Hawaiian Jake on video - More from Doug - Zodiac scores

A short time ago, when the weather was as cold as it is again in parts of the US north east, I did a feature about Jake Gyllenhaal's appearance at the glamorous, martini-rich Maui Film Festival in Hawaii in 2005. Moving pictures of Jake at this event are not easy to come by, so I was thrilled to see that this video - entitled This Is Your Life - features clips of Jake at Maui.


The video also includes clips of Jake at other events, such as Rock the Vote, the BAFTAs in 2006 and at numerous red carpets, charming fans and media alike.


Yesterday, we were discussing whether Jake may be lined up to do The Moon Project or Nailed (if he's doing that at all). Today, another interview, in Rope of Silicon, with Doug Liman appeared - all thanks to Doug doing publicity for his new film Jumper - and again he mentions the project. Interestingly, Doug does not refer to the film as Giant Leap, just as The Moon Project, which makes me think this film may be lucky enough to have a better title after all.


'As far as the future is concerned are you still looking at the Moon Project you have with Jake Gyllenhaal as your next film? DL: That's what I am working on, but I so fall in love with the characters of the current film I am working on, and at this point in my career I've had the good fortune of falling in love with every character I have worked with and the actors that have played them it is hard to imagine leaving the world of Jumper behind to go do the Moon Project. I am having separation anxiety, but maybe a two week break I'll be ready to date something new.'


Some good news today for anyone who is a fan of David Shire's superb filmscore for Zodiac. The members of the International Film Music Critics Association announced the winners of its 4th Annual IFMCA Awards, and David Shire was among them, taking the prize for Best original score - Horror/thriller. You can read more about the score - and the orchestration of Zodiac's characters - here. But let's take another look at Hawaiian Jake.

Zodiac sounds of irresolution - and Gyllenhaal updates

With all this talk of broadway plays and musicals, I thought it timely to mention that on 13 July a new musical, Taking Flight, opens in London's Menier Chocolate Factory. I mention it because it is written by David Shire, Zodiac's composer, in partnership with Richard Maltby, Jr. Take Flight tells the 'funny, moving and inspirational stories of the pioneers of flight - the Wright Brothers, Charles Lindbergh andAmelia Earhardt'.


I had little idea that David Shire was a writer of shows, knowing him instead for - of course - Zodiac and the score of All the President's Men. This story has inspired me to relisten to Shire's soundtrack for Zodiac on a CD which has some little added extras, including two photos I've not seen elsewhere and an audio 'easter egg' from Shire's first meeting with David Fincher and sound designer Ren Klyce after seeing Zodiac for the very first time.


Shire explains that originally David Fincher had wished to have no instrumental score for Zodiac, just a backdrop of songs from the period. In the end, Fincher lit Zodiac with forty minutes of new score. 'Irresolution' is the word that Shire uses to describe his composition, comprising as it does a series of fragments which are only heard together towards the end as a resolution of sorts comes about. Robert Graysmith's score reflects his growing obsession and his increasing forcefulness. The score for Graysmith - and for Toschi - is about disharmony/harmony, rather than about melody - the harmony or otherwise of strings, trumpet and French horn for Toschi and piano for Graysmith.


In his conversation with Fincher and Klyce, Shire curiously describes his inspiration - all from Graysmith's book and the script as he had yet to see the fim. He says that the strings provided "the context for murder and sadness... and the loss", trumpets and French horn were for Ruffalo, whom Shire felt lay at the centre of the film, and the piano was for Jake. "It's almost like you can take an instrument for a character. I just feel like there's such dignity to that... it's almost like seeing Claude Rains being tied to a stake and shot.. it has that sort of feeling of going down with dignity... like Al Guiness at the end of the Bridge over the River Kwai - as much as he f**ked up, he tried. I love that."


In other news, speculation still continues on Jake's much hoped for debut on Broadway. The Washington Post has this to say today: 'Last week, Oscar-nominated actor Jake Gyllenhaal did a private reading of "Farragut North" (written by playwright and former Dean campaigner Beau Willimon) about the presidential hopes of a charismatic, unorthodox candidate and his staff. The 26-year-old "Brokeback Mountain" star would play the idealistic young communications director sabotaged by old political dogs with dirty tricks, reports the New York Post. If he's cast, it would be Gyllenhaal's Broadway debut. "Jake was a big campaign supporter of mine, so I hope he takes it," Dean told us yesterday. "But I want him to play me." The DNC chairman likes the concept -- "Hell, I'll go to it" -- even if it includes his famous scream. "I'd like to see him do that."


Maggie and her family, as expected, are now in Chicago where she is filming the new Batman movie. The Chicago Sun-Times informs us: 'MAGGIE MOMENTS: In town filming the new ''Batman'' flick, Maggie Gyllenhaal was spied happily shopping with baby daughter Ramona at Jake on Rush (mostly perusing the shoe selections) and dining with fiance Peter Sarsgaard at Le Colonial (reserved under the name ''Gold''). ... After Chicago filming, Gyllenhaal may next head to Broadway to star as Nellie Forbush in a ''South Pacific'' revival. ... It could be a family reunion on the Great White Way, as Maggie's brother Jake Gyllenhaal is thinking of making his Broadway debut in the upcoming political drama ''Farragut North'' -- playing the communications director for an unorthodox presidential candidate, based on Howard Dean.'

So with Maggie in Chicago, is Jake still in NYC for some last-minute negotiations?

Includes two pictures from IHJ.