When it comes to movie madness, cinephiles have a wide array of celluloid maniacs to choose from. It's hard to believe then, that only a little over 13 years ago we shuffled into the theater to meet Patrick Bateman, the chainsaw wielding godfather of the original soulless yuppie murder spree. It didn't take much to set him off (Was your apartment in a better location? Were your business cards printed with better quality ink?) and getting a bad table at an exclusive Manhattan restaurant could reduce him to tears, but there was something hauntingly familiar and funny about a guy who could wax poetic on the musical merits of Huey Lewis And The News or Whitney Houston before burying a hatchet in the back of your skull.
We recently spoke with Gabriel Rhoads of BBQ Films, a company that have a talent for resurrecting the movies we love with accompanying fan fare, touching a nerve with a movie-loving culture that's come to embrace and revere the films that captured a moment in our lives. In what promises to be one of the best, albeit perhaps the most unhinged, birthday events of the year, this cutting-edge cinema social club is hosting an no-holds barred 27th year celebration for Patrick in honor of his very important birthday. We expect every bit of '80s decadence you could possibly imagine when we roll back the clock at the Tribeca Grand Underground to give the man his due.
I want to start out talking about the BBQ Films event that's coming up celebrating Patrick Bateman's 27th birthday at the Tribeca Grand Underground with a screening of one of my all time favorite movies: American Psycho. Can I ask you to give our readers an idea of what attendees can expect when they get there?
Absolutely. What BBQ Films does is, we take a film and we create an immersive experience for that film. So everything from '80s VIP, just like Patrick Bateman's world, is how folks are going to be welcomed into the event. The velvet ropes, I don't know if you've ever personally been to the Tribeca Grand Underground, but it's a fabulous space down there, which when well lit looks very much like 1980s. It's very LUX down there. All of our guests are going to be in for a treat. We do many of these in warehouse locations in Brooklyn but this is going to be a luxury club so folks are going to walk in the door, they are going to have, obviously, time-relevant music like Huey Lewis And The News, Genesis and of course Whitney Houston.
There is going to be a theme performance by The Silent Drape Runners who will actually break down a Whitney Houston song for us. We'll have a 1980s themed photo booth with Robert Palmer themed back up dancers dancing for you, Pierce & Pierce employees and secretaries interacting with you while you grab your cocktails and explore the space. Oh and we always, always have our gourmet BBQ Films popcorn.
We believe very much in the experiential immersion in film so we always have our twenty five dollar ticket for folks to come and immerse themselves in the experience and view the movie but we also have seating in the private screening room as well. That's a few extra drinks and a really nice seat. We also have the higher priced ticket which we call "The Tunnel" where you get bottle service and you are treated just like Patrick Bateman. Oh and we introduced the thousand dollar floor level tickets called the "Indochine." A limo will pick you up at your location anywhere in the five boroughs and you stop by to pick up one of our actors for an immersive theatrical experience. You are in a private room with a private security detail, bottle service, full meal, and all sorts of surprises.
That one sounds delightful, but a little scary. Do you get a chainsaw and white sneakers with that package?
Actually, funny you should mention that. We introduced the "Dorsia" level, which is everything that you get in the other levels plus a custom Valentino suit and a chainsaw! Unfortunately, the Dorsia is unavailable. I'll let you in on a little secret, it was never available.
When it comes to movie madness, cinephiles have a wide array of celluloid maniacs to choose from. It's hard to believe then, that only a little over 13 years ago we shuffled into the theater to meet Patrick Bateman, the chainsaw wielding godfather of the original soulless yuppie murder spree. It didn't take much to set him off (Was your apartment in a better location? Were your business cards printed with better quality ink?) and getting a bad table at an exclusive Manhattan restaurant could reduce him to tears, but there was something hauntingly familiar and funny about a guy who could wax poetic on the musical merits of Huey Lewis And The News or Whitney Houston before burying a hatchet in the back of your skull.
