Bale is a jackass

[brettdale]

Anyone who treats their fellow workers like this, shouldnt be working.

[DJ13]

1. Context would be nice

[brettdale]

3. opps

http://www.aolcdn.com/tmz_audio/020209_christianbale.mp3

[Longhorn Liberal]

2. Maybe, but he is a better Batman than Kilmer and Clooney COMBINED

and that is all that matters.

[IndianaGreen]

4. One shouldn't stroll across a scene while it is being shot

and this is not the first incident involving Bale and the unnamed DP.

[mackerel]

5. He doesn't strike me as a great guy or actor.

[swimmernsecretsea]

6. I agree.

Having worked on soundstages before, Bale does have a point. There are probably a few things about the circumstances that we aren't aware of as well. Being the lead in a multimillion dollar motion picture has so much pressure as well, and then there is the bad elements of fame that have to go along with a responsibility such as this.

But conversely, having a tirade like that? Completely uncalled for. I know of plenty of celebrities and professional entertainers that don't pitch a megafit the way he did when a distraction occurs. I suspect he's having a "Christian Slater" moment, and if he doesn't watch out, he's going go from headlining a blockbuster film to be starring in his own series on the USA network soon enough.

[IndianaGreen]

7. "Hurlbut walked across Bale's sight-line during a scene"

More info from The Independent:

According to US media reports, the taped incident, which took place in July, was considered sufficiently serious for the film's producers to pass a recording of Bale's outburst to their insurer, amid concerns that a walkout by Bale would threaten the production. It seems to have then found its way into the public domain after being leaked to TMZ by an employee of the insurance company.

Many Hollywood commentators said Bale's outburst was a proportional response to an unforgivable lapse by a technician. "Hurlbut walked across Bale's sight-line during a scene," wrote Geoff Boucher in the Los Angeles Times. "That's a huge no-no. I'm not sure anyone in Hollywood will be surprised by this eruption, except by its duration."

Star's tirade against director of photography

Christian Bale: Am I going to walk around and rip your fucking lights down, in the middle of a scene? Then why the fuck are you walking right through? Ah-da-da-dah, like this in the background. What the fuck is it with you? What don't you fucking understand? You got any fucking idea about, hey, it's fucking distracting having somebody walking up behind Bryce in the middle of the fucking scene? Give me a fucking answer! What don't you get about it?

Shane Hurlbut: I was looking at the light.

Bale: Ohhhhh, goooood for you. And how was it? I hope it was fucking good, because it's useless now, isn't it?

Hurlbut: OK.

Bale: Fuck's sake man, you're amateur. McG, you got fucking something to say to this prick?

Joseph 'McG' McGinty Nichol (director): I didn't see it happen.

Bale: Well, somebody should be fucking watching and keeping an eye on him.

McG: Fair enough.

Bale: It's the second time that he doesn't give a fuck about what is going on in front of the camera, all right? I'm trying to fucking do a scene here, and I am going "Why the fuck is Shane walking in there? What is he doing there?" Do you understand my mind is not in the scene if you're doing that?

Hurlbut: I absolutely apologise. I'm sorry, I did not mean anything by it.

Bale: Stay off the fucking set man. For fuck's sake. Alright, let's go again.

McG: Let's just take a minute.

Bale: Let's not take a fucking minute, let's go again.

Bale: I'm going to fucking kick your fucking ass if you don't shut up for a second! All right?

(Unknown voices): Christian, Christian. It's cool.

Bale: I'm going to go... Do you want me to fucking go trash your lights? Do you want me to fucking trash 'em? Then why are you trashing my scene?

Hurlbut: I'm not trying to trash your scene.

Bale: You are trashing my scene!

Hurlbut: Christian, I was only...

Bale: You do it one more fucking time and I ain't walking on this set if you're still hired. I'm fucking serious. You're a nice guy. You're a nice guy, but that don't fucking cut it when you're fucking around like this on set.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/bale-turns-american-psycho-with-expletiveladen-tantrum-on-set-1544988.html

[AmyDeLune]

8. Small update...

http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/christian-bale-being-a-prick-to-a-dp/

<snip>
The audio's release may have been an act of revenge: celebrity gossip website TMZ claims that "film execs sent the tape to the insurance company that insured the film in case Bale bailed." This rant took place just days before Christian was questioned by London police about an alleged fracas with his family around the time that The Dark Knight was released. I talked today to a source close to Bale who told me, "Christian and the DP are all good now. It happened. It was one isolated event. He regrets that he lost his temper."
<snip>

Tirade too long? Over the top and childish? Yeah, but it wasn't like he threw a phone at someone, or pitched a fit because the wrong brand of bottled water was in his trailer. He apparently felt his ability to deliver his best performance was being undermined by someone behaving unprofessionally and overreacted (equally unprofessionally, I suppose).

The incident was almost 7 months ago and honestly, I've heard far worse tirades over much less. People who hate Bale will use this as evidence that he's a horrible person, while others will go to the ends of the earth to justify, defend, and excuse it.

I'll do neither, but I'll still go see T4.

[Hobarticus]

15. Just read in E-Wkly that this is a well-known bad habit of this particular DP....

...and shots getting broken up by his on-set restlessness is nothing new.

[NashVegas]

9. I'm Disappointed Bale Apologized

Bale gets pegged as the bad guy by the very same people on the internet who write the lowest, nastiest, critiques on anyone they choose. My favorite was a poster on a different board who said, "If he acted like that on the set of Treasure Island, he'd have gotten canned." The fool never even stopped to look at the other cast members, including Oliver Reed! :rofl: Who'd need to scream at a wandering DP when Reed was in the house?



These same people, who think CB's a big meanie for chewing out someone, think the DP's ACTIONS are a-okay, in spite of all the A-listers who have come forward to say otherwise.

"He crossed the line ..."

Okay, what would you have done?

"I'd have let the director take care of it."

The director wasn't taking care of it. What would you have done?

"I'd have let the producer take care of it."

The producer wasn't taking care of it. What would you have done?

"I'd have talked to the DP about it."

Bale talked to the DP. DP ignored him. What would you have done?

*crickets*


I think if anything, Bale apologized not for his own ass's sake but for the production team's.

[Forkboy]

10. Like I said in another thread, I've seen worse from college film students.

Anyone who thinks this doesn't happen on damn near every film set is deluded.

They were filming the toughest scene in the script and the DP fucked it up twice. I'd have kicked his ass. Bale was nicer than me. :)

[mackerel]

11. No way the whole thing is gold!

I told the copy machine today - you and I are done professionally!

[brettdale]

12. Its not like its a dramtic earth moving movie that will win oscars

Its terminator four.

Directed by the guy who gave us, Transformers and the remake of friday the 13th.

[shadowknows69]

13. But it will make a bajillion dollars for someone

And movies with that much coin at stake should have nothing but professionals on it. I don't excuse the intensity of Bale's rant but I understand its genesis. It should have been McG (HACK), sorry coughed, that ripped the DP a new asshole. An actor shouldn't have to cut his own scenes when there's a fuck up.

[mackerel]

14. Bale called in some radio show to apologise for being

an a**.

[Hobarticus]

16. Jackass maybe, but still a terrific actor

I'll still go see him. I don't go see his movies to be his friend.

[mackerel]

17. I'm not impressed with his acting.

[Hobarticus]

18. Fair 'nuff. Tastes differ.