Scene of the Week: American Psycho

directed by Mary Harron

"Hey, Paul!"

The scene: In one of my favorite movies, based on my favorite book a scene takes place that is perhaps the most unforgettable moment of the entire film. Patrick Bateman, flawlessly played by Christian Bale, is a narcissist and a psychopath. He can't stand when someone is better than him, especially Paul Allen, who gets reservations at best restaurants and whose business card is better than Bateman's (it even has a watermark!). Bateman, pretending to be someone else (recurring motive in the film and the novel) lures drunk Paul into his apartment. Bateman, who is a music aficionado starts playing Huey Lewis & the News song "Hip to be Square" and starts talking about the band as he goes into the bathroom, puts on a raincoat, grabs the axe and murders Paul yelling "TRY GETTING A RESERVATION AT DORSIA NOW YOU FUCKING STUPID BASTARD!" after which he sits down, with blood on his face and calmly lights up a cigar.