Another classic gets dusted off.
The Hollywood Reporter has reported that American Psycho is to get a follow-up. The original American Psycho starred Christian Bale as serial killer, ladies man and psychotic, Patrick Bateman, and was based on the hit novel by Bret Easton Ellis. It told the story of a wealthy New York investment banking executive, who keeps his psychopathic ego from the people he works with and the people he claims to like, but he finds it more and more difficult to keep reality from blurring, and his fantasy-murdering life from becoming his only reality.
The Patrick Bateman character became famous thanks to a wonderful performance by Bale and a brilliantly twisted story, and this follow-up show could be put under the microscope. Certain films have turned out alright but not many were cheering after watching the follow-up to that classic Donnie Darko, which most hard-core fans found an insult to their beloved movie. Although Evil Dead wasn’t actually a follow-up, it was yet another example of how some “enthusiastic” types (fanboys) will react to this news as that film, while popular with everyone else, was roundly condemned by the die-hard Evil Dead trilogy followers. Thankfully this isn’t a feature attempt.
*****
Bates Motel has been, in my opinion, the first decent TV show based on a classic film, that has been almost as good as the movie it was based on, and had some great performances by some fine actors. This new TV show will be 10 episodes long, has Patrick in his 50’s, and stars Chloe Sevigny, who plays a detective hunting for serial killers. Bateman has taken on a young wannabe serial killer, to teach the fine art of slaughter. Lets hope it can be even half as good as the original movie.
Article by Ed Blackadder, Special to Influx Magazine
