American Psycho (Unrated)
OVERALL:
ASPECT RATIO(S)
16x9 Widescreen (2.35:1)
SOUND MIX
FEATURES
STUDIO
RECOMMENDATION
Dolby Digital 5.1
- The Making of American Psycho Featurette
- Interview with Christian Bale
- Theatrical Trailer
- Cast & Crew Bios
- Production Notes
Universal
Buy it!
GRADING SCALE
Film
Features 
Audio 
Video
It took a long time before this film could be adapted by the controversial novel. Though I haven't read the book, I'm told it is much more violent than the film. I do know of one scene from the book that wasn't included in the film. It is so graphic that I can understand why they left it out. The film was directed by Mary Harron. Most of you going in will think, "gee, this is directed by a woman, how violent and disgusting could it be?" Well, to answer your question, it's about as violent and disgusting as they come. The dark humor somewhat lessens the gore effect, making it a little easier to digest, knowing our lead character has a sense of humor. A sick one, but still humor.
After watching the film, I felt it is best described as a cross between David Fincher and Stanley Kubrick. Kubrick for its somewhat muted colors and scenery, and Fincher for its twisty ending. There is really only one star in the film and that is Bale. The rest, which includes Reese Witherspoon and Oscar Nominee Chloe Sevigny, are in very minor supporting roles. Though Witherspoon's role is limited, she is still good as Bale's girlfriend who only seems to care about where they dine and how she looks.
Features
For smaller releases, Universal usually doesn't unclude anything but text features (see "Ride with the Devil"), but here they have at least included something else. There's about an 8-minute featurette on the making-of the film and it has the usual trailer mixed in with some snippets of comments by the cast & crew. Bale stays in character in this featurette, kinda creepy.
There's also an interview segment with him that is far more interesting than the featurette. The rest is the usual stuff you probably won't read. This is your basic set.
Audio
Definitely not earth-shattering, but it's not lousy either. The 80s soundtrack played throughout the film is what will get those speakers going. But there are a few scenes where the surrounds are active. Bass is fairly limited here.
Video
This is a fine 16x9 transfer from the film. All the colors look strong and not washed out. There's no dirt on the print and no shimmering either. You really can't complain about the work Universal does with their dvds, even if it's an art film like this one.
Overall
"American Psycho" grossed over $15 million, which is great considering the budget was around $7 mil. Some will call it a mindless, violent-filled movie, but I think it's a little more. It's a great character study on a man who has no acknowledgment of the world, yet he just wants to fit in. Why miss out on one of the better films of 2000, make that purchase.