Essay: L.A. Times film critic looks for heroic heart of 2009

Betsy Sharkey is one of the two film critics at the Los Angeles Times. After surveying the great glut of fanboy fare this year, she got to thinking about the nature of the modern film hero and the inner workings of their characters as well as their appeal. Here's an excerpt, or you can read the entire piece right here.  

This summer's heroes may go boldly, but in every case, someone has gone many times before: three earlier "X-Men" and "Terminators"; one earlier Michael Bay "Transformers," a 1984 animated film and the pervasive TV series; and countless iterations of "Star Trek" on every size screen known to modern man.

It hasn't been easy to be the fresh prince this year.

Yet on they came in their own distinctive ways. For "Terminator's" Christian Bale and Sam Worthington, martyrdom drips like sweat from their brows. Others swagger with a cocky smile and an endearing arrogance, as Chris Pine does in director J.J. Abrams' "Star Trek." There is the tortured struggle with a darker animal nature, as is Hugh Jackman's fate in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," or, like Shia LaBeouf's Sam [in "Transformers"] there is the boy David facing off whatever Goliath happens to be tearing up the town.

Most of us have long since gotten past the notion that superheroes and the comic books and graphic novels they're so often rooted in are merely kids' stuff, having intellectualized their political and social undercurrents to death in recent years. But it's always interesting to look at our current boys of summer to see who we're looking to save us these days, why certain actors carry the mantle so vividly and why others struggle.

Consider Bale. One of the most intensely interesting actors around, he must have seemed the perfect match for the gritty, deconstructed post-apocalyptic future director McG and screenwriters John D. Brancato and Michael Ferris envisioned for "Terminator Salvation." But he isn't. The interior force field that works so well for him underneath the "Dark Knight's" mask is exactly what is working against him in "Salvation," a rebel-with-a-cause story that has Bale's John Connor leading an underground resistance.

Unfortunately for John Connor, to say nothing of the resistance, a leader of men Bale is not, or at least that's not a role he's been able to get his head around. His very essence seems to be solitary, which is why he was far better as Batman with that no-friends-are-required existence than as Connor, the man destined to save the human race from the "Terminator's" relentless killing machines, embodied by Arnold Schwarzenegger before he went political on us.

Bale's appeal is the icy certainty of survival that you feel deep in your bones any time you see him. That steel is at the center of his pilot in Werner Herzog's "Rescue Dawn." You believed he could survive the impossibly harsh, torturous Laotian prison and an escape into an even more unforgiving jungle. Though others start the journey with him, he walks out of the jungle alone.

But cold never draws men close, and that is why it is Sam Worthington's man/machine hybrid Marcus who emerges as the one you want to follow in "Salvation." The accidental hero, charisma hanging easy on his broad shoulders like an old coat, Worthington claims every scene he is in. His is an empathy you can feel -- he did good not because it is right, which is Bale's motivation, but because he cares.

One of Worthington's strengths is that ability to make his vulnerability accessible, that sense of a shared humanity easy for the rest of us to embrace. Cut from the same action/fantasy cloth, his next films -- "Avatar" and "Clash of the Titans" -- feel filled with promise.

READ THE REST

-- Betsy Sharkey

Illustration by Jacob Thomas / For The Times; text by Geoff Boucher

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Christian Bale isn't explaining himself: 'Privacy is privacy'

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USA Today has a long (at least by USA Today standards) feature on "Terminator Salvation" star Christian Bale and while he was apparently never asked about the status of a third Batman film, there is quite a bit of ink devoted to his on-the-set tantrum during the "Terminator" filming. The 35-year-old Wales native still is still figuring out the best way to address the interest in his infamous rant without actually explaining it.

"Much as I say I try to ignore it, I can't help but feel disturbed by the complete lack of desire by most people to actually look into the details and find out the truth. Maybe that's partly me, because I don't divulge it. I don't talk about the truth of the incident. I have a principle that privacy is privacy, no matter if people are telling me, 'Hey, you really should say something.' … I've got a lot of people telling me I'm doing the wrong thing. But I feel I have to stick to what I believe."

It's refreshing that Bale doesn't have an entourage, that he still drives himself, does his own shopping and seems to disdain the trappings of celebrity. But I wonder if any of that sticks in public memory the way that vicious and abusive rant does...

--Geoff Boucher

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CREDIT: Christian Bale photo by Anne Cusack/Los Angeles Times. "American Pyscho" image courtesy of Lionsgate.

'Terminator Salvation' director McG: 'I have a lot to prove'

This Sunday I have a story on the cover of the Los Angeles Times Calendar section about McG and his new film, "Terminator Salvation," which lands in theaters on May 21. Here's an early look at the story.

Next week the “Terminator” franchise returns to theaters with its darkest chapter yet, a relentless, spirit-crushing vision of the future where humans are snuffed by killer robots. There’s are not a lot of light-hearted moments in this film, but you might hear chuckles in the theater during the screen credits because of one line: "A McG film."

McG? Let the eye-rolling begin. There’s something about that name that conjures up images of Sacha Baron Cohen’s hip-hop buffoon Ali G or maybe McLovin, the nerdy, underage boozehound from “Superbad,” cultural references that don’t exactly lend themselves to the fearsome, grinding gears of “Terminator Salvation.” His resumé hasn’t relieved the pressure, as since it’s highlighted by the gloss of two “Charlie’s Angels” films, a lot of pop music videos and a Superman film project that infamously never got off the ground.

The man behind the name McG — or perhaps under it — is the most relentlessly upbeat filmmaker in Hollywood today, but even his face droops when the nickname issue is raised. “Believe me, I know, people hear the name and they just think, ‘That guy must be a jerk,'” the 38-year-old said with a groan. “And having it hasn’t helped me, that’s for sure. But it’s what everybody has called me forever."

The moniker wasn’t handed to him at a college keg party or when McG worked as a top music video director during the 1990s; it was hung around his neck by his parents who put “Joseph McGinty Nichol” on his birth certificate back in Kalamazoo, Mich., but then decided “McG” would be a tidy way to avoid household confusion since the boy’s grandfather and uncle were also named Joseph.

It’s a quaint story, but it’s too late: The damage has been done, and McG finds himself lumped in with Dane Cook, Criss Angel, Brett Ratner and others in the pop culture category of “clearly popular yet widely loathed.” In the June issue of Esquire, a headline praises the director by saying “McG is not a douche bag” and, well, just think how proud his mom must be.

All of this is dismaying to many people who know and work with McG, but they say a turning point has arrived. “Pretty soon,” says “Salvation” executive producer Dan Lin, “McG is not going to have to explain himself. He’s a talented, multifaceted guy. Honestly, he epitomizes the American dream. And unlike most people, he accomplishes his dreams."

Well, perhaps, but at the very least McG does seem like a man for the times in this Hollywood era of popcorn movies that need to be huge and high-concept. By reputation, he is loud but cheerful and, as he puts it, “good at working with big personalities,” which brings to mind Christian Bale’s notorious rant on the “Salvation” set (more on that later). His colleagues say he is intensely prepared — one Warner Bros. executive said the director became a world-class scholar of all things “Terminator” — and in touch with youth culture (which speaks to his sidelight as a TV producer with credits including “The O.C.”). Lin, revealing much about the contemporary tugs of Hollywood, adds that McG is not only adept behind the camera, but also won over Pizza Hut execs in talks about “Terminator” tie-ins.

McG has shown a flair for the unexpected in his career. Growing up in Newport, his Michigan roots made him an outsider, as did “my slight build, my orange afro, the braces — I was the odd kid out in a land of Adonises,” he said. He was passionate about music and, after a few attempts as music star or record producer (he did co-write some hits for the band Sugar Ray), he ended up making music videos at a surging time in Orange County music. “He always had a kidlike enthusiasm about him,” said Dexter Holland, lead singer of the Offspring, a band that hit the top of the MTV charts with McG’s videos. “And the great directors are able to bring you into their world and feel like a kid again."

Drew Barrymore was impressed with that flair as well and brought McG to Amy Pascal, co-chair of Sony Pictures, and insisted he be the director for “Charlie’s Angels.” Pascal was deeply skeptical but won over by McG’s intense preparation and, well, because star and producer Barrymore was going to walk if the newcomer wasn’t trusted with the $100-million project. “Amy Pascal was reluctant,” McG said, “but it worked out after I acted out the entire movie.”

The 2000 film grossed $40 million its first weekend in the U.S. (which set a box-office record for a first-time director), and critics split on whether it was great, mindless fun or just grating and mindless. A 2003 sequel followed, and while McG isn’t especially proud of the second film, the movies racked up a combined $523 million worldwide.

McG: 'We're bringing credibility back' to 'Terminator' franchise

I dropped by the Sunset Boulevard office of director McG yesterday to chat about "Terminator Salvation." I asked him about the late addition of a digitial-image cameo by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the movie but he just grinned. "I can't give away all of the surprises." He told me he was headed to the Lakers' playoff game against Houston with the California governor in a few hours (that didn't end so well for the home team) a tidbit that left me wondering if the politician is already sizing up his post-Sacramento prospects in Hollywood, although it's not entirely clear that's his next career aspiration. Whether the old star is back on board for good, I see big things ahead for "Terminator." You can read about my visit to the set in this extended version of a story that appeared in last Sunday's Summer Sneaks issue of the Los Angeles Times. (The one in print was trimmed for space issues.)

Reporting from Albuquerque, N.M.

Director McG had a bit of sage advice last year for a visitor to the set of “Terminator Salvation,” which had set up shop in a vast hangar at Kirtland Air Force Base here. “If you go too far that way,” he said, pointing across the tarmac, “someone will shoot you.”

Knowing the boundaries and risking sniper fire — those are pretty good metaphors for anyone daring enough to add a new installment to the killer-robot franchise without either signature star Arnold Schwarzenegger or director James Cameron listed in the credits.

“Terminator Salvation” will arrive in theaters May 21 with new faces and a darker ethos than the earlier films in the series, but it is a companion piece to them, a pure sequel — or is that prequel? It’s difficult to say with a franchise that skips through time like some sort of “Back to the Future” with a body count.

This time around the stars are an unmasked Christian Bale, who is coming off the staggering success of “The Dark Knight,” and Aussie newcomer Sam Worthington, who, in an intriguing bit of Hollywood linkage, will star in Cameron’s eagerly anticipated 3-D epic “Avatar” at the end of the year.

The year is 2018 and mankind is being snuffed out by the malevolent machines of SkyNet. The man who is destined to lead the human resistance, John Connor (Bale), is now an adult but is struggling with his legacy and the suspicions of his ragged compatriots. He also is staggered when he meets Marcus Wright (Worthington), whose last memory is of being a death row prisoner before the apocalyptic attacks of SkyNet. Wright turns out to be a SkyNet-created cyborg model, but one that does not match the prophecies that have guided Connor his entire life. The distrusting pair set off on a quest to find answers and the path leads to Dr. Serena Kogen (Helena Bonham-Carter) and an ending that “will shock everyone,” McG promises. The cast also features hip-hop star Common, Moon Bloodgoode, Anton Yelchin and Bryce Dallas Howard, the daughter of filmmaker Ron Howard.

For former music video director McG (his birth name is Joseph McGinty Nichol, he grew up with the nickname) the film is a chance to establish himself in the special-effects blockbuster sector after directing films such as the glossy “Charlie’s Angels” and the plane-crash/football melodrama “We Are Marshall.” If this film clicks as Warner Bros. expects, McG will have a film franchise as well as his considerable success as a television producer with shows such as “Supernatural” and “Chuck,” as well as the four-year run of "The O.C."

“I do believe this a great opportunity for me,” McG said, “and we have a story to tell, state-of-the-art special effects and in Christian Bale nothing less than the most credible and intense action star in the world.”

Harry Potter, Kenneth Branagh's 'Thor' and Christian Bale, all in Everyday Hero headlines

Welcome to a presidential edition of Everyday Hero, a roundup of handpicked headlines from around the fanboy universe...

HARRY POTTER SET, BACK IN BUSINESS: After a serious on-set injury, British health and safety officials have cleared the way for work to continue on "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" near Watford, England, according to the BBC: "The Harry Potter film set in Hertfordshire, where a stuntman was badly injured in an accident last month, has been allowed to reopen. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) cordoned off the area but has agreed it can be used again, a spokesman said. David Holmes, from Leigh-on-Sea in Essex, a stunt double for star Daniel Radcliffe, remains in hospital with a serious back injury. 'We carried out a site visit and the set has now reopened,' the HSE said. It is understood Mr. Holmes was practising an aerial sequence at the Leavesden Studios, near Watford, when he was injured on 28 January. He is now receiving treatment at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, in Stanmore, north-west London, which counts treatment for acute spinal injuries among its specialities. A spokeswoman for the production team said filming on 'Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows' would begin later this month as planned." [BBC]

KENNETH BRANAGH, HAMMER TIME: MTV had a quick chat with Marvel publisher Joe Quesada, who recounted a meeting with "Thor" director Kenneth Branagh at which Marvel Studios exec Kevin Feige and prolific Marvel scribe Brian Michael Bendis were in the room as well: “'We spent seven or eight hours with Kenneth where he meticulously took us through the beats of the ‘Thor’ movie. ...  We just sat there, and it was almost like he acted out the entire movie.' As Quesada and Bendis shared with fans via Twitter last week, the pair had no shortage of compliments for Branagh’s willingness to get to know the Marvel universe. 'You just thought, ‘Wow. This guy has immersed himself in the Marvel culture — not just in Thor — but in the Marvel universe in general,' said Quesada. 'He knew a lot of stuff — some things that I didn’t even know. He was reciting Thor stuff from the past, continuity events, quotes from different books, little bits and pieces from stories that he really found fascinating — whether they were old [Jack] Kirby and [Stan] Lee stories or [Walter] Simonson stories or modern stuff that we’re doing,' continued Quesada. 'He really got it.' [MTV's Splash Page blog]

BY CROM, PUT ME DOWN!: Bad economic times also push desperate people into a life of crime. How else can you explain the shocking events at Graham Crackers Comics in Naperville, Ill., which has been hit more than once by inventory raiders. The latest theft: A copy of "Conan the Barbarian" No. 1. Police reporter Bill Bird has the facts, just the facts: "A written police report indicated the tape showed four heavyset white women moving about the store in a group. All appeared to be between the ages of 25 and 40, and wore black trench coats and other black clothing, the report read in part. One of the women opened an unlocked case where the comic book and figurines were being displayed, according to the report. Members of the group hid the items inside their clothing and walked out of the store, apparently while employees were busy attending to customers, the report stated. Hoffman said the figurines included one of The Incredible Hulk, a Women of the DC Universe Huntress bust, a Women of the DC Universe Batwoman bust, a Batman black-and-white Ethan Van Sciver and a Super Friend Batman. The comic book was valued at $690 and the figurines had a collective value of $560, for a total estimated loss of $1,250, Hoffman said." [Naperville Sun]

CHRISTIAN BALE ON "FAMILY GUY": Oh, could there possibly be a single iota of humor left in the Christian Bale on-set rant? Why yes, yes there is, thanks to Seth McFarlane and company at "Family Guy." Check it out right here. Warning: explicit language.

-- Geoff Boucher

Christian Bale apologizes: 'I acted like a punk'

Christian Bale called in to the Kevin and Bean show on KROQ-FM (106.7) in Los Angeles to say he was sorry for the tantrum on the set of "Terminator Salvation" that was recorded and has been pinging across the Internet for days.

"It has been a miserable week for me. I know I have a potty mouth ..., but I was way out of order. I acted like a punk. I regret that.... I make no excuses -- it is inexcusable."

He went on to say that he hoped the backlash from his behavior wouldn't stop people from seeing the film.

"I'm asking people, please do not allow my one-time lapse in judgment, my incredibly embarrassing meltdown, to overshadow this movie and to have all of those people's hard work  go to waste."

Read more about the apology or listen to the audio here.

-- Geoff Boucher

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CREDIT: Photo by Anne Cusack/Los Angeles Times

Christian Bale, Kermit the Frog, Green Lantern and 'Waterworld,' all in Everyday Hero headlines

It's time for Everyday Hero, your roundup of handpicked headlines from across the fanboy universe, and today please try to stay out my sight-line while I'm working...

THE LORD OF THE RING?: Wow, this could be great news. The director of "Casino Royale," the fantastic 2006 James Bond movie, may be stepping in as the Hollywood guardian for the Green Lantern Corps. There's no contract yet, apparently, but here's the story from the trades: "Warner Bros. is negotiating with Martin Campbell to direct 'Green Lantern,' the live-action film based on the DC Comics hero. Campbell last directed 'Casino Royale' and recently wrapped the Mel Gibson starrer 'Edge of Darkness,' based on the 1985 BBC miniseries that Campbell helmed. The emergence of Campbell, who also helmed two 'Zorro' films and the 007 film 'GoldenEye,' puts 'Green Lantern' at the top of DC properties being set for movie treatment by WB. While the studio is hoping director Chris Nolan will follow its 2008 smash 'The Dark Knight' with another Batfilm, DC projects such as Superman and 'Justice League' were expected to happen quickly, but have stalled. Instead, the hot DC titles are 'Green Lantern' and 'Jonah Hex,' the latter of which has Josh Brolin set to play a disfigured gunslinger in a film that begins production in April, directed by Jimmy Heyward ('Horton Hears a Who')." [Variety] Also, Screen Rant has some rumors and guesses about the cosmic nature of the film...

HI HO, CHRISTIAN THE FROG HERE: In the category of waaaaay too much free time, we bring you a staggering gallery that pairs up photos of Christian Bale and Kermit the Frog. I really don't know what else to say about this but I...can't...stop...looking...

          

"FISHTAR," REVISITED: There's a fancy new DVD and BluRay edition of "Waterworld" and David Zax writes that instead of a soggy, bloated Hollywood flop, the 1995 maritime adventure starring Kevin Costner might now be viewed as green-minded epic that sailed too soon: "Has Waterworld's moment finally arrived? The movie opens with an image of the globe as we know it slowly being swallowed by blue while a narrator explains that in the future, 'the polar ice caps have melted, covering the world with water.' Something similar, if less dramatic, is happening right now on Earth. Global warming is causing seas to rise (though the polar ice caps have little to do with it). In its 2007 report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projected a sea-level rise of between seven and 23 inches by 2100. While that might not seem like much, it could be enough to make a low-lying island untenable: Recently, the Maldives' new president announced his intention to buy land to relocate his entire nation if necessary. What if 'Waterworld' were an eco-parable whose message was merely ahead of its time?...In the lulls between the blasts, there runs through 'Waterworld' a strong environmental current, one that was mostly overlooked or overshadowed in contemporary reviews but that has been noticed since (by the Sierra Club, among others). The first thing we see our hero do in the film is recycle: The Mariner (as Costner's character is known) has a device that transforms his urine into potable water, which he shares with a small potted lime tree. Even when in a bind, the Mariner insists on piloting his three-hulled catamaran solely with a renewable resource, wind." [Slate]

SUPERHERO GAMES, KEEPING SCORE: Now in bookstores, it's the "Guinness World Records 2009: Gamer's Edition," a release from the record-keeping brand name that tilts toward video game culture. They sent over a couple of entries that they thought might catch the eye of gamers who have a soft-spot for superhero fare: 1) The first superhero game -- 1979 Atari introduced Superman.  2) Most Marvel characters in a Spider-Man Game - The 2000 PlayStation "Spider-Man" featured 15 heroes and villains. 3) The first superhero first-person shooter -- "X-Men: Ravages of Apocalypse," released for the PC in 1997 was the first officially licensed superhero entry in the first-person shooter genre.

ON THIS DATE: The late William S. Burroughs would be celebrating his 95th birthday today if he were still with us, but in 1997 he moved on to some different dimension, leaving this one (and the Interzone) less interesting without him. His searing signature work, "Naked Lunch," is celebrating it's 50th anniversary this year as well, so today let's all shoot up some bug poison in honor of the twisted genius of the Beat Generation. Here's his recitation of "A Thanksgiving Prayer"...

Thanks for reading...

--Geoff Boucher

Christian Bale, Robert Downey Jr., Kristen Bell and Skeletor, all in Everyday Hero headlines

In today's edition of Everyday Hero, your roundup of handpicked fanboy headlines, let's try to work together as professionals...

THE CHRISTIAN THING TO DO: The audio of Christian Bale's enraged outburst on the set of "Terminator Salvation" continues to echo throughout the celebrity-obsessed ether of the Internet. Now there are T-shirts for sale, a nifty soundboard so you can mix-and-match Bale's torrid tantrum and there's a jaunty pop ode to Bale by the L.A. band Mae Shi (which plays tonight in West Hollywood at the Troubadour). And of course there's the brilliant "Bale Out," the club remix of the new John Connor's meltdown. The debate continues, too, about whether this snippet of rage is just a fleeting bad-day kind of moment or if it's a startling glimpse into the true personality of a Hollywood bully. In the audio, you can hear Bale stifle the peacemaking comments of a guy named Bruce -- that would be assistant director and associate producer Bruce Franklin, who is still trying to calm everybody down. Franklin talked to E! and said Bale's rant was a passing moment of little import and came during the filming of the "most emotional" scene in the movie. Frank also said, "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.” Patrick Goldstein, who writes the Big Picture blog, listened to the rant and shrugged. "If you look back at the history of film," Goldstein writes, "there is a long tradition of brilliant nut cases, from Marlon Brando and Peter Sellers and Rip Torn right through Nick Nolte and Don Johnson to Sean Penn, Joaquin Phoenix and Russell Crowe. Oh -- and did I forget Mickey Rourke? Oscars go for great acting, not necessarily for good behavior. The difference, of course, is that nothing is private anymore." Here's an unexpected take: At Gold Derby, Tom O'Neil suggests that the talented Bale could be ruining his chances to pick up an Oscar in future films (such as Michael Mann's upcoming "Public Enemies") with his growing problem-child reputation: "Bad boys don't win Academy Awards. It's no coincidence that the Oscars' two biggest losers — Peter O'Toole (eight defeats) and Richard Burton (seven) — have been Hollywood's biggest hell-raisers. Or consider Marlon Brando. Early in his career, when he exulted in being a 'tude-heavy dude fond of throwing his fists around Hollywood, he left the Oscar ceremony in 1951 hugely embarrassed — the only cast member of "A Streetcar Named Desire" not to win despite widespread predictions otherwise. Things just got worse after that. Over the next two years Marlon Brando lost best-actor nominations for 'Viva Zapata!' and 'Julius Caesar.' " Interesting...but of course Brando eventually did win (twice), and Russell Crowe wasn't exactly known as a teddy bear when he grabbed the trophy for "Gladiator."   

MASTERS OF THEIR DOMAIN: Is there a 1970s-1980s toy or cartoon series that isn't being drafted for duty as a summer movie? Here's an excerpt from Micheal Fleming's recent update on an, ugh, "Masters of the Universe" project that is ramping up: "Warner Bros. and producer Joel Silver have set 'Kung Fu Panda' co-director John Stevenson to make his live-action directing debut on 'Masters of the Universe,' a reimagining of the signature Mattel toy line. Pic will revolve around He-Man, a prince who transforms into a warrior and becomes the last hope for a magical land being ravaged by the evil Skeletor. Silver is producing through his Silver Pictures banner. Mattel's Barry Waldo will be exec producer. WB acquired the property in 2007, and Justin Marks wrote the first draft of the script based on a story he developed with Neil Ellice. The Mattel property was adapted into the 1980s cartoon series 'He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.' The property was previously turned into a campy flop by Cannon Films in 1987, with Dolph Lungdren as He-Man and 'Frost/Nixon' star Frank Langella as the villainous Skeletor. The film project is a big priority for Mattel, which licenses a high-end line of He-Man toys that are popular with hardcore collectors." [Variety]

HEY HOLMES, WHATTUP?: One of the easiest things to do as journalist is interview Robert Downey Jr. Even when the guy says absolutely nothing, he's effortlessly entertaining. Now there is one problem -- if you happen to be an on-air interviewer, the actor will do everything in his power to upstage you and make you look like a complete stiff. Case in point: Here is Downey on the set of Sherlock Holmes with MTV talking about Mickey Mouse, Bruce Jenner, Rodney Dangerfield...and the death of MTV.

PHOTO OF THE DAY: At the premiere of "Fanboys" there was a photo that comes close to earning the caption Wookiee Nookie...it's Kristen Bell and Chewbacca and things appeared to be getting, uh, hot and hairy. OK, I'll stop now...

ON THIS DATE: It was 26 years ago today that David Cronenberg's "Videodrome" opened in the U.S. and was dubbed a "'Clockwork Orange' of the 1980s" by none other than Andy Warhol. The film starred James Woods and the oh-so-seductive Deborah Harry of Blondie fame, and its plot was a surreal mix of sleaze merchants, warped reality, violence, brain tumors, media excess and entertainment addiction. In other words, it was pretty much just as the Internet is today. To celebrate this anniversary, let's go plant a wet one on our television set...

  Thanks for reading!

-- Geoff Boucher

CREDITS: Christian Bale photo from Getty Images. "Fanboys" premiere photo by Wire Image.

Christian Bale's tantrum, the club mix

Wow, that was fast. You've heard the Christian Bale tantrum and now you can dance to it, thanks to "Bale Out," a genius piece of mixing by L.A.'s very own RevoLucian. Needless to say, DON'T LISTEN if you are easily offended...or if you don't want to rock out at your desk.

VIDEO: Christian Bale's career, singing in "Newsies" to slaying in "Salvation"

Is "Terminator Salvation" the "Iron Man" of 2009?

Christian Bale gets all Gotham on 'Terminator' cinematographer

Oh my.

Have you heard the scorching on-the-set rant by Christian Bale, who was clearly furious at Shane Hurlbut, the director of photography for "Terminator Salvation"? Clearly, somebody in the film's audio department decided that the famously severe actor's tantrum should be heard by the world ... which is why it landed at TMZ. The incident was reported months ago but the audio has finally made it out to the internet.

And ... wow, he was mad.

You can hear it right here but, please, don't go there if you are offended by coarse language or if you are a big fan of Bale and don't want your affections shaken.

Why the vicious tantrum? Essentially, Hurlbut (who worked with "Terminator Salvation" director McG on "We Are Marshall") walked across Bale's sight-line during a scene. That's a huge no-no and anybody with Hurlbut's two decades of experience on movie sets is well aware of that.

"If you do it one more time I ain't walking on this set if you're still hired!" Bale barks at Hurlbut at one point during the three-minute snippet (the besieged cinematographer can't be heard well during the barrage -- clearly the audio is all from a microphone that is on or near Bale).

'Twilight,' Ron Moore and Christian Bale, all in Everyday Hero headlines

Welcome to the latest edition of Everyday Hero, your roundup of handpicked headlines from across the fanboy universe....

THE NEXT BIG 'THING': The Sci Fi flagship show "Battlestar Galactica" is winding down (we've already told you how the channel will try to soldier on without it) so what is Ron Moore going to be up to while he waits to launch "Caprica"? According to Michael Fleming, writing in the trades, Moore will be taking on a script about the alien who came in from the cold: "Universal will add a new chapter to 'The Thing,' lining up another take on the paranoid horror classic most recently brought to the screen by John Carpenter in 1982. Studio has set 'Battlestar Galactica' exec producer Ron Moore to write the script and commercials director Matthijs Van Heijningen to direct the re-imagining. New project borrows heavily from the John W. Campbell Jr. short story 'Who Goes There,' the basis of the Carpenter film and 1951 Howard Hawks original 'The Thing From Another World.' It is set in a Norwegian camp and chronicles how the shape-shifting alien was first discovered and overcame the inhabitants of that camp ... Van Heijningen has shot blurbs for brands including Toyota, Pepsi, Heineken, Bud Light and Visa. He is also developing 'Army of the Dead' at Warner Bros. with producer Zack Snyder." [Variety] ALSO: Hollywood is gearing up more than a dozen other remakes of classic sci-fi films; you can read about it here.

FAR TO GO, DAKOTA: The "Twilight" fans, a famously mellow and forgiving bunch, are going to love this tidbit from gossip maven Elizabeth Snead: "Dakota Fanning is really, really excited about taking on the role of Jane, the Volturi vampire in 'Twilight's' sequel, 'New Moon.' However, she hasn't even read the book yet. Fanning admitted at this afternoon's junket for her new film, 'Coraline,' that she's only halfway through reading the first 'Twilight' book. Asked if there was any movement on 'New Moon,' Dakota replied, 'It's not 100% for sure yet that I will be doing it, but it's definitely not like a rumor or anything. It's definitely a possibility and something I'm excited about.' Asked if there was any particular scene from the book that she was looking forward to doing, she said, 'I don't know ... I just think the character is what I'd be excited about. It's kind of evil, it's a vampire, it's really cool.'  Does she have any favorite vampires from films? 'I don't. The only vampire movie I've seen is 'Twilight.' " [Dish Rag]

ZACK SNYDER REVEALED: Writer Nisha Gopalan has contributed to the Hero Complex, and we always enjoy her work. That's especially the case with her new interview with "Watchmen" director Zack Snyder, who confesses to dark chapters in his past (Attending Renaissance fairs! Making beer commercials! Hanging around with naked blue men!) and also talks about casting his son as young Rorschach. Here's a chunk of the Q&A exchange: "'Why on Earth would you cast your 11-year-old son in this movie as a younger version of Rorschach, an abused sociopath whose mom was a hooker? My son was in '300,' too, as the young Leonidas -- he fights the dad, and then he punches a kid in the face. [Laughs] I feel like he’s together enough actually, that he can handle [the 'Watchmen' role]. I didn’t try to get too deep into it. Though there is a woman yelling at him, 'I should’ve had that abortion!' " [Nylon Guys] ALSO: Check out all "Watchmen" coverage at Hero Complex right here.

ON THIS DATE: Christian Bale celebrates his 35th birthday today and now clearly reigns as the dark prince of fanboy cinema. He has played Batman in two films (one of which now stands as the second-highest grossing film in U.S. box-office history) and he will star in the new "Terminator" franchise that launches this summer. He has played a dragon slayer, reluctant gunfighter, a serial killer with a penchant for Huey Lewis hits and (in one of my favorite recent films) a magician with a dark secret. To see some video scenes of the Wales native through the years, keep reading....

'Dark Knight' wins, the next Batman film and flying cars all in Everyday Hero headlines

Welcome to Everyday Hero, your roundup of handpicked headlines from across the fanboy universe...

PEOPLE CHOOSE DARK KNIGHT: "The Dark Knight" has been doing well in the Hollywood guild awards and, no surprise, the second-highest-grossing film of all time also turned out to be quite popular at the People's Choice Awards, which honors only the most commercially successful projects. Here's the painfully cliched story from the Associated Press: "Holy People's Choice Awards, Batman! 'The Dark Knight' soared away with every trophy it was nominated for Wednesday at the 35th annual fan-favorite CBS ceremony. The caped crusader flick won five awards, including favorite cast, superhero, action movie and on-screen matchup for Christian Bale's Batman and the late Heath Ledger's Joker. 'On behalf of all of the cast from the movie, thank you very much to the fans,' said Bale. 'Here's to Heath.' " (If you want to see other journalists who still think that references to the 1960s Adam West version of Batman is the height of cleverness, read this.)

GIVE ME ONE MORE 'KNIGHT': Meanwhile, MTV talked to "The Dark Knight" producer Chuck Roven, who said Christopher Nolan is talking to writing collaborator David S. Goyer about that third Batman movie, which, of course, is still not a 100% sure thing ... in the same way that it's not a 100% sure thing that the Earth continues spinning when you close your eyes.

IT'S 2008, WHERE'S MY FLYING CAR?: Every New Year's Eve as I look at the calendar and realize that, despite the promises made to me as a child, we are well into the 21st century now and I'm still driving around on tires and asphalt. I watched "The Jetsons" and I fully expected that I would have zippy flying bubble car by now and, well, I'm bitter. So I read this story from England with great interest: "It's been a pipe dream for 30 years but now the world's first fully available flying car is set to hit the roads next year. Ever since the 'Back to the Future' movies lit up our screens in the '80s, designers have dreamt of an automobile that could take to the skies at the push of a button. And now qualified pilots can order their very own Terrafugia Transition 'roadable' plane for just  £127,000, with delivery planned for late next year. The 'light-sport airplane' promises to bring more 'flexibility and convenience to your flying.' The plane, which has fold-out wings that span 27.5 feet when extended, has an airborne range of 460 miles and can cruise at 115 mph. Back on terra firma, it is capable of traveling at 'highway speeds' in car mode. Fuelling the 19-foot long plane couldn't be simpler -- you just drive it into a petrol station and fill it up with unleaded. It is powered by a 100 hp, Rotax 912S, four-stroke engine." [Daily Mail] (There's lots of photos of the plane-car right here.)

GEEK PRODUCT OF THE DAY: OK, anyody know where I can get one of these? This particular online merchant is out of stock, but a stromtrooper hoodie is clearly something I need to own to remind the world that I am an unrepetant fanboy.

TODAY'S WATCHMEN VIDEO: So cool! Check this out ...

ON THIS DATE: The late, great Peter Arno, the cartoonist whose sly satire of Manhattan cafe society contributed mightily to the sophisticated tone of The New Yorker, was born on this day in 1904. It's been a big week for Illustrators of acclaim from that venerable publication (which is, pound for pound, easily my all-time favorite magazine, by the way); Jan. 7 happened to be the birthday of the devlishly clever Charles Addams (1912-88), best known for creating the madcap macabre of "The Addams Family," which led to the television show, the films and the cartoons of the same name. (You can buy cartoons by Arno right here on The New Yorker website, while Addams and slices of his spooky genius can be found at the website of his foundation.) To celebrate the memory of these smirking geniuses, let's skip the serious pages today and just look for the funny parts.  NOTE: You can see video from different "Addams Family" at the bottom of this post...

First Look: 'Terminator Salvation'

Here's a first-look image from one of the most promising films of 2009, "Terminator Salvation."

Yes, that's right, I absolutely think the film has the chance to be great, an opinion formed when I visited the set, watched quite a bit of footage and spent time talking to the cast and director McG about the premise and tone of the film. To be candid, I had gone to the New Mexico set with a considerable amount of skepticism but after learning about the grim tale of the film, I'm a true believer ... or, at the very least, a true optimist.

This scene shows Christian Bale as the adult John Connor of 2018 where he and humanity are locked in an ugly (and losing) battle with the murderous machines of Skynet. The film opens May 22 and I will be writing a lot more about it between now and then.

-- Geoff Boucher

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Credit: Christian Bale in "Terminator Salvation," photo by Richard Foreman and courtesy of Warner Bros.

'Twilight,' Robert Pattinson, 'Smallville' and Christian Bale in Everyday Hero headlines

"Smallville" has lost a lot of its audience and urgency (the seventh season finished up in May with an average of 3.7 million viewers per episode, down considerably from the 6.3 million tuning in back in Season Two) but, man, Tom Welling, now 31, sure looks like Superman doesn't he? That's him above with Erica Durance, who plays Lois Lane on the show. This shot was taken on the set earlier this year during filming of the eighth season (now underway). The photo was taken by David Strick, who gets unrivaled access to movie and television sets and brings back candid moments for his Hollywood Backlot archive, which shows all the machinery at work in this dream factory called Tinseltown. The three latest photo collections, all posted this month, are "Sanctuary," Sci Fi's promising new series shot entirely on virtual sets with green-screen backgrounds; "Supernatural," the CW show that has more than a whiff of brimstone to it; and "Smallville," which stars Erica Durance as Lois Lane and Tom Welling as the Man of Steel before he ever dons the most famous suit in history.

The Hollywood Backlot collections are great, well worth checking out if you haven't already. Now, on with today's handpicked headlines from the fanboy universe ...

Casting a spell? I'm not sure how much credence to give an anonymous-sourced story from New Zealand, but here's the latest Marvel movie rumor: Christian Bale as Dr. Strange. " A source said: "Christian is hot property right now, courtesy of Batman. Doctor Strange is a very different kind of hero to Batman and it's felt Christian is the sort of actor who can make the part work on screen. It is understood a deal could be struck in the coming weeks.'" [New Zealand Herald]

Are the stars of "Twilight" old enough to even have an embarrassing fashion past? Apparently the answer is yes, at least according to our new photo gallery showing "past and present" snapshots of 10 "Twilight" stars including Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Kellan Lutz and, my favorite, Taylor "Shark Boy" Lautner. Also: There's a somewhat, um, surreal photo floating around with Pattinson in the role of Salvador Dali, whom he plays in the upcoming film "Little Ashes." [Entertainment Weekly]

"Peanuts," reconsidered: Michael C. Lorah has a nice interview with Art Spiegelman and while most of it is naturally devoted to the "Maus" creator's work, I liked a section where Spiegelman talked about his rekindled admiration for Charles Schulz and his signature strip:  "When I was a little kid, I really liked 'Peanuts,' back in the Fifties when it was first coming out as books. It seemed very, dare I say it, avant garde. By the time I was in college, it was something else again, happiness is a warm puppy, MetLife ads, and I began to associate 'Peanuts' with Republican girls, which was nothing I wanted to get close to. It took a reassessment from my younger peers, who found 'Peanuts' very meaningful to them, that made me take another look at it. Chris Ware and Dan Clowes, who are among the best people working today anywhere in the world, found it as meaningful as I had when I was very young. It made me look at it again, and it was good to rethink it." [Newsarama]

The "Bond" market: There's a fun Top 10 list of the most prized James Bond collectibles pegged to the upcoming release of "Quantum of Solace." What's No. 1? That would be the spy's Aston Martin DB5. "The most iconic of Bond Cars, this Q-adapted 1963 Aston Martin DB5 served as 007’s ride in Goldfinger (1964) and Thunderball (1965) and features retractable machine guns, tyre-shredders, an ejectable passenger seat and rear oil and smoke dispensers, among assorted extras. The vehicle used in filming was stolen from its owner in 1997 and remains missing. However, one of two cars customised for 1960s promotional tours sold for £1.17 million at auction in 2006." [The Times of London]

-- Geoff Boucher

Dr. Strange art courtesy of Marvel Comics. Twilight photo courtesy of Summit Entertainment. Snoopy image courtesy of United Features Syndicate. Daniel Craig photo from "Quantum of Solace" courtesy of Columbia Pictures.

'Dark Knight's' Bale 'wishes he just left the room,' friend says

The British press is spinning like a top: Not only is "The Dark Knight" (with an English director and Welsh-born star) making history at the box office, now it has two tawdry off-the-screen subplots. Heath Ledger's overdose death in January would seem to have very little to do with Christian Bale's recent family feuding, but not according to MailOnline. 

The Batman star is accused of confronting his mother after she allegedly insulted his wife, MailOnline has learned. According to its account: "Sources close to the actor said he 'flew off the handle' at London's Dorchester hotel after Jenny Bale said 'some outrageous things.' "

Tuesday, the Welsh-born actor was arrested and released over an assault claim, which he has denied. According to MailOnline, "a source close to the 34-year-old actor says Bale is confident he’s done nothing wrong, and blames his mother." More excerpts after the jump.

-- Geoff Boucher

Photo credit: Richard Hartog / Los Angeles Times

UPDATE: 'Dark Knight' Christian Bale arrested?

The Associated Press is reporting that "Dark Knight" star Christian Bale has been questioned by police and arrested after allegations that he assaulted his sister (!) and his mother (!!). The alleged incidents took place on the eve of the European premiere of Bale's superhero smash.

UPDATE: An earlier version of this post stated that Bale's parents were on the set of "Terminator Salvation" in New Mexico last week. That's not the case. The couple who crew members pointed out to me as being Bale's parents were in fact the parents of movie producer Jeff Silver.

The Associated Press story is after the jump.

-- Geoff Boucher

Photo: Actor Christian Bale appears at the London premiere of "The Dark Knight." Credit: Joel Ryan / Associated Press