Christian Bale and I Are Done Professionally

This has to be heard to be believed. This week TMZ released the audio of Christian Bale's nearly four minute (!) profanity laced tirade on the set of Terminator: Salvation apparently caused when director of photography Shane Hurlbut walked onset and ruined an important scene between him and Bryce Dallas Howard. Bale's behavior is reprehensible for sure but I'll tell you what's even more reprehensible: Some people actually attempting to defend it. Over the past couple of days I've heard the following excuses:

- He's "very serious about his craft."
- His concentration can't be broken
- If you've never acted you "just don't understand."
- It was the most pivotal, emotional scene in the film.
- He was distraught over Heath's death.
- It was taken "out of context"
- McG is the director
- The set was unprofessional.
- Hurlbut should have known better. He's been in the business for 20 years

And here's my personal favorite, a real keeper from Whoopi Goldberg:

"We don't know if this is at the end of the day. We don't know how many hours he's been working. And it's tough."

I have a better explanation: Bale is a douchebag. Can you imagine if any of us pulled something like that on the job? Woe is him. Must be tough for an A-List superstar actor raking in millions of dollars a year to have to tolerate a crew member making an honest mistake. I'm sure he's never blown a take before. Not surprisingly, The Dark Knight fanboys have also come out of the woodwork defending him on the basis that he just must have been so used to dealing with the highest level of professionalism on Christopher Nolan's set. What a joke. Nolan's set could have been a complete disaster for all we know

It won't be long now before Bale issues some kind of public apology through his publicist or something. Except treating people like this isn't a "mistake." This guy needs serious help for his rage issues. And before producers convince themselves Bale is worth all the aggravation they should ask themselves just how much he really contributed to The Dark Knight's commercial success. I'd say very little to nothing. He was merely adequate in the film, and you could even reasonably argue the weakest link. Clooney could have reprised the role and it probably would have made just as much money.

Sure, Bale's a great actor but I wouldn't blame anyone in the industry if they didn't want to work with guy ever again. But they will because he's (falsely) perceived as being "bankable." And who Bale should really be cursing out is his agent for letting him star in a Terminator sequel directed by McG. Now that's a tape I'd want to hear.

Cool shirt though.

Veronica Mars Movie Kind of Confirmed

How did I miss this? Sometime in the past two weeks the rumored Veronica Mars movie was confirmed by series creator Rob Thomas. Of course, knowing how these things work I'll believe that when it's actually in production (I mean just look at how long Michael Cera has held up the Arrested Development movie). But what's most surprising is that he's writing it now and has started to leak vague clues about the plot.

"...it's 70 percent broken in my head, I've been struggling with this one plot point and I'm hopeful to figure that out....I'm feeling like I'm on the right track now. But I don't want to give that away yet."

"The one thing that I will say is where it will pick up. "I know we did that F.B.I. ‘what if’ thing, but we would not go to that place. I think it would open just days before the Hearst College Graduation. So Veronica would be sort of at the end of her college career."

Well, at least it doesn't involve the F.B.I. That's a relief. But this isn't enough information to go on yet as far as any indication of the film's prospects. The first season of the show is the greatest piece of television I've ever seen, the second is just a notch below that and the third was castrated by the CW network, resulting in a creatively mixed bag that could only really be enjoyed as a guilty pleasure. So what next?

The show didn't soar off the air at the heights it truly deserved and the shift from high school to the college setting had a lot to do with that. Thomas' decision to set this during Veronica's final college days is a curious one and it'll be interesting to see how he handles that. But what he needs to do right now is plant himself in front of the TV and study season 1 very, very hard. And he should READ THIS. Still, any excuse to see the love of my life Kristen Bell onscreen in anything is fine by me and I'm thrilled to see my favorite show get a chance at potentially gaining more fans. Thomas just better not screw this up...and he better have Ken Marino and Harry Hamlin on speed dial.

Source: IF Magazine

AskMen.com Reveals Their 99 Most Desirable Women of 2009 (Could Be Worse)

The folks over at AskMen.com have recently revealed their 99 "Most Desirable Women of 2009" list. A little early for sure, but I say it's never too early to start doing research on a topic as important as this. I've given up examining the rankings and just chalk it up as a victory if a favorite of mine even makes it on. Recently, my good friend d$mania of The Money Pit and I compiled dueling 2008 lists and I guested on his podcast to discuss and compare. During said appearance I didn't really come off too well, mainly because I revealed myself to be pretty shallow and superficial. In other words, I represented myself accurately. He took the high road and I took the low road, but it made for an interesting convo because we approached it from completely different perspectives. Anyway AskMen's is better than Maxim's or FHM's I'll at least give it that.

1. Eva Mendes (Hot no doubt but can't think of anything about her that screams out "#1")
2. Megan Fox
3. Marisa Miller
4. Keeley Hazell
5. Anne Hathaway (no thanks)
6. Alessandra Ambrosio
7. Scarlett Johansson (in her typical overrated top 10 spot)
8. Rihanna
9. Kristen Bell (YAY!!!!)
10. Kate Beckinsale
11. Heidi Klum
12. Emmanuelle Chriqui
13. Halle Berry (approve)
14. Brooke Burke
15. Jessica Alba (I'm still waiting for that list with enough guts to exclude her)
16. Jessica Biel
17. Selita Ebanks (who?)
18. Monica Bellucci
19. Adriana Lima
20. Cheryl Cole
21. Doutzen Kroes (Again....who?)
22. Evangeline Lilly
23. Lucy Pinder
24. Bianca Beauchamp (Okay, this is getting tiresome)
25. Penelope Cruz
26. Charlize Theron
27. Mila Kunis
28. Gisele Bundchen (More model nonsense. Whose list is this, AskMen's or DiCaprio's?)
29. Keira Knightley
30. Olga Kurylenko
31. Isla Fisher
32. Misa Campo
33. Denise Milani
34. Bar Rafaeli
35. Christina Aguilera (she runs hot and cold)
36. Summer Glau
37. Layla Kayleigh
38. Katy Perry (came thisclose to making mine)
39. Stacy Keibler
40. Odette Yustman
41. Hayden Panettiere
42. Angelina Jolie
43. Zoe Saldana
44. Sara Varone
45. Eva Longoria
46. Miranda Kerr
47. Carrie Underwood
48. Katrina Kaif
49. Karolina Kurkova
50. Beyonce
51. Christina Applegate
52. Christina Hendricks
53. Paz Vega
54. Leighton Meester
55. Maria Menounos
56. Elisabeth Hasselbeck (Gutsy pick)
57. Taylor Swift
58. Emily Blunt
59. Blake Lively
60. Aishwarya Rai
61. Vanessa Hudgens
62. Olivia Munn
63. Dania Ramirez
64. Katharine Mcphee
65. Nicole Scherzinger
66. Holly Weber
67. Camilla Belle
68. Audrina Patridge
69. Julianne Hough
70. Jessica Simpson (before or after the infamous Chili cook-off appearance?)
71. Anna Paquin
72. Yunjim Kim
73. Gina Carano
74. M.I.A.
75. Danielle Bux
76. Carla Bruni
77. Cassie
78. Anna Faris
79. Aubrey O’Day
80. Naomi Watts (YES!)
81. Katherine Heigl
82. Jade Raymond
83. Maria Sharapova
84. Carolyn Murphy
85. Sarah Shahi
86. Leryn Franco
87. Torrie Wilson (huh? Is she even still alive?)
88. Leona Lewis
89. Nadine Velasquez
90. Britney Spears
91. Danica Patrick
92. Alicia Keys
93. Emma Stone
94. Sophie Monk
95. Elizabeth Banks (Top 10 for me. The total package.)
96. Ana Ivanovic
97. Tina Fey
98. January Jones
99. Kate Winslet (at least they tried to give their list "prestige")

So Now Mickey Rourke ISN'T Competing at Wrestlemania (I Think)

"This guy could headline Wrestlemania right now."

-Me, in my review of The Wrestler

Whoa...hold up. Okay, he was amazing in the part but I didn't mean he should LITERALLY headline Wrestlemania. Well, it looks like saner heads prevailed and Rourke's proposed match with Chris Jericho won't be happening....or is it? Who knows? It was already off to a shaky start when Rourke blew the big surprise on the red carpet of the SAG awards, but now it looks like his people are finally doing their jobs, coming to the realization that this fiasco could cost him the Oscar (if it hasn't already) or worse, deride his career comeback. Or Rourke has been told to deny it until after the Oscar ballots are in.

The only person who stands to benefit from this match is Vince McMahon, who deserves credit for at least finally acknowledging and promoting The Wrestler, even if his motives are suspect. Sorry, I still don't buy recent reports that he was "moved" by the film. Moved to vomit maybe. Besides, you know Vince would idiotically have him wrestle as "Mickey Rourke" instead of Randy "The Ram" Robinson. Who wants to see that? If that's not enough, rumors of overrated has-been Ric Flair's involvement as Mickey's trainer (ugh) should immediately qualify it as a must-miss. They should even the sides and have Ernest Miller (as The Ayatollah) in Jericho's corner. You'd have The Ayatollah and the "The Ayatollah of Rock n' Rolla"

The bottomline is these Wrestlemania rumors don't help Mickey's Oscar chances at all and he's come too far to let something like this derail him. Hopefully he's come to his senses. If not, the only other way he can win the Best Actor statue is if Vince signs a "Castro Street Fight" between these two (and I wouldn't put it past him):