Daniel Robert Epstein: American Psycho director Mary Harron

I always lose respect for people when they moan how they wished the film had been more violent and spent less time on the social satire. Actually, when I say lose respect, I mean completely write off. Thanks for making the film what it is and again for contributing to the much needed re-release on DVD.

Whoa! Great interview! You've convinced me to buy the new version of the DVD now!

Do you like Huey Lewis and the News?

Oh god, this is my favorite movie EVER. I've already got the regular DVD, but I definately need the director's cut now.

Great interview!

The work"American Psycho" in any form is simply pornography in its worst sense. When will this country get over its Puritan heritage enough to realize that sex is not obscene - VIOLENCE is?
Graphic descriptions of skinning a human being alive - Art? You can self-diagnose whether you have any grounding in reality left at all by answering that question. Camus did not just mean we should not literally "side with the executioners" - we should not in any way glorify or validate them, either.
Any creative effort that incorporates such material is morally, aesthetically, and humanly bankrupt. Any "artist" who needs to include such material to make a creation "work" should try to find another line of endeavor. Of course, I do not believe in banning such things - just shunning them.
Violence is part of life, but like other forms of evil, is BANAL. The Greeks understood this well, and had the violence and gore happen OFFSTAGE, so as not to distract from the point of the story. Too often in Hollywood and elsewhere these days, violence and gore ARE the point of the story. THAT is obscenity.

I just bought the new cut on Amazon before even reading this interview. I hadn't purchased the movie yet but I had to have it with deleted scenes for sure. That movie is sooo good. Christian Bale's acting gave me absolute goosebumps and led me to see more of his work. Thank you Mary Harron for directing such a fabulous movie about a psychco without the campy gore factor. You rock ma'am. I can't wait to see the Bettie Page movie also. This is certainly a good site to advertise that movie on.


[Edited on Jun 29, 2005 by yeknomyknuf]

I actually really appreciate the off-screen violence, it creeped me out a little bit more being left with my own interpretations of the gore than if i had actually seen it. just knowing what happened and seeing how it is gone about is really a much more interesting to go about physical, for why be grossed out in a social satire film? it takes away from the seriousness and leaves you feeling gross as opposed to frightened or paranoid or whatever you get from watching the film. That new edition is so mine! have a greta day!

I haven't read the book, but I absolutely love the movie. In fact, it's easily in my top ten movies of all-time. Hell, it's probably even in the top five. It's hard to not love Christian Bale's acting. And how can you not love hearing a guy babbling about music as though it's a science just before he kills them?

In fact, I love this movie so much that I made a very similar movie as a project while I was attending college. Very fun. It's a shame that Christian Bale continues to go unnoticed by the vast majority of movie-goers.

The movie is what made me go buy the book. I loved them both and made my friends watch the movie, which is why they never let me pick the movies agaiin....

this dvd went from #60 to #45 on Amazon sales ranking overnight last nite. could it be because of this interview? i think so!

Ha! That's awesome! But I think I'll buy it from Best Buy next week.

Uh, he's in a little independent movie called Batman Begins, he playes the title character. Maybe you heard of it? It's only grossed, let's see, $133.8 MILLION so far.

[Edited on Jun 30, 2005 by EvanX]

I meant that most people still fail to recognize him by name. Furthermore, most people still don't know of his other movies, which is a damn shame. I recommend American Psycho, Equilibrium, and Batman Begins to every single friend of mine.

Um... did you even read this interview? Or see the film, for that matter? Because what you wrote above makes absolutely no sense in relation to either.

It appears you didn't read the interview either. Otherwise, you might have stumbled across this little gem:

Hunh, that sounds oddly like the criticism levelled at the movie by people who haven't read the book... 'Cause if you'd read and really understood the book you'd see that it's not about violence for the sake of violence at all. Not to say that reading it didn't make me feel well, uneasy, at times. It did, that's exactly why it was used as it was. Read the book, then feel free to come back and lecture us about the pornography of violence.
Thanks.