3:10 to Yuma

Though he wasn't nominated for any awards, I believe some of the year's best performances have come from Christian Bale (3:10 to Yuma, Rescue Dawn), and I'm a little sad that he's missing from the red carpet. The man has been honing his craft since he was a wee child and has been working steadily for years since. To properly pay my respects to the talented Mr. Bale this awards season, I'm designating a Movie Night to him. It's hard to choose given his large body of work, but I dug out some gems. In addition to these titles, he also sang his way into my heart in Newsies and freaked me out in American Psycho and The Machinist.

3:10 to Yuma
I've said it before and I'll say it again: 3:10 to Yuma is an excellent retelling of an old Western, reminding us that this dusty genre isn't dead. The lead actors turn in solid performances including Christian Bale who plays rancher Dan Evans, a man down on his luck physically and financially. Evans seizes an opportunity to earn some good reward money by delivering the infamous outlaw Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) to the Yuma prison via the 3:10 PM train. With Ben's men hot on their trail, their journey to Yuma takes on a power struggle that is ultimately as simple as good versus evil. This film has one of Bale's most arresting portrayals in recent history, and should definitely kick off your movie night.

Two more titles from the deeper confines of Bale's past, so read more

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue. In addition to these titles, you can also check out the indie comedy Smiley Face, starring John Krasinski and Anna Faris.

3:10 to Yuma
This remake of the classic 1957 Glen Ford Western is a fine example of how to make a Western film that will be palatable to modern audiences. There's action and intrigue, danger and betrayal, with Christian Bale and Russell Crowe providing solid performances.

The film takes place in late-1800s Arizona where struggling rancher Dan Evans (Christian Bale) finds himself in the presence of famed outlaw Ben Wade (Russell Crowe), and with the promise of a sizable reward, Dan agrees to help deliver Ben to the 3:10 PM train that will take him to the Yuma prison. Yet Ben's men are hot on Dan's trail, and the stakes get even higher when Dan's son William joins the group, trying to help his father get Ben on that train.

Special features on the DVD include a making-of documentary, audio commentary with director James Mangold, a featurette on the history of Western film and a featurette on the role of real-life outlaws in the history of the Old West.

Two more new titles, so read more

Happy 2008 and welcome to BuzzSugar's monthly must-haves, where I show off a handful of the things I'm most looking forward to watching, buying, renting and reading. I'm hoping to start the new year off right with the following goodies.

To see why these six things are at the top of my list, just read more

In a surprising turn of events — even for people behind the movie itself — The Game Plan, a PG-rated family-friendly flick starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, came in at No. 1 at the box office this weekend. The Disney movie far outpaced the action-war film The Kingdom, which took in $17.7 million and the No. 2 spot. Variety speculates whether The Kingdom's weak opening is an indication of audiences' reluctance "to see films addressing the consequences of the war on terror."

Favorites from last weekend held over: Resident Evil 3: Extinction came in third place with Good Luck Chuck following it at No. 4. 3:10 to Yuma continued to hold its own in its fourth weekend, coming in at No. 5. Feast of Love didn't even make it into the top ten and brought home a slim $1.7 million.

This weekend we'll see if Ben Stiller and Co. will be breaking any hearts at the box office with The Heartbreak Kid.

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The Jodie Foster/Terrence Howard thriller The Brave One reached the No. 1 spot at the box office over a relatively slow weekend, bringing in approximately $14 million. Variety reports that the main audience for the film was older women, and that its continued success will depend on whether men will be drawn to see it as well.

3:10 to Yuma just barely beat out Mr. Woodcock for the No. 2 spot, with the Western raking in $9.15 million while the gym teacher comedy grossed $9.10. Dragon Wars (or D-War) came in fourth place and Superbad continued to please audiences (and, consequently, studio heads), taking the No. 5 slot.

This weekend looks like it offers a little bit of something for everyone, from The Jane Austen Book Club and Resident Evil 3: Extinction, to Good Luck Chuck and Sydney White. Oh, and that other Western flick with good-looking men, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford also opens this weekend.

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

• Kid Rock received a police citation last night for misdemeanor battery after his rumble with Tommy Lee at the VMAs. Boys will be jealous boys. - AP
• Sherri Shepherd has officially been named the newest co-host of The View. We can safely say that nobody was shocked by this news. - ABC News
• 3:10 to Yuma took the #1 slot at the box office away from Halloween. This bodes well for the rest of the bad boys of fall movies. - BuzzSugar
• Apparently Vanessa Hudgen's racy photos were originally meant for Nickelodeon star Drake Bell, and were taken before Vanessa was even famous. The actor has denied seeing the photos, but this probably only adds to her embarrassment. - People
• In her new book, Celebrity Detox, Rosie O'Donnell talks about her feud with Donald Trump, calling him a scarecrow stuffed with money and a garden slug. Donald also claims that some of his new book, Think Big and Kick Ass, will be devoted to how Rosie is a liar and a loser. We wish they'd both think big and shut up. - Page Six

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I wasn't the only moviegoer wowed by the remake of the Western 3:10 to Yuma this weekend as the movie took the No. 1 spot at the box office. According to Variety, the film "appealed primarily to men over 25" but, um, I'm pretty sure there was plenty there for the ladies to enjoy as well.

Halloween continued its killing spree at No. 2 while the ever-entertaining Superbad followed up in third place. Balls of Fury is funny enough to come in fourth place and, of course, The Bourne Ultimatum has yet to be knocked from the top five, coming in fifth place this weekend with $5.4 million. Surprisingly, my man Clive Owen and his totally entertaining, bloody movie Shoot 'Em Up opened in sixth place to the tune of just $5.45 million. Hopefully the second weekend's the charm for the lovely Clive and his gory, funny movie.

Photo courtesy of Lionsgate

How does one make a Western film, one of them dusty, twangy pictures of old that don't seem to have a place in today's cinemas, appealing to modern audiences? Director James Mangold took on incredible challenges with making 3:10 to Yuma, a remake of a 1957 Western which starred Glen Ford and Van Heflin. How to keep viewers interested? How to make them care?

The answer is this: A Western is made appealing to modern audiences by creating a character-driven film, utilizing quick edits and a few dazzling explosions, finding some sexy cowboys, and sticking to the clean, basic plotline of good versus evil. Plain and simple, 3:10 to Yuma is good storytelling made even more captivating by solid performances by the lead actors. In many ways, it's as close to flawless as I've seen in a long time. To find out more about why, read more

LA got a little more Old West last night with the premiere of 3:10 to Yuma with Christian Bale, Russell Crowe, Ben Foster and the gorgeous Zoe Kravitz. I wonder how Lenny feels about his 18-year-old daughter being so red carpet lovey dovey with Mr. Foster? There's definitely a shortage of the often-Manjoyable Christian Bale around these parts, but, I'm happy to report, not for long. Not only is he releasing one of this fall's Hot Westerns, but he's hard at work in his Batman suit on The Dark Knight. Check out some new stills, including his hotness and Heath's scariness here. Perhaps his most interesting upcoming gig, however, is as one of the many Bob Dylans in the biopic, I'm Not There. Hey, a lot of Bale? No complaints here.

To see more from the premiere just read more