From an American psycho to a starved machinist, and from the Caped Crusader to a washed-up crackhead boxer, Christian Bale's got it covered.

Now he's going to play a Priest.

From HitFix:

"Christian Bale will star in Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou's new project about 13 young prostitutes who help save compatriots from Japanese troops rampaging Nanjing, the latest film exploring a World War II-era atrocity that stirs nationalism in China.

"Bale, currently co-starring in the boxing drama 'The Fighter,' will portray an American priest in the movie, which is expected to start filming in Nanjing on Jan. 10, the Chinese director told reporters Wednesday."

 

Moviegoers love Westerns. With the genre’s use of wide-open spaces, iconic, grizzled faces, multiple gun blasts, humor and nostalgia, it’s the perfect milieu for the big screen. Think of that famous last shot in "The Searchers," where John Wayne just stands alone in the doorway, and you understand just how our American West was made for the movies. They look beautiful and they’re often as entertaining as all hell.

And the characters, what characters! The men and the women who guide us along these rugged landscapes are figures we often never forget. With Joel and Ethan Coen returning to Western terrain ("No Country for Old Men" was something of a Western), with a remake of a Western, "True Grit" (starring Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin and the young Hailee Steinfeld), we’re taking a look at some of the most iconic Western heroes (or anti-heroes) who’ve graced the screen.

Here's one of them:

There’s an image in John Ford’s "My Darling Clementine" that sticks in your mind forever. It’s a simple one: lanky Henry Fonda just sitting on a chair, relaxing in the town he runs, before all that business with the gunfight (at the O.K. Corral, in case you’ve forgotten the real-life mythology). In one of the greatest Westerns ever made, Fonda stars as the former Dodge City lawman who journeys to Tombstone with his brothers and ends up becoming town Marshal. Fonda’s Earp is a decent man, a man of principle, but not in a way that ever feels square or hackneyed. And his love for Clementine (Cathy Downs) is absolutely touching. It’s a larger-than-life performance that manages to be internal and sensitive at the same time. Fonda and Ford make it look all so easy, but like any choice one has to make in this movie, it couldn’t have been. A rare achievement.

 

Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp talk "The Tourist."

From The Independent:

"Like old-fashioned stars of a forgotten era, Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie dress up and put their make-up on – yes, both of them – and sit down to talk about their lives, the very absence of hovering publicists signalling that no question is taboo.

"Of course they're promoting their new film, but this is most definitely not the usual state of affairs. Few celebrities, even the lowliest of reality-TV stars, conduct interviews today without the presence of their handlers, guiding prying journalists with frequent interruptions like 'No personal questions' or 'Keep on topic.'"

 

Here they are. Get ready for the predictions:

From EW:

"The Academy Awards announced Monday that a total of 248 films are eligible to win the 2010 Best Picture Oscar. The number has decreased over the past two years: In 2009, 274 were eligible, while 281 made the cut in 2008. Like last year, 10 films will be nominated for Best Picture. Read Dave Karger’s predictions of who will make the cut here."

 

I enjoyed "The Fighter." I enjoyed Mark Wahlberg's performance. And I certainly enjoy this:



 

Did you really think "Yogi Bear" was gonna beat "Tron"?

Of course "Tron: Legacy" won at the box office, but apparently it didn't do as well as expected. I wonder why?

Maybe the 3-D ticket price turned some viewers off. Maybe because people like me are currently sitting at home watching "The Odd Couple" on Turner Classic Movies. Sorry, Felix and Oscar trump Kevin and Sam Flynn any time. 

Here's more from TheWrap:

"Disney 3-D sequel 'Tron: Legacy' got off to a solid, if unspectacular, start Friday, matching prerelease tracking with a $17.4 million first-day performance at the domestic box office, according to studio data.

"The PG-rated follow-up to the 1982 Jeff Bridges sci-fi cult classic 'Tron' is on pace to narrowly exceed prerelease predictions of around $45 million for the weekend.

"In second place amid a crowded market for 3-D films, Warner's Hanna Barbera adaptation 'Yogi Bear' grossed an estimated $4.6 million Friday, putting it off track to meet studio hopes for a $20 million start.

 

I feel like the whole world has gone meta. Everything feels meta to me. Even my own life on here feels meta. I felt meta driving on the 101 today.

So when Jack Black says he's going "meta" for the new Muppet movie, I think ... well, what does that mean?

Here's more from ComingSoon:

"As production moves forward on Walt Disney Pictures' The Muppets, EW was able to catch up with Jack Black and ask him some questions about his cameo role.

"'I will be playing myself,' Black told the site on the red carpet of his new movie 'Gulliver's Travels.' 'It's kind of like "Being John Malkovich." It is a new twist on the Muppets. Very cerebral and meta.'

 

Director Edgar Wright ("Shaun of the Dead," "Hot Fuzz" and "Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World") put together an end-of-the-year list at The Playlist that's a good one. 

It's comprised of favorite moments, performances, musical cues, etc. and then his picks for the 10 most underrated, underseen movies. A few made my top 10 list.

Here they are:

"My Top 10 Underrated or Underseen Movies of 2010

1. “Four Lions” – If this was a bigger hit, I’d worry for the safety of its makers. It’s a ballsy satire that never wimps out. Chris Morris made my favourite TV comedy show of all time, “Brass Eye” and his debut feature is no less ballsy and hilarious.

2. “Enter The Void” – The most stunning visuals of the year for me.  A rewarding, if grueling experience where the viewer essentially takes the POV of a drug tripping ghost. This is an out of body experience in every way possible .

3. “Splice” – This film was awarded a Cinemascore of F on the basis of two audience losing sex scenes that caused audible ‘What the f---’ cries when I saw it in the cinema. I applauded them. This is a great twisted little piece of science fiction that deserved to be lauded for its smarts and guts.

4. “Tiny Furniture” – This film announced a great young voice in Lena Dunham and its beautifully detailed look at New York’s directionless youth was fresh and funny. Unlike its mumblecore predecessors, the camerawork was nicely composed and thought out. Hugely impressive for its budget.

5. “Never Let Me Go” – This film did not get nearly enough credit for having the courage of its convictions. It’s rare to see a piece of science fiction this spare and intelligent in 2010. Mark Romanek made a haunting piece of cinema that was both emotional and brilliantly chilly.

6. “The Last Exorcism” – The TV spots did something of a bag switch with this one. The actual film is not what was advertised, it was better. It’s original title of ‘Cotton’ better sets you up for the mock documentary tale about huckster evangelist Patrick Fabian whose faith is tested by the deeply troubled Ashley Bell.

7. “MacGruber” – In 2007, Akiva Schaffer brought us “Hot Rod.” In 2010, Jorma Taccone directed “MacGruber.” Now Andy Samberg has to make another cult comedy in 2013 to complete the Lonely Island trilogy of underrated movies destined to become stoner classics. “MacGruber” is so f---ing stupid, yet I cannot deny I watched it every night on the ‘Scott Pilgrim’ press tour in every hotel I slept in. The team up montage, the begging scene, Will Forte excruciating response to the accidental massacre of his team and the two aforementioned unforgettable sex scenes are comedy highlight of the year.

8. “Life During Wartime” – Todd Solonz’s sequel to “Happiness” barely got released and yet it was as sharp and as strong as any of his work. The theme is this is one of forgiveness and the film has a memorable haunted mood. It sometimes feels that you’re watching all the characters in some waking purgatory, so spooky are the performances of Shirley Henderson, Michael Kenneth Williams and Paul Reubens. While the complete cast swap of this sequel is probably down to not being able to bring back all the original actors, it actually seems meant. I’d like to see Solondz return to these characters in 2023. It can be like his very own [Michael Apted doc] “7 Up.”

9. “Please Give” – Somewhat overshadowed by the equally great “The Kids Are All Right,” Nicole Holofcener’s ensemble comedy is sprinkled with ace work from Oliver Platt, Amanda Peet and the brilliantly crabby Ann Guilbert.

10. “Frozen” – “127 Hours” and “Buried” made more festival noise, but Adam Green’s ski lift bound thriller was a just as worthy addition to the single location Lifeboat genre. Making the most of the tiny budget, the film gets maximum impact with its sickening twists. A great one to watch with friends and scream ‘Don’t do that!’ at the screen.