Christian & Sibi in Pacific Palisades

Thanks to Gossip Center, new photos of Christian & Sibi out walking in Pacific Palisades! See them all here!

Christian Bale Interview by Contact Music

Contactmusic speaks to Christian Bale about one of his latest films Public Enemies, the true story of bank robber John Dillinger.

CM: You choose your roles very carefully. What attracted you to Public Enemies?

Bale: Three people: Melvin Purvis, John Dillinger and Michael Mann.

CM: What kind of a man was Melvin Purvis?

Bale: He was very dynamic, though ultimately tragic. Purvis was from a Southern Patrician family. He wanted a job in the State Department, but joined the Justice Department because they were they only ones that had available positions at the time.

CM: Does this movie show us who he really was?

Bale: Well, what we see in the film is only the tip of the iceberg of his life, which was truly fascinating.

CM: How successful was he?

Bale: He rose very quickly in his career, so that in his late 20's he became a special agent in Chicago -the hot spot in America at that time.

CM: How would you describe his relationship with the man who created and ended up directing the Federal Bureau of Intelligence (FBI) for decades, J. Edgar Hoover?

Bale: Purvis believed greatly in Hoover and in his vision, but ended up disillusioned with his mentor and with what he was asking of him in order to achieve success, which ultimately resolved in him quitting the Bureau soon after taking down John Dillinger.

CM: Do you believe Purvis had a personal reason to take down Dillinger?

Bale: I never believed -and that's how I played him- that Melvin Purvis had anything personal against Dillinger, though he did see him as a stepping-stone to achieve what was asked of him by Hoover, who he viewed as a brilliant man.

CM: What kind of life did he lead after leaving the FBI?

Bale: Melvin Purvis led a very rich life following his days in the Bureau. But I do believe -by his family and friend's accounts- that he was haunted by those years and remained confused about Hoover's attitude towards him.

CM: How did you prepare this role?

Bale: I visited the FBI, did a lot of research on Purvis, and met his son.

CM: What was Alston Purvis like?

A: He was very hospitable. And he wrote an excellent book called The Vendetta about the contentious relationship between his father and Hoover, which is hinted in the movie.

CM: And you even visited his home town?

Bale: Yes, I went to Melvin's home town, met his remaining family members and even got to know some of his old friends. Then I just sat and heard stories of Melvin and picked their brains about him. My visited coincided with the anniversary of his death.

CM: And who was, in your opinion, John Dillinger?

Bale: Dillinger had great charisma and was a product of his time. In those tough times he championed many people's feelings of wanting to have some control over their lives and take it back for themselves. And he was very aware of that image.

CM: What did you think of Johnny Depp's performance?

Bale: John Dillinger was a unique character and Johnny does an extraordinary job in portraying him.

CM: You are constantly pursuing him, which is why you actually have only a few moments together with Johnny on screen. Bale: Yes, there is only really one scene where we interact, as normally we are just shooting at each other.

CM: But what would you say Dillinger and Purvis had in common?

Bale: I think they were both very successful at whatever they set their minds to do, and were lonely characters that shared a sense of integrity. Both were also certainly fascinating to the media and became "media darlings" of their time, though I believe Dillinger liked it more than Purvis.

CM: And what can you tell us about the experience of working with Michael Mann?

Bale: He is fantastic and one of the finest filmmakers I know. I had a great experience working with him.

CM: How relevant is this movie today?

Bale: Well, it talks about subjects that are relevant, like the lack of communication between intelligence and law enforcement agencies and the injustice provoked by the banking system.

CM: It isn't clear who are the good guys and the bad guys in Public Enemies.

Bale: That is true, though Dillinger made the mistake of associating himself with killers like Baby Face Nelson.

CM: Is it less fun to play the good guy than to play the bad guy?

Bale: That's normally the case, because playing the good guys can be trickier. But I have never seen my job as a competition between actors, although I know some roles are more colorful than others. Nevertheless, sometimes the quieter ones interest me more.

CM: After shooting The Dark Knight in Chicago you came back for Public Enemies. What do you like about the city?

Bale: You're able to shoot a movie like Public Enemies -where the action takes place in the 30's- in the actual locations because it hasn't changed a lot, and then equally make a movie like The Dark Knight with all the glass and steel architecture to give it a contemporary look. So, the old and the new are side by side in Chicago.

CM: Dillinger walked into a theatre without being recognized. Can you do that?

Bale: I do it all the time!

CM: How do you shake off a character after a movie?

Bale: Usually just a change of location does it for me.

New Christian and Sibi Pictures

See them all at JustJared.

People's Choice Awards Voting

Be sure to go over and vote at the People's Choice Awards site, where Christian is up for:

Favorite Action Star

Favorite Movie Actor, and

Favorite Onscreen Team (with Sam Worthington and Moon Bloodgood)

Terminator: Salvation is also up for :

Favorite Franchise, and

Favorite Movie

Autographed Batman Memorabilia

Celebrity Authentics is now conducting a pre-sale for autographed Christian Bale Batman memorabilia! Some of the items available include photos, posters, toys and movie props. Check them out!

Christian Bale Autographed Memorabilia

Video: Watch Mark Wahlberg Shoot a Scene for The Fighter | WorstPreviews.com

Video: Watch Mark Wahlberg Shoot a Scene for The Fighter | WorstPreviews.com




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IGN: What Next for Terminator?

IGN: What Next for Terminator?

Movie site IGN gives it's views on what should happen next with the Terminator franchise.


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Blu-ray Hunts Public Enemies in December | TheHDRoom

Blu-ray Hunts Public Enemies in December | TheHDRoom

Loved Christian and Johnny Depp in this movie!


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Batman Suit Replica

For all you geeks out there (of which I am admittedly one), Universal Designs has announced that it is developing an officially licensed replica of the Dark Knight motorcycle suit worn by Christian Bale in the movie. No word yet on when it will be available. Right now it's merely announced as "Coming Soon"!

Public Enemies and The Untouchables

An interesting article over at The Chicago Syndicate comparing Michael Mann's Public Enemies with Brian DePalma's The Untouchables. Click on the link below to read.

"Public Enemies" vs "The Untouchables" Throw Down

Bale on Melvin Purvis

Some interesting and insightful comments from Christian about Melvin Purvis, his character in "Public Enemies".

Christian Bale & Mark Wahlberg in The Fighter

According to Variety, Christian will be joining Mark Wahlberg in the Relativity Media project The Fighter, to be directed by David O. Russell. Production is expected to begin in July. Here's a story synopsis:

Pic tells the story of Boston fighter "Irish" Mickey Ward and how he was helped to the world lightweight championship by half-brother Dicky Eklund. Eklund once decked Sugar Ray Leonard and went the distance against the boxing legend before forfeiting his career to drugs and crime. He redeemed himself by training Ward through his Rocky-like run to the title.

Wahlberg will play Ward, a fighter who was losing bouts and was ready to hang up the gloves when his brother came back into his life. Bale will play Eklund, whose drugs and robbery spree drew him a 10- to 15-year sentence in state prison. There, he kicked drugs, became a model prisoner and emerged as a changed man who helped his brother reach the glory that eluded him

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Empire of the Sun novelist J.G. Ballard Dies

Email Picture

British science-fiction writer J.G. Ballard died Sunday, April 19th in London. Ballard's novel, "Empire of the Sun", dealing with his experiences of the Japanese occupation of Shanghai was adapted for the screen by Steven Spielberg, who cast Christian as the young Jim.

Christian Bale with Emmaline

Taking Emmaline to gymnastics, April 15th. Dad and daughter both looking great!

Best Terminator: Salvation Poster Yet

I like this Terminator: Salvation poster better than any of the others so far. With Christian Bale and Sam Worthington, I think it gives a better idea of what the movie's all about than the others have!

New Public Enemies Trailer

Here's the second trailer for "Public Enemies" with Christian Bale, Johnny Depp, and Marion Cotillard, and directed by Michael Mann. It hits theaters on July 1st.

Terminator: Salvation Trading Cards from Topps

Here's a preview of the upcoming line of Terminator: Salvation trading cards from Topps. The complete line will feature 90 base cards highlighting memorable moments from the movie. The preview cards feature Christian Bale as John Connor, Sam Worthington as Marcus Wright, and several cards with the T-700 exo-skull and the T-1 Terminator Tank.

Terminator: Salvation TV Spots

Christian Bale in The Prisoners?

IESB.net is reporting that Christian has signed on to a project called The Prisoners, which will potentially include Mark Wahlberg as co-star and Bryan Singer as director. Here's the basic plot:

After his 6-year-old daughter and her friend are kidnapped, a small-town carpenter butts heads with a young, brash detective in charge of the investigation. The father is a Bible-reading, deer-hunting survivalist. The cop, meanwhile, can’t wait to get to the city. Feeling failed by the law, the father captures the man he believes responsible and begins to torture him in a desperate attempt to find out what he did with the girls, whom he’s convinced are still alive.

They do stress that none of this is confirmed, so stay tuned. It does sound like just the sort of project Christian would be wonderful in, though!

McG Talks About Chritian Bale and Terminator: Salvation

Mania has an exclusive interview with Terminator: Salvation
director McG talking about the movie, Christian, and his
upcoming projects. Here's what he had to say about Christian:

Mania: There are a lot of stories about Bale not liking the original script. Obviously, you got him to the do film. What has Christian Bale been like to work with?

McG: He has been a partner every step of the way. That has been the nature of our relationship. He has been my partner in the making of this movie to this day. He and I will talk about the movie tonight. We speak about it every single day. That is not to say he isn’t passionate about Public Enemies, of course he is. He gives everything to what he is currently involved in. He totally immerses himself.

Mania: What didn’t he like about the script?

McG: It was too goofy. It read like Terminator 4. We were like; we’re not going to make Terminator 4! We have to make a film that is a story first and takes advantage of what has been put into motion by Jim [Cameron]. Jim is very passionate about the Terminator and what it means and where the world is headed. He is focused on it and we honor that mythology in the same respect and that was our genesis.