theCLog

By Matt Brunson

PUBLIC ENEMIES
**1/2
DIRECTED BY Michael Mann
STARS Johnny Depp, Christian Bale

Moviegoers hoping that Public Enemies would have been the film to save the summer season from its own worst impulses will be disappointed to learn that the Michael Mann production, while hardly part of the problem, is certainly no solution. A classy motion picture whose individual moments are greater than the whole, this period gangster saga may be filled with exciting gun battles yet can’t deliver the firepower in ways that matter the most: empathy, originality, and a willingness to burrow beneath the legend. (more…)

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By Matt Brunson

TERMINATOR SALVATION
***
DIRECTED BY McG
STARS Christian Bale, Sam Worthington

Here’s a trivial nugget that never ceases to amuse me: Back when writer-director James Cameron was initially prepping 1984’s The Terminator, one of his first choices to play the iconic title character wasn’t Arnold Schwarzenegger — it was O.J. Simpson. But Cameron soon changed his mind, stating that “people wouldn’t have believed a nice guy like O.J. playing the part of a ruthless killer.”

Oops. (more…)

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Over at LiVEJOURNAL, some enterprising person known as Ferd writes, “What do Christian Bale and Kermit the Frog have in common? More than you might realize… (and yes, clearly I have far too much time on my hands.)”

More photos after the jump. (more…)

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Batman star arrested on assault allegations:

Batman star Christian Bale was arrested Tuesday over allegations of assault. Bale’s mother and sister say he assaulted them at a west London hotel Sunday, a day before the European premiere of his latest film, The Dark Knight. Police did not question Bale on Monday because of the premiere. U.S. representatives for Bale didn’t immediately return phone calls seeking a comment. Fox News

Missing soldier found alive:

A missing Fort Bliss, Texas, soldier reported missing was found by authorities Sunday after she was kidnapped and assaulted by her husband. The 34-year-old husband was arrested and charged with aggravated kidnapping. The husband was apparently distraught after his wife told him she planned to leave him. AP via MSNBC

Wachovia reports huge loss:

Wachovia Corp. posted a nearly $9 billion loss for its second quarter Tuesday. Wachovia stock has dropped more than 75 percent in New York Stock Exchange composite trading since it spent $24 billion two years ago to buy Golden West just as house prices were peaking. CNN Money

Wartime leader of Bosnia hid with false identity:

Radovan Karadzic, the wartime leader of Bosnian Serbs, was arrested Monday night in Belgrade, officials said. A judge has ordered his transfer to the U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands to face genocide charges. Karadzic grew a long white beard to conceal his identity and even managed to practice medicine while hiding.AP via Yahoo News

Shades apart:

Twin boys born in Germany on July 11, are turning heads because both brothers were born with dramatically different skin colors. The older twin Ryan, takes after his white German father Stephan Gerth, while the younger, Leo, takes after his mother, Florence. Addo Gerth who is from Ghana. ABC News

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Metaphorically speaking, of course.

Never mind that I am a young woman in my 20s – last night at a screening of The Dark Knight I turned into an adolescent 12-year-old boy experiencing waves of hero-worship, drooling envy and armored lust that could only be brought on by a surge of testosterone.

If I still wrote Santa, Batman’s motorcycle (the Bat Pod — yes, it’s called the Bat Pod) would be at the top of my list. I suppose I’ll just have to be content to write fan mail to Armani-clad Christian Bale and sign my name “the future Mrs. Bruce Wayne.”

Call me.

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