Jake Gyllenhaal is a 'top ten man hunk' and new filming in Marblehead stirs Moonlight Mile memories

Jake Gyllenhaal is indeed a worthy member of that Men's Health magazine's exclusive club - its Top 10 Man Hunks. 'Editor-in-chief David Zinczenko said of the ten: "They have a variety of workout regimes from boxing to weight training, kayaking and hiking to training for marathons. They've worked hard to achieve and maintain their amazing bodies - which is why they've earned their place on this year's list.'


While the hard work of actors like Jake, Matt McConaughey and Daniel Craig is not in question, nor the effort of sportspeople such as Mark Sanchez of the New York Jets, I've got to say, who on earth is Kellan Lutz? There are a few more I'm in the dark about too. But any list that's free of The Pale One is fine by me. So here's the list...


1. Kellan Lutz, Actor
2. Matthew McConaughey, Actor
3. Taylor Lautner, Actor
4. Zac Efron, Actor
5. Mario Lopez, Actor
6. Isaiah Mustafa, Actor
7. Mark Sanchez, Quarterback, New York Jets
8. Jake Gyllenhaal, Actor
9. Daniel Craig, Actor
10. Channing Tatum, Actor

I think it's only right that we take a moment to reflect some more on No. 8.


Marblehead memories

It has been reported this week that the movies are going back to the town of Marblehead, Massachusetts. This small, very friendly and picturesque town will no doubt welcome a new crew with open arms because they have such memories of 2002 when Moonlight Mile was filmed in the shops, streets and diners, and Jake Gyllenhaal and Dustin Hoffman came to town. I know this because BBMISwear and I spent too short a time in the town last year and the memories are as fresh as a summer's day.



You can read our full report of that incredible day here. When we went to Jake and Dustin's office - now a toy shop - the girl behind the counter told us how the town watched the filming and she told us how even the shopfloor that we stood on had been built for the film (we'd just caught it, it was about to be replaced). Framed newspaper pages on the walls of a cafe reported the excitement of having Hoffman in town, and the lady at the offlicence - then the diner where the crime took place - said she wanted to join us on our tour.



BBMISwear and I had such a welcome in Marblehead and Gloucester, I can't even begin to do it justice. I can completely understand why producers, actors and crew would select it. Just ask BBMISwear how she felt when we passed the railtrack crossing sign, immortalised at the beginning of Moonlight Mile, to the sounds of Sly and the Family Stone.



You can read part 1 of our Moonlight Mile adventure here.

Includes pictures from IHJ.

Moonlight Mile Road Trip, Part 1 - Bench Hunt

It's not often that I can say that I've done a post while sitting on a balcony in warm night air, the ocean a few feet away. And, although it's now dark, the sound of the waves is everywhere and one of the few lights to be seen is from the lighthouse, just to the left of me. Actually, part of that is because half of my hotel has power failure... Tonight I'm just outside Gloucester, Massachusetts, deep in the heart of Moonlight Mile territory, and today was all about benches. But not just any benches.


Bench One



Initially, this bench could have been seen as a disappointment.


But, on reflection...






Bench with a view





The Post Office






Other Moonlight Mile views and memories from today.



You can't come to Gloucester without having a beer at the Crow's Nest - just think George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Perfect Storm. This bar sells both types of beer, Bud and Bud.


Pictures from IHJ and WDW. Bench modelling by BBMISwear. This post would not have been possible without the impeccable and amazing planning of said bench modeller.

On the road with Pilot

Ten years ago this week, there were jobs going as extras on the new Jake Gyllenhaal movie. But to fill the bill, you had to have a certain look, which went something like this: 'Jeans, baseball caps, T-shirts, flannels and tie-dye. Props such as candles and flowers are encouraged.' While no fee would be paid, the best costumes would win prizes, including snowboards and mountain bikes. If there's any film of Jake's that would require its extras to bring along candles and flowers, it would be Highway.


Back in July 1999, the production crew of A Leonard Cohen Afterworld, as Highway was then known, descended on Seattle to recreate the Kurt Cobain vigil of 1994. While this was a source of excitement for Nirvana fans (and for that rare beast in 1999 - the Gyllenhaalic), it didn't go down too well with the rest of Nirvana: '"The real problem is that the average kid listening to the radio or reading the paper has no idea that we're not involved with this... offering door prizes as a means of getting people to 'look grunge' for the camera." Novoselic added, "It's the same old story, people trying to exploit everything Nirvana stood for -- and continues to stand for -- just to turn a buck." A representative of the Estate of Kurt Cobain also weighed in on the subject, adding, "We are not participating in this film. We find it without merit and boring."'



In response, the film's production told Nirvana's fans '"We are not in any way attempting to recreate the memorial service in any way that denigrates the memory of Kurt Cobain. If anything we're trying to do as much justice to that time as possible. In our script, that memorial serves as the backdrop for major life-changing moments in our main characters lives."


Filming continued in Las Vegas for eight days. Of course, this wasn't Vegas at its shiney best. This was the trailer park from which the two heroes had to escape: 'After all, as one character observes, "Las Vegas in the day is like a showgirl without her makeup."



But filming for Highway didn't just attract attention in Seattle. It also drew stares in the small town of Wilkeson in Washington, which was taken over by the film for two days that summer. It didn't just get attention because the scene involved cutting the top off a perfectly decent car, but because Jared Leto's girlfriend at the time, Cameron Diaz, who sat and watched the scene from across the street. A 'quick-thinking neighbor dashed into Wilkeson Grocery, the town's general store, grabbed its rental copy of "Mary," and persuaded Diaz to autograph the box. It now sits in a place of honor on a shelf behind the checkout counter ... right next to the box for the store's copy of "Prefontaine," which bears Leto's autograph.' I hope that now at least they would stop to get a Jake signature.


'Wilkeson seemed to be taking the filming in stride. Crowds were small at Chuck's - just clumps of people really, looking on and occasionally taking snapshots. One young woman asked Leto, Gyllenhaal and Blair to pose for her, and with a smile they complied.'


'Why the roof amputation? "Road trips are best done in convertibles," said Guy Riedel, one of the picture's two producers.'


This post is dedicated to Pilot's many devotees - and one in particular (I think she knows who that is). Includes pictures from IHJ.