Online mayhem... Read our thoughts on the new Home Grown album exclusively online, where you can complain via feedback. www.michigandaily.cam ARTSJlMonday8 July 15, 2002 . 'Psycho' Bale dishes about dragons, film By Taryn O'Leary Daily Arts Writer Bale-heads around the world are cele- brating the digital-meets-musical age as famed productions "Newsies" and "Swing Kids" are released on DVD this year. Though he is arguably the sexiest English actor to emerge from that side of the Atlantic, Christian Bale flexes more than his youthful vocal chords in this summer's highly anticipated blockbuster, "Reign of Fire." In an attempt to save what is left of the human race from flesh- scorching dragons, Bale fights fire with fire alongside Texas-native Matthew McConaughey, thus creating Bale's first hard-core action flick. From an obsessive-compulsive corpo- rate "American Psycho," to a futuristic version of an enflamed, action hero; from budding talent to blossomed success, Bale told The Daily how he maintains his cool throughout his variety of theatrical genres Michigan Daily: Matthew reportedly spent months training for the film "Reign of Fire." What sort of training did you do to prepare your character to face man- eating dragons? Christian Bale: As a matter of fact, I thought my character would be best pre- pared by staying away from weight-lift- ing because I'm technically supposed to be starving during the movie. So, I spent the three months prior to filming strictly dieting. Then two weeks prior to filming I met with Matthew and saw how bulked he was, and seeing as how my character is supposed to fight his character in the film, and stand half a chance, I started doing a ton of weight training for the last two weeks. MD: "Reign of Fire"'s storyline is considerably different from any other film you have ever worked on. When [director] Rob Bowman approached you with the script for the film, how did you react to the idea of doing an action movie? Naked Bale in "American Psycho." CB: Originally it wasn't the idea of an action movie that deterred me, but the script itself. Rob approached me in Ger- many while I was filming "Equilibrium," due out this summer, and at first I didn't even know what to say. Luckily he inter- jected with a list of editing ideas that happened to coincide with my ideas, and he stuck with his promises throughout the course of the filming. MD: Rumored to be fairly intense while working, what was it like acting with Matthew McConaughey? CB: Matthew is in character all day, every day, regardless of our being in front of the cameras or off the set. Although intense, it is refreshing to be able to work with an actor who is really passionate about his work. He shaved his head without any direction from Rob. That shows dedication. MD: Were there any mishaps that occurred during the filming process? CB: During the fight scene between Matthew and me, Rob wanted to make the punches look real. So, half way through the scene, Matthew genuinely butts my head with his head, followed by my genuine punch to his face, and my genuine falling to the ground. While watching that scene later I realized how badly I really got my ass beat. MD: At the end of the day, what truly makes you happy? CB: I am known for being a total sap during these questions. At the end of the day, it is my beautiful wife that truly makes me happy. I answered a similar question with this similar answer about three weeks ago, and I'm still receiving the dividends at home. Hopefully this will continue to score me major points. Palahniuk brings new novel to Ann Arbor By Maureen McKinney another unlikely protagonist. The Daily Arts Writer main character in "Survivor" is, appropriately. enough, the only sur- In the present atmosphere of super- viving member of a religious cult ficiality and rampant capitalist ideals, who had just committed mass sui- there exists- a tremendous amount of cide. As the plane he is on plummets difficulty in producing a work that toward the Australian outback, he draws attention to societal shortcom- dictates his life story into the plane's ings, and at the same time, is rich in flight recorder. "Survivor" was well dark humor and satirical acuity. received and demonstrated the Chuck Palahniuk has strength of Palahniuk's accomplished this feat ability to illustrate once again with his bleakness and humor fourth novel "Choke". CHUCK PALAHNIUK with an adept style. Palahniuk, who is Border's With "Choke", probably best known for Palahniuk has one his fierce and brilliant Friday, July 19 at 7 p.m. again delved into the novel "Fight Club", has recesses of his imagina- seemed to have waged a one-man-war tion and experience and provided us on the accepted standard of a literary with Victor Mancini. Mancini, who hero and has done so without an over- spent a brief stint in medical school, whelming sense of self righteousness. is resourceful to say the least, and Rather, his heroes have evoked a col- when faced with his inability to pay lective introspection, which although for his dementia-ridden mother's sometimes unpleasant, have given care, he devises a scam that will Palahniuk's novels the resonance that allow him a seemingly unending sup- makes them simultaneously amusing ply of funds. Each night, he dines in and profoundly disturbing. decadent restaurants and feigns These qualities do not, however, choking until one of the well-heeled make a book very marketable, at least diners comes to his rescue. His not in the eyes of publishers. Palah- rather disconcerting theory is that niuk found this to be true when his once someone saves his life, they first novel; "Invisible Monsters," was will inevitably feel responsible for rejected by all publishers who saw it. him in both an emotional sense-and a In a rage, he produced "Fight Club" monetary one. and as Palahniuk stated, "I wrote it as "Choke" also returns to the world an angry swan song. I figured no one of addiction, support groups and would publish it, but still, no one self-help programs, which was so would quite forget it." integral to "Fight Club". However, Of course, "Fight Club" was pub- this time addiction is limited to sex lished, and aided by an exceptional, and Victor frequents these support glossy film adaptation, it catapulted group meetings because of the likeli- Palahniuk into the role of the antihero hood of getting action. who championed the undoing of capi- For an author who experienced so talist foundations and highlighted the much difficulty in the initial publica- dark, raw spots of life such as addic- tion of his work, Palahniuk has tion that often went unexplored by established himself as a the those in the literary world. spokesman for those who identify the Palahniuk followed "Fight Club" ills of society, but who also recognize with "Survivor", another eerily black the pleasures that can be found in comedy whose story was told through these dark and grim circumstances. PJys RECORDS & USED CDS 617 Packard Upstairs from Subway Paying $4 to S6 for top CD's in top condition. 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