Fun with captions - throwback style
Prisoners broke it's award nominee shut-out with a Critics Choice nominee for Best Cinematography for Roger Deakins while it looks like one of Jake's previous director is finding another full award season. David O. Russell has been on an award roll since Nailed with The Fighter, Silver Linings Playbook, and now American Hustle. It make you want to watch Nailed as least the version Russell created just to see what kind of performance he capture with Jake.
It's Old Bay all over again. Whaaaat?
David Fincher is known for his attention to detail and his perfectionism about his movies. Seeing Zodiac in the theater and seeing this, was so distracting, that the focus on Jake and Chloe in the scene was gone.
What was it? Two little cans on the back of the stove.
A can of Calamut baking powder and a box of Old Bay.
Baking powder is a leavening agent and keeping it on a heat source negates its purpose. If it was baking soda, you could say that it was there in case of fire. Baking soda is packaged in a box, baking powder is traditionally packaged in a tin. Then there's the Old Bay box. Old Bay is a seafood spice, yes San Francisco is known for seafood but not for Old Bay in their seasonings especially in the 70's. Old Bay is regionally popular, specifically in Southern US and parts of the Gulf Coast and mainly used to season crab and shrimp. But you don't use Old Bay when you cook Dungeness crabs which are the type of crabs predominate on the Pacific coast.
It seems something so small but it sometimes that's exactly what stick out the most. See how a little thing can throw everything. And in a big blockbuster movie it's the same thing.
That brings up PoP and this.
Do you see it?
Amazing that 6th century Persians mastered not only cobbling, but creating rubber and making rubber soled shoes. Look at the craftmanship see the fine detail of the notches. That's traction people pure and simple. The soles know. The fine leather uppers with a flexible sole. They are the next fashion sensation for Persian princes.
Jake needs shoes with traction to do the incredible action he's doing in the movie, andyes the boots take 20 minutes to put on, so it would be a huge pain, to change out for the tight shots but really? It's a 200 million dollar movie. And then an official Disney released still and they didn't catch it either. Well there's something to chat about on the DVD.
The point of all this? Don't discount the little things that pop out on and off screen, people notice . And those are the things that stop and make people think.
And if that's not enough PoPping off here's some more:
Like when Jake almost got his face chopped off:
JAKE: I remember this one scene where I got pulled from first unit to second unit really, really quickly, and we had this big fight scene with Toby Kebbell, who plays my brother in the movie. We had it choreographed, and he had worked on it a lot, but I had had very little time to work on it. But my character was sort of, you know, up against the wall at that point. And so I was literally just defending myself from his entire choreographed fight. I would remember it piece by piece kind of, but not really the whole thing, and the whole thing has the feeling of me going like, “Holy Shit!” The whole thing is me just being like, “Got it! Made that! OK, back over here, OK, we’re here, holy fuck! Wow, I punched him! Wow! Okay!” You know? It’s all real.
There was one moment, too, where my stunt guy — I had practiced with him a lot of the time, and then I come in and when I was doing it there’s one wipe across my face where I’m supposed to duck, and he has an ax, and the ax comes at my face – JULINA: Oh my God! JAKE: – and, like, literally with two hand-held cameras, [second Unit Director]Alexander Witt got the best angle: With nothing enhanced in it, you see he actually almost cut my face off. It’s great.
Check out more from the second part of Jake's interview with 30ninjas.com.
Jake's been doing press the past few days in London and here's some of the highlights.
Asked if he would do a sequel Jake said: "Of course, if there's an opportunity to do another one and people respond to it."...."I don't think that's really on our mind. I think our mind is to get this one out. But of course, it would be an honor. If an audience asks for a sequel, then that's an honor."
And being realistic about doing a movie based on a video game: "I know ... this will not appease all gamers, and I know there is a lot of skepticism about the translation of a video game to a movie." "But I also feel excited that I think we've done something that's better than any of the translations that have come out thus far." "These games haven't been given the respect they deserve in the movie world and I think (producer) Jerry (Bruckheimer) has done that and I think that we tried so hard to make it our own and at the same time stay true to the games.
"They (gamers) are tough, and I appreciate that. I come from a tough family. I don't mind tough critics."
The Royal Tour
TONIGHT
Entertainment Tonight - 'Prince Jake Rules!'
Date: May 6th, 2010
Check your local listings for station and time.
May 7th, 2010
Friday Night With Jonathan Ross (UK)
Date: May 7th, 2010
Time: 10:35 PM
Channel: BBC One
May 9th, 2010
'Prince of Persia' - UK Premiere
Date: May 9th, 2010
Where: Westfield London
Source
May 17th, 2010
'Prince of Persia' - Los Angeles Premiere
Date: May 17th, 2010
Where: Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, Hollywood
May 20th, 2010
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Date:May 20th, 2010
Time:12:05AM
Channel: ABC
Kimmel is not official confirmed but tweets are saying he will be back to talk to Jimmy on the 20th.
Sometime in May:
Regis & Kelly
Check your local listings for station and time.
There will be plenty more chances to catch Jake. Stay tuned for updates
OMG's Oscar Edition
It's all about Oscar - and it might get some people grouchy. Let's open up a little can of ...
The Curious Case of Zodiac
While Benjamin Button is visual stun
ning and the special effects in digitalization, aging and transformations are leading the way, and it has that trademark golden light of a Fincher film, is it really better than Zodiac? Is the Academy correcting a mistake but not recognizing what I think, was a better movie, from performances to the storyline in Zodiac, by overnominating Benjamin Button with 13 nominations? Did Pitt have a better performance than RDJ did in Zodiac? Shouldn't he lose points for what he uses as a Louisana accent? Did Jake lose out again because he played it with a quietness that some overlook, as not as inspiring, but really looking at it with a critical eye, constraint as an actor is even harder. (The less is more theory) Was it the lack of closure in the ending? Was it that Zodiac is designed not to be watched once but several times to get the whole thing? And isn't really Button really Forest Gump meets Cher in a "If I Could Turn Back Time" montage?
Hollywood has a history of right wrongs have they know they've blown it. Are they recognizing Fincher now because they know they screwed him before?
And then there's Heath.
While the Joker is an incredible performance on its own no doubt, this nomination and very possible win for Heath, seems to be recognizing the entire body of his work.
Now not everything Heath did hit the high mark, (Four Feathers?) but he how found himself in roles that transformed him. While most here would say BBM, you have to remember his role in Monster's Ball. That was the first role that really showed something different from what Hollywood wanted him to become and caught a different kind of attention. This was a serious contender in Hollywood not just for the way he looked on screen. Then his performance in Brokeback too both him and his acting to another level, and held Hollywood in his hand. Why didn't he win? 
Why didn't Jake? Why didn't BBM take it all? And in between Ennis and the Joker - Heath traveled from Casanova to a drug addict, from the frivalous to the deadly serious. Think ahead 10, 15, 20 years? What will people remember Heath for - wil it be Ennis Del Mar or The Joker? Now think about what this award is for - now ask yourself - is Hollywood honoring him for just one role? And if so, which one really?
More to think about:
Has the Oscar gold dulled? There is the Oscar curse. But does a nomination or a win really bring the level of work that you think it does? An interesting article in Variety.
Is the expectation of the public and the media outrun the reality of what Hollywood is churning out? Or it the way Hollywood runs itself that creates its own problems?
Now for something fun:
You can say yes to the dress and there is nothing better than playing fashion police, but then there's ... actual broadcast.
Yes Wolverine doing the Oscars is something special, but just in case there is a lull or two, how about some Oscar Bingo to pass the time.
Oscar Bingo
Who ever wins or loses, take a moment and remember what you love about movies. Remember that first movie you saw, the first movie that captured your imagination or the first that brought your tears. That's what it's really about.
Sorry for delay - I was watching Moonlight Mile - and Ebert was right - Jake should have gotten a nomination for it. I forget how amazing he is in it.
Zodiac - The Director's Cut comes out today. Giving a new look at Fincher's
masterpiece. What makes Zodiac so good is Fincher's obsessiveness to detail and commitment to getting it right. It is great marriage between a obsessive director and an seductively obsessive story. It takes someone like Fincher to do justice to such a intense fact filled story weaving it into a something that is part police report part anxiety inducing thriller.
Fincher hits high marks on all points, he brings together a remarkable group of actors who give great performances in a setting that has completely captured the look and feel of San Francisco in the late 60's and early 70's.
Zodiac is one of the best movies of the year for good reason, great cast, great story, great director. It's one of those films that continues to find acclaim long after it leaves the theater. And Jake's carefully crafted performance as the introvert obsessed Graysmith will be recognized long after as another amazing performance of his career. It is easy to praise Robert Downey Jr. for his inspired take on Paul Avery for its broad boldness, but is harder to see the work that went into all subtle nuances portraying Graysmith in one viewing, returning to view Zodiac you begin to see the great performance Jake brings.
The Director's cut includes:
* Commentary by: Director David Fincher, Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr., James
Vanderbilt, Brad Fischer, and James Ellroy
* Zodiac Deciphered: An exhaustive behind-the-scenes documentary
* The Visual Effects of Zodiac
* Previsualization: Split-screen comparisons between animatics and finished film
* This is the Zodiac Speaking: All-new feature-length documentary covering every aspect of the investigation
* His Name was Arthur Leigh Allen: The truth about the prime suspect in the Zodiac case from people who knew him and the police who investigated him.
The commentary will be a must out of sheer curiosity of what really happened during filming and what it is really like to work with Fincher. Jake always bring something interesting to his commentaries for his film, and this one is definitely a don't miss.
Zodiac - Official Site
"Knowing when to do nothing is one of the least appreciated of an actor's skill, here's one who learned it early."
Many may scratch their head when they read that Jake was included in Esquire's Performances of the Year for his role in Rendition. "What the heck did he do? He just sat there for most of the movie." Precisely. But sometimes less is more. But how is that a performance? The performance is the subtly of restraint. To convey something from nothing. Many actors can go all out and go over the top to make their characters larger than life, but it is true talent to resonate in the quietness of a character.
Jake has been seen crafting this in his last three films, Brokeback, Zodiac, and Rendition. For all of the bravado of Jack Twist, it was the restraint and quietness of Jack that spoke much more. Heath received praised for his role at Ennis, and rightfully so, but many missed how Jake brought Jack Twist to the screen. Many thought that his performance was less than Heath's but if you look back you can see that Jake is doing much more with the character than just what you see on your first look at Jack.
Zodiac found him using restraint and introspective quietness to portray Robert Graysmith. Again first looking at Zodiac you are drawn to watching Robert Downey Jr.'s performance. Jake's performance at first passing doesn't seem like how you should play a lead, but a secondary part. Then watching interviews with Graysmith you realize wow, Jake found his Graysmith, he captured the essence of this cartoonist. The power of his restraint comes through again.
In Rendition you find him spending most of the movie in a darken room observing. You see Douglass Freeman almost detracted from the rest of the characters, and see Jake's performance an antithesis to his fellow actors. He doesn't want to be there, not wanting to participate, both as Douglas and as Jake. But that is exactly what the audience is supposed to be feeling. While you are busy watching the torture of Anwar, done so well by Omar Metwally, you become frustrated because you want Jake to do something, anything. What has he done? And right there he has caught you - he made you react to character out of doing nothing. You have been brought into the story in another way. And then you see Douglas reach his breaking point and finally doing something to save Anwar. Time, patience and restraint to create the performance.
Jake is creating performances that lend themselves to second and third looks to get the true sense of them. They are so layered that are to be watched over again to be peeled back and discovered.
It is easier to go broad, you can hide more your of weaknesses as an actor, but it is when you hold back and give just enough that you leave the door open for everyone to see the true essence both the performance and the actor. The audience just have to stop and take the time to look.
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OMG Continuously Updated List of Famous Queer People. Do you have a name to add?
Help for a Real Life Case of Rendition
