/Film reader “PWH” attended an early screening for the sports drama David O. Russell’s The Fighter, and says the film will be an awards contender. The film tells the story of Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale), a real life boxer-turned-trainer who rebounded after a run of drugs and crime.

Shepherded his half-brother “Irish” Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg), Dicky had a Rocky-like rise to the world lightweight championship. Ward fought throughout the mid-’80s and ’90s, but he’s best remembered for three battles with Arturo Gotti, two of which went down as the greatest in the history of the sport. Amy Adams plays “a tough, gritty bartender and former college high-jumper” who ends up dating Wahlberg’s character.

The Fighter doesn’t yet have a release date (but is expected to hit theaters in late 2010), so I assume that that it is a very early cut of the film without final cuts, sound mix or score. A lot could change between now and the time of release, they might even do some reshoots. Who knows. Just wanted to add a bit of context. Read the reader test screening review after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

For many working as extras, it is a chance to meet celebrities and people from varied backgrounds. Ali met an engineer from MIT, as well as local youths from Lowell. She recalled that Christian Bale stayed in drunken character all day.

“I was so impressed with his intensity. He even introduced himself to us in character. I introduced myself as ‘Ali, sting like a bee,’ which he vowed to remember and scream out during filming,” she said.

I’ve added a clip of Christian Bale & Mark Walberg  making the movie of ‘The Fighter’.

I’ve uploaded new high quality filming photos of Christian onlocation of ‘The Fighter’ on July 19, 2009.

GALLERY LINK:
- The Fighter: Filming – July 29, 2009

I’ve uploaded new filming photos of Christian Bale onlocation of ‘The Fighter’ on July 28, 2009.

GALLERY LINK:
- The Fighter: Filming – July 28, 2009

I’ve added more high quality filming photos of Christian onlocation of ‘The Fighter’ on July 27, 2009.

GALLERY LINK:
- The Fighter: Filming – July 27, 2009

After scooping an Oscar nomination for Frozen River playing a woman who smuggles immigrants into the US to make a fast buck, Melissa Leo scored a sought-after role in David O. Russell’s The Fighter. In it, she plays the mother of Boston boxer “Irish” Mickey Ward (Mark Wahlberg) and trainer Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale). DS recently caught up with Melissa, who spoke enthusiastically about the sports drama and compared Wahlberg and Bale to Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. Read the rest of this entry »

Recently, I was with actor Christian Bale and former world-class boxer Dickie Eklund in a crack house on Smith Street in Lowell, Massachusetts.

I should say former crack house. Back in 1993, it mainly served as a safe place for junkies and addicts to hang out and get high. Off and on, for nearly 18 months, I spent time inside the scantly furnished, dimly lit, cockroach infected, two-bedroom apartments on the second floor with a video camera.

In those days, I was a documentary filmmaker. My job was to document the demise of Eklund. He was a crack addict. He’d fought on HBO many times and even went the distance with Sugar Ray Leonard. I put him back on HBO — but this time as one of three stars in the “America Undercover” documentary film, “High on Crack Street: Lost Lives in Lowell.” Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve uploaded new filming photos of Christian onlocation of ‘The Fighter’ on July 17, 2009.

GALLERY LINK:
- The Fighter: Filming – July 17, 2009

I have uploaded new high quality of Christian on the set of ‘The Fighter’ on July 14, 2009. He looks gorgeous!

GALLERY LINK:
- The Fighter: Filming – July 14, 2009