Happy holidays! A Prisoners update and a WDW Italian Interlude

Now that we've survived the Apocalypse, I feel that I can safely wish you Happy Holidays without fear of spreading some dreaded Mayan pestilence. And so, whatever you celebrate, however you celebrate it, and even if you celebrate nothing at all, have a wonderful few days doing what you like to do the most before having to do a lot more of what you like to do a lot less.

Jake Gyllenhaal is about ready - one hopes - to shave off the shaggy Face Pet once and for all, putting it to one side with the end of the hugely successful If There Is.... run. Who knows, Jake may have shaved it off already. He may even have shaved it off into some elaborate pattern. We must wait and see what the next photos reveal. Maybe it'll be even longer. This might be time to open a betting  book. Of course, he may wait until after Christmas because with the beard he is a ready made Father Christmas for the Gyllenhaal-Sarsgaard Clan. All the beard needs is a bit of flour or icing sugar.

With the play out of the way, and while we wait for the release of An Enemy, it's time to look ahead to the filming of Prisoners. The release date of 20 September has now been confirmed along with more details of the story, also confirming that Jake will play Detective Loki:

'In the rural New England town of Brockton, Massachusetts, neighbors and friends the Dovers and the Birches gather for Thanksgiving dinner, but by the end of the night, their celebration turns to panic when the families' two youngest daughters go missing. As the hours pass and the girls don't turn up, it becomes terrifyingly apparent they've been kidnapped. After the cops fail to find them, Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) decides to take the law into his own hands, running up against dedicated Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal). But even as Loki is diligently working against the clock to solve the case, Keller will stop at nothing to get their prime suspect to talk before it's too late.'

Thanks very much to IHJ for the scan from Spires Oxford and to BBMISwear for the scan from Entertainment Weekly's review of the year!

WDW Tuscan Interlude

Last week I got back from a fantastic break in Tuscany, a place that perfectly combines beautiful countryside, ancient towns (often on hills), art and architecture, tasty food and luxuriant wines. Florence and Pisa might be ridiculously off season at this time of year but in December the towns of Tuscany are quiet, Christmassy and spectacularly atmospheric, with the most incredible light. Not being one to spare you an Interlude or two, I thought I'd inflict some photos* on you. (* The photos are best viewed while imbibing a hearty chianti.)

Pisa

Siena

Certaldo

Florence

** Have a wonderful time over the holidays - see you on the other side! **