What music would Patrick Bateman listen to?

[Neoproks]

Hey guys, so I'm dressing up as Patrick Bateman for an upcoming convention, specifically from this scene:


And as an extra "fun" addition, I was going to build a speaker into the chainsaw that would play some of the more upbeat/iconic music from the movie.

So far I have:

Simpy Irresistible - Robert Palmer
Hip to Be Square - Huey Lewis and the News
Walking on Sunshine - Katrina and the Waves
In too Deep - Genesis
Sussudio - Phil Collins

I chose these tracks as they are either used in one of the iconic scenes or just fit the overall tone well. Much of the rest of the soundtrack is less "poppy" so to speak. And, because I'm going to be walking around for quite a while, five songs would get old pretty fast for those attending with me, so I came to the best people I know, to ask for suggestions.

What other music do you guys think Patrick Bateman would have to play on his walkman? (that fits with the feel of the rest of the songs)


Thanks for any suggestions you guys have.

 

[CB2001]

Re: What music would Patrick Bateman listen too?

As much as you're trying to stick with the film's soundtrack, you may want to consider the books of Bret Easton Ellis (namely "Less Than Zero", "The Rules of Attraction" and the novel of "American Psycho"). I know in the novel of "The Rules of Attraction", I remember there being a reference to "Dancing With Myself" by Billy Idol. I'll check around to see if there's any other references to other songs in his other books and post then here (you could even use the Elvis Costello songs that inspired the titles of "Less Than Zero" and "Imperial Bedrooms.")

Update:

Songs from the novel "Less Than Zero":

“New Kid In Town” — The Eagles
“Crimson & Clover” — Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
“In The Sun” — Blondie
“I Love L.A.” — Randy Newman
“Hungry Like A Wolf” — Duran Duran
“Somebody Got Murdered” — The Clash
“Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?” — Culture Club
“Straight Into Darkness” — Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
“LA Woman” — The Doors
“Los Angeles” — X
“Earthquake Song” — The Little Girls
“Sex and Dying in High Society” — X
“Stairway to Heaven” — Led Zeppelin
“Less Than Zero” –- Elvis Costello
“Song For Clay” — Bloc Party


Songs from the novel "The Rules of Attraction"

“Burning Down The House” — Talking Heads
“Walk Away Renée” — The Left Banke
“Revolution” — Thompson Twins
“Every Breath You Take” — The Police
“Town Called Malice” — The Jam
“The Message” — Grandmaster Flash
“Funeral for a Friend” — Elton John
“Dancing With Myself” — Billy Idol
“Your Silent Face” — New Order
“The Boys Of Summer” — Don Henley
“The Unforgettable Fire” — U2
“Venus in Furs” — The Velvet Underground
“The Weakness in Me” — Joan Armatrading
“William, It Was Really Nothing” — The Smiths
“Love Of The Common People” — Paul Young
“Unsatisfied” — The Replacements
“Ashes To Ashes” — David Bowie
“And She Was” — Talking Heads
“Born In The USA” — Bruce Springsteen
“Love Will Tear Us Apart” — Joy Division

Songs from the novel "American Psycho" (includes some from the film)

“Hip to be Square” — Huey Lewis & The News
“New Sensation” — INXS
“Faith” — George Michael
“The Confrontation” — Les Misérables (Original London Cast)
“Love is a Contact Sport” — Whitney Houston
“Anything She Does” — Genesis
“Jacob’s Ladder” — Huey Lewis & The News
“Party All the Time” — Eddie Murphy
“I Feel Free” — Belinda Carlisle
“Brilliant Disguise” — Bruce Springsteen
“Devil Inside” — INXS
“Greatest Love Of All” — Whitney Houston
“The Heart Of Rock & Roll” — Huey Lewis & The News
“Sussudio” — Phil Collins
“In Too Deep” — Genesis
“I Wanna Dance With Somebody” — Whitney Houston
“Like A Prayer” — Madonna
“I Want A New Drug” — Huey Lewis & The News
“Follow You Follow Me” — Genesis
“Heaven Is A Place On Earth” — Belinda Carlisle

Songs from "The Informers"

“Church Of The Poisoned Mind” — Culture Club
“Zig Zag Wanderer” — Captain Beefheart
“Suddenly Last Summer” — The Motels
“Head Over Heels” — The Go–Gos
“Jessie’s Girl” — Rick Springfield
“Our Lips Are Sealed” — Fun Boy Three
“Peaceful Easy Feeling” — The Eagles
“Oldest Story in the World” — The Plimsouls
“It Had to Be You” — Tony Bennett
“Material Girl” — Madonna
“Everybody Have Fun Tonight” — Wang Chung
“Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)” — Joan Jett
“Destination Unknown” — Missing Persons
“Beautiful World” — Devo
“A Million Miles Away” — The Plimsouls
“Jeopardy” — Greg Kihn
“Love Her Madly” — The Doors
The Petticoat Junction Theme Song

Songs from "Lunar Park"

“Everyday I Write The Book” — Elvis Costello
“Witchy Woman” — The Eagles
“Thriller” — Michael Jackson
“Rhiannon” — Fleetwood Mac
“The Monster Mash” — Boris Puckett and The Cryptkickers
“Pet Sematary”– Ramones
“Evil Woman” — ELO
“Werewolves of London” — Warren Zevon
“Creep” — Radiohead
“Glory Days” — Bruce Springsteen
“London Calling” — The Clash
“Time of the Season” — The Zombies
“Feels Like the First Time” — Foreigner
“On the Sunny Side of the Street” — Tony Bennett and Willie Nelson
“You’re Beautiful” — Kenny G
“Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding” — Elton John
“Someone Saved My Life Tonight” — Elton John
“One of These Nights” — The Eagles
“Life’s Been Good” — Joe Walsh

Song Lists from: A Musical Overview of Bret Easton Ellis’ Oeuvre – Flavorwire

As for what Bateman would listen to, I'd recommend just using some of the list for the novel.

 

[Neoproks]

Wow, that is a very thorough answer, thanks a ton man.

 

[DaddyfromNaboo]

I´d never think that Bateman would listen to good ol´ Phil Collins

 

[CB2001]

Wow, that is a very thorough answer, thanks a ton man.

You're welcome. Like I said, when it comes to the books by Ellis, they've mentioned various songs. So, I suspected that American Psycho would have done the same since The Rules of Attraction had quite a few references.

I´d never think that Bateman would listen to good ol´ Phil Collins

"This is Sussudio."

 

[cayman shen]

Bateman had very conventional, almost dull taste in music in the book (and movie). Very square, very preppy, very safe. Somewhat at odds with his sophisticated self-image, but very much in line with his obsessive desire to fit in. This guy wasn't rocking out to the Violent Femmes. He was all Huey Lewis.

 

[Laspector]

Not to sidetrack this thread, but since we are talking about American Psycho--I will say that I really enjoyed the movie. Later on I ordered the novel. God, that was a waste of money. If you take out all the pages of him just describing his expensive wardrobe, talking about his hair products, why he likes his music, and all the boring backgrounds on his friends and why he hates them, you might have five pages of actual physchotic murder. I understand that the book is a satire on the excess of the eighties, but this book is more like reading a Gucci catalog than a novel about a sicko killer.

That book didn't even make it to my bookshelf. Went straight to the trash after it's first and only read.

 

[CB2001]

Not to sidetrack this thread, but since we are talking about American Psycho--I will say that I really enjoyed the movie. Later on I ordered the novel. God, that was a waste of money. If you take out all the pages of him just describing his expensive wardrobe, talking about his hair products, why he likes his music, and all the boring backgrounds on his friends and why he hates them, you might have five pages of actual physchotic murder. I understand that the book is a satire on the excess of the eighties, but this book is more like reading a Gucci catalog than a novel about a sicko killer.

That book didn't even make it to my bookshelf. Went straight to the trash after it's first and only read.

Well, if you picked it up with the intention to read about a Hannibal Lector-style serial killer, you definitely picked it up for the wrong reason. Even in the end, you're not sure if he's just nuts or an actual psychotic killer. Hell, that's the irony about him, that he's so lame that being a serial killer is probably something that he wishes to be but can't be because of how pathetic he is. A lot of people think that Patrick Bateman is cool, but the fact is he's pathetic. If you actually paid attention to the clothes he typically wears, you'd realize that he dresses like an idiot (which Bret Easton Ellis purposefully designed, saying that people see the names he mentions and think he's dressing fancy, but the joke is, he's not). Even Guinevere Turner, who adapted the screenplay, stated that Patrick is in no way meant to be cool, but just finds it funny people come up to her and tell her that they can relate to Patrick Bateman, because they clearly didn't get how the character is pathetic, in both the book and the film. The truth is, Patrick, his brother Sean, Blair, Julian, Rip, Lauren Hynde, Paul Denton, even Bret Easton Ellis in Lunar Park, are all pathetic in their own ways. That's the wonderful world of Bret Easton Ellis for you. There are no sympathetic heroes, just a bunch of people trapped in a period of time full of confusion and shallowness. As Patrick himself said, "This is not an exit."

 

[Laspector]

I agree with your analysis....
....and the book still sucked....

 

[cayman shen]

The book is a masterpiece. But it has to be read as satire, not as a thriller. All those pages about his clothes and his hygiene and so forth are mockery. It's a magnum opus of sarcasm. The film is a faint outline of the book, at best.

And the book makes the movie look like an episode of Sesame Street, for the gore hounds.

 

[Probe Droid]

The book available to the public is the very slightly watered-down version. The original publisher Simon & Schuster cancelled the book when several of its female employees expressed disgust at the depictions of torture and murder of women. Galleys mysteriously ended up in the hands of the National Organization for Women and other outlets, which also called for the book's cancellation. Panicking over their investment and the possibility of it flopping and losing $ on the book, S&S dropped it (Ellis got to keep the advance). Ellis's agent Binky Urban pitched it to Random House, which figured there's no such thing as bad publicity and snapped it up as a paperback for its Vintage division and made slight alterations to the content. In the end it was much ado about nothing since the book garnered mediocre reviews (including mine) and sales. I read the original S&S version and it, indeed, was quite violent. Even though it's meh as a novel, you have to give Ellis credit for having the the guts to do it.

 

[Monkey67]

For some reason when I think crazy psycho music I go with the Sesame Street theme : Can you tell he how to get to Sesame Street ( sunny days sweeping)

its just so pure goodness and up lifting that its perfect for heading in the wrong direction. Ok, maybe I'm crazy, but it works great and people get a kick out of it when I use it

 

[Laspector]

Well, if reading chapter after chapter about someone describe his clothes is what you consider a masterpiece of satire, more power to you. Personally, I can find more satire in reading an old Sears and Roebuck catalog. But whatever floats your boat. We all have our opinions--yours is just as valid as mine.