Wikipedia - Benutzerbeiträge [de]

Patrick Bateman

2008-04-04T06:42:58Z

LodeRunner: /* Patrick Bateman in popular culture */

{| class="infobox" style="width: 25em; font-size: 90%; text-align: left"
|-
! colspan="2" style="text-align:center; background-color:#DEDEE2" | ''[[American Psycho (film)|American Psycho]]'' character
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | [[Image:Batemanas.jpg|[[Christian Bale]] as Patrick Bateman]]
|-
! colspan="2" style="text-align:center; font-size: larger; background-color: #001; color: #DEDEE2;" | Patrick Bateman
|-
! Location(s)
| [[New York City]], [[USA]]
|-
! Created by:
| [[Bret Easton Ellis]]
|-
! Portrayed by:
| [[Christian Bale]]
|}

'''Patrick Bateman''' is a [[fictional character]], the [[anti-hero]] and [[narrator]] of the novel ''[[American Psycho]]'' by [[Bret Easton Ellis]] and its [[American Psycho (film)|film adaptation]].

==Biography and profile==
Patrick Bateman works at the fictional [[Wall Street]] investment firm of Pierce & Pierce (also Sherman McCoy's firm in ''[[The Bonfire of the Vanities]]'') and lives on the [[Upper West Side]] in the American Gardens Building (where he is a neighbor of actor [[Tom Cruise]]). In his "secret life", however, Bateman is a [[serial killer]] who murders a variety of people, from colleagues to [[Homelessness|bum]]s, to [[prostitution|prostitutes]]. His crimes, including [[rape]], [[torture]], murder, [[necrophilia]] and [[cannibalism]], are described in graphic detail in the novel.

Bateman comes from a wealthy family. His parents have a home on [[Long Island]], and he mentions a summer home in [[Newport, Rhode Island|Newport]]. His parents divorced sometime earlier, while his mother became sick and now resides at a [[sanatorium]]. His father, who first appeared in the preceding novel "[[The Rules of Attraction]]", grew up on an estate in [[Connecticut]], and now owns an apartment in the [[Carlyle Hotel]] in [[Manhattan]], although he was apparently dying in the previous novel and, unlike his ex-wife, is mentioned only in past tense during the novel. His younger brother [[Sean Bateman|Sean]] attends [[Camden College (fictional college)|Camden College]] (and is portrayed in the novel and later feature film version of "The Rules of Attraction"). Bateman attended [[Phillips Exeter Academy]] for prep school. He graduated from [[Harvard University]] in 1984, and [[Harvard Business School]] two years later and moved to [[New York City]].

==Interests==
According to his fiancée, Evelyn, Bateman's father "practically owns the company." Bateman's job appears to be a [[sinecure]]; he spends little time in his office and does very little work while he is there. While in the office, he spends most of his time on trivial amusements such as [[crossword]] puzzles, doodling, watching television and [[Horror film | horror movies]], listening to the latest [[pop music]], and reading violent [[pornography]].

Bateman is a quintessential metro-sexual. When not in the office, Bateman spends his free time nightclubbing, eating at trendy restaurants, working out, shopping in department and designer stores or visiting various health clubs and tanning salons. According to his friend Timothy Price, he is especially popular with women. He is a consummate and somewhat elitist sartorialist with an encyclopedic knowledge of high end consumer goods, from clothing to bottled water and kitchen appliances, able to instantly recognize the brands worn by colleagues, friends and even celebrities. At home, he enjoys watching videotapes, particularly pornography and [[slasher film]]s (''[[Body Double (film)|Body Double]]'' being his favorite), and a fictional [[talk show]] called ''The Patty Winters Show''. Bateman often uses the phrase "returning videotapes" as an excuse to account for the time he has spent torturing and killing his victims, as well as a convenient way to excuse himself from the company of others. Bateman also reads biographies of other serial killers, such as [[Ed Gein]] and [[Ted Bundy]], frequently slipping in bizarre facts relating to them amid everyday conversations.

Bateman is an avid music fan, particularly of mainstream pop and [[pop-rock]]. He specifically enjoys the music of [[Talking Heads]], and he discusses at length [[Genesis (band)|Genesis]], [[Whitney Houston]] and [[Huey Lewis & the News]]
(there are whole chapters devoted to each of these three musical icons). He also listens to [[jazz]] ([[Dizzy Gillespie]] and [[Bix Beiderbecke]]). However, he despises [[rap music]] as he finds it "[[nigger]]ish" and also hates seeing music performed live, although he does visit a U2 concert and feels a connection with Bono.

==Bateman's personality==
As written by Ellis, Bateman is the ultimate [[stereotype]] of [[yuppie]] greed: rich, shallow, and addicted to sex, substance abuse, and [[conspicuous consumption]]. All of his friends look alike to him, to the point that he often confuses one for another, and they often confuse him for other people. However, though he occasionally remarks that he and his friends "look pretty much the same", he obsessively details every single feature of his clothes, stereo, workout routine, and business card. He is engaged to an equally rich, shallow woman named Evelyn. They can't stand each other, but they stay together for the sake of their social lives. He has a mistress on the side (the fiancée of a colleague he hates) and has regular liaisons with prostitutes and women he encounters at clubs, many of whom end up being his victims. The one woman (and possibly the one person) in his life he has anything approaching feelings for is his secretary, Jean. He just cannot bring himself to seduce, rape or kill her, perhaps because she is the only person in his life who is not completely shallow. Every time he mentions Jean throughout the novel, he casually acknowledges her as "Jean, my secretary who is in love with me" and introduces her in the narration as someone he "will probably end up married to someday".

While on the surface, Bateman seems to be the embodiment of the suave, attractive and successful businessman, he appears to loathe himself as much as he does everyone else; he kills many of his victims because they make him feel inadequate, usually by having better taste than he does (Paul Owen's superior reservation skills, business card and handling of the prestigious Fisher account, for example). His friends mock him as the "boy next door", his own lawyer refers to him as a "bloody ass-kisser...a brown-nosing goody-goody", and he is often dismissed as "yuppie trash" by people outside of his social circle.

Bateman often expresses doubts regarding his own [[sanity]], and he has periodic attacks of [[psychosis]], during which he [[hallucination|hallucinates]]. He often experiences feelings of [[depersonalization]]. In his own words, "...though I can hide my cold gaze and you can shake my hand and feel my flesh gripping yours and maybe you can even sense our lifestyles are probably comparable: I am simply not there." Although Bateman often claims that he is devoid of emotion, he also describes experiencing moments or periods of extreme rage, panic or grief, often over trivial inconveniences such as not being able to get a good table at a restaurant. In the middle of dismembering a victim, he breaks down, sobbing that he "just wants to be loved."

Bateman compensates for these inabilities and insecurities through obsessive vanity and [[personal grooming]], with unwavering attention to detail. He dresses in the most fashionable, expensive clothing possible (e.g. [[Valentino SpA|Valentino suits]], [[Oliver Peoples]] glasses and [[Jean Paul Gaultier]] overnight bags) as a means of affecting some "control" over his otherwise chaotic life. Likewise, he categorizes people by what they wear and how they look because they are more easily "understood" in terms of labels and stereotypes. Bateman's apartment also is firmly controlled in terms of look and taste, with the latest music, food, and paintings. People as three-dimensional beings are unpredictable and impossible to understand, but people in terms of attire and appearance are much more easy for Bateman to grasp.

Publicly, Bateman presents the façade of a sensitive and caring [[American liberalism|liberal]]. He expresses a stereotypically left-wing concern for issues such as [[AIDS]], [[environmentalism]], [[racism]], [[homelessness]] and the economy. However, Bateman is actually a virulent [[sexism|sexist]], [[racism|racist]], [[elitism|elitist]], conformist, [[sadist]], and [[homophobia|homophobe]].

Bateman does not fit the "typical" profile of a serial killer, as he kills more or less indiscriminately, with no preferred type of victim and no consistent or preferred method of killing. Throughout the novel, he kills men, women, a child, and animals. He kills women mostly for [[Sadism and Masochism|sadistic]] sexual pleasure, often during or just after sex, and is also a prolific rapist. He kills men because they anger or annoy him, and the child just to see if he would enjoy it (which he didn't).

Periodically, he matter-of-factly confesses his crimes to his friends, co-workers, and even complete strangers ("I like to dissect girls; do you know I'm utterly insane?") just to see if they are actually listening to him. They either are not, or think he is joking. In the [[climax (narrative)|climactic]] scene, he calls his lawyer and leaves a lengthy, detailed message confessing all of his crimes. He later runs into his lawyer, who mistakes him for someone else and dismisses the confession as a hilarious joke. His lawyer points out that someone like Bateman could not possibly be a murderer and that there was no way Bateman could have murdered Paul Owen because Paul had recently had lunch with him. Bateman is never arrested for the enormous number of murders he commits.

==Bateman outside of ''American Psycho''==
Bateman made his first appearance in Ellis' 1987 novel ''[[The Rules of Attraction]]'' (in which Sean, his brother, is the main character); no indication is given that he is a serial killer. Bateman also makes a short appearance in Ellis' 1998 novel ''[[Glamorama]]'', with "strange stains" on the lapel of his [[Armani]] suit.

Bateman also appeared in the ''American Psycho 2000'' [[e-mail]]s, which were written as an advertisement campaign for the movie. Although they are often mistakenly credited to Ellis, they were actually written by one or more unnamed author(s) and approved by Ellis before being sent out. ''American Psycho 2000'' served as a sort of "e-quel" to the original novel. The e-mails take place in 2000, a little over a decade since the novel. Bateman is in [[psychotherapy|therapy]] with a Dr. M. He is also married to Jean, his former secretary. They have a son, Patrick Bateman Jr. (P.B.), who is 8 years old. In the story, Bateman talks about therapy, trying to get a divorce from Jean, his renewed feelings about murder, and idolizing his son. In the end it is revealed that the 'real' Bateman who 'writes' the e-mails, is the owner of the company that produces the movie.

Bateman appeared in Ellis' 2005 novel ''[[Lunar Park]]'', in which Ellis confesses that writing ''American Psycho'' felt like channeling the words of a violent spirit rather than writing anything himself. This ghost — Bateman — haunts Ellis' [[McMansion]]. A character also comes to Ellis' [[Halloween]] party dressed as Patrick Bateman. Towards the novel's end, Ellis writes the 'last' Bateman story as a way of confronting and controlling the character, as well as the issues Ellis created Bateman as a means of countering. Bateman, for all intents and purposes, dies in a fire on a boat dock.

Patrick Bateman briefly appears in the [[Anno Dracula series]] story "Andy Warhol's Dracula: Anno Dracula 1978-1979".

Most recently, "Patrick Bateman M.D." was used as an alias by [[Dexter Morgan]], the protagonist of Showtime's ''[[Dexter (TV series)|Dexter]]'', whenever he had to order the strong animal tranquilizer he uses in his murders. According to Dexter, the reason for choosing the name was because it sounded, "So wholesome, so inconspicuous".

Patrick Bateman was credited as a character in the 2006 film ''Broken'' directed by Simon Boyes and Adam Mason, however never actually appeared in the movie. During the directors' audio commentary, Boyes and Mason state that they had simply made up many of the ending credits for their own amusement, and the Bateman credit was one of them.

==Bateman in film==
The best-known portrayal of Patrick Bateman is [[Christian Bale]]'s in [[Mary Harron]]'s 2000 ''[[American Psycho (film)|American Psycho]]'' film adaptation. Though Bale had been the first choice for the part by both Ellis and the director, the producers offered the part to [[Keanu Reeves]], [[Edward Norton]], and [[Brad Pitt]]. [[Leonardo DiCaprio]] was set to play the infamous character, but dropped out of the film. Bateman was also portrayed by Dechen Thurman (brother of [[Uma Thurman|Uma]]) in the 2000 [[documentary film|documentary]] ''This Is Not an Exit: The Fictional World of Bret Easton Ellis''. Michael Kremko played Bateman in the opening scene of ''[[American Psycho 2|American Psycho 2: All American Girl]]'', the 2002 [[direct-to-video]] [[sequel]] to ''American Psycho''. In ''American Psycho 2: All American Girl'', Bateman was killed by the young girl who saw him kill her babysitter, who took her along to his apartment in an attempt to apprehend him.

Scenes with the character were shot for the 2002 [[The Rules of Attraction (film)|film adaptation]] of ''[[The Rules of Attraction]]''. Ellis revealed in an interview that director [[Roger Avary]] asked Bale to reprise the role, but Bale turned down the offer, and Avary asked Ellis himself to portray Bateman. Ellis refused, stating that he "thought it was such a terrible and gimmicky idea", and Avary eventually shot the scenes with [[Casper Van Dien]]. The scenes, however, were ultimately cut from the final version of the film.

==Chronology of Bateman's Life==
*ca. [[October 1]] - [[October 23]], [[1962]]: Patrick Bateman is born (deduced from a passage in ''American Psycho'' where he tells detective Donald Kimball that he and Paul Owen were both seven in 1969 and later when he briefly muses on what it means to be a [[Libra (astrology)|Libra]], as well as wondering what he'll get for his birthday in October).
*1980: Bateman graduates from [[Phillips Exeter Academy]].
*1984: Bateman graduates from [[Harvard University]].
*1986: Bateman graduates from [[Harvard Business School]].
**From the time of his graduation, through the end of ''American Psycho'', Bateman works at Pierce & Pierce.
*ca. 1996: Bateman shows up at Victor's club in ''[[Glamorama]]'' with "strange stains" on his suit.
*2000: Bateman enters therapy with a Dr. M. This appears in the ''American Psycho 2000'' e-mails. In these emails, he is divorcing Jean, to whom he has been married for at least five years, and has a son. He has apparently started his own brokerage firm and seems to be even richer than he was in the original novel. His tastes are even more rarefied. His homicidal tendencies (or thoughts) seem to have cooled a little with the birth of his son, but have not disappeared completely. This is interpreted by some fans as non-[[Canon (fiction)|canon]] given that the e-mails were not written by Ellis.
*2003: Ellis kills Patrick Bateman by writing an extraordinary account of the serial killer being trapped in a pier fire. However this is also interpreted by some fans as non-[[Canon (fiction)|canon]]. See ''[[Lunar Park]]''.

== Patrick Bateman in popular culture ==

Welsh rock band [[Manic Street Preachers]] released a song called "Patrick Bateman" as a [[B-side]] to their single "[[La Tristesse Durera (Scream to a Sigh)]]".

== References ==
* IMDB, Internet Movie Database, IMDB.com, 1/17/07, Pg. 4 Para 5

{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bateman, Patrick}}
[[Category:Fictional businesspeople]]
[[Category:Fictional cannibals]]
[[Category:Fictional rapists]]
[[Category:Fictional serial killers]]
[[Category:Fictional socialites]]
[[Category:Fictional characters from New York City]]
[[Category:Fictional English Americans]]
[[Category:Fictional characters with mental illness]]

[[da:Patrick Bateman]]
[[es:Patrick Bateman]]
[[fr:Patrick Bateman]]
[[nl:Patrick Bateman]]
[[ru:Патрик Бэйтмен]]
[[sv:Patrick Bateman]]

Patrick Bateman

2008-04-04T06:32:24Z

LodeRunner:

{| class="infobox" style="width: 25em; font-size: 90%; text-align: left"
|-
! colspan="2" style="text-align:center; background-color:#DEDEE2" | ''[[American Psycho (film)|American Psycho]]'' character
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | [[Image:Batemanas.jpg|[[Christian Bale]] as Patrick Bateman]]
|-
! colspan="2" style="text-align:center; font-size: larger; background-color: #001; color: #DEDEE2;" | Patrick Bateman
|-
! Location(s)
| [[New York City]], [[USA]]
|-
! Created by:
| [[Bret Easton Ellis]]
|-
! Portrayed by:
| [[Christian Bale]]
|}

'''Patrick Bateman''' is a [[fictional character]], the [[anti-hero]] and [[narrator]] of the novel ''[[American Psycho]]'' by [[Bret Easton Ellis]] and its [[American Psycho (film)|film adaptation]].

==Biography and profile==
Patrick Bateman works at the fictional [[Wall Street]] investment firm of Pierce & Pierce (also Sherman McCoy's firm in ''[[The Bonfire of the Vanities]]'') and lives on the [[Upper West Side]] in the American Gardens Building (where he is a neighbor of actor [[Tom Cruise]]). In his "secret life", however, Bateman is a [[serial killer]] who murders a variety of people, from colleagues to [[Homelessness|bum]]s, to [[prostitution|prostitutes]]. His crimes, including [[rape]], [[torture]], murder, [[necrophilia]] and [[cannibalism]], are described in graphic detail in the novel.

Bateman comes from a wealthy family. His parents have a home on [[Long Island]], and he mentions a summer home in [[Newport, Rhode Island|Newport]]. His parents divorced sometime earlier, while his mother became sick and now resides at a [[sanatorium]]. His father, who first appeared in the preceding novel "[[The Rules of Attraction]]", grew up on an estate in [[Connecticut]], and now owns an apartment in the [[Carlyle Hotel]] in [[Manhattan]], although he was apparently dying in the previous novel and, unlike his ex-wife, is mentioned only in past tense during the novel. His younger brother [[Sean Bateman|Sean]] attends [[Camden College (fictional college)|Camden College]] (and is portrayed in the novel and later feature film version of "The Rules of Attraction"). Bateman attended [[Phillips Exeter Academy]] for prep school. He graduated from [[Harvard University]] in 1984, and [[Harvard Business School]] two years later and moved to [[New York City]].

==Interests==
According to his fiancée, Evelyn, Bateman's father "practically owns the company." Bateman's job appears to be a [[sinecure]]; he spends little time in his office and does very little work while he is there. While in the office, he spends most of his time on trivial amusements such as [[crossword]] puzzles, doodling, watching television and [[Horror film | horror movies]], listening to the latest [[pop music]], and reading violent [[pornography]].

Bateman is a quintessential metro-sexual. When not in the office, Bateman spends his free time nightclubbing, eating at trendy restaurants, working out, shopping in department and designer stores or visiting various health clubs and tanning salons. According to his friend Timothy Price, he is especially popular with women. He is a consummate and somewhat elitist sartorialist with an encyclopedic knowledge of high end consumer goods, from clothing to bottled water and kitchen appliances, able to instantly recognize the brands worn by colleagues, friends and even celebrities. At home, he enjoys watching videotapes, particularly pornography and [[slasher film]]s (''[[Body Double (film)|Body Double]]'' being his favorite), and a fictional [[talk show]] called ''The Patty Winters Show''. Bateman often uses the phrase "returning videotapes" as an excuse to account for the time he has spent torturing and killing his victims, as well as a convenient way to excuse himself from the company of others. Bateman also reads biographies of other serial killers, such as [[Ed Gein]] and [[Ted Bundy]], frequently slipping in bizarre facts relating to them amid everyday conversations.

Bateman is an avid music fan, particularly of mainstream pop and [[pop-rock]]. He specifically enjoys the music of [[Talking Heads]], and he discusses at length [[Genesis (band)|Genesis]], [[Whitney Houston]] and [[Huey Lewis & the News]]
(there are whole chapters devoted to each of these three musical icons). He also listens to [[jazz]] ([[Dizzy Gillespie]] and [[Bix Beiderbecke]]). However, he despises [[rap music]] as he finds it "[[nigger]]ish" and also hates seeing music performed live, although he does visit a U2 concert and feels a connection with Bono.

==Bateman's personality==
As written by Ellis, Bateman is the ultimate [[stereotype]] of [[yuppie]] greed: rich, shallow, and addicted to sex, substance abuse, and [[conspicuous consumption]]. All of his friends look alike to him, to the point that he often confuses one for another, and they often confuse him for other people. However, though he occasionally remarks that he and his friends "look pretty much the same", he obsessively details every single feature of his clothes, stereo, workout routine, and business card. He is engaged to an equally rich, shallow woman named Evelyn. They can't stand each other, but they stay together for the sake of their social lives. He has a mistress on the side (the fiancée of a colleague he hates) and has regular liaisons with prostitutes and women he encounters at clubs, many of whom end up being his victims. The one woman (and possibly the one person) in his life he has anything approaching feelings for is his secretary, Jean. He just cannot bring himself to seduce, rape or kill her, perhaps because she is the only person in his life who is not completely shallow. Every time he mentions Jean throughout the novel, he casually acknowledges her as "Jean, my secretary who is in love with me" and introduces her in the narration as someone he "will probably end up married to someday".

While on the surface, Bateman seems to be the embodiment of the suave, attractive and successful businessman, he appears to loathe himself as much as he does everyone else; he kills many of his victims because they make him feel inadequate, usually by having better taste than he does (Paul Owen's superior reservation skills, business card and handling of the prestigious Fisher account, for example). His friends mock him as the "boy next door", his own lawyer refers to him as a "bloody ass-kisser...a brown-nosing goody-goody", and he is often dismissed as "yuppie trash" by people outside of his social circle.

Bateman often expresses doubts regarding his own [[sanity]], and he has periodic attacks of [[psychosis]], during which he [[hallucination|hallucinates]]. He often experiences feelings of [[depersonalization]]. In his own words, "...though I can hide my cold gaze and you can shake my hand and feel my flesh gripping yours and maybe you can even sense our lifestyles are probably comparable: I am simply not there." Although Bateman often claims that he is devoid of emotion, he also describes experiencing moments or periods of extreme rage, panic or grief, often over trivial inconveniences such as not being able to get a good table at a restaurant. In the middle of dismembering a victim, he breaks down, sobbing that he "just wants to be loved."

Bateman compensates for these inabilities and insecurities through obsessive vanity and [[personal grooming]], with unwavering attention to detail. He dresses in the most fashionable, expensive clothing possible (e.g. [[Valentino SpA|Valentino suits]], [[Oliver Peoples]] glasses and [[Jean Paul Gaultier]] overnight bags) as a means of affecting some "control" over his otherwise chaotic life. Likewise, he categorizes people by what they wear and how they look because they are more easily "understood" in terms of labels and stereotypes. Bateman's apartment also is firmly controlled in terms of look and taste, with the latest music, food, and paintings. People as three-dimensional beings are unpredictable and impossible to understand, but people in terms of attire and appearance are much more easy for Bateman to grasp.

Publicly, Bateman presents the façade of a sensitive and caring [[American liberalism|liberal]]. He expresses a stereotypically left-wing concern for issues such as [[AIDS]], [[environmentalism]], [[racism]], [[homelessness]] and the economy. However, Bateman is actually a virulent [[sexism|sexist]], [[racism|racist]], [[elitism|elitist]], conformist, [[sadist]], and [[homophobia|homophobe]].

Bateman does not fit the "typical" profile of a serial killer, as he kills more or less indiscriminately, with no preferred type of victim and no consistent or preferred method of killing. Throughout the novel, he kills men, women, a child, and animals. He kills women mostly for [[Sadism and Masochism|sadistic]] sexual pleasure, often during or just after sex, and is also a prolific rapist. He kills men because they anger or annoy him, and the child just to see if he would enjoy it (which he didn't).

Periodically, he matter-of-factly confesses his crimes to his friends, co-workers, and even complete strangers ("I like to dissect girls; do you know I'm utterly insane?") just to see if they are actually listening to him. They either are not, or think he is joking. In the [[climax (narrative)|climactic]] scene, he calls his lawyer and leaves a lengthy, detailed message confessing all of his crimes. He later runs into his lawyer, who mistakes him for someone else and dismisses the confession as a hilarious joke. His lawyer points out that someone like Bateman could not possibly be a murderer and that there was no way Bateman could have murdered Paul Owen because Paul had recently had lunch with him. Bateman is never arrested for the enormous number of murders he commits.

==Bateman outside of ''American Psycho''==
Bateman made his first appearance in Ellis' 1987 novel ''[[The Rules of Attraction]]'' (in which Sean, his brother, is the main character); no indication is given that he is a serial killer. Bateman also makes a short appearance in Ellis' 1998 novel ''[[Glamorama]]'', with "strange stains" on the lapel of his [[Armani]] suit.

Bateman also appeared in the ''American Psycho 2000'' [[e-mail]]s, which were written as an advertisement campaign for the movie. Although they are often mistakenly credited to Ellis, they were actually written by one or more unnamed author(s) and approved by Ellis before being sent out. ''American Psycho 2000'' served as a sort of "e-quel" to the original novel. The e-mails take place in 2000, a little over a decade since the novel. Bateman is in [[psychotherapy|therapy]] with a Dr. M. He is also married to Jean, his former secretary. They have a son, Patrick Bateman Jr. (P.B.), who is 8 years old. In the story, Bateman talks about therapy, trying to get a divorce from Jean, his renewed feelings about murder, and idolizing his son. In the end it is revealed that the 'real' Bateman who 'writes' the e-mails, is the owner of the company that produces the movie.

Bateman appeared in Ellis' 2005 novel ''[[Lunar Park]]'', in which Ellis confesses that writing ''American Psycho'' felt like channeling the words of a violent spirit rather than writing anything himself. This ghost — Bateman — haunts Ellis' [[McMansion]]. A character also comes to Ellis' [[Halloween]] party dressed as Patrick Bateman. Towards the novel's end, Ellis writes the 'last' Bateman story as a way of confronting and controlling the character, as well as the issues Ellis created Bateman as a means of countering. Bateman, for all intents and purposes, dies in a fire on a boat dock.

Patrick Bateman briefly appears in the [[Anno Dracula series]] story "Andy Warhol's Dracula: Anno Dracula 1978-1979".

Most recently, "Patrick Bateman M.D." was used as an alias by [[Dexter Morgan]], the protagonist of Showtime's ''[[Dexter (TV series)|Dexter]]'', whenever he had to order the strong animal tranquilizer he uses in his murders. According to Dexter, the reason for choosing the name was because it sounded, "So wholesome, so inconspicuous".

Patrick Bateman was credited as a character in the 2006 film ''Broken'' directed by Simon Boyes and Adam Mason, however never actually appeared in the movie. During the directors' audio commentary, Boyes and Mason state that they had simply made up many of the ending credits for their own amusement, and the Bateman credit was one of them.

==Bateman in film==
The best-known portrayal of Patrick Bateman is [[Christian Bale]]'s in [[Mary Harron]]'s 2000 ''[[American Psycho (film)|American Psycho]]'' film adaptation. Though Bale had been the first choice for the part by both Ellis and the director, the producers offered the part to [[Keanu Reeves]], [[Edward Norton]], and [[Brad Pitt]]. [[Leonardo DiCaprio]] was set to play the infamous character, but dropped out of the film. Bateman was also portrayed by Dechen Thurman (brother of [[Uma Thurman|Uma]]) in the 2000 [[documentary film|documentary]] ''This Is Not an Exit: The Fictional World of Bret Easton Ellis''. Michael Kremko played Bateman in the opening scene of ''[[American Psycho 2|American Psycho 2: All American Girl]]'', the 2002 [[direct-to-video]] [[sequel]] to ''American Psycho''. In ''American Psycho 2: All American Girl'', Bateman was killed by the young girl who saw him kill her babysitter, who took her along to his apartment in an attempt to apprehend him.

Scenes with the character were shot for the 2002 [[The Rules of Attraction (film)|film adaptation]] of ''[[The Rules of Attraction]]''. Ellis revealed in an interview that director [[Roger Avary]] asked Bale to reprise the role, but Bale turned down the offer, and Avary asked Ellis himself to portray Bateman. Ellis refused, stating that he "thought it was such a terrible and gimmicky idea", and Avary eventually shot the scenes with [[Casper Van Dien]]. The scenes, however, were ultimately cut from the final version of the film.

==Chronology of Bateman's Life==
*ca. [[October 1]] - [[October 23]], [[1962]]: Patrick Bateman is born (deduced from a passage in ''American Psycho'' where he tells detective Donald Kimball that he and Paul Owen were both seven in 1969 and later when he briefly muses on what it means to be a [[Libra (astrology)|Libra]], as well as wondering what he'll get for his birthday in October).
*1980: Bateman graduates from [[Phillips Exeter Academy]].
*1984: Bateman graduates from [[Harvard University]].
*1986: Bateman graduates from [[Harvard Business School]].
**From the time of his graduation, through the end of ''American Psycho'', Bateman works at Pierce & Pierce.
*ca. 1996: Bateman shows up at Victor's club in ''[[Glamorama]]'' with "strange stains" on his suit.
*2000: Bateman enters therapy with a Dr. M. This appears in the ''American Psycho 2000'' e-mails. In these emails, he is divorcing Jean, to whom he has been married for at least five years, and has a son. He has apparently started his own brokerage firm and seems to be even richer than he was in the original novel. His tastes are even more rarefied. His homicidal tendencies (or thoughts) seem to have cooled a little with the birth of his son, but have not disappeared completely. This is interpreted by some fans as non-[[Canon (fiction)|canon]] given that the e-mails were not written by Ellis.
*2003: Ellis kills Patrick Bateman by writing an extraordinary account of the serial killer being trapped in a pier fire. However this is also interpreted by some fans as non-[[Canon (fiction)|canon]]. See ''[[Lunar Park]]''.

== Patrick Bateman in popular culture ==

Welsh rock band [[Manic Street Preachers]] released a song called "Patrick Bateman" as a [[B-side]] to their single "[[La Tristesse Durera (Scream for a Sigh)]]".

== References ==
* IMDB, Internet Movie Database, IMDB.com, 1/17/07, Pg. 4 Para 5

{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bateman, Patrick}}
[[Category:Fictional businesspeople]]
[[Category:Fictional cannibals]]
[[Category:Fictional rapists]]
[[Category:Fictional serial killers]]
[[Category:Fictional socialites]]
[[Category:Fictional characters from New York City]]
[[Category:Fictional English Americans]]
[[Category:Fictional characters with mental illness]]

[[da:Patrick Bateman]]
[[es:Patrick Bateman]]
[[fr:Patrick Bateman]]
[[nl:Patrick Bateman]]
[[ru:Патрик Бэйтмен]]
[[sv:Patrick Bateman]]

Alex Winter

2006-11-21T16:49:01Z

LodeRunner: remove info on non-notable person

[[Image:bteaboothbw3.jpg|thumb|Alex Winter and [[Keanu Reeves]] in [[Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure]]]]'''Alex Winter''' (born [[July 17]], [[1965]]) is an [[actor]], [[Film director|director]] and [[film writer]], [[England|English]]-born but raised in [[Montclair|Montclair, New Jersey]], [[USA]].

Born in [[London]], [[England]], Alex Winter trained as a [[dancer]] as a child, that being the profession of his parents. His family then relocated to [[Missouri]]. He studied Film at college in [[New York City]] and starred in a number of plays whilst still a student.

His first major role as an actor was in the cult [[vampire]] movie ''[[The Lost Boys]]'' in [[1987]] when he was aged twenty-two. Two years later he starred with [[Keanu Reeves]] in the comedy ''[[Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure]]''. He reprised his role in the sequel ''[[Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey]]''. He also provided the voice for one of the [[animated]] television series spin-offs, as did Reeves.

Alex Winter has mainly worked behind the scenes in film since his role in the ''Bill & Ted'' movies. In [[1993]] he co-wrote and co-directed the comedy ''[[Freaked]]'', and six-years later he wrote and directed ''[[Fever (movie)|Fever]]''. Additionally he has directed [[music videos]] and [[television commercials]]. He also starred in a show on MTV called "The Idiot Box" in the early 1990s.

He is married to [[Sonia Y. Dawson]] with a son named Leroy and works throughout the [[United Kingdom|UK]], as well as the [[USA]].

He remains close friends with [[Keanu Reeves]].

==External links==
*[http://www.alexwinter.com/ alexwinter.com - Official Homepage]
*{{imdb name|id=0935664|name=Alex Winter}}
*[http://www.alexwinterfansite.com/ AlexWinterFansite.com]
*[http://www.freekland.com/alex.htm Freekland: Official Homepage of Alex Winter, Tom Stern, and Tim Burns]

{{UK-actor-stub}}

[[Category:1965 births|Winter, Alex]]
[[Category:Living people|Winter, Alex]]
[[Category:English film directors|Winter, Alex]]
[[Category:English actors|Winter, Alex]]
[[Category:English Jews|Winter, Alex]]
[[Category:People from London|Winter, Alex]]

Point of Know Return

2006-10-09T23:49:04Z

LodeRunner:

{{Infobox Album | 
| Name = Point of Know Return
| Type = [[Album]]
| Artist = [[Kansas (band)|Kansas]]
| Cover = Kansas - Point of Know Return.jpg
| Released = September 1977
| Recorded = June-July 1977 at Woodland Sound, [[Nashville, TN]] and<br>Studio In The Country, [[Bogalusa, LA]]
| Genre = [[Progressive rock|Progressive Rock]]
| Length = 43:59
| Label = [[Kirshner Records|Kirshner]]
| Producer = [[Jeff Glixman]]
| Reviews =
* [[All Music Guide]] {{rating-5|4}} [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:rh9ss30ba3zg~T1 link]
| Last album = ''[[Leftoverture]]'' <br /> (1976)
| This album = '''''Point of Know Return''''' <br /> (1977)
| Next album = ''[[Two for the Show]]'' <br /> (1978)
}}
==Overview==
'''''Point of Know Return''''' is the fifth [[album]] by [[United States|American]] [[rock music|rock]] band [[Kansas (band)|Kansas]], released in 1977 (see [[1977 in music]]).

The huge success of Kansas's previous effort, ''[[Leftoverture]]'', brought a new kind of pressure. While they were no longer desperately poor and starving for a hit, the band wondered whether they'd be able build on, or at least maintain the level of achievement the years of recording and touring had brought them. The sessions for their follow-up [[Vinyl record|LP]], ''Point of Know Return'', were filled with tension as singer/songwriter [[Steve Walsh (musician)|Steve Walsh]], who had always been uncomfortable with the artistic direction of the band, left the group briefly. Years later, Walsh would admit in an interview that he had been something of a [[prima donna]] at this point. The other members of the group talked him into returning and the sessions continued. As with the previous album, it was a last-minute addition to the track line-up that would prove to be a huge success.

[[Kerry Livgren]] had been practicing with his acoustic guitar, working on a chord progression that he had written as a finger exercise. His wife, Vicci, happened to hear what he was doing and remarked that the melody was nice and that he should write lyrics for it. The result was a short song called "Dust in the Wind". Again, Livgren was unsure as to whether his fellow band members would like it, since Kansas was not known for acoustic ballads. Needless to say, the song was recorded, securing Kansas's place in the annals of [[classic rock]].

==A Detailed Description==
''Point of Know Return'' begins with a brief song of the same title, clocking in at 3:12. It was a later addition to the album, along with giving the album its name. After this track is "Paradox," in which the violin takes center stage as a solo instrument in an extension of the prototypical Kansas style. Following is the disjointed instrumental "The Spider," composed by Steve Walsh and so named for of its alleged likeness to the arachnid. This piece segues into the Einstein tribute, "Portrait (He Knew)." "Portrait" is a straightforward collection of rock riffs and somewhat strained phrases, building upon a relentless theme and weaving a unique patchwork of counterpoint. "Closet Chronicles" is a Howard Hughes allegory, which is an unusual subject for a progressive rock epic. Nonetheless, this song includes a truly unique instrumental break and makes use of the contrasting vocal timbres of Steve Walsh and Robby Steinhardt. Next is a somewhat dated generic rock tune called "Lightning's Hand." In this song, Walsh attempts vocal caracatures similar to [[Peter Gabriel]] and [[Phil Collins]] in their respective tenures in the British progressive rock group [[Genesis (band)|Genesis]]. Following this song is the work by which many listeners judge the band, "Dust In The Wind." The song in no way reflects any other song in the entire Kansas canon, particularly because of its sparse acoustic nature. In this song the band explores the prospect of death and the insignificance of one lifetime in the endless thread of time. "Sparks Of The Tempest" comments upon the cyclical nature of rebellion and the claim of power through a purely Kansas-esque brand of accessible rock. "Nobody's Home" chronicles an alien encounter with the world of a fallen civilization, and reflects the pensive atmosphere of "Dust." This song makes effective use of Robby Steinhardt's soft and sensitive voice and his virtuosic skill on the violin, particularly the latter in the bawling cimax of the instrumental break. The album closes with "Hopelessly Human," a progressive epic in the vein of those on ''Leftoverture''. The piece features many instrumental solos.



==Cultural Impact==
In the 1989 movie ''[[Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure]]'', Ted ([[Keanu Reeves]]) may be referring to the "Dust in the Wind" lyrics "all we are is dust in the wind" as he said, "All we are is dust in the wind, dude", where he and Bill ([[Alex Winter]]) met Socrates while travelling back in history.

==Track listing==
#"Point of Know Return" (Ehart, Steinhardt, Walsh) – 3:13
#"Paradox" (Livgren, Walsh) – 3:50
#"The Spider" (Walsh) – 2:03
#"Portrait (He Knew)" (Livgren, Walsh) – 4:38
#"Closet Chronicles" (Livgren, Walsh) – 6:32
#"Lightning's Hand" (Livgren, Walsh) – 4:24
#"[[Dust in the Wind]]" (Livgren) – 3:28
#"Sparks of the Tempest" (Livgren, Walsh) – 4:18
#"Nobody's Home" (Livgren, Walsh) – 4:40
#"Hopelessly Human" (Livgren) – 7:09
#"Sparks of the Tempest*" [live] (Livgren, Walsh) – 5:17
#"Portrait (He Knew)*" [remix] (Livgren, Walsh) – 4:49

''Tracks 11 and 12 are only on the 2002 remaster

:''*'' notes previously unreleased tracks.

==Personnel==
*[[Phil Ehart]] - [[Percussion instrument|percussion]], [[Tubular bell|chime]]s, [[drums]], [[gong]], [[tympani]]
*[[Dave Hope]] - [[bass guitar|bass]]
*[[Kerry Livgren]] - [[synthesizer]], [[Steel-string guitar|acoustic guitar]], [[guitar]], percussion, [[piano]], [[electric guitar]], [[keyboard instrument|keyboard]], [[clavinet]], Rinaldo whistling machine
*[[Robby Steinhardt]] - [[violin]], [[cello]], [[viola]], [[vocals]], lap cello
*[[Steve Walsh]] - [[organ (music)|organ]], synthesizer, percussion, piano, [[celeste]], keyboard, vocals, [[vibraphone]], Peabody chromatic inverter
*[[Rich Williams]] - acoustic guitar, guitar, electric guitar

'''Additional personnel'''
*Rick Williams - [[pedal steel|pedals]]

==Production==
*Producer: Jeff Glixman
*Engineers: Terry Becker, Jeff Glixman
*Mastering: George Marino
*Arranger: Kansas
*Art direction: Tom Drennon
*Cover art concept: Kansas
*Cover design: Rod Dyer
*Artwork: Peter Lloyd
*Artwork: Bob Maile

==Charts==
'''Album''' - [[Billboard magazine|Billboard]] (North America)
{| border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2 width="550px"
!align="left"|Year
!align="left"|Chart
!align="left"|Position
|-
|align="left"|1978
|align="left"|Pop Albums
|align="left"|4
|-
|}

'''Singles''' - Billboard (North America)
{| border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2 width="550px"
!align="left"|Year
!align="left"|Single
!align="left"|Chart
!align="left"|Position
|-
|align="left"|1978
|align="left"|"Dust In The Wind"
|align="left"|Pop Singles
|align="left"|6
|-
|align="left"|1978
|align="left"|"Point Of Know Return"
|align="left"|Pop Singles
|align="left"|28
|-
|align="left"|1978
|align="left"|"Portrait (He Knew)"
|align="left"|Pop Singles
|align="left"|64
|-
|}

{{kansasband}}

[[Category:Kansas albums]]
[[Category:1977 albums]]