. There was a lot of hue and cry about Company when it came out, but I believe it is an interesting film. It's hard to make a main character you hate. Even Bateman is sort of creepily interesting and likeable for his psychotic good looks and OCD charm.