the linkage that shot Liberty Valance

[anotheranon]

Because cruising the internet is more fun than packing/waiting for Olympic fencing to grace my tv screen:

• Christian Bale's physical transformation - I've always been in awe of Bale's ability and willingness to turn himself physically inside out in order to vanish into his various roles, but hawtness aside: it can't possibly be healthy to go through cycles of such extreme weight loss/muscle re-buildup.* I echo the commenter who would like to see him live long enough to get more Oscars.



• The Geek Zodiac - I'm a wizard, which is alright, but is it possible to be a wizard/ninja hybrid (wizard with ninja ascendant)? 'Cos ninjas are cool.



• Henry 8.0, in which Bluff Prince Hal discovers the internet and Top Gear, featuring BRIAN BLESSED in the role he was born to play (and his name must always be in all caps, because he TALKS LIKE THIS).



• More Henry VIII weirdness in Henry the Superstar [YouTube] put out by the UK's Royal Palaces. Right up there with CDC's Zombie Preparedness Guide for Best Educational Use of Pop Culture by a Government Entity.

*While repelled I'm simultaneously fascinated by the willpower it must take to control food/exercise to the extent that it gets these kinds of results. But then, Bale has the resources to get trainers/nutritionists etc. to keep his nose to the grindstone - he's like Bruce Wayne that way.

Comments

[ellid.livejournal.com]

Okay, Bale really is pushing the envelope. I know that actors sometimes have to rework their bodies for roles (look at Adrien Brody dropping thirty pounds he really did not have to play the title role in The Pianist) but this is absurd. Even if he's doing this under the supervision of a trainer and a doctor, this sort of extreme loss and gain cannot be good for his heart.

Then again, the producers of the Captain America movie had initially considered having Chris Evans lose enough weight to look convincing as pre-Serum Steve, then gain it all back plus an additional 20 pounds to play Cap. Fortunately their production schedule didn't allow it, or they might well have ended with their star in the hospital....

[anotheranon.livejournal.com]

Exactly - shrinking down THAT FAR is not only dangerous, but unnecessary in this day of image manipulation. Maybe it wasn't possible back in 2004 when Bale made the Machinist but it's certainly possible now. I was amazed at how seamless and believable Captain America was in this capacity.

That an actor would be asked or expected to change shape dramatically for a role isn't too surprising, I guess, because their job IS to pretend to be someone else. But yeah - Bale could have dropped 20 pounds for "The Fighter" and left the rest to special effects.

[ellid.livejournal.com]

The pre-Serum Steve footage in Captain America was astonishing. I hope Christian Bale is willing to do that in the future, because he's way too talented to risk getting diabetes and/or heart disease because of his weight yoyoing all over the place.

[sealwhiskers.livejournal.com]

I remember Bale from the Machinist...that, I'm sure shortened his life with a year or two. Really great actor..but yeah, the method acting thing can certainly go too far.

[anotheranon.livejournal.com]

I've not seen the Machinist, simply because the stills look too painful. I have no doubt he was phenomenal in it though.

[jlsjlsjls.livejournal.com]

***snerk*** In one episode of "Old Harry's Game" Edith says her last mountain climbing expedition in Nepal had to be cancelled because Brian Blessed was part of the group and caused an avalanche by telling an anecdote.

Fellow wizard here. And if you want a ninja wizard, how 'bout Cirocco "Rocky" Jones from John Varley's "Gaea" trilogy ... she was THE wizard on Gaea and had stealth and fighting techniques that would have given ninjas nightmares. ;p

[anotheranon.livejournal.com]

This Rocky Jones character looks like my cup of tea! Perhaps another book/series to add to the ever mounting list?

And I remember a joke on QI when BLESSED was on. Stephen Fry was trying to figure out how to pronounce that Icelandic volcano's name but didn't want him to trigger another explosion :P

[jlsjlsjls.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes, I'd heartily recommend you read the series ... Rocky is very much a character you'd enjoy for many different reasons. The three volumes of the trilogy, in order of reading, are Titan, Wizard, and Demon.