the people get weirder

"Whoever can show the worst suffering, the most scars, they'll play the lead role in the public mind. If the outside world broke in to rescue us right now, Direct Denial would be our biggest victim-flashing the stubs of her severed toes and fingers, flaunting them for sympathy. Making herself the lead character. The A Block on any television talk show.
Making us her supporting cast.
Not to be outdone, skinny Saint Gut-Free borrowed a cleaver from Chef Assassin and lopped the thumb off his right hand. A radical thumb-ectomy.
Not to be upstaged, Reverend Godless asked to borrow the cleaver and hacked the smallest toe off each his feet. "To be famous," he said, "and after that, wear really narrow high heels (Palahniuk 148).""

I thought this passage was a intriguing example of characterization, because it demonstrates the depth of the trapped people's insanity. They at first were all apprehensive at the old house/kidnapping situation, and tried to be rescued, but being held captive has really taken a toll on their minds. They have developed into people that no longer try to be discovered and saved, but now would rather stay in the old theater constantly worsening their conditions, so that when they are finally let out, the world will take pity on them as they observe their suffering. Each character is trying to make his situation worse than those around him so that they can be the 'hero' when the world hears their story. This characterization is crucial to the story because the mental state of the characters shapes their stories being told, as well as the overall actions in the plot.

I want to know,

somebody's got to bleed to death. Who's it gonna be?

everytime someone gets up on stage to talk, the book says a movie reel relating to their story was playing on their face, as if from a projector. is this a metaphor or is it literal?

what will they do for food, now that they've run out?

is mr. whittier really dead?