The thing about Christian Bale is that he’s a nice guy. HE’S A NICE GUY! NO! NO! DO NOT SHUT ME UP! NO!
But you probably didn’t realise that. And that’s all thanks to yesterday’s glorious tape of Christian Bale unloading both barrels of his sweary idiot-gun at a director of photography on the Terminator Salvation set.
But, according to a Terminator Salvation assistant director, Christian Bale’s tantrum was a “non-event”. Rumours that he said this while whimpering on his knees while Christian Bale held a knife to his throat and cackled like a maniac are unconfirmed, but probably true.
Now, we’re not saying that Christian Bale is an angry man as such, but we wouldn’t really like to be in the same room as him today. Remember that Christian Bale is the sort of person who, if you tell him that he’s the above-the-title star of the second-biggest movie in cinema history, will get arrested for assaulting his own mother.
And that’s Christian Bale on a good day. So just imagine what sort of prick he’s being today, now that the infamous tape of Christian Bale ranting at a Terminator underling has hit the internet.
You’ve no doubt heard the tape already, so you’re fully aware of the majesty contained within. The swearing. The egomania. The deployment of at least 36 different regional accents. The immortal line ?Why the fuck are you walking right through? AH-DAH-DAH-DAH-DAH like this?? The inescapable sensation that Christian Bale is the world champion of being a swaggering, self-important prick to almost everyone he meets. It is golden, and we’re not even slightly exaggerating there.
However, that hasn’t stopped any number of party-poopers from rushing up and widdling all over our strawberries by bleating that “oh, but the tape was taken out of context,” and “but Christian Bale is a professional,” and “you don’t understand what it’s like to be an actor.” And to those people we say this: “DO NOT SHUT US UP! Do not… NO! NO!”
Sadly, one of those people is Bruce Franklin – an associate producer and assistant director on Terminator Salvation – who has come scampering to Christian Bale’s defence, probably because he’s terrified that he’ll end up with a screwdriver poking out the top of his skull if he doesn’t. E! Online reports:
“If you are working in a very intense scene and someone takes you out of your groove…It was the most emotional scene in the movie. And for him to get stopped in the middle of it. He is very intensely involved in his character. He didn’t walk around like that all day long. It was just a moment and it passed. He is so dedicated to the craft. I think someone is begging to make some noise about this, but I don’t think it’s fair.”
Actually, we do see Bruce Franklin’s point here. Christian Bale was working on a very emotional scene. The most emotional scene in a movie full of emotional scenes, in fact. Wait, did we just say ’emotional scenes’? We meant ‘utterly clueless scenes of Christian Bale running away from a load of angry robots’. Our mistake.
Whether Bruce’s defence of Christian Bale helps is another question, though. Some are already saying that Bale’s career might be affected by this tape, with producers being reticent to hire such a notorious hothead for their movies. But even if that’s the case, we’re sure that Christian Bale will still find work. True, that work will be limited to being the holiday cover for Bill O’Reilly, but a job’s a job.
But anyway, if the Christian Bale rant tape and all its reprecussions have taught us anything, it’s that we really need to build a time machine and travel back to see what the set of 3:10 To Yuma was like. Seriously, you can’t employ two actors as obviously mental as Christian Bale and Russell Crowe without someone having their jaw ripped out.
Russell says
Hopefully your readers will do some actual research. If they did, or you did, you’d end up looking a fool.
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/39984
Stabby McGee says
http://youtube.com/?v=OI6dZK3NPMc – groovy.
Bay says
Oh, yes, because it wasn’t really Bale doing the rage-addled lisping hemorrhoid bit. The whole thing was cooked up by Sarah Palin. Do sod off.
Ronnie says
If Christian’s any way like his character, Patrick Bateman in “American Psycho”, then I wouldn’t be too sure.
pedro says
you’re dumb. who cares about this? and it sounds silly when you write an article like this, and in the midst of it call someone else self-important.
Mark says
To see how far our society has fallen in order to produce a scumbag like Christian Bale, read the article
Orson Welles. Everything Christian Bale will never be. Except dead. and watch the video of how a genius and gentleman “tells someone off.”
chas speed says
Russell, I wouldn’t call reading Aintitcool research. Yes we all feel foolish now that we know it’s ok to threaten people with violence at the work place. Thanks for setting us straight on that. You certainly taught us a thing or two.
IQ of a raspberry says
Today young Pedro learns the meaning of the word ‘irony’…….
Ali says
Coming from someone who works on film sets, it always sucks when there is an asshole around-whether they be an actor or crew member. However it also sucks when shots are ruined by someone on set not paying attention to what is going on. What the hell was the Director of PHOTOGRAPHY doing walking through the scene while they were rolling anyways? So, while Bale overreacted, the DP did make a big mistake-and Bale was probably not the only one annoyed by it.
Dr. NLO says
Any idiot with a blog can have his 15 second of fame. Envy is kind of funny, we can’t see anybody triumph without looking for ways to see him/her fail. Like Michael Jordan says: “Any idiot who says I want to be Michael Jordan for one day… he doesn’t know what it takes to be me…” So, you Stuart if that is your real name… get a real job. Be somebody, bring a franchise back to life, bring a dead genre as a western back from the dead, and make a “horrible” book into a likeable character. THEN, only then, lash out at Christian Bale. You are in the words of Ray Romano’s wife: ” Idiot!” Another frustrated wannabee actor.
uzark says
I can see why he was furious, who wouldn’t!
We are in a collaborative art business where everyone not only is expected to do their jobs right but also have the decency of extending the same professional courtesy to others as well…
Like Christian says in the tapes how would he feel if the roles were reversed. As a producer i much rather work with an actor who is so serious about his part and intense than someone who is just there…
My sentiments would be the same if someone ruined my shot.
Vicky says
It is so sad how people continue to support and excuse this kind of nasty, sociopathic behavior. Being angry is one thing but he went way over the line. He was allowed to get away with it because he has a certain amount of power. Most people can’t get away with that kind of behavior on the job and I don’t care what kind of “art” you are creating.
The DP made a mistake. Bale was completely out of turn and unprofessional.
sdfsdf says
LOL, the name of that “art” was Terminator 4.