[Updated] Jake Gyllenhaal in Men's Journal, the JG Risotto, working in the pod, and Chris Bacon on scoring Source Code

***My non-spoilery review of Source Code is now up on Bleeding Cool ***

After the excitement of the last few days, it's a pleasure to take a step back and catch up on what has been going on. And that includes Jake Gyllenhaal's appearance as Hollywood's fittest in the April issue of Men's Journal. With huge thanks to BBMISwear, here are the scans from the issue. As we have come to expect and adore, there are Gyllenisms including a remarkable history of that most revolting of organisms: The Artichoke. Click and they shall be embiggened.



Talking of fitness, Jake has been describing his experience of jumping out of a train for Source Code. It sounds like it was just as painful as one would expect jumping out of a train would be. The mystery is that Jake would expect it to be otherwise. 'I had to do a jump off of a train... I was like, 'Don't worry. I got it guys. I'm cool.' And then I injured myself. You see it in the movie when I jump off the train and then my legs go up and then I land on my shoulder. It was kind of an intense impact on my shoulder.'



And to continue the food motif, one might recall Jake's famous question to Mario Batali about why there 'is so much fear in risotto'. I don't know about you, but I'm been terrified of them ever since. But Hollywood and Dine has come up with the Jake Gyllenhaal Risotto, which aims to be everything Jake would want it to be - without the fear.

But back to Source Code... In this very interesting interview with Popular Mechanics, Jake talks a little about what it was like to act in the pod and in the train: 'What I loved about it was the sense of isolation. Duncan was always there with me. So even when I was talking to a green screen in that pod, I would always hear either Vera's voice or a variation of someone reading the lines to me. And sometimes we would do it without anybody reading it—I memorized their lines too, because you do these six-minute-long takes. That was really fun, because I could make any choice that I wanted. And then I also loved how confined and structured the train was. I loved shooting this movie, and Duncan made it so much fun and he made me feel so empowered. And he just wanted it weirder and weirder and weirder, and every time I could make it stranger, he just loved it. And that's my kind of guy.'



One of the elements of Source Code that most definitely stood out when I saw it was Chris Bacon's soundtrack. At Scorenotes you can listen to (and download) Chris talking about the challenges of reflecting the 8-minute cycle through music. Thanks to Eureka for the heads up!The album is available at the end of March and you can listen to little snippets here. There's a review of the soundtrack here, which describes it as 'required listening' and 'the first great score of 2011'.


Many thanks to BBMISwear for the scans.

Jake Gyllenhaal: An international man of mystery, mirth, nosh and mottos - 'live, work and play sports'. And the Return of the Son of PoP...

The Son of the Prince of Persia is back. 'You have beautiful dark hair like your mother' Jake Gyllenhaal aka Dad Dastan tells him, while evil Uncle Nizam continues to test his hapless nephew, stating that the union of Dastan and Tamina poses no threat at all. It turns out that this Son of Persia was also the one who asked Jake at the London Press Conference why he was so afraid of Austrians. Continuing with its bounties of richness, this video also gives us the opportunity to hear Jake speak in an English accent in German - a rare feat, I'm sure you'll agree. Bravo to Daniele Rizzo.



Mike Newell would have only one word for it - and I think you know what it is...



Talking of accents and Jake's adaptations of Britishness (so much so that he's now stopped talking about hockey and is talking non-stop instead about soccer and watching the USA lose to England in South Africa on Sunday), in this interview brand new and beautiful bride Gemma Arterton talks of Jake's dry British sense of humour. I sense that Jake was able to give as good as he could get. Possibly. Jake also has some nice words to say about his feisty foe and Persian partner.

Never one to be tied to just two or three countries alone, Jake also has - I fear this isn't news - a Swedish connection. In this interview (thanks to Herman for the link), Jake says that he is keen to visit Sweden with his sister, not having visited before, but that he is no stranger to Sweden in the kitchen. But I get ahead of myself... the interviewer had first spoken to Jake ten years before, in those October Sky days when the interviewer had paid the bill for lunch.


'I remember the interview... You asked in particular about what my favorite group was from Sweden.' And in 2010 Jake has to make a sorry admission - he no longer drives a Volvo: "'No, now I drive an Audi', he says, and my German colleague cheers.' 'I'm very interested in cooking. As soon as I arrive in a new city I like to visit the local market. I buy lots of cookbooks, too, including several different Swedish cookbooks... I love meatballs.'


And it just so happens Jake has donated his Swedish meatball recipe to the world:

'I made these to be added to tomato sauce to be served over pasta. You can also make these in smaller sized meatballs to be served as an appetizer.

1 1/2 lb ground beef vegetarian mince
2 slices white bread, crust removed
1/2 C pecorino romano
2 or 3 garlic cloves minced
1 tbs fresh parsley chopped
1 tbs fresh basil chopped
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 eggs beaten


Preheat oven 375F. Gently mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly, but don't crush it all together. You do not want to compact the mixture. Make about 12 meatballs. They will be around 2 inches in diameter. Place on an oiled baking pan and and bake for 15 minutes (20 if you are not going to add them to sauce). Add to tomato sauce and simmer a few minutes before serving.' There's lots to chew over here, not least the mysteries of the American measuring system for cooking. I think I need Jake to pop round to explain it to me.


In this same French interview, apart from saying that he blushes like a virgin when he talks about love (deep breathes... take a moment... continue...), Jake does state 'I have no favorite dish. People who choose a particular dish are not as good a cook as they say. They should be able to create an exquisite dish, whatever the recipe.' I feel that once Jake experiences my kedgeree he may change his mind on that one. As for the love comment... 'When I speak of love, I blush like a virgin. But I'm convinced that a relationship can be sustainable if it's with the right person. But in the meantime, I continue to live, work and play sports. (Laughter.)' Sounds good to me!


In this interview, Jake also talks about his Moroccan Prince of Persia diet and - again, I fear this might not be news - it's chicken and vegetable tagines or, to mix it up a bit, vegetable and chicken tagines. 'On the set in Morocco, I continued to lift weights. I ran back to my hotel every night, and I created a diet composed mostly of tagines of chicken and vegetables. I love it. (Laughter.)' There's that British sense of humour again.


Pictures from Disney, via IHJ.

Jake Gyllenhaal makes the earth move, and SC: 'If you like your Jake G. running around sweaty and bothered for 90 minutes, you’re going to love this'

I always knew that when I see Prince of Persia: Sands of Time for the first time, I may feel the earth move, but it turns out I was more right than I knew. Disney has signed a deal with D-Box which means that Prince of Persia will be shown in theatres with technology that moves and shakes seats and platforms. So, you too may parkour from wall to wall with Jake Gyllenhaal, you too my plunge into fountains and pools with Gemma Arterton - you may even get a go on an ostrich.


If you're lucky enough to live near one of these theatres, I'd advise seeing PoP with hardhat, elbow and knee protectors and brown paper bag. As there are no D-Box screens in Europe at all, I would advise the rest of us to just jump up and down a lot and sway from side to side at appropriate moments. Rushing to and from the screen quickly will also create a 3D effect.


OK! (yes, I do mean OK!) has just published a feature that looks ahead to the release of movies being made at the moment. Among them is Source Code and expectation is high: 'THE GIST: Colter, a soldier, finds himself suddenly in the body of a commuter on a morning train, when a huge bomb explodes. He then finds out he was placed on a mission to find the bomber and the story soon unravels from there… WATCH FOR: Colter going back in time to the moment the bomb explodes in order to figure out who is responsible. As he returns to the scene time after time, he begins to notice that he has eerie visions of Christina, the girl he was sitting next to on the train from the very beginning. EXPERT SAYS: “Source Code may be the best sci-fi script written in a long time. If you like your Jake G. running around sweaty and bothered for 90 minutes, you’re going to love this.”'


I think it's fair to say that I am one of those who does like my 'Jake G running around sweaty and bothered for 90 minutes' - although I'm counting on plenty more than 90 minutes' worth.

Talking of hot and sweaty, I recently found an English version of part of a German interview with Jake (now gone) that I posted almost two years ago. Worth another look, I'd say, even if it is just a snippet. But it's the good bit and it's all about how Jake would impress: 'If I meet somebody, I always show her my real face straight away. Fresh produce is the most important ingredient when you try to win a woman's heart. Only then does cooking for two become an intimate pleasure. I'd cook loads of pasta, tasty vegetables and lamb's lettuce with tomatoes." However, he added: "If I could impress her with a striptease, I would."' So... the alternatives would be fresh produce or a striptease. Let me think about that one for a trillionth of a nanosecond. Source. I include pictures below for your comparison:



Includes pictures from IHJ.

[Updated]Jake Gyllenhaal has fun at the Hungry in America Project after all, PoP out 21 May in UK? And Mike Newell on Jake - 'he is glorious looking'

'So, Jake, after you've introduced one large egg from a free-roaming hen to a cup of plain and yet delicately playful flour, you then add the milk and a frission of beer. Mix enthusiastically, coercing bubbles into your batter, and then fry on a Hot Heat. Add a little fountain of sugar, a soupson of lemon. And then even the most demanding toddler will eat your pancakes.' Yes, after Jake Gyllenhaal had done with the serious stuff at Hungry in America last night, he then went on to do the fun bit. This involved chef Tom Colicchio. Please note how Jake does not need to take notes - he has a photographic memory.


In this second picture, note how I have not noticed that invitingly room-temperatured pint of bitter to the left. I have, however, noticed that Jake is now enjoying the company of Natalie Portman and Lauren Bush. Natalie looks wonderful in that dress and how glad am I to see Jake and Natalie so perky together.





Empire's Prince of Persia

I have just received this evening my subscriber's collector's edition of the April issue of Empire. Mystifyingly, there is no Prince of Persia on the special cover, there is Back to the Future, which, correct me if I'm wrong, came out a bloody long time ago. However, not being one to chuck rotten eggs unnecessarily, I will agree that Back to the Future is a fine film. And there are some compensations. Never mind the cover - what about the inside cover? The fabulous images come with a puzzle - why does it say that Prince of Persia is out in the UK on 21 May, a full week earlier than we have been led to believe?



Aside from this beautiful doublespread advert, there is a teaser inside, suggesting much more will follow in the next issue. And from Jerry Bruckheimer: 'I've always liked Jake... He's a very physical individual - he's a bike rider, he's in great shape. So it wasn't hard to bulk him up a bit and make him the big action hero.' There is an interview with Gemma Arterton inside the magazine but there's nothing new in that about PoP.



Prince of Persia will soon be here, friends (possibly sooner than we even expected if that UK date turns out to be right) - are we ready for it?!

Er... You know when you do a post, publish it and then there's new news? Well, this is one of those times. Mike Newell has been talking to MTV about Jake and this is what he says:'"You couldn't just have a hunk," said Newell ("Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire"). "He's got a sort of cheeky, devil-may-care light in his eye and at the same time he has a sensitivity, delicacy and thinness-of-skin. He is glorious looking, but you wanted more than that. You wanted women to be interested in him not just as a piece of eye candy. ... It was a huge opportunity to do a thinking woman's action hero."


"He worked his ass off," the director said. "A great deal of what you see in the movie is Jake. It's not a stuntman. He rides [horses] like a dream. He learned every one of those fights — it's like ballet. He'd get it wrong, he'd get it wrong, he'd get it wrong and then by God, he'd get it right! He's a very courageous young man."

Many thanks to IHJ for the wonderful new pictures! Scans from WDW.

Jake Gyllenhaal can make terrible pancakes, Jake wears a shirt and Three years ago today...

Jake Gyllenhaal... terrible pancakes - two things that I never, ever expected to see in the same sentence. But it is true. Jake was so overwhelmed with the announcement of Maggie's Oscar nomination that even Ramona turned her nose up at his pancake offering on the morning of the good news.

{Apologies to all those who can't see this video due to ridiculous geographical restrictions - I'll try and come up with an alternative this evening.]



I can sympathise. This evening I received my Valentine surprise - frozen pancakes that you revive by bunging in the microwave for a few seconds. The horror is writ large on my non-smiling face.



Jake was photographed yesterday with Peter Sarsgaard in the other Venice. The photos can be seen on the IHJ forum but one has made it to People. Jake continues his mannikin shirt in, shirt out look - see previous WDW GyllenGuide to Wearing a Shirt Post.


Today Jake has been hard at work creating promos for Prince of Persia: 'Jake Gyllenhaal was so cool and so chill, we joked around and had a great time, you'll see the Promo's sooon!'

Today is such a significant day for me and I know I mention it every year but no apologies. Today is the third anniversary of meeting my Bafta Sisters Ruby, Anouska and Mouk in London. We also saw another chap that day for the first time, face to face. Life changing, it really was.



Pictures from links, IHJ and a nostalgic and sentimental WDW.

Jake Gyllenhaal - 'blessed' in the kitchen

As Britain quivers under The Big Freeze, the Biggest Freeze since that Big Freeze of 6,000 BC, otherwise known as The Ice Age, the realisation strikes that we must be resourceful with our dwindling food supplies. The shops may be well stocked with Easter Eggs but otherwise you're lucky to get two mushrooms and a squidgy bottle of ketchup. This is when you need Jake Gyllenhaal. Obviously you need him for the other 364 and a half days a year too, but he's particularly handy now.


One remembers an interview back in October 2007 for Rendition: 'I have such a great family and I really love to cook for them. I've cooked since I was little. I feel most relaxed in the kitchen. If you can cook with any ingredients you have in your cupboards, then that's a sign of a true chef. I like to cook with any leftovers in the fridge.' Although how Jake would make do with my one veggie picnic egg, two sprigs of broccoli and half a pot of brandy custard is beyond me.


Today, Jake's sister Maggie was interviewed for Vanity Fair and she discussed her culinary ambitions. This was in contrast to her brother Jake who is known throughout the mediaworld as God's Gift to People Who Like to Eat. And this is what VF says: 'Isn't your brother, Jake, a great chef? [Maggie:] That’s different. He literally has a talent. He’s a brilliant cook. He’s blessed or something.' And so he is and so are we. But what's his Yorkshire Pud like?


Pics from IHJ, food courtesy of JG.