Reviews and Reworks

It's all Jake today starting off with an OMG exclusive.



Destiny had the opportunity to attend a special screen of Source Code followed by a Q&A with director Duncan Jones at the Lincoln Film Center last night. Here's her review and highlights of the evening. (Thanks Destiny for sharing it with OMG)

"I really liked Source Code. What really surprised me is how much fun it is, and how funny it was. Duncan Jones said that they deliberately injected humor into the movie, which aside from the ending, is apparently the only things they really changed about the script. However me, my girlfriend, and another friend who went with us were the only ones laughing in the audience. I don't know if that is because people didn't find it laugh out loud funny, or because they thought it wasn't the kind of thing you should laugh at. I laugh at a lot of things people find too dark to laugh at.

I thought Jake was really good, and right for the role. My girlfriend thinks he was not quite right for the role, she thinks he has a goofy quality that makes him not quite credible as a member of the Air Force. I also really liked Michelle Monaghan and Vera Farmigna. Jeffrey Wright really didn't have all that much to do.

I feel like it is impossible to talk about the plot without giving things away, so I'm not going to say anything about that, other than to say I didn't find any of the twists and turns surprising.

We all thought the plot was internally incoherent in places, but it was so much fun we didn't mind--not even my girlfriend, who usually hates movies of this sort. Our friend didn't like the last third of the movie because he found it got too bogged down in HW movie conventions. I do think the ending lacked the punch it could have had, so while I think it was a fun movie, I wouldn't say it is a great movie or one that is particularly memorable. It's a good popcorn movie.

Duncan Jones didn't answer questions for that long--maybe 15 or 20 minutes. While it was fun to see him talk about it, I don't think there is anything that probably hasn't been already said in interviews, although again I was struck by how much I think he genuinely liked Jake and liked working with him.

The screening was sold out (theater holds about 300) and when I got there 30 minutes before it started there was already quite a line. Most people stayed for the Q&A. I didn't hear anybody else talking about the movie so I can't gauge how the rest of the audience felt about it, although from the applause for the mention of Jone's last film Moon, I got the sense that a lot of the people were there because of the director."


While Duncan is on the East Coast Jake is doing his part on the West Coast. Jake will be on Jimmy Kimmel Live tonight and for those of you who don't want to wait for the highlights or for it to come on in your area, it will be streaming live starting at 12:35 EST.

Jimmy Kimmel Live
(scroll down on page)

Jake should bring an Source Code action figure (every 8 minutes kids will want a new one) with him to go with the Kimmel Lego from his last visit.

Project Update:

No Mooning for Jake

Jake has moved on from Doug Liman's Moon Project which he has been attached to since Oct 2007. THR is reporting that production is back on track and Linman is now looking for two or three leads including a replacement for Jake with a short list that includes Andrew Garfield, Emile Hirsch and Chris Pine. (Two of which are also on the shortlist for Akira the movie Austin tweeted about, sorry Austin, too tall again).

With Moon off the table there are only two lingering projects on Jake's plate, Damn Yankees and the Namath biopic.

Nine ( Nein) Stories

With Jake looking at getting a producing credit on the Untitled Moon Project, (if you haven't seen the article about it check it out, its a good read about where the process is, and commentary about Jake and the role) this might be the first time we see the Nine Stories logo on the screen.
Nine Stories is Jake's long established production come, its name comes from a collection of J.D. Salinger's short stories aptly titled Nine Stories Production.

Jake has affinity and history with Salinger/Salingeresque stories. Of course the first thing you that comes to mind to many is his role in Good Girl, even taken the most famous of Salinger's characters as his own, and clutching to his copy of Catcher in the Rye throughout the film.

Jake has talked about his love of Salinger and his work throughout the years. How he read Catcher in the Rye at 12, on a family vacation to Hawaii after Maggie had given him the book as a gift. And after reading it he read everything Salinger wrote. How he goes back to reread Salinger as mileposts in his life.

What I find most interesting is that Teddy, is his favorite of the Nine Stories collection. To many critics this was the weakess of Salinger's works, he is almost dimissive of it . It is the story of 10 year boy who is a prodigy, who somewhat a mystic, it is cool and detached on the service. Some say that is example of Salinger's transition of spirtualitly to a zen like state. But like others when I read it I saw an unloved, frightened 10-year-old boy reacting defensively to adults and the world around him. Developing a different person, who was a mystic and clairvoyant to gain the love he " desperately needed while at the same time, to distance and protect himself from his uncaring family and the grown-up world."

Also find the comment he made about Salinger in an interview with friend Chelsea Clinton in 2002 (we know the actual interview took place before he went to work on TDAT) particulary intesting as he is rereading Catcher and more Salinger again at 21, as opposed to 12.

"I think now I have an appreciation of the specific more than the broad--the ideas, the sort of Buddhism that pervades all of Salinger's work.

You know, I think it's genius that J.D. Salinger doesn't want anybody to make a movie of his book, because there's no way anyone can play it. it is what it is to everybody. I've met many people who actually dislike it. Especially some women I know."

"Especially the women I know" Don't know about you but doesn't that seem like an odd ending to answer?

Salinger now pretty much a recluse in New Hampshire has unapologetically forbid that any of his work done by Hollywood, after one short story “Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut” was adapted in 1948.

Isn't there a strange irony to the fact that Jake's production company takes its name in an homage to a man who guards so much to protect it.

Salinger's Writing and Film

The Eagle has landed.

Don't know if Doug Linman's Moon Project will ever take off with Jake getting to play the renegade with the theory about moon colonization, sent into space without even knowing it and forced to prove it. It might just orbit in development until it breaks apart and turn into a Skylab of a movie.

But today is all about Moon Men to celebrate the 40th anniversary of man walking on the moon.

So a little moonlight for both Jake and Austin.

Jake seems to celebrate the moon and space on screen.

That cod piece looks a little sturdier than PoP's.

And Austin?
Celebrates the moon his very own way.

Well it's a little tough in that outfit.

Sometimes you do need a wingman.

2:10 Update: First look of the official Disney Poster for Prince of Persia (UK)

Walk like an Egyptian

Jake popping in Fred Leighton and in Egypt? It sounds like he is practicing his former co-star Hayden's role in Jumpers. Is that script supervisor job available again? Or Does Doug Liman want to make a Jumpers on the Moon and call it "Moon Bounce"? Jake would have to go on a solo mission, cause if you saw a movie around Christmas time, the Bounce Bounce is not someone's favorite. ; )

And in these times of recession and thinking greener and leaner why waste money and make a huge carbon foot print going all the way to Egypt, when you go to Vegas by hybrid and boost the economy and save the environment a little? You can stay in a pyramid at the Luxor. And there are cameras (ok sercurity cameras) everywhere. Wait that might be the too much. Then again - you can do Venice and New York at the same time. Talk about a whirlwind - and it totally time efficient for those check lists.

And being close to home maybe there is time for a like wild (turkey) goose chase... cause you know what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, well unless your publicist calls ahead.

Yeah you can dance but can you walk the walk Jake?


Evolution of Dance ( Egyptian Edition)
A little less locomotion but walking in the right direction.

Less Fosse more Suzanne Hoff - hand higher and use those eyes to sell it big guy.

Clearly more Goose than Tut. But you got the point down.

The head action is more back and forth and not so side to sign. This is just a little too Kattan even for a Night at the Roxbury

Lose the hat and the horse and add right hand from your goose on SNL and you got it.

The Moon or Bust?

Sorry for the delay - technical difficulties with a temperamental internet connection.

It looks like the famous or is it becoming infamous at this point moon project of Doug Liman's is getting pulled off the launch pad for some retooling. This time "Black Hawk Down" screenwriter Ken Nolan has been brought on to rework the script.

The original draft lunar colonoization was written by Liman and John Hamburg, and what's weird and oh such a Hollywood kind of coincidence that someone associated with Black Hawk Down should be taking a crack at it – the book’s writer, Mark Bowden has already revamped the script once, as well as Liman and Hamburg had a rewrite at it as well.

Some say the movie is gonna be more summer blockbuster stuff like Armageddon, or Deep Impact than serious sci-fi , like 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Now if they've had these many guys writing, why can't we have a go. So come on get creative get a little crazy. Here's the pitch - you come up with the story.

You have a young brash captain who is heading up the first lunar expedition in 35 years:

What happens next?

Romance ? Courage? Valor? Redemption Explosion of asteroids? Rough waves in the Sea of Tranquilty?

Aliens? Astronaut gone rogue? Mysterious moon illness? Crazy hijinks with a stowaway cat and a monkey? Is the moon really made of Cheese and Jake astronaut and chef the only one to know what to do before the sun melts it?

2001 meets Rocket Man with a whole lot of Bubble Boy?

Star Wars meets Armageddon and Space Cowboys with a Twist?

The Moon meets Rocket Boys and Pilgrim's Progress?

Deep Impact meets Outbreak with Titanic proportions?

Capricorn One meets All the Right Stuff and the Hunt for Red October?

Josie and the Pussycats meets The Lost Saucer and the Great Space Coaster? Woo Hoo!

Come on see what you do get this off the ground, obviously Dougie needs the help.

Fly Me to the Moon

When you thought it looked scrubbed the Moon Project is back on the launch pad with a new writer brought onto the film, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Up and coming writer Dan Mazeau has been hired to redraft the action film about lunar colonization that was originally written director Doug Linman and John Hamburg. Mark Bowden revamped Linman's and Hamburg's script first, now Mazeau challenge is working on a script "based on an original story by Liman, Bowden and Simon Kinberg," Kinberg will be executive producing with Linman, the pair have had box office success with "Mr & Mrs. Smith" and "Jumpers".

So Astronaut Jake will get to suit up soon enough it looks like.

Astronaut, Soldier, Prince, Cowboy, Football Star... sounds like action figures, but in reality recent roles and projects in Jake's career. What little boy didn't dream of being at least one of those? Acting gives the chance to be all things taking some of those boyhood dreams of really being the astronaut, the cowboy, the Prince and bringing it to the role. It is the magic of that sometimes is the spark to such roles, that translated it from the page to the audience. Wonder if Jake will ever get to be the bird he wanted to grow up to be?

Are the astronaut and the Prince boyhood dreams or a way of providing security in his career with big box office projects? Jake has said he admired Matt Damon's career, that of balance big box office with smaller critically acclaimed roles and indie projects. Is he making his own version of the Damon plan?

And if not acting then what for Jake? Would it be serious run at cooking? Or woodworking? Or gardening? Or would be behind the camera? Do you think he would be able to walk away from acting completely? Or would he always keep acting a part of his life?