May 13, 2006

American Psycho, lucky number slevin

Dinner with Detective Kimball
Kimball is investigating the disappearance of Bateman's business associate, Paul Allen. Because all the guys who worked in and around Wall Street during the late 1980s looked the same (the soulless lack of identity and desperate conformity being major themes in the novel), Allen has been "spotted" in London, among other places.

Kimball tells Bateman Paul Allen's datebook indicates he had dinner with Marcus Halberstam on the night of his disappearance. If you recall from part three, a.k.a., "The Bloodening", Allen does have dinner with Halberstam, only he thinks it's Halberstam because he confuses Bateman with Halberstam (Bateman, of course, takes advantage of this in order to kill Allen because he hates and despises him).

Kimball interviews the real Halberstam to verify the dinner with Paul Allen. But Halberstam remembers having dinner: "at Atlantis with Craig McDermott, Frederick Dibble, Harry Newman, George Butner and"--Kimball pauses, then looks up--"you." (p. 274)

Bateman is in the clear, as far as the disappearance of Paul Allen is concerned.

He's sweating his ass off.

Not sweating his ass off.

What better way is there to celebrate getting away with a grisly murder than to git yerself a dirty whore? You remember "Bangs" from this episode? Patrick has a "thing" for her, I guess.

"I'm not so sure about this. I had to go to emergency last time."

"This won't be anything like last time. I promise."

And she gets in the limo...
Bateman: So, you're looking great. How ya been?

Whore: Well, actually, I might need a little surgery after last time.

Bateman: Really?

Whore: My friend told me I should maybe even get a lawyer.

Bateman: Lawyers are so complicated. Here's a check ($1,000).

The whore proceeds to get out of the limo. But decides to get back in the limo when Bateman dangles a wad of cash (over $1,600, p. 284) in her face.

When she tries to grab it, he says to her: "Half now, half later."

Later, at Paul Allen's apartment, Bateman prepares a drink for an old college friend, Elizabeth, who met up with Patrick and "Bangs" earlier. He slips her another two ecstasys.

As pointed out to me in the comments for part one of this recap, the actress playing the part of Elizabeth, Guinevere Turner, was also one of the film's screenwriters.

Bateman: You're telling me you've never gotten it on with a girl?

Elizabeth: No, I'm not a lesbian. Why would you think I'd be into that?

Bateman: You went to Sarah Lawrence for one thing.

About ten minutes later:


You know it's going to go bad when Psychoman starts off on one of his pop music diatribes. Remember, should you ever be around him in this state, RUN!!
"Did you know that Whitney Houston's debut LP, called simply, Whitney Houston, had four number one singles on it? Did you know that, Christie?"

"You actually listen to Whitney Houston?"

"You own a Whitney Houston CD? More than one?" (and she proceeds to fall off the couch)

"It's hard to choose a favorite among so many great tracks. But "The Greatest Love of All" is one of the best, most powerful songs ever written about self-preservation, dignity."

"It's universal message covers all boundaries, instills one with the hope it;s not too late to better ourselves."

"Tee-hee"

About ten minutes later:

Christies bolts from the bed, perhaps wishing now she'd not gotten back in that limo.

Whoopsie! Too late. It's PSYCHOMAN!!!


Christie runs frantically through the apartment, trying to find the exit.
Nope, that's the closet.


Sorry, the broom closet.

Yeah, one might be slightly terrified by the sight of this:

Not the exit, a bathroom, actually





Here we see a clear display of Psychoman's superpsychosuperpowers:



I can't help but be impressed. He couldn't do that again if he tried.

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