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Bale's furious rant becomes instant electro-dance hit
Terry Kirby4 Feb 2009
AN EXTRAORDINARY rant on a film set by Batman star Christian Bale has been turned into a dance music download that is on its way to becoming an internet hit.
Within hours of a film clip of the British actor's expletive-ridden rant being leaked to showbusiness website TMZ.com, musicians were rushing to remix the tirade into both a dance track and a pop song.
Bale's outburst last July had been recorded in New Mexico on the set of the forthcoming film Terminator Salvation. The actor, 35, was abusing Shane Hurlbut, the film's director of photography, for distracting him during a key scene.
Bale used "f**k" 37 times during the four-minute volley of profanities and threatened to quit the film if Mr Hurlbut wasn't fired. Bale's threat was sufficiently serious for the film's producers to consult their insurers, which is believed to have been how the clip came to be leaked.
The rant had taken place shortly before Bale, who is known for being highly strung, was arrested in London after he had allegedly assaulted his mother and sister in a row at the Dorchester Hotel last year. He was not charged.
Shortly after the clip was posted online on Monday night, the first musical version was being created by Los Angeles-based producer RevoLucian. His electro-dance mix, titled Bale Out, is on his website and on You Tube, where it has attracted more than half a million hits.
RevoLucian has previously remixed some of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's comments as a dance download.
Four-piece West Coast indie band The Mae Shi were also recording a musical tribute to Bale, entitled R.U.Professional. It features Bale's rant as a background track over which the group sing lyrics like: "Oh, whoo wow/ He is professional/ But I think he's lost control.''
The group said in a statement: "It's a tribute song to celebrate the epic-ness of Christian Bale".
Other versions circulating the internet include a drum-and-bass remix and a Nineties-style electronica version.
Some actors in Hollywood defended Bale. Whoopi Goldberg said actors are often intense on set. "You're in a zone. I too have gone off on people, because if you're a professional, you know what you're not supposed to do."
Los Angeles Times columnist Geoff Boucher wrote that Mr Hurlbut's interruption on set had been a "huge no-no". He added: "I'm not sure anyone in Hollywood will be surprised by this eruption, except by its duration."
Bale's rant: 'Do you want me to f***ing trash your lights?'
Christian Bale: Am I going to walk around and rip your f***ing lights down, in the middle of a scene? Then why the f**k are you walking right through, ah-da-da-dah, like this in the background? What the f**k is it with you? What don't you f***ing understand? You got any f***ing idea about, hey, it's f***ing distracting having somebody walking up behind Bryce in the middle of the f***ing scene? Give me a f***ing answer! What don't you get about it?
Shane Hurlbut: I was looking at the light.
Bale: Ohhhhh, goooood for you. And how was it? I hope it was f***ing good, because it's useless now, isn't it?
Hurlbut: OK.
Bale: F***'s sake man, you're amateur. McG, you got f***ing something to say to this p***k?
Joseph "McG" McGinty Nichol (director): I didn't see it happen.
Bale: Well, somebody should be f***ing watching and keeping an eye on him.
McG: Fair enough.
Bale: It's the second time that he doesn't give a f**k about what is going on in front of the camera, all right? I'm trying to f***ing do a scene here, and I am going, "Why the f**k is Shane walking in there? What is he doing there?" Do you understand my mind is not in the scene if you're doing that?
Hurlbut: I absolutely apologise. I'm sorry, I did not mean anything by it.
Bale: Stay off the f***ing set man. For f**k's sake. Alright, let's go again.
McG: Let's just take a minute.
Bale: Let's not take a f***ing minute, let's go again.
Bale: I'm going to f***ing kick your f***ing ass if you don't shut up for a second! All right?
(Unknown voices): Christian, Christian. It's cool.
Bale: I'm going to go... Do you want me to f***ing go trash your lights? Do you want me to f***ing trash 'em? Then why are you trashing my scene?
Hurlbut: I'm not trying to trash your scene.
Bale: You are trashing my scene!
Hurlbut: Christian, I was only...
Bale: You do it one more f***ing time and I ain't walking on this set if you're still hired. I'm f***ing serious. You're a nice guy. You're a nice guy, but that don't f***ing cut it when you're f***ing around like this on set.
Reader views (15)
bearing in mind it's NOT his responsibility to speak for anyone from his country or any country for that matter. if we're gonna say ''men like him shouldnt be respected, look! they have human outbursts!!! oooooo!!!!!'' then we should look at ourselves. imean it's not like the guy let loose in front of children or something. it's not like he was reading to kids in a nursery school and went into a rant. i'm not defending him, but not because he's in the wrong, but becuase i don't see hwy he should have tgo defend himself. he was on a closed set, a professional environment, which is different to the vast majority of professional environments any of us commenters are coming from. if you worked on a construction site and somethin fell on your foot, you'd have sympathy wouldnt you with shouting profanity. in this case i dont know what was happenin up until the time he started shouting - i've heard the descriptions but i obviosuly wasnt there. I'd like to know if that Hurlnbut guy lost his job though, but then, if you worked at a theatre in broadway and you kept doing the wrong thing on set, you'd get fired. it's not for us sitting here at our computers to judge christian bale or any of these people when they're at work. it's just some rude words. they were all under duress. sure he was in combat scene, and not out in actual fighting in a desert somewhere - butif your job requires you to synthesize rage and all the other emotions then surely you can't just snap in and out of it.
- Scrotee Tuhotee, syraceuse, boltoon, 12/03/2010 17:47
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I think he is still annoyed that a better nicer actor (Heath Ledger) stole his thunder in Batman and he cant live with it, besides these tantrums are not tolerated by the film industry any more and he will only be given straight to video roles as no one will want to work with him!
- Jim, UK, 05/02/2009 07:26
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He was one of my favourite actors untill I heard it for myself on youtube.
I will only be watching his films on TV from now on, and certainly won't be paying to go to the cinema, or buy his films.
He should be hanging his head in shame the way he spoke to that poor man.
- P I Staker, London, 04/02/2009 18:31
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There are some pros in that industry but not many. Those hissy-fits diserve all the micky taking they get.
- Ben, London, W1, 04/02/2009 16:02
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I think this once again prove that we are making idols of people and they think they are gods and can treat anybody any way they want to. It is us that are preparec to pay money to see them and thus contributes to their fame and fortune. We are therefore indirectly responsible for creating rich, spoiled, vain and filthy mouthed humans with no respect for anything or anyone accept those that have more power and are even worse than them.
If we need to blame somebody for things like this, blame ourselves as without our support creation like this will not exists.
- Jaspar, Redhill, 04/02/2009 15:37
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It would be great to see the famous talking baby do the rant!!!
- marke, Houston, Texas, 04/02/2009 15:16
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He is very pretty though....
- Keria, London, 04/02/2009 14:42
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Poor Mr.Bale. Please have some sympathy for him. He is obviously mentally deranged and needs therapy not condemnation. Let's all calm down and see if Mr Blane can be mollified a little more. If we pay attention to his needs, and tell the director, and lighting director to be more careful and treat Mr Blane with a softer approach and cater to his EVERY needs then I am sure that Mr Blane will be very happy. Of course that wont stop him acting in such a childish matter, but we have to give him time to grow up. Like thirty years or more. In the meantime, cater to his every whim. After all he's just a baby. Spoilt too!
- Jon Vickers, SC USA, 04/02/2009 13:56
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Why should he be able to speak to anyone like that?
If were to speak to anyone else in my place of employment in that manner i would be sacked on the spot.
Poor love he earns millions and thinks he can speak to crew /staff anyway he pleases, needs to be brought down a peg or two me thinks
- Bob Roberts, London, 04/02/2009 13:17
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Gosh it must be so hard having to make a living playing dressing up games, and living in a luvvies fantasy world.
- kedge, marlboro wilts, 04/02/2009 11:47
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I think Bale should be given a litle break here does he have a right to say what ever he want to say
- mohammed, jos Nigeria, 04/02/2009 11:06
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What a thoroughly nasty man-diva. He should have been sacked on the spot.
- Mike B, London, 04/02/2009 10:59
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You've got to love it ... but hey, what do you expect from a man who dresses up as a bat? 
- John, London, 04/02/2009 10:47
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Pathetically insecure method actor, taking himself far too seriously. It may be a laughing matter now, but imagine being on the receiving end of that abuse as it happened.
Why do people condone such weakness of character? same goes for the at times explosive aggression on the streets. That isn't a strength, it's a serious destructive flaw.
And Bale wonders why few in the industry want to work with him...
- Simon Caleb, London, England, 04/02/2009 10:19
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Bale made his point in 30 seconds; to go on denigrating and insulting the man for 3 minutes is unfair and excessive.
- Guy Jones, New York, NY, 04/02/2009 10:01
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