Jake Gyllenhaal to head the Stand Up To Cancer TV spot tonight, and Donnie Darko released on Blu-ray

This evening, Jake Gyllenhaal will head a public service announcement for Stand Up To Cancer. The spot will air during the Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game (which begins at 8pm Eastern Time) and 'draws parallels between victory in baseball and the triumph of beating cancer through teamwork and collaboration with the message that an end to cancer is now beyond a dream; it is within reach.' The spot is in advance of a TV special for the charity which will be shown across networks in the US in September.


We've recently seen the very physical evidence of Jake's support for Stand Up To Cancer with his hoodie worn last month (perhaps a gift from the commercial shoot?). It is very good indeed to see this addition to the long list of charities that Jake supports - planting trees in Mozambique, encouraging young people to vote, New Eyes for the Needy, gay rights, the Green Schools initiative in LA, ACLU, literacy, Global Green, young readers and writers in prison, Haiti and LiveStrong (and no doubt I've missed a bunch).








On top of this, we've also seen Jake in films with a message, however entertaining that message has been - The Day After Tomorrow, Brokeback Mountain and Rendition, to name just three. There was, no doubt, a message in Donnie Darko, but I don't think I understand it (maybe something to do with smurfs).


Back on MV...

After recent sightings of Jake enjoying his holidays in Martha's Vineyard, there was another posted today - after previously 'yukking', this time he was supping - in the Chilmark Tavern. I can't post a picture of Jake in the Tavern but I can post a picture of the Tavern, which wasn't at all how I expected when I saw it. Much more intimate, friendly and low-key (even has a cashpoint).


Donnie Darko reborn on blu-ray

While we await the release of Prince of Persia in September, you could do far worse that spend some money on the release of Donnie Darko on Blu-ray. Ou on 19 July in the UK, Total Film has awarded this extraordinary film with 5 stars. It is clear that, despite this film being placed squarely in the culture of the 1980s and despite it playing with time, this movie remains a timeless classic. And when one wonders, as TF does here, what is it about this tale that still exerts such a pull. It's almost impossible to put a finger on it - maybe it's because it's almost everything about it.


This edition includes both versions (I can never decide which opening scene I prefer) and Jake's wonderful commentary. There are also some fun accompanying scenes, including Jake entertaining the crew with his infamous Irish jig. I can still only look at that through latticed fingers...


Includes scans from WDW, pictures from IHJ and WDW. Thanks to Stephanie for the logo!

Martha's Vineyard Part I - Chilmark, Jake Gyllenhaal, Us and the Prez

Tropical storms, tropical depressions, non-tropical storms, nor'easters, all conspired to deliver "rain all over the place", floods, 12 foot waves, "tropical storm energy", 18 foot waves onto Martha's Vineyard. Along with Barack Obama, BBMISwear and I took the only course of action open to us and fled to the mainland and a fish dinner at Legal Seafood. Despite having to leave the island 12 hours earlier than we wished, there's not an inch of road on MV that we didn't explore. This post is all about one area of the island that is especially close to Jake Gyllenhaal - Chilmark. We loved it so much, I bought the hat.


Chilmark is not your typical town - a store, a community centre with basketball, the Chilmark Tavern (and estate agent and police station combined) and that's about it. The Chilmark Store, right next to the Tavern, is well known to all Jake's fans, but what we didn't know was how good the pizza was, how relaxing it was rocking in the chairs, listening to the film producer next to us discuss how he was taking a movie in November to New Mexico.






The Chilmark Road Race, run just this month, has left its mark - literally. The startline was easy to spot due to a line across the road with START written on it. Call me Einstein.




The end, by the town hall, was also notable because it was right next to Chris Fisher's Beetlebung Farm. The sign in the background indicates where you can buy organic veg and flowers from the farm. And tomatoes (ask BBMISwear about that). A few metres to the left is the Chilmark Community Centre where Jake and Brad Silberling (of Moonlight Mile) have played hoops. I doubt they did as well as BBMISwear who got the ball in the net everytime, even though she didn't have a ball.



We've never felt alone on the island.


Time to take a breather...


Pics from IHJ and WDW.