Acting, music continue to cross

When you see Mark Wahlberg, do you think Funky Bunch or Dirk Digler?
   When you see Meat Loaf, do you think of the rocker behind "Bat Out of Hell" or the actor behind the big-breasted Bob in "Fight Club"?
   The line between actors and musicians continues to blur, and those who enjoy seeing their favorite singers in films and vice versa will likely dig Indie Rocks, a new weeklong tribute on the Independent Film Channel.
   To set the mood, IFC kicks off Indie Rocks with the new IFC-produced documentary "Crossover" (7 p.m. Monday). This documentary film carries an MTV edge, especially since many of its subjects were made famous by the music cable network.
   The film refers to the actors/musicians from back in the day - Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra - and those they inspired - Hole's Courtney Love and Kiss' Gene Simmons. Other obvious inclusions are Streisand, Madonna and Cher, but don't forget Mos Def, Ice T and Tupac - just a few of the hip-hop idols who have cut their teeth on the big-screen.
   But crossing genres hasn't always been easy.
   "What happened with 'Bat Out of Hell,'" said Meat Loaf in the film, "was that all the record companies said to me, 'You're an actor. Actors don't make rock records. You do Broadway. You're like Ethel Merman.' It really pissed me off to the point where I was like, 'Fine, I'll show you.' And 35 million copies later, I guess I proved my point."
   Two members of boy band 'N SYNC are finding there's still resistance. Lance Bass and Joey Fatone are producing and starring in their first feature film, "On the Line," which has been met with mixed feelings by their peers. IFC's "Crossover" features interviews with both SYNCers and on-set access to much of their shoot.
   Bette knows show biz
   Bette Midler says she prefers to play show-bizzy types.
   "I'm happiest when I'm playing somebody who's a musician or an actor or someone in show business," Midler said. "When I had to do 'Down and Out in Beverly Hills,' I was completely confused. I really did not know how to play that character at all, because I've never been in one of those houses. I wouldn't go near anybody like Richard Dreyfuss in my real life."
   Added singer-songwriter Willie Nelson: "I've (always) played pretty much myself - it certainly is easier."
   Other films to play the Indie Rocks tribute are: "Heavy" (7 p.m. Saturday), "The Leading Man" (8 p.m. Monday), "The Last Temptation of Christ" (9 p.m. Wednesday), "Sid & Nancy" (7 p.m. Thursday), "Wild at Heart" (7 p.m. Sunday), "Year of the Horse" (7 p.m. Friday), "Stranger Than Paradise" (9 p.m. Friday), "The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years" (9:30 p.m. Sunday), "I Shot Andy Warhol" (10 p.m. Saturday), "One Dollar Diary" (7 p.m. Wednesday), "Rhyme & Reason" (9 p.m. Tuesday), "Repo Man" (10:30 p.m. Tuesday), "Telling Lies in America" (7 p.m. Tuesday) and "All Over Me" (11:15 p.m. Monday).
  
  

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