Visible crew/equipment: In the scene after Patrick Bateman's second encounter with the detective in his office, we see Bateman having sex at Courtney's apartment. After he rolls off her, Bateman approaches the large, stand-up mirror in the bedroom. In the upper right hand corner of the mirror, a boom microphone can clearly be seen moving around to pick up Christian Bale's lines. The next time we get the same long shot, the microphone is gone. (00:52:45)
Other mistake: Several close-ups of the business cards of Patrick Bateman and his associates reveal a misspelling of the word "Acquisitions" (the "c" is missing - not a small error, given that this is the name of their department).
Visible crew/equipment: In the opening scene, the camera and camera man can be seen reflected in the knife.
Continuity mistake: When Bateman goes to Paul's apartment to pack up his stuff to "send him to London" after killing him, as he is packing the bathroom light is off and then about 2 seconds later the light has come on by itself with him nowhere near the room.
Visible crew/equipment: In the office scene when Kimball is talking with Bateman, a microphone boom can be seen in the CD's reflection behind Bateman.
Continuity mistake: When the detective is in Patrick's office questioning him about Paul Allen's disappearance, there is a bottle and a glass on the table. A glass ashtray appears by the bottle and the glass then disappears between shots. (00:34:20 - 00:35:30)
Continuity mistake: In the office scene where Paul Allen walks up to Patrick Bateman and mistakes him for Marcus, Paul crosses his arms as he starts talking to Bateman. The angle changes and his arms are suddenly straight.
Continuity mistake: When Bateman goes crazy and flees into his office, his hair is very messed up. However just after he sings and goes to his office, it is quite obvious his hair has been redone and gelled again.
Other mistake: In the scene where Bateman is about to murder Paul Allen, he turns on the CD player and walks towards the axe meaning to say "...song's so catchy;" but if you watch his mouth, you can see that in place of the word "catchy" there is a blatant voiceover. Who knows what he said in the original shooting. (00:28:25)
Factual error: When Bateman is in his apartment with his secretary, he points a large tool at the back of her head, unbeknownst to her. That is an air powered nailgun for installing plywood. The only way that one could be used is with an airhose and a compressor. The fitting for the airhose that sticks out of the bottom has been removed because it usually would point straight down and stick out about 2 inches. (01:02:45)
Visible crew/equipment: In the scene where Patrick Bateman is walking the streets, just before that encounter with the lady who is waiting for the red light to change, you can see the camera crew reflected on the store windows.
Continuity mistake: In the scene where Patrick is in his office working on a crossword puzzle before talking to Jean, he is writing with his right hand. When the shot changes to the reflection of Patrick's glasses, the reflection shown is as if he is using his left hand. The reflection isn't a mirror image as it should be.
Character mistake: Patrick, being the music buff that he is, mistakenly claims that Huey Lewis' Fore! came out in 1987, when it was actually released in 1986.
Visible crew/equipment: After the beginning of the movie where there is an aerial shot of New York City just before we see Patrick getting at his office, the filming helicopter can be briefly seen reflected on one of the buildings' glass on the left side of the screen while it films the scene. (00:07:13)
Continuity mistake: When Bryce pulls out Paul Allen's card to show it to Patrick, he holds it in different ways between shots. (00:19:44)
Continuity mistake: At the restaurant, Patrick approaches his lawyer to talk about the answer machine message he left him and the lawyer puts an unlit cigarette between his lips. The cigarette is already lit in the next shot when he mistakes Patrick for another colleague. (01:31:16)
Revealing mistake: When Patrick brings Sabrina into his apartment for a threesome with Christie, as the camera passes the open door to the bathroom, you can see Christie stood still by the door, waiting for her cue to walk in. (00:40:23)
Visible crew/equipment: When Patrick is at the dry cleaners, and arguing with the owners, a woman called Victoria comes in and offers to get Patrick's clothes cleaned for him. Just before Patrick leaves he says "Oh boy, I've got to go. Thank you, Victoria" and you can see the boom microphone reflected in the glass door (just above Victoria's head). (00:14:17)
Visible crew/equipment: The first time Patrick Bateman enters his office (listening to "Walking on sunshine") you can see a boom microphone reflected in the glass partition of his secretary's office area. (00:07:44)
Visible crew/equipment: When Patrick brings Sabrina into his apartment for a threesome with Christie, he says to her "Not quite blonde, are you?" and you can see the shadow of the boom microphone fall across the wall. (00:40:19)
Answer: The situation is intentionally left vague. The homeless man being murdered wouldn't necessarily make the news in the time (there were over 4000 murders in 1989-90 when the book and movie are set). He and his friends are so alike that they continually mistake each other for others. The prostitutes would likely be loathe to call the police because they might be arrested themselves and he would likely get off with a much better lawyer.
Greg Dwyer