Did the star of “The Dark Knight” really assault his sister AND mother?

Hard to imagine a more bizarre celebrity scenario than this. Wasn’t Christian Bale one of the few child actors to segue seamlessly into adulthood?

Doesn’t have a great ring to it, does it?

Turns out the folks behind “At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper” already have a backup plan. They’ll throw E!’s Ben Lyons and Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicz into the balcony once occupied by Siskel & Ebert (hat tip Thompson on Hollywood).

I’m not a TCM watcher, alas. I’ve become an HD snob and that channel isn’t broadcast in high-def on my system. And Lyons seemed affable the times I’ve caught him on E!, but I can’t share any other pertinent thoughts about him.

The show promises a new segment which could spice things up, according to the official release concerning the new show:

“Critics Round-Up,” which features the co-hosts in lively discussions with other well-respected critics via satellite from cities across the country.

This could be another Katie Couric moment. [click to continue...]

Why do horror remakes like “Prom Night” get shown in thousands of theaters while “Rogue” snuck into a few token movie houses before heading to DVD?

I’m still pondering that question as “Rogue’s” release date (Aug. 5) draws near.

“Rogue,” from Greg McLean of “Wolf Creek” fame, is far better than a good 80 percent of modern horror movies, and that’s a conservative estimate. Yet it barely got a chance to succeed during its blink-and-you-missed-it theatrical run.

And shame on critics for not rallying to the film’s cause. The only quote the DVD package could muster comes from shocktillyoudrop.com. No offense to that site, but usually even mediocre films can point to more than one critical rave.

Granted, the film sure sounded dopey on the surface - who needs another killer crocodile story? But the film’s power is in the execution. [click to continue...]

If I helped put a fraudulent news story on the air during an election cycle, I’d spend the rest of my days hiding under my desk or apologizing to anyone who’d listen - strangers on the bus, homeless people, etc.

But not Mary Mapes. The former CBS producer wrote a whole book on her connection to the “60 Minutes II” story on President Bush’s National Guard service.

Now, Hollywood screenwriters are circling her book, “Truth and Duty: The Press, the President, and the Privilege of Power,” for a possible screen adaptation (hat tip: Newsbusters).

Does anyone without a political ax to grind think this project could make even close to a profit? It’s yet another example of Hollywood chasing its ideological tail while ignoring its audience. [click to continue...]