With 3:10 to Yuma, Russell Crowe and Christian Bale barge into this week's box office saloon with both guns blazing. This makes for the perfect time to take a look at a few of their greatest DVD selections. Below I've listed three favorites for each actor. It was tough deciding what stayed and what left but that's why they pay me the big bucks.

A Beautiful Mind
This is a very strong film all around, and Crowe's performance is just heartbreaking stuff. I really liked how screenwriter Akiva Goldsman let this story unfold, particularly because I wasn't familiar with John Nash Jr.'s story. I know there's a certain contingent that likes to scoff at this Best Picture choice, but this is clearly one of Ron Howard's best films.

Empire of the Sun
Here's another movie some critics had a beef with when it was first released. Some felt Spielberg was Oscar reaching when he made this and The Color Purple. When all is said and done, however, he was simply making a really good movie. Christian Bale was only twelve years old when he played Jim Graham and this is still a favorite of mine.

The Insider
Director Michael Mann, Al Pacino, Russell Crowe and screenwriter Eric Roth will always be able look back at this one and say it was one of the best films they were ever involved in. Crowe disappears into his role as Dr. Jeffrey Wigand and if it weren't for Kevin Spacey's near iconic work in American Beauty, he would have nabbed the Oscar.

American Psycho
It was in this underrated and often misunderstood satire that Bale took his next big step as an actor. His manic Patrick Bateman is a killer in more ways than one and when he takes it to the next level in the film's final act, it isn't over-the-top work for the sake of being over-the-top; it's risky and more than a little brave.

Gladiator
I got into a debate earlier today with someone over 300. I dug the heck out of the movie but he dared compare it to Gladiator, parking it "just under" Ridley Scott's film. Um, no. The two films shouldn't even be discussed together. One is a fun piece of entertainment and the other is a lot more. Gladiator has memorable dialogue, even more brutal action, a great villain and a ton of emotion -- all lacking in 300. As cool as King Leonidas was, Maximus would own him on the battlefield.

The Prestige
One of the best films of 2006, I love this movies in more ways than I can count. This might be the best work Bale ever turned in. The beauty of it is you can't truly appreciate how good a performance it is until the film ends and you watch it a second time.

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Dre writes three times a week for Film.com. E-mail him!

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