CinemaScore". CinemaScore. Archived from the original on April 13, 2022 . Retrieved April 16, 2022. Here, I think it’s important to clarify what a sigma male is. The term was first coined by a far-right activist in 2010 but has only risen to prominence fairly recently. In line with the idea of ‘alpha males’, the sigma male is the next step up on the ladder, being the supposed pinnacle of success. Often associated with the misogynistic online community ‘MGTOW’ (Men Going Their Own Way), the sigma male is muscular, wealthy, disciplined, and individualistic. Courtesy of Universal Pictures on IMDB

s Retrospect: Bloody Disgusting's Top 20 Films of the Decade...Part 4". Bloody Disgusting. December 15, 2009. Archived from the original on February 8, 2010 . Retrieved January 3, 2010. Private investigator Donald Kimball interviews Bateman regarding Allen's disappearance, mentioning that Allen may have been seen in London. Bateman invites two sex workers, Christie and Sabrina, over to his apartment, where they have sex. He then tortures them, pays them, and sends them on their way. Bateman's colleague Luis Carruthers reveals a new business card, so Bateman tries to strangle him in the restroom of an expensive restaurant. Carruthers mistakes the attempt for a sexual advance and declares his desire for Bateman, who panics and flees. A now suspicious Kimball conducts a second interview with Bateman, who then murders a model and puts her severed head in his freezer. The next day he invites his secretary Jean to dinner, suggesting that she meet him at his apartment for drinks. Bateman is about to kill her with a nail gun when he receives a message from Evelyn on his answering machine and desists.Marlene: I can’t remember if I typeset it with an old fashioned typesetter and had it output to negative film for the animator or if I set the type on a computer. American Psycho existed right on that cusp between the analog and the digital. Although the film does invite us to sympathise with her, she spends most of her screen time being sexualised and objectified both by other characters and the camera. Belfort views her as a trophy to be won, and once he has ‘possession’ of her, he cares little about her feelings; women, to Belfort, exist for their looks. Courtesy of Mary Cybulski, Paramount Pictures on IMDB Corliss, Richard (April 17, 2000). "A Yuppie's Killer Instinct". Time. Archived from the original on November 22, 2010 . Retrieved April 2, 2022. Characterised by lone male protagonists; acts of violence and/or hedonism; a theme of dissatisfaction with the world; and commentary on materialism and masculinity, ‘literally me’ films have been embraced both by meme makers and genuine adherents of ‘sigma male’ culture. Attracting predominantly male admirers who find them relatable or appealing, their characters have become iconic and, in some cases, even inspirational. Courtesy of IMDB Holden, Stephen (April 14, 2000). "Murderer! Fiend! Cad! (But Well-Dressed)". The New York Times . Retrieved April 8, 2009.

Travers, Peter (December 8, 2000). "American Psycho". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 29, 2009 . Retrieved April 8, 2009. a b c d Eisenberg, Eric (July 23, 2020). "14 American Psycho Behind-The-Scenes Facts You Might Not Know". CinemaBlend . Retrieved April 13, 2022. Lazic, Manuela (April 14, 2020). "Twenty Years Later, 'American Psycho' Has Only Grown More Timely". The Ringer . Retrieved October 23, 2021.Heritage, Stuart (October 23, 2009). "Who other than Tom Cruise has inspired Christian Bale?". The Guardian . Retrieved February 24, 2015. Rolling Stone 's Peter Travers wrote: "Whenever Harron digs beneath the glitzy surface in search of feelings that haven't been desensitized, the horrific and hilarious American Psycho can still strike a raw nerve". [52] In a somewhat positive review for Slate magazine, David Edelstein noted the toned-down brutality and sexual content in comparison to the novel and wrote that the moment where Bateman spares his secretary is when "this one-dimensional film blossoms like a flower". [53] Owen Gleiberman gave the film an "A−" rating, writing for Entertainment Weekly: "By treating the book as raw material for an exuberantly perverse exercise in ' 80s Nostalgia, Harron recasts the go-go years as a template for the casually brainwashing-consumer/fashion/image culture that emerged from them. She has made a movie that is really a parable of today". [54] Time magazine's Richard Corliss wrote that "Harron and co-screenwriter Guinevere Turner do understand the book, and they want their film to be understood as a period comedy of manners". [55] A.O. Scott (also from The New York Times) praised the film as well. [56] Fischer, Russ (April 4, 2013). "VOTD: Huey Lewis Gets Bloody Revenge in 'American Psycho' Parody". SlashFilm.com.

Bret Easton Ellis talks film adaptations at SCAD". Creative Loafing. Archived from the original on June 24, 2010 . Retrieved June 19, 2010. American metalcore band Ice Nine Kills wrote a song based on the film for their 2021 album The Silver Scream 2: Welcome to Horrorwood called "Hip to Be Scared" and features Papa Roach vocalist Jacoby Shaddix. [77]Peter Bart (May 12, 1997). "Fast-talkers can't hold a candle to Pressman". Variety . Retrieved February 24, 2015.

a b c d e Buchanan, Kyle (May 18, 2010). "Bret Easton Ellis on American Psycho, Christian Bale, and His Problem with Women Directors". Movieline. pp.1–3 . Retrieved April 10, 2022. Buchanan, Kyle (May 18, 2010). "Bret Easton Ellis on American Psycho, Christian Bale, and His Problem with Women Directors". Movieline . Retrieved March 28, 2013. Though some outdoor shots were captured in New York City (where the film is set), the majority of filming took place in downtown Toronto, with a variety of scenes shot in bars and restaurants around the city. [23] Anti-violence advocates petitioned Toronto City Hall to deny the production permission to film in Toronto and organized protests because of reports that Paul Bernardo—who committed serial murders and rapes in Toronto—owned a copy of the novel. [16] [21] [a] As a result, the production faced difficulty securing shooting locations; the scenes in Bateman's office had to be filmed on a sound stage because the owners of the building that Harron intended to film in feared negative publicity. [22] Harron had been unaware of the novel's connection to the Bernardo case and sympathized with the protesters, but reasoned that she did not "want to put horrible mayhem on the screen... there's something to do here that hasn't really been done, a portrait of the late 80's that's worth putting on the screen". [16] To avoid protests, the production removed the title from daily call sheets and parking permits. [22] In all three of the films I’ve mentioned, the protagonists use and abuse the women around them, often through forms of sexual harassment. Being able to attract the most beautiful woman in the room may be desirable, but it might be worth examining how much of these characters’ desire is based on objectification, a desire to possess, or viewing women as mere status symbols. By glorifying these ‘literally me’ films and characters, even their worst traits can be romanticised.

Required Cookies & Technologies

Ellis considered his controversial novel unfilmable due to its graphic nature, but producer Edward R. Pressman was determined to adapt it and bought the film rights in 1992. Stuart Gordon, David Cronenberg, and Rob Weiss considered directing the film before Harron and Turner began writing the screenplay in 1996. They sought to make a period film grounded in the 1980s, sharing the setting with the novel. The pre-production period was tumultuous; Harron cast Bale to play Bateman, but because distributor Lionsgate Films secured a contract with Leonardo DiCaprio in the role, Harron was dismissed and replaced with Oliver Stone. Stone made a number of important decisions that remained with the final film, most notably casting Chloë Sevigny. His partnership with DiCaprio was dissolved following creative differences, leading Lionsgate to rehire Harron under the condition she could cast Bale as the lead. Principal photography began in February 1999 in Toronto and New York City. American Psycho cut to appease censors". The Guardian. February 29, 2000 . Retrieved July 27, 2010. American Psycho premiered at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival. [36] The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) initially gave the film an NC-17 rating for a scene featuring Bateman having a threesome with two prostitutes. The producers excised approximately 18 seconds of footage to obtain an R-rated version of the film. [37] [38] Home media [ edit ] Brown, Paul 'Browny' (July 8, 2021). "Ice Nine Kills Drop 'Hip To Be Scared' feat. Jacoby Shaddix". Wall Of Sound. While these films are often great watches, it’s important to remember that they are generally satirical. Overlooking the fact that their protagonists are often irredeemably despicable can create dangerous assumptions about the nature of success, masculinity, and individualism. No matter what the internet says, chopping up Jared Leto with an axe probably isn’t the solution to your problems.