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‘American Psycho’ Hit Theaters 20 Years Ago Today!

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American Psycho

“I have all the characteristics of a human being: blood, flesh, skin, hair; but not a single, clear, identifiable emotion, except for greed and disgust,” Patrick Bateman says inĀ American Psycho. “Something horrible is happening inside of me and I don’t know why. My nightly blood lust has overflown into my days. I feel lethal, on the verge of frenzy. I think my mask of sanity is about to slip.”

Man, did it ever slip…

American Psycho, directed by Mary Harron and based on the Bret Easton Ellis novel of the same name, debuted at the Sundance film festival in January of 2000, but finally made its way to a larger audience on April 14, 2000.

It was a game-changer of sorts. Darkly funny to the point of being uncomfortable, audiences were utterly charmed by Christian Bale’s performance as obsessive psychopath Patrick Bateman, who took the excessive need to beĀ the best in the world of 80s investment bankers to a whole new level.

Everything in Patrick’s life is perfectly curated and cultivated from his contacts to his business cards to the perfect, perky blonde fiance with exactly the right social status. And yet, there’s another side to Patrick. The side that doesn’t only want and need to kill, but who layers cruelty and torture in the mix, all set to the sounds of Whitney Houston, Genesis and Huey Lewis and the News.

Audiences and critics alike became wrapped up in Patrick’s story. Were the events really happening? Was he delusional? Was it some mixture of the two?

Harron’s direction in American Psycho was immaculate. She seemingly gave her actors permission to be unlikable, and they relished that gift. No one in this film is a good person. They’re all flawed, bitter, angry, and self-absorbed. The only difference between them and Patrick is that Patrick acts out on his aggression.

He doesn’t smear someone’s reputation; he smears their blood across the walls.

For his part, Bale seemed to totally embrace the role of Bateman. He was beautiful and deadly and the image of him running naked down a hallway with a chainsaw is–as it should be–forever burned into our memories.

What worked inĀ American Psycho in 2000, still works in 2020. You can totally watch it on a surface level and enjoy a a film about a serial killing investment banker who loves pop music, but you can also scratch beneath the surface and take in the underlying themes which opens up a whole new realm of discussion.

The choice is ultimately yours.

If you haven’t seenĀ American Psycho in a while, now is the perfect time to revisit it. It’s available to rent on Redbox, Google Play, Fandango Now, Amazon, and Vudu.

Take a look at the trailer below; I’d watch with you, but I have to return some video tapes.

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Trailer for ‘The Exorcism’ Has Russell Crowe Possessed

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The latest exorcism movie is about to drop this summer. It’s aptly titled The Exorcism and it stars Academy Award winner turned B-movie savant Russell Crowe. The trailer dropped today and by the looks of it, we are getting a possession movie that takes place on a movie set.

Just like this year’s recent demon-in-media-space film Late Night With the Devil, The Exorcism happens during a production. Although the former takes place on a live network talk show, the latter is on an active sound stage. Hopefully, it won’t be entirely serious and we’ll get some meta chuckles out of it.

The film will open in theaters on June 7, but since Shudder also acquired it, it probably won’t be long after that until it finds a home on the streaming service.

Crowe plays, “Anthony Miller, a troubled actor who begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film. His estranged daughter, Lee (Ryan Simpkins), wonders if he’s slipping back into his past addictions or if there’s something more sinister at play. The film also stars Sam Worthington, Chloe Bailey, Adam Goldberg and David Hyde Pierce.”

Crowe did see some success in last year’s The Pope’s Exorcist mostly because his character was so over-the-top and infused with such comical hubris it bordered on parody. We will see if that is the route actor-turned-director Joshua John Miller takes with The Exorcism.

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Win a Stay at The Lizzie Borden House From Spirit Halloween

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lizzie borden house

Spirit Halloween has declared that this week marks the start of spooky season and to celebrate they are offering fans a chance to stay at the Lizzie Borden House with so many perks Lizzie herself would approve.

The Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, MA is claimed to be one of the most haunted houses in America. Of course one lucky winner and up to 12 of their friends will find out if the rumors are true if they win the grand prize: A private stay in the notorious house.

“We are delighted to work with Spirit Halloween to roll out the red carpet and offer the public a chance to win a one-of-a-kind experience at the infamous Lizzie Borden House, which also includes additional haunted experiences and merchandise,” said Lance Zaal, President & Founder of US Ghost Adventures.

Fans can enter to win by followingĀ Spirit Halloween‘s InstagramĀ and leaving a comment on the contest post from now throughĀ April 28.

Inside the Lizzie Borden House

The prize also includes:

An exclusive guided house tour, including insider insight around the murder, the trial, and commonly reported hauntings

A late-night ghost tour, complete with professional ghost-hunting gear

A private breakfast in the Borden family dining room

A ghost hunting starter kit with two pieces of Ghost Daddy Ghost Hunting Gear and a lesson for two at US Ghost Adventures Ghost Hunting Course

The ultimate Lizzie Borden gift package, featuring an official hatchet, the Lizzie Borden board game, Lily the Haunted Doll, and America’s Most Haunted Volume II

Winner’s choice of a Ghost Tour experience in Salem or a True Crime experience in Boston for two

“Our Halfway to Halloween celebration provides fans an exhilarating taste of what’s to come this fall and empowers them to start planning for their favorite season as early as they please,” said Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spirit Halloween. “We have cultivated an incredible following of enthusiasts who embody the Halloween lifestyle, and we’re thrilled to bring the fun back to life.”

Spirit Halloween is also preparing for their retail haunted houses. On Thursday, August 1 their flagship store in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. will officially open to start off the season. That event usually draws in hordes of people eager to see what new merch, animatronics, and exclusive IP goods will be trending this year.

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’28 Years Later’ Trilogy Taking Shape With Serious Star Power

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28 years later

Danny Boyle is revisiting his 28 Days Later universe with three new films. He will direct the first, 28 Years Later, with two more to follow. Deadline is reporting that sources say Jodie Comer,Ā Aaron Taylor-Johnson,Ā andĀ Ralph Fiennes have been cast for the first entry, a sequel to the original. Details are being kept under wraps so we don’t know how or if the first original sequel 28 Weeks Later fits into the project.

Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes

Boyle will direct the first movie but it’s unclear which role he will take on in the subsequent films. What is known is Candyman (2021) director Nia DaCosta is scheduled to direct the second film in this trilogy and that the third will be filmed immediately afterward. Whether DaCosta will direct both is still unclear.

Alex Garland is writing the scripts. Garland is having a successful time at the box office right now. He wrote and directed the current action/thriller Civil War which was just knocked out of the theatrical top spot by Radio Silence’s Abigail.

There is no word yet on when, or where, 28 Years Later will start production.

28 Days Later

The original film followed Jim (Cillian Murphy) who wakes from a coma to find that London is currently dealing with a zombie outbreak.

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