If you guys want to see a weird movie . . .

. . . check out "The Machinist." It's out at Blockbuster right now and has Christian Bale playing the title character. Bale, before he buffed up for "Batman Begins" lost over 65 lbs. for this role. Bale isn't me, guys. I could lose 65 lbs. (yeah, right!) and people would tell me how great I look. But Bale's normal weight is around 180-lbs. He went all the way down to like 120 for this role. It is positively frightening to look at him, too. He is downright skeletal. His ribs, shoulder blades and pelvic bones all prominently jut out and his skin looks as thin as paper. I am serious, you will hurt for Bale as you watch the movie. You'll also marvel at the self-discipline he obviously has to have done that to himself. You think Tom Hanks suffered for his craft in "Philadelphia?" Shit, that's nothing compared to what Bale did to himself in "The Machinist." He's almost unrecognizable, he's so thin. He's a wraith.

And the movie is quite good, too, in a sort of independent movie way. It's a psychological thriller about a man who is losing his mind. He is afflicted with chronic insomnia (he tells people that he hasn't slept in a year) and can't make himself stop losing weight. The ending ties up nicely too in a way that doesn't insult your intelligence. The movie's derivative, and I thought about a handful of other movies that obviously inspired it, like "Insomnia" and "Memento," but it's better than those, in my opinion.

Highly recommended.