On the couch

Very different, a bit deeper, and somewhat provocative.



This an interesting interview between Natalie Portman and Jim Sheridan on film making and near the end of the interview more specifically about Brothers. Sheridan gives a lot of insight to his philosophy to making movies.

Around the 7 minute mark he talks about Jake in Brothers, and Jake's reluctance let go to get angry in the family dynamic, about Jake not wanting to go there, and how he thinks Jake didn't think it was cool. But I wondered this, that maybe it wasn't about to being cool, but afraid of tapping emotions that you can't rein back in on set, that too much would too open in the process, too vulnerable. Any thoughts?

More in the muddle of movie and emotions, we have long read about Jake challenging directors or disagreeing in the process, while all actors need to bring their viewpoint into their character or story do you think its different for the son of a director. Could it be that the understand the director's job differently because they have a different type of knowledge than other actors, is it because he thinks he could do it better himself, or could it be that director is the parental figure and it becomes a chance for Jake to exercise all those moment and challenges he can't otherwise? Despite the conflicts he still seem to hold the directors he tangles with with a level of respect that is similar to what a son has for a father.


I do wonder if his working relationship with Nicole Holofcener who directed Lovely & Amazing was different.

What do you think?

Fish Tales

Austin loves the water, we all know that by know and from the newest pictures.

But he's equal opportunity, he's not only bi.... coastal. But he also likes both fresh water and salt water too.

From skiing on the lakes, to surfing at the beach, he's worked and played on water.


But did you know the boy could fish? Or is it a mysterious mustache man you'd meet at The Waffle House ? (wonder if he's going to use that a his go to disguise for traveling?)

Sorry for the not so great quality. Found this as icon and enlarged it. And yes this is Hil and Austin from their little short - Boyfriend and Girlfriend they have been working on for SoGo.

source

Seeing him like this I am picturing a pickup truck with a gun rack and him saying ... Get 'er dun. Now if Jake does do Rock of Ages and has the mullet wig.... man Austin will be all over it. Freebird!!!!

Out Spotlight LXXXVII

Today's Out Spotlight is Kanako Otsuji. Born December 16, 1974 in Nara Japan, Kanako Otsuji is a Japanese LGBT rights activist and former member of the Osaka Prefectural Assembly (April 2003–April 2007). She was one of only seven women in the 110-member Osaka Assembly, Otsuji
represented the Sakai-ku, Sakai City constituency.

Otsuji was an Asian Junior karate champion, later enrolling at Seoul University to study Korean and tae kwon do. Her goal was to go to the Sydney Olympics in 2000 but was unsuccessful in making the national team. She returned to Japan and enrolled at Doshisha University in Kyoto, where she first became interested in politics.

At 28 she became the youngest person ever elected to the Osaka Assembly. She later joined Rainbow and Greens, a new Japanese political coalition dedicated to developing an alternative society based on ecological politics, participatory political ideas and decentralization.

Then in August 2005, Otsuji published an autobiography Coming Out: A Journey to Find My True Self, and in doing so came out as Japan's first lesbian politician, the day before 2005 Tokyo Pride. This in a country where people in public positions seldom come out as homosexual for fear it could destroy their careers. An estimated 1 million or more gay people live in Japan.

In Japan, homosexuality has long been accepted in fact but not openly discussed.
In medieval times, homosexual relationships were an open secret among priests, nuns and samurai knights. (Great article on same sex samurai relationships - here)

Although gays and lesbians in Japan do not encounter outright hostility, Otsuji said Japan was behind many Western countries in awareness of sexual diversity.

That same year she was instrumental in bringing about legislative change that allowed same-sex couples to rent housing from the Osaka Prefectural Housing Corporation, a privilege previously reserved for married couples. Since same-sex marriages are not recognized under Japanese law, gay couples in Osaka had previously found it impossible to rent public housing.

In March-April 2006, Otsuji attended International Lesbian and Gay Association's world conference in Geneva and visited the United States on a trip sponsored by the International Visitor Leadership Program of the US Department of State. During her visit she met representatives from the National Center for Transgender Equality, the National Association of LGBT Community Centers, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Freedom to Marry and the Stonewall Democrats.

She chose not to run for re-election in April 2007 to the Osaka Assembly, but decided to run as an official candidate list of the Democratic Party of Japan, becoming the first-ever openly gay serious contender for election to Japan's parliament. Otsuji fell short of her goal. There have been no openly gay elected officials in Japan since she stepped down from the Osaka Assembly.



June 3, 2007, Otsuji married her partner Maki Kimura, in a public ceremony in Nagoya during an HIV/AIDS prevention festival called Nagoya Lesbian Gay Revolution.Some 1,000 guests attended the wedding.

Although same-sex marriages are not legally recognized in Japan, the leader of the Democratic Party of Japan, Ichiro Ozawa, the Secretary General of the Party, Yukio Hatoyama, and Fusae Ota, the Governor of Osaka all sent congratulatory telegrams.

Kanako Otsuji Official Site

Bay Area Reporter

Indoor Fireworks

It's Independence Day here in the U.S. and many of us will be celebrating with cookouts, parties and fireworks.



Today's celebrations and yesterday seeing Jake and Natalie in the trailer for Brothers, made me think of back in July of 2006. When they took along the beach taking a break from the party at Matt McConaughey's in Malibu.


I always wondered who Jake was flashing that big grin for, maybe someone up on the deck?



Or were they a mystery man?



What is about female friends and Malibu, that brings out the Photoshop?


When Jake's with Natalie, he looks like he in the backyard with sparklers. With Reese it's always look like a stink bomb just went off. And with Austin? Well....



Boston is having their traditional blowout with the Boston Pops and special guest Neil Diamond. So 500,000 people crammed along the banks of the river Charles, and singing Sweet Caroline and fireworks on a clear night. A great reward for weeks of dismal weather.

Anyone have special plans to celebrate?

Happy 4th of July!

Body by Jake

Austin Friday - Wimbledon Men's Semi Finals Edition

Yes, Austin was Jake once.... Jake Hammond that is.



But he almost wasn't, Jake was going to be another blue eyed dark haired boy by the name of Ian Somerhadler - maybe it was Austin's McEnrovian hair gave him the advantage.

Of his killer forehand?


Pro tennis player Pat Cash, who should know what makes a Wimbledon champion, since he won it in 1987. Cash taught Austin from scratch to make him pro-level looking was blown away with his natural athletic ability, and definitely his forehand. "It’s absolutely as good as anybody’s on the circuit. I swear to God. He hits it like a bullet. He’s our star pupil."


Or maybe because he is just a great guy to work with.

Paul Bettany talks about walking on out on Centre Court and Austin helping him walk off.


“It was as close to how I imagined being a rock star feels,” he says of a moment that encompassed both exhilaration and abject terror. “You walk on and everybody is screaming you name.” “I sat down to take my racquet out and I remember thinking, ‘I’m so pleased that I don’t actually have to play a match, because I can’t walk,’” he adds with a laugh. “There’s actually a photograph somewhere of [my on screen opponent] Austin Nichols helping me walk off Centre Court because, literally, my legs were like jelly.”

Of maybe just because....

All that running from wolves does a body good.

Pass the strawberries and cream please.



A little more Wimbledon Trivia:

"Originally, the casting director sought after Hugh Grant and Reese Witherspoon for the leading roles. And I can only imagine how dreadfully country club it would have been if they had done so." - The Reel Deal

Foxy Loxy gandered Goosey?

Well we know that know that Toothy has a type the Brian Austin Green fits. But does his on again off again Megan Fox have one too?And a its a little loosey Goosey?

Now how would you get that idea?


Could Austin be the reason that Fox end up with BAG? How you say. Well one look at Austin in Holiday in the Sun, come on. : )



Holiday in the Wha ha? Come on. Well, Mary Kate and Ashley weren't the only two girls in this picture. Yup that's right Megan Fox was mean girl Brianna Wallus in that movie epic Holiday in the Sun.
All that time in the Bahamas with the Austin and what makes his tow rope taunt could leave an impression. One look at Brian Austin Green and you know she was totally thinking Griffin Greyson.

Forget the apple box, these two had to do scafolding for this pic.

Oh Canada

We Celebrate Canada Day with the highest grossing Hollywood film in history to be filmed in Canada (as of 2007)

What movie ?





The film made $110,000,000 in DVD sales, bringing its total film gross to over $652,771,772. But there is probably another reason besides its big box office that many remember it for.

The cast of TDAT spent 6 monthsfrom November 2002 through March 2003 shooting in Montreal Canada. Now that's almost the entire winter. The irony is they shot almost all the winter footage indoors, in the warm and comfy Cité du Cinéma studio in the Technopark.

"We've shot most of our exteriors inside, re-creating the snow and ice, and the weather, because we had more control, and, frankly, it looks more real", said Day After Tomorrow producer Mark Gordon.

"Also, it would've taken a lot more time to do it outside. We have shot outside with very cold weather, but not a lot. We originally thought we were coming here for the weather but what we realized was that at the end of the day, from a creative stand-point, we were better off re-creating it (inside). To have the control and let us make it look the way we wanted it to look. And a lot of this movie is visual effects, which will create a lot of the extreme weather."

Roland Emmerich said making The Day After Tomorrow "has been a tough slog and it would've been even harder if they'd been shooting on the streets of Montreal at well-below-zero temperatures."

Winters in the North are not for the light hearted. Ski trips and visit family in Utah and Michigan still can't compare to an entire winter in Canada for a guy raised in Texas, or one from California either. It's cold, it gets dark early, the snow seems to never end. What do you during a long cold Canadian winter? Look for the best poutine around? Crazy Canadian dares like, which makes you lose your shirt faster? Canadian 4.0% beer , U.S 3.2. or Canadian Club? And what about the Canadian Geese? With Wimbledon starting to film that July, and Austin having get into world champion form you think he was looking for a practice partner?

And what do you do with so much downtime actually on the set as they set up the elaborate special effects? Crossword puzzles? Books? Or do you just get to know you co-stars very well?

And what's a holiday or a Roland Emmerich movie without some explosions? Here was a quote from Arjay Smith that always sticks out in my mind.

When you look back on filming, is there one day of filming that sticks out in your mind?

Wow. There’s one day that sticks out in mind but it wasn’t a filming day. The whole shoot was just awesome, everybody was just pleasant. But one day one of our actor’s trailers blew up and that was a frantic day. Thank God they weren’t in there.

Why? Because a trailer blew up. Well yeah, but I always thought it was more interesting that he said "one of our actor's trailers" blew up, meaning singular, but then said "Thank God they weren't in there" - which implies plural. Yes I know he could you using a formal pronoun, but don't you think he would have said Thank God he wasn't in there, or Thank God she wasn't in there. What do you think?

And to all of our Canadian friends - Happy Canada Day!