Jason Statham Wants To Be Daredevil

[cerealkiller182]

Ehhh....the narratives between Patrick Bateman and Dexter are very, very different. The only thing they have in common is that they are both serial killers who are unable to stop killing people because they enjoy it so much. Bateman is a narcissistic, paranoid, sadistic killer with absolutely no code of ethics who even goes as far as to flaunt it in the face of a society that is so self-involved that they pay him no mind and don't even believe him when he tells them outright that he is indeed a killer, laughing at him as if he is just joking. He can't get caught even when he tries. Hell, they can't even get his name straight. "American Psycho" is more a commentary on American society in the 80's and how so self-involved and focused on meaningless crap it was that they were either too busy or too self-absorbed to even identify someone as dangerous and do something about it.

Dexter, on the other hand, understands very well that he's a monster and abhorrs it. He was a creation of his step-father and he also understands that very well as it's a major part of his inner conflict. He channels his deep need to kill by a code of ethics, only killing people who are stone-cold guilty of killing others but untouchable by the law, figuring that if he's going to be a monster he might as well be one that's productive to society, so to speak. Bateman was about creating chaos and narcissism. Dexter is about restoring order where it wouldn't be otherwise and providing a service to society that he ultimately enjoys and needs anyway.

The two characters couldn't be more different, IMHO.

jag

I didnt say they were carbon copies, I said that the narration style and general concept of a serial killer who puts ona big show to seem normal. The narration style is very similar, monotone inhuman voices talking through a veil of normalcy. Dexter gets more in depth since he has way more screentime so at first glance theres a resemblance but Dex hooks you with everything else it offers.

Also, Batemen wasnt a narcissist to be narcissist, he was that way because his peers were. He falls into line because he wants to be normal. In his own words "he wants to be like everyone else" (i may have paraphrased a bit). Dex is surrounded by very polite and joyful people so he himself is also that way when in character. They both suffer from the temptation of murder, but Bateman does not have an appropriate outlet. He tries to rely on the homeless and hookers but his itch gets the best of him unlike Dex who without his father and police computers at his hand would also resort to killing vagrants and other innocents.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Ehhh....the narratives between Patrick Bateman and Dexter are very, very different. The only thing they have in common is that they are both serial killers who are unable to stop killing people because they enjoy it so much. Bateman is a narcissistic, paranoid, sadistic killer with absolutely no code of ethics who even goes as far as to flaunt it in the face of a society that is so self-involved that they pay him no mind and don't even believe him when he tells them outright that he is indeed a killer, laughing at him as if he is just joking. He can't get caught even when he tries. Hell, they can't even get his name straight. "American Psycho" is more a commentary on American society in the 80's and how so self-involved and focused on meaningless crap it was that they were either too busy or too self-absorbed to even identify someone as dangerous and do something about it.

jag

I saw American Psycho for the first time the other night and by the end i was actually unsure if he had actually killed anyone or if it was all in his mind, especially since the acts often mirrored what was on his TV in the background at his pad. You point about why they kept calling him Davis clears that question i had up though.

 

[jaguarr]

I didnt say they were carbon copies, I said that the narration style and general concept of a serial killer who puts ona big show to seem normal. The narration style is very similar, monotone inhuman voices talking through a veil of normalcy. Dexter gets more in depth since he has way more screentime so at first glance theres a resemblance but Dex hooks you with everything else it offers.

They both do voiceover narratives of their characters, but even then I'd hardly say they are similar. Dexter's narrative is quite a bit more animated and analytical of his situation. Bateman's narrative is meant to represent someone who's pretending to be someone they are not, completely, and it's awkward for them to do so it comes out disjointed and flat.

jag

 

[jaguarr]

Double post.

jag

 

[jaguarr]

Triple post.

jag

 

[Brian Braddock]

I saw American Psycho for the first time the other night and by the end i was actually unsure if he had actually killed anyone or if it was all in his mind, especially since the acts often mirrored what was on his TV in the background at his pad. You point about why they kept calling him Davis clears that question i had up though.

Yeah, the way I see it - any time you see Bateman actually killing someone, it's all in his head. The few instances where he actually tries to murder someone, he cant do it - his inability to strangle Louis in the mens toilet and kill Jean with the nailgun in his apartment spring to mind.

Took me a few viewing to work all the pieces out. He can be nasty and brutal as hell with people (the 2 prostitutes) but he cant kill, he just imagines he does.

The clincher for me was when he shoots at the cop car and it explodes into flames from just a few bullets. From the look he gives the gun, you can see that Patrick is genuinely perplexed that a hand gun was enough to make the car explode in such a fashion, and for the 1st time is starting to have doubts about his sanity and what is real or not.

Oh, and shame on you Hunter for only seeing AP for the 1st time the other night.

 

[jaguarr]

Missed this last part as you posted it after I replied, but wanted to address it.

Also, Batemen wasnt a narcissist to be narcissist, he was that way because his peers were. He falls into line because he wants to be normal. In his own words "he wants to be like everyone else" (i may have paraphrased a bit). Dex is surrounded by very polite and joyful people so he himself is also that way when in character. They both suffer from the temptation of murder, but Bateman does not have an appropriate outlet. He tries to rely on the homeless and hookers but his itch gets the best of him unlike Dex who without his father and police computers at his hand would also resort to killing vagrants and other innocents.

True, part of Bateman's narcissism is because that's what the rest of society shows him and he is mirroring that back, but he also revels in it and embraces it in the same breath, recognizing that his joy in killing is a big part of his own narcissism. And the big question hanging with Dexter's own need to kill is whether his own step-father instilled it in him and conditioned him to be that way in the first place, so he might have been completely normal without that influence. And even if it is inherent, who's to say how it would have manifested itself and who his choice of victims would have been? Most serial killers have a very particular type that they go after because it satiates some inner drive that's pushing them to kill in the first place. The psychology of it is fascinating, really. I guess that IS one place where Dexter and Bateman do intersect is that they don't have a particular type that they prefer to kill (although arguable, Dexter's victims all have the status of being very bad people whereas Bateman's victims are completely random; business associates, hookers, people he knows, homeless people, etc.).

I saw American Psycho for the first time the other night and by the end i was actually unsure if he had actually killed anyone or if it was all in his mind, especially since the acts often mirrored what was on his TV in the background at his pad. You point about why they kept calling him Davis clears that question i had up though.

The book gives more details about it whereas the film almost leaves it an open ended question (possibly on purpose). But Easton-Ellis intended it to be a very scathing commentary on 80's society and how self-involved and narcissistic people were during that era (not that they've probably improved all that much since then but things were definitely at a peak in the 80's where that's concerned).

jag

 

[cerealkiller182]

They both do voiceover narratives of their characters, but even then I'd hardly say they are similar. Dexter's narrative is quite a bit more animated and analytical of his situation. Bateman's narrative is meant to represent someone who's pretending to be someone they are not, completely, and it's awkward for them to do so it comes out disjointed and flat.

jag

I said all that in the post you quoted. One a cosmetic/technical level the narrative is very similar, but Dexter goes way more in depth over time

I still stand by the fact that they are similar, not in MO but in state of mind.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Yeah, the way I see it - any time you see Bateman actually killing someone, it's all in his head. The few instances where he actually tries to murder someone, he cant do it - his inability to strangle Louis in the mens toilet and kill Jean with the nailgun in his apartment spring to mind.

Took me a few viewing to work all the pieces out. He can be nasty and brutal as hell with people (the 2 prostitutes) but he cant kill, he just imagines he does.

The clincher for me was when he shoots at the cop car and it explodes into flames from just a few bullets. From the look he gives the gun, you can see that Patrick is genuinely perplexed that a hand gun was enough to make the car explode in such a fashion, and for the 1st time is starting to have doubts about his sanity and what is real or not.

Oh, and shame on you Hunter for only seeing AP for the 1st time the other night.

Good observations. The part where he suddenly pulled the gun out and shot the old lady followed by the chase and big car explosion was when i started to feel he was imagining it all.

I was late to the dance on this one.

The book gives more details about it whereas the film almost leaves it an open ended question (possibly on purpose). But Easton-Ellis intended it to be a very scathing commentary on 80's society and how self-involved and narcissistic people were during that era (not that they've probably improved all that much since then but things were definitely at a peak in the 80's where that's concerned).

jag

So in the book the idea was that Batemen really was killing all these ppl while trying outwardly to conform to their ugly "greed is good, image is everything" mentality, and they just didn't notice he was nuts b/c they were all to self absorbed ?

 

[jaguarr]

I said all that in the post you quoted. One a cosmetic/technical level the narrative is very similar, but Dexter goes way more in depth over time

I still stand by the fact that they are similar, not in MO but in state of mind.

They have completely different mindsets other than both trying to blend in with those around them and narrating their own stories, but whatever

So in the book the idea was that Batemen really was killing all these ppl while trying outwardly to conform to their ugly "greed is good, image is everything" mentality, and they just didn't notice he was nuts b/c they were all to self absorbed ?

Yes, in the book Bateman really is supposed to be doing all these horrible things while society was clueless because the were so self-absorbed. You should pick up a copy and read it because it really gives a much more detailed insight into Bateman as a character. Easton Ellis really tried to make him have no discernable motives or general M.O. or even a type of victim. The whole point was to make him as random as possible in what he did from a deviant perspective all while blending in with the people around him to a certain point but then moving past that and just being blatantly out of control and no one noticing him doing anything wrong anyway. Easton Ellis has a habit of skewering society's faults by pointing a funhouse mirror back at it and that's what Bateman is supposed to be; a distorted, frightening image of the reality and the people of that time.

jag

 

[cerealkiller182]

They have completely different mindsets other than both trying to blend in with those around them and narrating their own stories, but whatever

This is what I mean. Both are completly self aware of their actions and consequences and are self reflective through narration. I never mentioned anything beyond that. Dexter is obviously more in depth because of the amount of screen time he gets. Im not writing a term paper, I was just stating an observation.

 

[jaguarr]

This is what I mean. Both are completly self aware of their actions and consequences and are self reflective through narration. I never mentioned anything beyond that. Dexter is obviously more in depth because of the amount of screen time he gets. Im not writing a term paper, I was just stating an observation.

Okay, phrased that way I will agree with you. Although, Bateman sometimes strikes me as being merely present in a situation while his body is on autopilot doing these horrible things, observing and commentating, almost as if he's so detached from everything that even includes himself (this is even more apparent in the book).

jag

 

[cerealkiller182]

Dexter would be very similar without his training to control his actions.

 

[jaguarr]

Dexter would be very similar without his training to control his actions.

You have no way of knowing that. It's just your own trying to understand the motives and madness of serial killers (and fictional ones at that).

jag

 

[Spider-Vader]

I definatley think Marvel should be getting the rights back soon & then we should see a re-boot sometime after Avengers.

DD could be Marvel's Nolan BM series.

 

[Nathan]

So, I watched the first episode of Dexter. And hell, that show is pretty creepy. Anyway, I'd love to see the guy as Matt Murdock.

 

[Brian Braddock]

 

[chamber-music]

Is statham going to keep mentioning superheroes until the fans have a huge positive outburst of feedback.

Crow? Namor? Now this?

The guy would make a killer Union Jack. I would love to see him in First Avenger

I would love a Union Jack or Captain Britain movie or something but thats never gonna happen unfortunatly. Marvel wouldn't make films with any of those characters.

Stathams New Jersey/ Brooklyn type american accent he used in The One was hilarious

Missed this last part as you posted it after I replied, but wanted to address it.


The book gives more details about it whereas the film almost leaves it an open ended question (possibly on purpose). But Easton-Ellis intended it to be a very scathing commentary on 80's society and how self-involved and narcissistic people were during that era (not that they've probably improved all that much since then but things were definitely at a peak in the 80's where that's concerned).

jag

In the book Bateman also does somethings like cannibalism which are only mentioned in the movie. Rules Of Attraction is also a good Easton-Ellis read. One of the characters is Sean Bateman, Patricks brother.

 

[Brian Braddock]

I would love a Union Jack or Captain Britain movie or something but thats never gonna happen unfortunatly. Marvel wouldn't make films with any of those characters.

Stathams New Jersey/ Brooklyn type american accent he used in The One was hilarious

In the book Bateman also does somethings like cannibalism which are only mentioned in the movie. Rules Of Attraction is also a good Easton-Ellis read. One of the characters is Sean Bateman, Patricks brother.

Statham would me great as UJ.
But you're right - it'll be a long time before him or CB will ever even be considered for film adaption.

Yeah, Jason's accent in 'the One' was all over the place. I always remember the "That'll work too" line. t:

Interesting film that Rules of Attraction. James Van Der Beek was actually pretty good in it. Casper van Dien actually had a scene in Rules of Attraction as Patrick Bateman. Rumour has it that it was so bad they canned it (I personally dont believe it could have been that bad -maybe it was a case of the filmaker realising that Bale was too tough an act to follow).

 

[WeaponXProject]

I don't like Statham as Daredevil. He, to me, is a one dimentional ass kicker and not an actor. To me he's like Vin Diesel only he has martial arts as a background, he ends up playing himself or the same character he always does besides in Snatch.

 

[cerealkiller182]

edit

 

[King Ruler]

I'm willing to give Statham a chance. Not because "he can't possibly be worse than Affleck" (cause I was really feeling Ben as DD) but because he's more of an ass-kicker than Ben. And as far as the accent thing goes, I'm sure if he's really dedicated to the role he can get past that. Look at Gary Oldman as Gordon or Heath as the Joker. Both have accents but you wouldn't know this from watching the films. I say let him at it.

But then again this Michael C. Hall cat seems ****ing perfect.

 

[Hypestyle]

...I still say Iron Fist.. but anyway..

re: DD-- can Jason play an American accent? he might need a coach.. and, uh, well.. he' d also need a hairpiece.. and I dunno if that would take people "out" of the film too much, for those used to his balding-buzzcut look..

 

[WeaponXProject]

I'm willing to give Statham a chance. Not because "he can't possibly be worse than Affleck" (cause I was really feeling Ben as DD) but because he's more of an ass-kicker than Ben. And as far as the accent thing goes, I'm sure if he's really dedicated to the role he can get past that. Look at Gary Oldman as Gordon or Heath as the Joker. Both have accents but you wouldn't know this from watching the films. I say let him at it.

But then again this Michael C. Hall cat seems ****ing perfect.[/quote

Gary Oldman and Heath are talented actors, there's a difference.

Good point on the hairpiece, Hypestyle.

 

[Rich Santoro]

Gary Oldman and Heath are talented actors.

Understatement of the year... but the point stands. A fun as Statham is to watch, he is no Oldman or Ledger. Not by a long-shot.