The Movie.
Based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis, American Psycho charts one man's descent into homicidal fantasy against the backdrop of 1987 New York
Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) is a seemingly respectable Wall Street dealer, who, seduced by all the yuppie-esque excesses of the age, vents his murderous urges upon those who seek to better his collection of designer suits, his expensive apartment and even his business card. Bearing the "controversial" tag since it's infancy, American Psycho - which was originally to have starred Leonardo DiCaprio - is actually an extremely amusing though often grotesque satire of the late 80s which employs Bateman's love of artists such as Huey Lewis and Phil Collins to provide soundtracks to his grisly murders.
Though the film's twist ending is somewhat of an anti-climax, Bale's performance in the lead role is excellent, with his displays of extreme arrogance providing most of the films high points. Other good performances come from Reese Witherspoon, as Patrick's vapid and materialistic fiancé Evelyn, and Chloe Sevigny as Patrick's doting secretary - the film's only sympathetic character.
7/10
Picture Quality.
Presented in 4:3 widescreen, the movie suffers from a slight graininess when viewed close-up and lacks the sharpness that you would expect from a modern movie conversion.
5/10
Sound Quality.
With a Dolby 5.1 soundtrack at it's disposal the disk does little to take advantage of available surround sound effects and, though clear, scenes like chapter 16's chainsaw pursuit could have been much more immersive for the viewer.
5/10
Extras
Alongside the usual scene selections and trailer, American Psycho offers an impressive bundle of extras including seven interviews with both cast members and screenwriters, five deleted scenes and a documentary about creating Bateman's look.
8/10
Overall Score: 7/10
An enjoyable movie that could have benefited more from the extra sound and picture quality made available by the medium.
