Moviestardom - making us love them

Walking around Disney, with its tributes to some of its biggest movies, it strikes home that it won't be too long before the Prince of Persia also draws long lines of people keen to experience a ride or see a show, dedicated to the summer blockbuster. Thanks to a reader here, who last night posted this link, it's clear that Disney wouldn't permit Jake Gyllenhaal look alikes to wander around at the mercy of lust-stricken park goers, and they would be wise. Back in 2006, when Jake could sit back and enjoy the release of three (well, two) highly regarded movies - Brokeback Mountain and Jarhead (and Proof), sections of the media were enraptured and Gyllenhaalics came into their own.


Here was a young movie star who could dress the part, without effort, whether up or down. Even back in 2004, it was recognised that Jake was a star who ticked all the boxes. Although, David Fincher once warned the supremely fit Jake: 'you don't want your thighs to get so big you can't fit into your suits.' According to one of Esquire's fashion experts, Jake was high on the list of best dressed movie stars: 'He's a beacon of light in young Hollywood, preferring the look of American classics rather than tawdry Tinseltown trends.' Even when wearing a suit made of cashmere and goats' blood, Jake looks the part. It is possible that, in the wake of Prince of Persia, we may be able to buy our own Jakedolls that we can (un)dress as we wish.


But the nature of moviestardom is an interesting subject. As this thought-provoking article suggests, the relationship between moviegoers and moviestars flows both ways and the stars 'now have to not just make us go to see the films they are in, but to love them and remember them.' Jetlag means I can't do this subject justice tonight so I'll return to it.


Holiday Postcard

Judging by the regularity with which the subject of rodents pops up here, I feel it's safe to say that it is a topic on which most people have an opinion (of course, it was all Jake's fault because he revealed in an interview that he had kept cannibal hamsters as a child). Today, at the Animal Kingdom, I had a glimpse of one of the horrors that Disney has in its realm, that it may throw in the path of its newest Prince - never mind snakes, scorpions and evil spells. But, be warned - it's not pretty. No wonder Jake packed on his five pounds of muscle implants - he's going to need every ounce, not to mention his perfected swashbuckling arts, to beat off this critter.


Incidentally, I also learned something else today - Mount Everest is bigger than I thought. I could see it from Africa. Some people call this fun. I preferred to stay safe and sound in that well known drinking hole, the Yak and Yeti.


Includes pictures and scans from WDW.