Day 8: THIS Boy's Life - An American Psycho...review - Guest Review by Giacomo Kmet

I'm not sure how this piece will turn out. I'm not sure it will be a conventional review, as I do not remember how to do one; plus, everyone should have seen this movie already. And if you haven't, kill yourself. Or you can show me your tastefully thick business card, and I'll do it for you.

I remember when American Psycho first came out. It was in 2000 and I was still a sophomore in high school; under the age limit for an R movie. As un-law abiding as I was (and am) at times, I never snuck into an R movie while underage. I remember the commercial - combining blood, screaming, and Huey Lewis and the News, in the most spectacular way. I was immediately enthralled. I wanted to see it in the worst way...and I never did. Like most High Schoolers, I must have immediately moved on once the next "big thing" distracted me.

Flash forward two years, and I was in Blockbuster with Anna. We had just started going out...I think. But I remember stopping in front of a side display and seeing American Psycho - ON VHS! - a movie I had completely forgot about since I had seen the commercial. I pointed it out to Anna, clearly excited (me, not her) - and I told her I had never seen the movie. Despite our short time together, she was confused as to why I had not, and semi-excitedly told me to get it (MISTAKE). I watched it alone a few days later, on some shitty old television, with my shitty VCR. I was, contrary to what you may believe, less than impressed. I liked the movie, but it wasn't what I expected. The movie, as I have come to appreciate, is much more Black Comedy than Horror or Thriller, or in whatever category you would fit a movie about a rich 80's Wall Street VP, who is possibly delusional, possibly murdering colleagues and hookers, at an alarming rate, in a brutal and explicit manner.

American Psycho was one of the first DVDs I received for Christmas, when I first got a Sony PlayStation 2 (didn't have a DVD player at the time). I used to watch it while writing creative writing stories in High School (which were not about murder - I didn't want to get sent to that weirdo guidance counselor). I read the book - highlighting the best parts. In retrospect - I realize I should have highlighted with different colors, different parts of the book. : pink for the sexual passages, blue for Patty Winters Show references (don't get me started on how much time I must have wasted trying to find out if that show actually existed and if i could get copies), classic Yellow for the murder. I suppose I could purchase another copy, but to get the broken in feeling, I'd need to read the book another 10 times.

College is the place where I watched the bulk of my viewings of American Psycho - and where I grew to appreciate it the most. It's what I believe help me make some friends (along with WWF/WWE, and ridiculous movies). American Psycho Wednesdays. Ah, a simpler time in my life. Every Wednesday in October - we, or I if alone, would watch American Psycho, possibly multiple times, while drinking bourbon mixed with cranberry juice (cran-apple), and a lime (I can always get you a lime). I believe I'm up to 75 viewings thanks to college- I'll need to check the log to be sure. Yes, around the 30th viewing, I started writing down the times. My room in New Jersey is a disturbing shrine to American Psycho: The advance poster (No Introduction Necessary), the US one sheet (Killer Looks), both Japanese mini movie posters (chirashi), a small reproduction of the German movie poster, 2 small copies of the Australian poster (it's double sided), a self made meat-bone filled in NYtimes crossword with blood and hair stains, a commissioned artwork of the original book cover (thanks Pauly!), the 7" Bateman figure, the 18" motion activated talking Bateman figure, and, if not mistaken, 6 copies of the dvd including the original unrated edition, the killer collector's edition, the Canadian edition, the original R rated edition, the UK edition, and the German edition...and the original VHS that started it all.

I love American Psycho. It introduced me to Christian Bale. It cemented my hatred for Jared Leto. At one time, I, and my college friends, could recite nearly the entire movie from memory. As insane as my purchasing in related paraphernalia has been - the movie reminds me of different times in my life. That first VHS with Anna; all those wonderful times on American Psycho Wednesdays; all those American Psycho themed artworks (Chris's rendition of himself as Bateman with a chainsaw in front of his crotch; Titan-American Psycho; Pauly's wonderful painting)...I could go on and on, but this is already getting too long. To close - this may not have been a review of the movie - but it is nothing short of a glowing recommendation, and a glimpse at what a movie can mean to someone - even a black comedy/horror-thriller.

If you have never seen American Psycho, this confession has meant nothing. American Psycho (Univeral 2000) (motion picture).

5 drawings of a watermelon out of 5