Monday, July 21, 2014

Movie Makings

Early in his career, Jake was a real movie maker, lots of projects coming one after the other, multiple movies out in the same year, and then came a period of a self imposed slow down where one project a year was the norm, if that.  (Interestingly when Austin was steadily committed to television) Now it seems that he is in a place were he can go back to working with gusto and gusto it is.


It's not one or two movies to talk about today but three:

Past, Present, Future as it were.

Past:  Wrapping Nightcrawler last year, it was waiting to see what the ambitious project that turned Jake into the Thin Man was all about.  The comments from the trailer are singing praises for Jake's portrayal of the anxious, tense, desperate Louis Bloom looking for a job and who finds himself in the underworld of LA's crime journalism scene.  Many have noted that after Jake's performance in Prisoners that he is creating himself a place in playing complex characters.

 Indie Wire said, "It’s less than a minute teaser, but yes, the actor is gaunt and the footage is definitely intriguing. It gives us a quick taste of what to expect, but it's really only the first layer of unpeeling the onion, with lots more to be revealed."  Slated to open October 17th,  there is also talk that it may be included in the Toronto Film Festival.

Present:  Southpaw.   The need for extra seems never ending for Southpaw, but with so many fight scenes, that's a lot seats to fill.  Casting was also looking for a minister, which seems like they could just find an actor to play a minister, but maybe the realize that ministers do have a kind of ministerial look about them. :)

Not only is Southpaw trying to include as much of the population of Pittsburgh and the Allegheny Valley as possible, they are also giving back.  This time giving the gym equipment to groups to bring back gyms in the area.  Check it out here.

  “So the exchange is he is going to give me some of the equipment, and he donated a boxing ring and we are going to put up on the Centre Avenue at the old (YMCA) on the hill. There hasn't been a gym there in about 10 years, so I'm reopening the gym," said Jimmy Cvetic, executive director of the Western Pennsylvania Police Athletic League.

 Mike Tyson will be making an appearance, as well as some delegates from "Southpaw," who will be there for the ribbon-cutting ceremony when the gym opens.


 And  Future:  The project Divergent.  Naomi Watts is in negotiations to play opposite Jake in Demolition. Last month the news was Jake was considering the lead in Dallas Buyers Club director Jean-Marc VallĂ©e’s next film, Demolition. According to the site The Wrap the word is that Naomi is working out a deal to co-star.

"Written by Bryan Sipe, the script focuses on a young investment banker (Jake) who falls into an emotional disconnect after his wife dies. Deciding to tear his life apart to discover what went wrong, he becomes obsessed with the idea of destruction but eventually ends up meeting and befriending a single mother (Naomi), who helps him to turn things around."

Watt's character is much more complicated than you assume – "she’s a pot-smoking customer service operative for a vending machine company whose device has eaten Gyllenhaal’s money, sending him into a rage. Despite her already dating her boss, she starts to fall for the anguished customer, especially when she learns the depths of his situation."


Jake and Naomi have several connections, not to mention the biggest one which is her husband Liev is the star of Ray Donovan.  And oh yeah, that mention that Toothy and Goose have something in common with Naomi and Liev right around this fall seven years ago. Hmmm....

15 comments:

Special K said...

I want to say Thank You so much for all the wonderful birthday wishes. The greatest part of OMG over the years is the amazing friendships that I have gained from doing it. Thank you for all you do to be a part of OMG.

I had a wonderful day capped off with a great evening of dinner, drinks, and great dessert.

Special K said...

Confirmed! Jake and Nightcrawler part of Toronto Film Festival.

The Wrap

Jake's Southpaw director Antoine Fuqua's movie “The Equalizer” will premiere with Denzel Washington, taking on the role played on TV by British actor Edward Woodward.

Reese's movie Wild based on Cheryl Strayed's true-story will be at TIFF as well.

london tb said...

Belated birthday wishes, Special!

the real m said...

Well it makes sense that as the primary breadwinner in terms of potential salary, Jake should be the one to hit the bricks hard. I watched the clip for Nightcrawler. Sort of creepy but it looks like it will give him a chance to show his acting chops. Not to mention his big eyes and brows. The weight loss is not vey flattering to his face.

Seaweed said...

This afternoon I had the chance to find and watch "Strapped", so thanks very much for that mention Tom. Really enjoyed the movie and the characters. Some sweet eye candy and a very warm ending.

M, I agree with you on the creepy feel of Nightcralwer and that the weight loss for Jake was somewhat jarring. Will have to see how it's accepted in Toronto in September.

Yahoo said...

Best Actor Watch: Will 'Nightcrawler be Jake Gyllenhaal's Taxi Driver?

Dan Gilroy's "Nightcrawler," which I'm guessing will be part of the Toronto Film Festival's announcement tomorrow morning, is really looking fascinating to me from afar. "A young man stumbles upon the underground world of L.A. freelance crime journalism" is already an intriguing enough logline, but this could be a real coming out for actor Jake Gyllenhaal.

The script is said to be pretty amazing and one person even put it to me that this will be Gyllenhaal's "Taxi Driver." Then over the weekend, an interesting little video resume popped up at Craigslist and went viral. It features a gaunt Gyllenhaal as Louis Bloom, pitching his virtues as he seeks employment, and he looks incredibly focused.

The actor has really gone for it in the thriller, dropping a bunch of weight and getting into the intensity of the character; he had to get stitches when he punched a mirror during one emotionally charged scene.

Gyllenhaal hasn't danced with awards season too much. He was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nearly 10 years ago for "Brokeback Mountain," but he has been impressive throughout his career. Just last year he made a strong case with Denis Villeneuve's "Prisoners" and the year before, "End of Watch" was a great showcase for his focus and intensity. Will "Nightcrawler" break him out into leading man awards territory?

Happy Belated Birthday said...

you forgot :

1)Everest

2)the most important thing that Jake and Naomi have in common

the real deal

Heath Andrew Ledger

Methodical Muser said...


I'm not so sure that Naomi is Liev Schreiber's real deal either, if you know what I mean?

prairiegirl said...

Jessica Edwards (@JessicaEdwards0)
7/12/14, 20:56

Just had dinner next to Nicole Kidman and Naomi Watts. #nbd #nashvillenormal http://twitter.com/JessicaEdwards0/status/488139865138417665/photo/1

Nicole and Naomi

I understand from a comment on a Gossip Rocks thread that Naomi and Nicole have had a very long time relationship, and in fact were rumored to have had an affair.


I'll tell you what. I no longer am buying this marriage of Liev Schrieber and Naomi Watts. There is something going on there.

They're rarely pictured together. Just Jared is constantly doing side by sides together. They don't look like a true couple to me.


Then throw in this pattern that Jake is showing to me of choosing co-starring actresses with lesbian rumors and why was I not surprised at all when this story came out of Naomi Watts in talks to co-star with Jake.

Not a surprise at all to me.

Special K said...

Well with married woman like Naomi, the whole pairing her up with Jake in the press is moot.

Methodical Muser said...

Ted referred to Liev when discussing Toothy Tile, Grey Goose and Baby Tile on several occasions. This reference being a prime example:

September 4, 2008

Dear Ted:
I just had an epiphany...is Toothy Tile Liev Schreiber? Baby on the way, same age as Affleck. Come on, it's killing me not to know.
—Gillian

Dear Too Close for Toothy's Comfort:
Not exactly. Actually, not at all. But L and the real Tooth do have so much in common, true.

prairiegirl said...

It's so funny. M&M and I have been kind of keeping an eye on Liev and Naomi Watts for awhile because it was really starting to look odd the amount of posts on Just Jared of those 2 and they were always on separate outings. Then Naomi went to NYC on her own, gallavanting around to all the fashion shows during the winter and where was Liev?

So I know I was already starting to wonder about them. Then here came that tweet of someone spotting Naomi Watts with Nicole Kidman and that's when I found out there had been rumors of them having an affair.

And darned if just yesterday, here comes an announcement that Naomi Watts is in talks to co-star with Jake-aroni in his movie Demolition.

And that did not surprise me at all. And maybe this is how Jake is more comfortable doing his sex and love scenes. Maybe there is less "pressure" on him, I don't know. But there is definitely a pattern going on and Naomi Watts is just the latest in this growing line.

Jake and Austin's trusted circle of friends continues to shrink and shrink. People like Liev & Naomi - don't tell me they don't know Jake & Austin's story. I bet Liev has met some of their kids because I still think Austin had a BT or two with him and Liev that day they went surfing together.

Naomi Watts knows too, I bet. That's why she is also a trusted person that he can co-star with. Not to mention maybe that he doesn't feel the pressure to be the stud in hetero sex scenes in his movies co-starring with women who just might be used to being with other women rather than men.

Methodical Muser said...

Well with married woman like Naomi,

Don't forget Special, Naomi and Liev are not married. They have been with each for nine years. But, recent sources assure us that they are more in love than ever. Because don't you know that "the couple reportedly grew closer after Watts, 45, was widely panned for starring in the "Diana" biopic." That sounds credible, don't you think? LOLLLL!

prairiegirl said...

I did not realize Naomi Watts was over 10 years older than Jake. Wow, and people talked about ol' Reesey being older than him. Naomi Watts tops that.

Boy, that's quite a difference. Usually in movies, you'll see differences like that but it's the other way around, the man is much older than the female.

Methodical Muser said...

I can just hear Liev now. "Oh, honey I never wanted to marry you before, but you are just so hot now that all those critics have pointed out what a lousy actress you are."