Christian Bale - Not a complete douche?

[Nique]

Maybe not? (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29056200/)

He's starting to build a certain history for this kind of thing though, isn't he?

[KnightOfRounds]

I don't know about whatever he's done before, but you have to admit it does take a lot of balls to come out and say "Hey, I was a douche. I'm sorry. There's no excuse."

But maybe he's just apologizing because it was filmed and televised?

[Fifthfiend]

Has he offered any apology yet for taking part in a Terminator movie?

[Kaneda]

But maybe he's just apologizing because it was filmed and televised?

Obviously I have no real idea what he was thinking, but it seems like the kind of thing you really do regret. I just can't imagine him listening to the tape and thinking "oh yeah, that was totally cool of me."

But it requires a definite level of douchery to act like that in the first place.

[Osterbaum]

Has he offered any apology yet for taking part in a Terminator movie?
I think we need to wait until after the movie comes out. Like say, seven months or so after.

[Nique]

But maybe he's just apologizing because it was filmed and televised?

Actually he did say he worked things out with the guy he flipped out on so, I guess the only reason he had to apologize publicly is because it was made public?

Just call me 'Captain Obvious'

[Mirai Gen]

I'm with Nique on this one.

Seems like he only apologized publicly was because now he has to, whereas before it was their business and nobody else's.

[EVILNess]

I don't know what the big stink was. The guy walked basically broke the mood of apparently the most emotional scene in the movie not once but twice.

Tensions were probably kinda high, and to be honest... everyone has yelled at someone like that before. Hell, I yell at my dog like that on a regular basis, except with more cursing. My guild leader in WoW yells like that at people who mess up repeatedly and cause wipes (Then turns around and pays your repair costs and encourages you to show up next time.), its all emotional outburst.

It's not that big a deal. Sure the guy felt crummy for a few minutes after he got yelled at, but he didn't lose his job, and from what I understand Christian Bale took him out to eat after they were done shooting for the day.

[TheSparrow]

What I couldnt believe the most when I listened to it is not only that Bale's outburst is childish and overwrought, but the fact the Director (or assistant director, whoever that third person was) didn't take charge of the situation. Rather than meekly suggesting Bale might want to take a few minutes, a director who is in control of their set diffuses that sort of thing IMMEDIATELY.

But from some of the things I've read, McG really doesnt control his sets very well. Which doesnt surprise me, since the total of his directorial work appears to be a bunch of Offspring, Pussycat Dolls and Cypress Hill music videos, and one of the Charlies Angel's movies.

[Professor Smarmiarty]

I don't know what the big stink was. The guy walked basically broke the mood of apparently the most emotional scene in the movie not once but twice.


You see normally I'd be with you. Brando used to do this.
But he's in a friggen Terminator movie. It's not a particularly demanding acting role.

[magmarashi]

You see normally I'd be with you. Brando used to do this.
But he's in a friggen Terminator movie. It's not a particularly demanding acting role.

Until you've been a professional actor, got deep into the mind of someone who takes themselves seriously as an actor and takes every role they perform as another chance to show the best they can, it's an unfair assumption to say any role isn't demanding.

[TheSparrow]

Until you've been a professional actor, got deep into the mind of someone who takes themselves seriously as an actor and takes every role they perform as another chance to show the best they can, it's an unfair assumption to say any role isn't demanding.

To quote one of the great actors of all time, Sir Anthony Hopkins, when asked about getting into to mindset of his character....i.e. how was he able to become Hannibal Lecter, Sir Hopkins replies "Its called ACTING"


And of course John Barrymore's famous bash of 'method acting': "There are quite a few methods. Mine involves a lot of talent, a glass and some cracked ice."

[Professor Smarmiarty]

Until you've been a professional actor, got deep into the mind of someone who takes themselves seriously as an actor and takes every role they perform as another chance to show the best they can, it's an unfair assumption to say any role isn't demanding.

Bollocks.
Roles are written with different levels of depth depedent on the medium. In an action movie audiences are fine with shallow characterisations and don't expect anything more. And you can get away with less convincing acting because that's not why people are seeing the movie.
I think it's a reasonable assumption that the charecterisation in a terminator movie is pretty loose. It doesn't take much to play "Emotionless robot killer" or "Tough guy freedom fighter looking for his missing daughter" when compared to say Charles Kane.

[magmarashi]

I guess my point is that I wouldn't characterize a good actor as someone who plays the good roles good, and the crappy shallow roles as crappy and shallow. If they try to give it their all 100% of the time, It can really get to a person.

Regardless of what the old actors are saying in their memorable quotes.

[Nique]

I think some actors probably do 'live' the role or 'inhabit' the character. Others may just be gifted but I think most have to try to switch off the part of their brain telling them that 'this isn't real'. I think thats what I'd be doing.

Except, you know, no talent whatsoever.

[magmarashi]

I think some actors probably do 'live' the role or 'inhabit' the character. Others may just be gifted but I think most have to try to switch off the part of their brain telling them that 'this isn't real'. I think thats what I'd be doing.

Except, you know, no talent whatsoever.

It's a more common thing then people stop to consider. Speaking from experience, it can be just as hard to get them out of your head as putting them in there was. I gave myself a 2-month limp that I couldn't shake off after living and breathing as a character for an extended play tour. On top of the more subtle behavioral ticks I had to develop and practially force myself into. After a while, that stuff becomes part of your everyday life and you don't even realize it until you have to get rid of it.

[Regulus Tera]

I'm with Mirai who's with Nique on this one.

I don't know what the big stink was. The guy walked basically broke the mood of apparently the most emotional scene in the movie not once but twice.

Tensions were probably kinda high, and to be honest... everyone has yelled at someone like that before. Hell, I yell at my dog like that on a regular basis, except with more cursing. My guild leader in WoW yells like that at people who mess up repeatedly and cause wipes (Then turns around and pays your repair costs and encourages you to show up next time.), its all emotional outburst.

It's not that big a deal. Sure the guy felt crummy for a few minutes after he got yelled at, but he didn't lose his job, and from what I understand Christian Bale took him out to eat after they were done shooting for the day.

Actors are (supposed to be) trained to pay no attention to what happens outside of set. "The show must go on", always. While the director of photography may have done something distracting (twice, nonetheless), it was only noticeable through Mr. Bale's peripheral vision if you go by the record of the outburst. I don't know about you, but that's totally primma-donaish.

Never mind that if you are going to lash out at someone for doing something completely stupid you should call him/her into a room and do it behind closed doors, not in front of everyone. Because it's not that Mr. Lights-guy didn't mess up the scene, but that the childish rant is unjustified in every possible regard.

[G.I.R.]

As I understand it, the guy who did this is known around the Studio as a complete douchebag and does what he did(to get ripped by Bale) ALL the time. He has a habit of telling people "Why don't you go stab yourself in the head, you fucking idiot!" when he thinks they've done something stupid. So Bale is now sort of a hero amongst the crew on set because someone finally gave this guy what he had coming to him.

So, he wasn't completely unjustified by his actions here.

[Meister]

This is completely relevant. (http://www.cracked.com/blog/excerpts-from-shane-hurlbuts-set-journal/)
Anyway C-Bale pulled me aside later, ’cause we’re mad tight and all, and he’s like, “I appreciate what you did but, in the future, I’d rather have a little bit of space while we’re filming the scenes. I’m not at all trying to be rude or condescending, but it can just be a bit distracting when someone who isn’t in the scene shows up in the scene, do you understand?” And I didn’t, but I’m all, “You the man, C-Bale! Bat Blimp!”

And I actually thought the most recent Terminator did have some fairly emotional scenes. By which I mean II. On the other hand, they pulled that off when they had Arnold Schwarzenegger, so, wishing no offense to the man, I have to wonder how much it takes.

[Regulus Tera]

As I understand it, the guy who did this is known around the Studio as a complete douchebag and does what he did(to get ripped by Bale) ALL the time. He has a habit of telling people "Why don't you go stab yourself in the head, you fucking idiot!" when he thinks they've done something stupid. So Bale is now sort of a hero amongst the crew on set because someone finally gave this guy what he had coming to him.

So, he wasn't completely unjustified by his actions here.

It would be impossible to know that, to be fair, since all we have is the audio of the event (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRhjBq2kYj4&fmt=18). Even so, and if the guy were really a complete douchebag, Bale still reeks of unprofessionalism.

At least Lights-guy was trying to apologise.

EDIT: On the plus side, the remix is awesome (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTihsJQHt48&fmt=18).

[Jim]

He's starting to build a certain history for this kind of thing though, isn't he?

Many accounts of disrupting the peace / yelling bouts, I think charged once for beating/hitting wife or girlfirend, and a couple others where no charges were pushed, plus the bad mouthing his own mother. He's a foo.

I don't know about whatever he's done before, but you have to admit it does take a lot of balls to come out and say "Hey, I was a douche. I'm sorry. There's no excuse."

But maybe he's just apologizing because it was filmed and televised?

He has agents and what not and people around him who work on shaping his public image into something positive, there's no doubt in my mind that he was probably instructed to apologize, plus it came public making him look like a big poop stain on a sheet.

My guild leader in WoW yells like that at people who mess up repeatedly and cause wipes

Lol scrubs.

...you can get away with less convincing acting because that's not why people are seeing the movie.
I think it's a reasonable assumption that the characterization in a terminator movie is pretty loose. It doesn't take much to play "Emotionless robot killer" or "Tough guy freedom fighter looking for his missing daughter"...

A brief filmography of Christian Bale:

Public Enemies (2009): He plays some pre-FBI existing agent who reeks of badassery and witty lines.
Terminator Salvation (2009): He's a freaking robot.
Killing Pablo: The hunt for the worlds greatest outlaw (2008): I havn't seen it but I can guarantee he's either 'Pablo' or the hunter, and not just some walk in baking cookies.
The Dark Knight (2008): He's Batman.
3:10 To Yuma (2007): Hes a cowboy/criminal.
I'm Not there (2007): He does a brief bit as Bob Dylan... "The greatest musician ever", and we would expect Christian Bale to act as nothing less then the best.
Rescue Dawn (2006): He comes to America and becomes a super duper pilot of amazing prowess, and gets shot down. Aww. But he's Batman, so he lives in the end against all odds.

The list goes on... all simple badass roles where he just needs to say a witty one line, and then scoff at people then shoot dem bullets.

...Bale still reeks of unprofessionalism.

For a pay check like his, I would be the terminator with a thousand light-guys making balloon animals on set and playing jazz flute solos until I got the shot right without doing the flipping out.

[Magus]

To be fair, he's not playing a robot, he's playing the guy who fights robots, and simply acting in a horribly robotic manner while doing so.r.

He does have to keep up an American accent the entire time, though, I can guess one would lose a little bit of inflection when doing that.

As for his tirade, is this really anything new for Hollywood? The average stereotype for actors is they're a bunch of sensitive types who yell, "I'll be in my trailer!" when anything goes wrong. If anyone should call out Bale it should be the 99% of actors who aren't like that and who get the stereotype due the 1% like Bale who flip out.

Bale is still better than Russell Crowe who likes to throw phones at people, though.

[Kaneda]

The list goes on... all simple badass roles where he just needs to say a witty one line, and then scoff at people then shoot dem bullets.

I'm not going to go through his IMDB, but off the top of my head I remember him giving good performances as a newsie, a 19th century magician, a psychopathic yuppie, and an excellent performance as a young british POW in "Empire of the Sun."

It just doesn't seem quite fair to list only his "simple badass roles." That's like saying Steven Spielberg has only ever directed WWII movies.

[TheWolf13]

A brief filmography of Christian Bale:

Public Enemies (2009): He plays some pre-FBI existing agent who reeks of badassery and witty lines.
Terminator Salvation (2009): He's a freaking robot.
Killing Pablo: The hunt for the worlds greatest outlaw (2008): I havn't seen it but I can guarantee he's either 'Pablo' or the hunter, and not just some walk in baking cookies.
The Dark Knight (2008): He's Batman.
3:10 To Yuma (2007): Hes a cowboy/criminal.
I'm Not there (2007): He does a brief bit as Bob Dylan... "The greatest musician ever", and we would expect Christian Bale to act as nothing less then the best.
Rescue Dawn (2006): He comes to America and becomes a super duper pilot of amazing prowess, and gets shot down. Aww. But he's Batman, so he lives in the end against all odds.

The list goes on... all simple badass roles where he just needs to say a witty one line, and then scoff at people then shoot dem bullets.


Oh you forgot the Prestige. Which was freaking amazing. There is a lot more to Christian Bale than what you listed here.

[synkr0nized]

From another place I frequent:
He just has Asperger's. Give him a break. :V

[Jim]

It just doesn't seem quite fair to list only his "simple badass roles." That's like saying Steven Spielberg has only ever directed WWII movies.

Oh you forgot the Prestige. Which was freaking amazing. There is a lot more to Christian Bale than what you listed here.

No I haven't listed all of them and I didn't say he was bad, though all of the ones I did list are his most recent films, and he has been doing virtually the same role in all of them. Including the Prestige where he just has to be better then everyone. Though I did enjoy the movie.

Acting talent aside, he is an ass hat in my books.

[Azisien]

Since when did screaming at someone make you a complete douche anyway?

Maybe like one quarter or at MOST one half (depending on the severity) douche, but complete?

Even then it's kinda like a chemical reaction, there's always that equilibrium pushing against you once you're like 90-95% douche, since you still do normal things most likely.

I think you'd actually have to be a professional puppy assassin to be a complete douche. Is Christian Bale a professional puppy assassin?

I rest my case.

[Mirai Gen]

Yeah, Bale is probably like...six tenths a douche.

[Seil]

When Bale Does this, call me. (http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/kilmer.s%20temper%20tantrum) Or this. (http://www.celebritymound.com/?p=8015) Or this. (http://www.starswelove.com/scriptsphp/news.php?newsid=1509)

[Nique]

heh.

Guys do you think we'd act like this if we had $#17 loads of money?

EDIT: I mean, those (http://forum.nuklearpower.com/member.php?u=2185) of us (http://forum.nuklearpower.com/member.php?u=264) who already act like that aside, of course (http://forum.nuklearpower.com/member.php?u=2).

[Osterbaum]

Well if we gained all of that money suddenly now, then I'd say propably not. But if we were born rich then possibly. It's hard to say.

Then again, most actors aren't born rich (are they?).

[Mirai Gen]

Guys do you think we'd act like this if we had $#17 loads of money?

I would ideally believe that we did the infinite koopa glitch in Super Mario Bros and our score rolled into miscellaneous digits and sprites instead of points.

I hope someone gets that joke.

[Jim]

Then again, most actors aren't born rich (are they?).

Most are. Thats why the media makes a big fuss over the ones who "came from nothing".