The day after the day after the Night Before - Jake in Variety and New Weekly

Much of today has been spent trying to track down Daily Variety, thanks to IHJ's Stephanie who set me on the trail. You'd have thought finding Daily Variety in Beverly Hills would be easy, but then I also hadn't calculated on having helicopters hovering over my hotel in the not so small hours of the morning because Elton John happened to be having a little soiree. But, in the end, I found a copy, which contains a picture of Jake Gyllenhaal - with David Arquette - at the Night Before party. I didn't pack my scanner so, until I can scan it, here is a photo of the picture. And it is a little picture, unfortunately. Read on for details on the other photos in this post.


While being delighted to see a picture of Jake at the event, it also makes me cross that I didn't find a bigger pile of coats to hide behind. I know some people think Jake looks sad here, but the party didn't start until quite late and he just looks tired to me - after all, they did all have to pose with MacDonalds, play video games and try on several pairs of sneakers before being given a drink and a Big Mac. The article itself makes no mention of Jake but it does say that, including this year, the event has raised $31 million since its inception in 2003. For more details - as well as an extremely long list of people - see Variety.


In the Beverly Hills Hotel Polo Lounge, before the event, someone pointed out Kirk Kerkorian to me, the owner of the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, looking a lot younger than his 80-odd years. Maybe I should have gone up to him to thank him for my very pleasant stay in his hotel in January 2007. Despite having the longest corridors I've ever had to walk in a hotel, the beds were the comfiest and I soon got used to the green glow.


Jake interviewed for Rendition in Australia

The release of Rendition in the theatres of Australia has led to the added bonus of more publicity from Jake. Yesterday, New Weekly published a 'Five Minute' interview with Jake, which contained some interesting questions and answers. I was particularly relieved to hear that, although Jake has had some falls off his bike, he is 'still here'. Here are some extracts from this all too brief piece:


Q: Are you okay with being a sex symbol?
JG: Am I fine with it? Do I have a problem with it? I don't know. Look, it gives me the opportunity to do the work I want to do. Ironically then, I have no problem with it because it's sort of more about the work I want to do.

Q: You bulked up a lot for Jarhead and you seem to have kept some of it. Do you work out a lot?
JG: I don't know. [Laughs.] I do exercise, but I don't really focus on keeping myself looking physically good. I want to feel good. It makes me feel good to do that. So I guess it stayed. I don't know — I feel a lot skinnier than I was then.



Q: How did you get into it?
JG: My best friend is a cyclist and he had a tandem bike. One day he was like, "Let's ride." I got on the back of the bike and we were riding and we just started pushing so hard, working together on this tandem bike. It was so much fun. I just remember that one ride — from then on I started riding. Then I guess Lance Armstrong heard that I biked and so he called me one day: "You want to go for a ride?"


Q: There was this phase where there were always photos of you, Lance and Matthew McConaughey …
JG: [Laughs.] Yeah. Well, then I had to go to work. We all hung out during summer, then we all had to go to work.


Q: Your fans seem to worry that you're not happy. Are you happy?
JG: That's really sweet, actually — it's really nice. I would say, "Stop worrying about me and ask yourself."

Q: Perhaps they just get this melancholic vibe from you ...
JG: I can be melancholy but I also feel a grand spectrum of feelings — not just happy, not just melancholy, not just one thing. I'm pretty aware all the time of my feelings.


WDW On the Road (on foot)

For those of you who are polite enough to be interested in my tour of Jakeland, it continues! Today was the turn of Beverly Hills and a little bit of West Hollywood. So here are some photos from Jake landmarks, with some others of the gentleman himself in situ, which are scattered through this post, so you can match them up. For those with keen eyes and memories, some photos contain more than one image that should be familiar from pictures of Jake. The pictures include North Bedford Drive, Rodeo Drive, Santa Monica Boulevard (south), the Beverly Center (speedos anyone?) and the 'other' Urth cafe on Beverley Drive. I would have taken a picture of the Ivy but it was full of people wanting to have their photos taken by paps, and not by me.










Includes pictures from IHJ and Just Jared.

Oscar Night!

So it begins! The red carpet coverage has just begun on television - so get your snacks, nibbles and tipples ready. Thanks very much to Monica, we have the running order of the ceremony and a full listing of all of the presenters. Not a Gyllenhaal in sight (at least not on the stage), which is a disappointment. So nothing for it but to enjoy what else is on offer and cheer on some favourites - for me, Cate Blanchett and Daniel Day Lewis - and hope for some decent frocks. I'll be looking out for Nicole Kidman too. The Oscars is not a short event - remember to take lots of breaks and drink plenty of liquids.


Thanks to Get Real for providing the link to a full account of The Night Before party last night at the Beverly Hills Hotel. As well as confirmation that Jake Gyllenhaal was there - although alas he got in without me seeing him - we also hear that the stars had to run a MacDonald's gauntlet. They then had the chance to play video games and choose sneakers. It suggests they may all have gone home with hands full.


That is backed up by this new report from the party - but still with no pictures. This also reminds me that I forgot to mention that I saw Christina Applegate last night as well, sitting in the foyer. I got lost wandering around the bungalows at the Beverly Hills Hotel (nearly ending up in the tennis courts) and it's strange thinking that I could have bumped into the lovely Jennifer Aniston.


No post about the Oscars could be complete without mentioning the film that should be up there - Zodiac. More than one commentator has noted its absence, including Cinemaslave: 'David Fincher’s noir-tinged expose of the California serial killer is a perfect blend of visual style and narrative efficiency. Although the running time (nearly three hours) may tax a viewer’s bladder, the story is always gripping. A major snub by the Academy; suspense films haven’t been this good since Hitchcock’s prime. And let’s please stop bashing Jake Gyllenhaal, who does fine work as the obsessed cartoonist turned investigator. Thanks.'



WDW Road Trip

First thing this morning, I went up to the Kodak Theater to have a look for myself. Although it was before 10am and raining and not warm, the crowds were already building and filling the little space available for those who hadn't won a seat in the red carpet lottery. The main spectacle at that time was a big effort to wring the carpet free of rain.




Having left the Big Gold Statue, I walked across Hollywood and took in a couple of places from Jakeland - the fabulous Whole Foods Market (the guy Jake was speaking to in these pictures was still there) and Madeo's Restaurant. I tried to have lunch in another of Jake's favourites - Hugo's - but as soon as I walked in the door they lost all power.






And finally

I've been very grateful to everyone helping me out with links while I haven't had so much time to search them out myself. Thanks to Paul for the link to a notice about the wrap party for Brothers: 'All wrapped: The big-name flick Brothers ended its filming with a party at the College of Santa Fe, where much of the movie was shot at the college's Garson Studios. Jake Gyllenhaal, one of the movie's three stars, stopped by the event. Tobey Maguire and Natalie Portman, however, were no-shows.'


Includes pictures from IHJ and Just Jared.

The Night Before Party at the Beverly Hills Hotel - WDW Report

Tonight's post is a personal post about what it's like when you try and see Jake, thousands of miles from home and without any hope that you may actually see the person you came for. Tonight, I tried to see Jake at The Night Before party at the glamorous Beverly Hills Hotel. I spoke to more than a few people tonight - staff and guests at the hotel - and all agreed that this year's party and this year's Oscars were different. Nobody was quite so keen on the fan being involved.


At the Beverly Hills Hotel it was extremely difficult getting into the hotel, let alone seeing anything. I arrived early as I had an idea of what it would be like. I got there at about 3pm and walked through the gorgeous hotel bungalows, with the red flowers and the meandering pathways. What a stunning place to stay! I could see why Brad Pitt etc would stay nowhere else. I got lost around the tennis courts but a member of staff took me to the lobby and I managed to get into the Polo Lounge before they closed it.


Because of the rain, the Night Before party couldn't be held at the pool as planned. Instead, it was moved into the small second bar. I was early enough to get into the Polo Lounge and set up a position on a bar stool to see what might happen. All credit to Greg the barman - what an amazing guy - holding fort on his own with the crowds increasing. He told me that he'd seen Tom Cruise that morning, proudly walking around with his baby in his arms and having breakfast with her. Greg said that some stars had been in for lunch but now they were out having their massages and manicures before this evening's party.

I spent much of the evening chatting away with bar staff and guests, each taking their turn to try and have a look around the lobby. This wasn't easy. A mass of security guards manned the entrance. At one point I was chatting to a party of four (all with strict instructions to look out for Jake) and one of them went out to the lobby to see what was going on. She was not allowed back in so, after a frantic text message or two, all left to try and find her. The toilet block was sealed so that the 'special' guests could use it, leaving the rest of us to use the washroom downstairs, but soon even this restroom had a man at its door.


But then Nicole Kidman walked into the restaurant looking extremely radiant and with a neck longer than I could believe. Absolutely stunning. Her blonde hair was lifted up and tied with a clip. She sat a few feet from me and for a couple of hours I could see her having a very animated discussion with two other guests. As she walked out the entire bar looked at her. A real movie star. A very handsome producer came to the bar and was waylaid by quite a few ladies but he made his escape.

Finally, I realised that I was never going to see anything. The party was probably underway and the stars were being kept so segregated from everybody else - guests or otherwise - that there was little chance. Also the bar was extremely full and I was being chatted up by a transport millionaire from Detroit, who 'used to be in the movie business'. Time to escape, believe me.


On the way outside from the bathroom I peeked into the small sushi restaurant and there was Neil Gallagher from Oasis, chatting away and laughing with a friend. I went outside and hid behind a rail of drycleaned suits (the things I do), knowing I would be spotted at any moment. Finally, I got thrown out - I told them I was just waiting for a cab (I was the only non-member of staff around so I must have stood out) - but not before I saw Orlando Bloom getting out of his car. He looked really good - smart with a kind of goatie beard and slender. A totally different build to Jake. I didn't see Jake - I was unable to - but it was good to see someone. And just being in the same hotel as Jake has got to be good.

What a night!



Apart from this evening's adventure, I walked down Melrose today, stopping at Urth Cafe, to Fairfax and then went to the Grove and Farmer's Market. On the way, I saw some signs warning about no parking and I later found out that this place - the Pacific Design Center on Melrose - will be the site for tomorrow night's Elton John AIDS Foundation party. I also went to the Fred Segal shop - where Jake bought his Art is Alive shirts - and spent too much money. I later found out that Britney visited the shop with her mother this week. Other places I saw were JAR restaurant, the Beverly Center and Orsos.



Includes pictures from IHJ and WDW.