Keeping up to date with Jake Gyllenhaal and a WDW Peaceful Interlude

All is quiet on the Jake Gyllenhaal front, with filming on An Enemy in Toronto steaming ahead. This week, it's tweeted that the filming has moved to a local school for a few days. Although, Jake's largely managed to avoid being photographed by anything other than the film camera, a shot did emerge of Jake working out, possibly not the best of places for sneaking a pic. Jake is certainly keeping the local media busy with the sightings.

Early last year, Jake hitched a ride on the Mumford and Sons Railroad Revival Tour. We've mentioned the documentary about the tour before - Big Easy Express - but now we have some dates. You'll be able to JakeSpot on iTunes on 26 June. It will be released on blu ray and DVD on 24 July. Thanks to BBMISwear for the dates!

Several of Jake's films have the most amazing and memorable soundtracks - Brokeback Mountain, Zodiac, Moonlight Mile and Donnie Darko to name but four and in no particular order. On 1 August a special re-mastered blue vinyl edition of those most incredible Donnie Darko sounds is to be issued.

WDW Peaceful Interlude

This weekend, we grabbed a gap in the rainy clouds to venture out to Peace in the Park, an open day at the Global Retreat Centre a few miles south of Oxford. They have the most beautiful gardens and as well as enjoying those we were able to listen to music, eat cake and drink tea, with the most marvellous views over the countryside. Lots of red kites about too. We had lunch in a pub with a red kite nest in the tree above us, visited constantly by the calling parent birds. Lunchtime entertainment.

[Updated] Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal out in NYC, video catch ups (Paul Newman and The Shoes) and a WDW Interlude

Updated to add new photos from 6 April of Jake taking the subway in NYC. Looks like Jake gets his voice command on his iPod to work. When I try it I always get Abba... Thanks to IHJ for the pics, there are more there.

As the rather wet and drizzly Easter weekend continues, I thought I'd distract you from a pile of chocolate eggs and a heap of hot cross buns with an update. Jake Gyllenhaal is in NYC, where the hair and Face Pet continue to flourish, where he was seen on Thursday taking a walk with sister Maggie. Many thanks to IHJ for the new pics! Great to see Maggie looking so well.

Meanwhile, two more videos have come to light. In the first, we can see all of Jake's time on stage during the Paul Newman Dreams event last Monday. In the second, The Shoes themselves discuss the making of their controversial Time to Dance video and what is was like working with an actor as professional and as good as Jake.Thanks to Mermon for providing that second link.



Jake Gyllenhaal turns serial killer in music video by reuters

And finally, Mumford and Sons has released an image of Mumford and Jake taken during the Railroad Revival tour last year. It's a cracker and you can see it here.

WDW Interlude - roadtrip

Yesterday, taking advantage of the one sunny day of the Easter hols, we set off for the south coast, stopping off on the way at Stonehenge and Salisbury. The church is St Mary's Church in Salisbury, the interior of which is covered in paintings from the 1470s and thereabouts. The final destination was Lyme Regis and an ice cream on the beach. The photo of Stonehenge (clickable below to embiggen) shows the historic and modern setting of the ancient monument when half of the nation decides to head for the coast.

If you're on holiday, have a lovely time!

Jake Gyllenhaal catch up! Appearances and Big Easy Express

All is quiet on the Jake front. Last seen eating out in NYC, the Jake Gyllenhaal trail has now cooled and a reward has been offered for any verified sightings of the actor. This may not actually be true. However, a bit part of me hopes that this absence has a lot to do with Jake dotting 'i's and crossing 't's on his contract for An Enemy. Director Denis Villeneuve's next project, Prisoners, is due to being production in early 2013 and so if he wants to have An Enemy finished and dusted by then, presumably work will begin soon. Maybe Jake's getting measured for his double suits as we speak.

The next sighting that is certain is Jake's appearance at the Celebration of Paul Newman's Dream in NYC on 2 April. Advocate magazine celebrates its 45th birthday next week in Beverly Hills but, despite a little confusion in some of the announcements with the inclusion of Jake's name, it doesn't look as if he's to attend. Which is a shame. Advocate gave Jake and Heath one of their most memorable covers.

Earlier this month, the SXSW Film Festival featured the premiere of the documentary Big Easy Express, which follows Mumford and Sons along their Railroad Revival Tour last March. What memorable days those were, not least because among the crew and band was none other than Jake Gyllenhaal. Without having intended to accompany the tour, Jake became their most famous stowaway. We must wait and see to learn if Jake is featured in this musical documentary, but, in the meantime, here's the trailer to bring back some memories.

   

Thanks to BBMISwear for links!

My review of The Hunger Games is now up at MovieBrit.

Glorious mud - Jake Gyllenhaal and Bear Grylls countdown as Jake's band Mumford and Sons play Glastonbury tonight

With Jake Gyllenhaal absent and with his favourite bands Mumford and Sons and U2 playing in The Swamp (aka Glastonbury) tonight, one can't help but fantasise that, as we speak, Jake is ensconced in a pair of floral wellies in front of the Pyramid Stage while chewing on a veggieburger. We are also, of course, well into the countdown to Jake's appearance on Man Vs Wild. And so it seems fitting to present here Bear Grylls' guide to surviving Glastonbury. If Jake has packed English mustard (and waders), he'll be fine.

Back to mud...

Jake was interviewed for Interview magazine back in 2007 by none other than David Fincher. Jake let slip 'If you put me in mud, you'd see how much fun I could have'. With any luck, David Ayer has read this because, if you're meaning a gritty LAPD drama, what could be more appropriate than a mud scene?

Of course, Jake has been muddy in a good cause before. In Bubble Boy, Jake gave the stuntman a day off, and dived into a mud pit for some wrestling with a couple of young ladies. This was slightly negated by Jake being in a bubble at the time.

Showing that Jake has mud on his mind, years earlier he revealed a certain dream: 'Last night I dreamt that I was at a crazy party in Central Park. There was a mud bath and no-one wanted to get in.' Their loss.


Of course, sometimes, it's not mud.

While we're thinking Bubble Boy...


Pictures from IHJ.

Jake Gyllenhaal leaves Memphis and heads back to NYC (and a change of clothes)

To quote the words of the great George Harrison, all things must pass. Sightings today trace Jake Gyllenhaal's progress back to New York City - he was spotted in a book shop in Chicago's O'Hare airport and then on a flight to NYC (by the person actually sitting next to him). And so the Mumford and Jake tour is over and Jake can get a change of clothes. Judging by the photo below, it's not a moment too soon...


These photos were taken at the Farmers Market in Memphis (and posted by the Farmers Market Facebook). A perfect opportunity to model some lettuce, I'm sure you'll agree.



The Facebook of Memphis in May's International Festival has also posted a picture of Jake backstage at the Beale Street Music Festival, where Jake had supported Mumford and Sons from the wings.


I do have something worrying to report, however. Before Jake left Memphis, he was seen in a McDonalds. Clearly, it is time for Jake to go home.

Photos from links.

Jake Gyllenhaal hangs on to Mumford and Sons in New Orleans and heads over to Memphis. And a WDW Interlude...

Mumford and Sons' Railroad Revival Tour may be over but the band's basketball playing, trumpeting mascot, Jake Gyllenhaal, is not that easy to shake off. Last night the band played at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and Jake was there to support them. Jake was seen backstage during the Avett Brothers set making sure that one Mumford and Son at least (Winston Marshall) couldn't make a getaway.


Jake's attempts to pass himself off as his 'Mum' fooled no-one.


Earlier in the day tweets put Jake on a boat tour of New Orleans, which means that it's quite possible that Jake did not watch the Royal Wedding yesterday. Nor did Brit Band Mumford and Sons engage with Jake in those two well-known sports that generally accompany Royal Weddings in Blighty (or at least within two square miles of it) duck racing and bun throwing (or was that duck throwing and bun racing...?). I've been assured that you don't have to eat the buns afterwards. Not so sure about the ducks.


But back to Jake. All this fresh air, touring and loud music is having the wonderful side-effect of making Jake's hair grow as well as his beard. He's now approaching that stage where his whole head has the same hair growth.


And the tweets and facebook sightings are already pouring in that Jake and Mumford and Sons - or, as they're now known, Mumford and Jake - are now in a town with a few musical connections, Memphis. Jake has been spotted taking part in his favourite activities of drinking coffee and pottering around a farmer's market. Tonight, the Memphis Music Fest takes place and I'd say that it's 99.95% certain that Jake will be in the wings at least to watch his new adopted band on stage. Of course, this does mean that he will have to let go of Winston, whether Winston wants him to or not. Now there's a man with hair for both of them.


The lovely pics are from IHJ.

Source Code in India

Yesterday we had a video from Italy to mark the release of Source Code there. The film also opened in India on 29 April and here is a video from CNN-IBN to mark the occasion.



A WDW Wildlife Interlude

Today was warm and sunny and this is my favourite time of year. And so I headed off to somewhere I visit a lot at this time, Cotswold Wildlife Park. The flowers were blooming, the animals were sleeping, but then they woke up (except for the sloth). It's a fine setting and the animals come in all shapes and sizes although it is true indeed that put them all in front of a child and they won't give a monkeys if there's a baby duck around. Fortunately, there were some of those as well. Not to mention the baby lemurs.







Before...


After.


Last year, I watched the ostriches care for their nest of many eggs. Now some of those eggs have grown up into fine young strapping ostriches. Here are a couple of them. I could swear that one of them reminds me of the third egg from the left, second row up.

Mumford and Sons give in and let Jake Gyllenhaal join the band - Jake on trumpet in New Orleans

It was only a matter of time... after spending a week as a stowaway on the Mumford and Sons Railroad Revival Tour Train there was only one thing left for Jake Gyllenhaal to do. Yep, he joined the band. No doubt hoping to work off his fare. One thing occurs to me and I wonder if it occurred to the band. Can Jake actually play the trumpet. In the words of a good friend, is Jake the equivalent of the Fifth Beatle? Is Jake the Fifth Mumford?


After seeing pictures of Jake carrying his guitar to regale Bear Grylls over stewed walrus in an Icelandic glacier, having seen Jake batter the skins in Proof, and now watching Jake accompany Mumford and Sons on trumpet, surely it can't be long before the Jake Gyllenhaal One Man Band Album reaches iTunes. Jake Gyllenhaal may be the new Adele. In fact, I can see the album title now: 'Jake 30'.





A reader left the comment last night that she was sitting two seats away from Jake at Camellia Grill in New Orleans at midnight and that he was still wearing the basketball clothes. Pleasure and alarm combine... And, as we can tell from the video below, Jake was indeed at the show, the closing one of the tour, but this time, Jake took a more active role. Many thanks to the reader for her comment! A different t-shirt at the show, thank heavens.



As the tour finishes, ATX Gossip from Austin has posted its record of the group photo from Austin. You can spot Jake, and I don't just mean because of the big smile, handsome face and shiny head. He's the one putting in that little bit extra and carrying someone on his shoulders. I wonder if they drew lots...


And a personal note...

Thinking of friends and readers in Alabama. Hope you're safe x

Jake Gyllenhaal - a stowaway on the Mumford and Sons Railroad Revival Train

Mumford and Sons just can't shake him off... Jake Gyllenhaal was so seized by the moment when he saw the Brit band at San Pedro the other day that he hopped on their vintage train and stowed away. He didn't even take a change of clothes. One would have thought that Mumford and Sons would have discovered him by now and chucked him off at the next station. But they haven't. Perhaps Jake is working his passage, doing the cooking and washing.


Last night the Railroad Revival Tour reached Austin in Texas, mere weeks after Source Code's triumphant premiere in the city. Before the show, the band played at Austin High School, jamming with the school marching band and playing basketball with the kids. Never one to miss an opportunity to get sweaty, Mumford and Sons' mascot got out there to test those hoops* (*making up the lingo as I go along) and take out the opponents. Do check out the K-AHS flickr - there are lots of photos of Jake and the band on and off stage.


Two things to note here: 1) Jake's head is a little less shiny. I do believe we have some growth. 2) Jake didn't bring a change of clothes - he'd have been better off playing without the shirt.


The whole tour is being filmed for a documentary by Emmett Malloy. One hopes Jake will feature. What with Man Vs Wild, this could be the Jake Gyllenhaal Documentary Season.

As for that school marching band...



Next stop New Orleans!

There are more details of the tour - and the train - here. And this is the official tour website.

Mumford and Sons takes its Mascot Jake Gyllenhaal to Texas and a WDW Interlude

Jake Gyllenhaal is taking his duties as official Mumford and Sons Mascot extremely seriously. Either that, or they can't shake him off... Last night, Jake followed the British band out of LA and into the Chihuahuan Desert of Texas, to be more precise the town of Marfa, the latest stop in the Railroad Revival Tour. Jake clearly felt safe enough in Marfa without the hats and hoods but he was still spotted by the side of the stage. You should be able to identify Jake in the picture below from The Chase Night - he's the one in the background whose head you need sunglasses to look at.


The Calvy Calv tumblr has a great account of the evening, including this: 'Jake Gyllenhaal and Lance Armstrong were on the side of the stage singing along and jamming out with the crowd and the band. Jake came in to my friends store and she got to meet him and all that stuff.' It's good to hear that Jake is spending time hanging out with Lance again. Thanks to Mermon for the heads up!

Kevin Bacon

JustJared today published a photograph of Jake from the 1998 yearbook from Columbia. Rather peculiarly, students were asked which actor they admired and if they couldn't name one - as Jake couldn't - they were automatically allotted Kevin Bacon. Am I the only one to find that odd? No matter how good an actor Bacon is, and he is a good actor, why Kevin Bacon?


Men's Journal

I'm very grateful to IHJ for presenting these two pictures today from the Men's Journal photoshoot.


Absolutely gorgeous... And Jake's not bad either.


WDW Interlude - on the Isle of Widgit

Earlier this Easter holiday Mr WDW and I took ourselves off on our beautiful and extremely uncomfortable Triumph Thunderbird to explore the Isle of Wight. We didn't see all of it as our time was too short but we were lucky enough to enjoy the island in perfect sunshine. It's a beautiful island and so here are a few photos which do nothing to do it justice. Firstly, here's Osborn House - the favourite home of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. After Albert's death, Victoria slept with a portrait of her husband above his pillow and by the side of the bed. She died in that bed in 1901. Happily, before that sad time, she spent years there with her family in gardens that are among the most beautiful I have ever seen.





We visited another royal home, but this time one with less pleasant memories for the royal in question (not that he'd have remembered it long as he had his head cut off). Charles I was imprisoned in 1648 in Carisbrooke Castle in the centre of the island. They built Charles a bowling green and he still tried to escape out of a back window. Ingrate. Mr WDW kept saying 'This is a proper castle!' as if they'd have kept Charles in anything else. Built in the 1100s the castle was one of the few in England to be attacked by the French.






The island's history goes back further than that, as any dinosaur hunter will agree, and, although we didn't see anything from that far back, we did visit the best Roman villa I have ever seen in the United Kingdom - the villa of Brading in the east of the island. And all credit to English Heritage for what they have done to preserve and present these superb remains. And the mosaics... men with cockrel heads, Medusa, Bacchus, peacocks, monkeys - stunning.



From more recent history, there is Bembridge fort. Originally built as a Napoleonic fort in the 19th century (and just look at that Victorian brickwork!), it had a part to play in the defence of Britain during World War 2, as can be seen by the enormous gun placements.



The Isle of Wight is all about the sea and there was plenty of it, all blue and under sunny skies.





Thanks to everyone for all the wonderful messages on the occasion of WDW's fourth birthday! I appreciate every one of them and they spur me on and onwards. Thank you!

My review of Thor is now up at MovieBrit.