Rendition DVD US release date and extras. And Jake talks about that Santa hat

The great news today is that Rendition now has a US release date, 19 February, just 6 days earlier than the UK release. We also have some details of extras which may, or may not, be different from those of the R2 edition. According to the site dvdactive 'This Gavin Hood directed thriller will be available to own from the 19th February, and should retail at around $28.98. The film itself will be presented in anamorphic widescreen, along with an English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround track. Extra features will include an audio commentary (participants to be confirmed), a documentary, a making of featurette, and deleted and alternate scenes.'



My initial reaction is a big sigh of relief. This sounds like it will not be the bare bones release to which, after Brokeback Mountain and the initial release of Zodiac, we've had to become accustomed. I know I'm not alone in hoping and wishing that Jake Gyllenhaal is among the 'participants to be confirmed' and that he features heavily in the 'deleted and alternate scenes'. However, it is possible, of course, that Jake will feature in none of them.

Great thanks to an anonymous reader for the link. And to get us in the mood, I Heart Jake has posted these new publicity photos from Rendition.



Peter's experiences of living with Jake and Jake and That Hat

Brothers is not the only film that will have taken Jake to New Mexico. Jarhead was also filmed in part there, in Alamogordo to be precise. So this has had me thinking about Jake's experiences in filming this remarkable film, which took him and the other actors way beyond their comfort zone into unfamiliar and exhausting territory. Squabbles on the set are legendary, even descending into near or actual violence. An insight into what it was like from Jake's roomie Peter Sarsgaard who, having to share a room with him week in week out, was driven to wanting to block Jake right out of his head!



Peter told the New York Times Magazine (reported here by CNN) that, on having to spend time with Jake, '"I figured if I couldn't be around my girlfriend, I would settle for her brother."... Sarsgaard and Jake Gyllenhaal lived together for about five months during filming, mostly in a hotel in Mexico. "The idea was to simulate the military experience: what happens if you're forced to be with someone every minute of the day and night... And we fought. We'd have a fight and then we'd still have to be together. For a while, I would just wear headphones. All the time. That lasted for 10 days."'



This video, from a Variety Screening, features a question and answer session with Sam Mendes, Jake and Peter. Jake reveals that he didn't meet the original Tony Swofford at all during filming, and only met him a month before this interview at a photoshoot for Entertainment Weekly. They both then saw the film together in that very theatre and 'both sweated it out.' The gem of this video for me, though, is that we get to see Jake doing his marine impression, mimicking the marine consultants onset who would always criticise the way the actors looked or behaved (they thought the actors a 'sloppy mess' according to Jake), even in the infamous Santa hat scene. 'You would never wear your Santa hat like that. We'd never do it like that - we would wear it on the side! With a different tie, not a bow tie!' Actually, I don't think I have any complaints - it looked just fine to me.


The picture above is dedicated to the good friend who just loves this scene. Includes pictures from IHJ.

Rendition DVD has a release date! The Santa Fe Film Festival

Even though Rendition has barely left the theatres of the US and UK and is only now making its wave across Europe and other parts of the world, its DVD release has been revealed! According to Amazon, the DVD will be released in the UK on February 25, barely three months away. Although the date for its release in the US has yet to be made known, it will probably be either the same date, or perhaps even earlier.


As yet, there are no details of any extras but I'm demanding and I hope that a film with a message such as this one will give its cast and makers plenty of opportunities to express their opinions, in commentaries and features. The DVD would also provide a perfect opportunity to tell us more about the set up in Morocco as well as the North African and Israeli actors. I note, however, that Amazon has recorded this as a single DVD release. So, just weeks after the release of Zodiac's new DVD, we will be able to pause That Scene as much as we like.

This happy news is a direct result of Twisted Logic, winning her the Gyllenorder of Merit. Thanks TL!


But it appears the DVD is not all that's going. Many of us have been seduced by the music on the official Rendition website. The CD soundtrack featuring the music of Paul Hepker and Mark Kelier is available from both US and UK Amazon sites, but on the US site, you can tempt yourself with tantalising soundbites.

The Santa Fe Film Festival

Just one day after filming on Brothers begins next week (27 November) in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the Santa Fe Film Festival begins, running through to 2 December. Modelling itself to some degree perhaps on TIFF, the exceptionally fine Toronto Festival, the eighth Santa Fe Film Festival 'showcases more than 80 programs encompassing roughly 200 films, shorts and features of all genres, themes and topics. The festival is divided into seven series: Independent Spirits, Making it Reel, Eye on the World, Art Matters, Southwest Showcase and Gala films from the major distributors as well as retrospective titles drawn from the careers of our annual Luminaria Tributees. Last year, over 7,000 attendees from around the world purchased nearly 21,000 tickets.'


'Deputy Director, Stephen Rubin says “Our patrons will find the quality of our presentations amidst the backdrop of our beautiful city makes this among the top destination film festivals in the country. We’ve attracted many new national sponsors including Heineken and CBS and we will continue to attract more as we expand into the future. We are proud to say that this is our strongest slate yet, based on higher quality submissions, more interest from major and international distributors, and more interest in people attending. Thanks to Festivals like ours and the nearly 2,000 world-wide, a whole new quality of films can gain exposure and offer patrons a substantive and original alternative to mainstream theaters.”'


In previous years, one of the films to get an advance screening at Santa Fe was Brokeback Mountain and, of course, this time around, the organisers are well aware that they have a major Hollywood production on its doorstep. According to The Alburquerque Tribune: 'A major film, "Brothers," is scheduled to begin shooting in Santa Fe this week, and three of the hottest young actors in Hollywood might be kicking around town during the film festival. "Brothers" stars Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal and Natalie Portman. Festival Director Stephen Rubin isn't shying away from the celebrity factor. He says he has put out the word to other actors filming this month in New Mexico, including Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson and Kyra Sedgwick, that they are welcome to hang out.'

Here is a picture of a Santa Fe market from the New Mexico Tourism Department, for all those like myself who know too little about this beautiful city.


Without doubt, Santa Fe is the place to be next week - this guy's about!


Includes pictures from IHJ.

Jake on why awards matter and the case for Rendition

Just a month ago, some of us were incredibly lucky and were able to be in Rome to support Rendition and have an amazing adventure (in what seemed like sub-zero temperatures). It's hard to believe now that it was just a few weeks ago that we got to see Jake walk down the red carpet, absolutely in command of his experience. It's always good to see new film emerge of Jake's walkabout. This video contains images from other stars' big nights in Rome, but it begins with Jake and includes a question about what his Bafta and Oscar nomination mean to him. The Baftas will always be incredibly special to me, and all because of one Jake Gyllenhaal and the events of February 11 2007, but Jake's comments have an irony to them now, knowing as we do that Paramount didn't put much store in Zodiac for awards and nor can New Line be bothered to promote Rendition for the gong season.


The interviewer asks Jake out of the blue what awards mean to him. After pulling a delightful face and reassuring the interviewer that it was an important question, Jake says: 'It's obviously an honour because of the people before you who've been nominated and have won and... you carry that with you when you're nominated and that's an honour. And then I also think it's important in terms of... just selling a movie. It's very important cos smaller movies don't get seen as much as bigger ones do if they're not recognised with awards, so that's a wonderful thing.'


There is also another video from the very serious looking press conference in Rome, in which both Jake and Reese answer questions about the motivations and choices of their characters. If you can't speak Italian, this will give you a good chance to brush up on the old lipreading skills. Thanks to a WDW reader for the link to this.


Why people should see Rendition by Kelley Sane

As we're talking about Rendition tonight, I thought you might be interested to read this fascinating, detailed interview with the fascinating and Gorgeous Kelley Sane, written by a reporter who was also in the Toronto theatre on that incredible, always memorable night of 7 September. The interviewer notes that this night seemed to launch Rendition into success, receiving as it did a standing ovation. The audiences were subsequently disappointing 'And screenwriter Kelley Sane, the architect of the whole thing, was left wondering what had happened. Last week, I caught up with Sane to discuss the origins of his career, the film, and the struggle to find an audience for a film that feels as if it has been rendered, if you will, from the public's attention (but in my opinion merits a second look)...'


I had no idea Kelley had been a photographer of the rich, famous and beautiful, but the interview also touches on Kelley's life as a student and tennis player in LA and presents an interesting portrait of how this writer writes. A discussion of Rendition's inspiration is followed by Kelley's assessment of why audiences have been so split:

'Well, you know, I’m not that surprised by that, you know? I understand, you now, everyone has their own opinion. And, you know, it’s a controversial subject. And, you know, the structure of the movie is a little controversial. And so I understand, you know, people having some issues with it. But, you know, at the same time, I’m not a Civics teacher. This is a piece of entertainment, first. You know, this is supposed to entertain, and if it informs and creates a debate, that’s great, but first I want to create something that’s entertaining. And so, you know, for some people who don’t like it, the best I can suggest is see it a second time, and I think that you’ll really appreciate it more the second time, because then some of the literal nuances of the story that person might be able to appreciate a little more. Because it’s a complex story and, you know, the characters are complex and, you know, sometimes, I think, you know, first-viewing, you know, you’re expecting, you know, The Kingdom, or you’re expecting, you know, something different, and you get, you know, what I consider to be a smart film, and you may not be on guard, and you may not be ready for that. So see it a second time. And if you see it a second time and you still don’t like it, then I’ll accept that, you know? But I just think it’s a complex film and it’s good to see it twice, I think.'


And on a more personal note: 'I hope it makes a lot of money. [laughs] I hope a lot of people see it. I want it to be successful, ‘cause I want to continue working in this genre and, you know, if the film is successful, then it will allow me to continue to work in this world. And so first of all I want to be successful, because I have other stories—other issue-driven stories—to talk about and, you know, if this one is successful, then it will allow me to do that.' I hope Kelley is able to do that.


And a Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who celebrates it - and may you have a better time with your loved ones than this cheery lot.



Includes pictures from IHJ.

Jake - 'Feelings never killed anybody'

Everyday, London's free newspaper, Metro, features a '60 Second Interview' with a well known figure. Today was the turn of popular young Irish actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers. He had this to say about actresses: "I can’t stand actresses who won’t take their clothes off. It drives me nuts. I want to cut their ears off. If it says in the script you’re naked, be naked, instead of moaning and saying: ‘I really don’t want to show my tits, I don’t want to show my arse.’" And about fame: "I couldn’t give a toss. I just want to do the work I do and get paid better money."

I had two reactions to this interview, the first of which isn't repeatable. The second was to thank heavens for Jake Gyllenhaal, another young actor, but one who, whilst no doubt being ambitious, treats his profession, his career choices and his fellow actors with respect and good humour. So by comparison, here is Jake's '60 Second Interview', which dates from January 2006. Some of the answers are familiar to me, but there are others that aren't.


Q: Did your role in Jarhead make you question your mortality?
J: No. I've had people very close to me die recently and that's made me question my mortality. This didn't do that as much as it made me realise that no matter what I feel, it's OK. Feelings never killed anybody.

Q: Sam Mendes directed the film. Does he shout on set?
J: He did once and we still joke with him about it. There were 1,000 extras and no one was listening to [actor] Chris Cooper. Sam just felt there needed to be a bit of respect, so he got up on stage and shouted: 'Shut the f*** up!'

Q: There's speculation Jarhead and Brokeback Mountain will see you nominated for Oscars. How do you feel about that?
J: There's a lot of talk about things like that when you work with directors such as Ang Lee or Sam Mendes because they are expected to win Oscars. Frankly, you don't say no to either of them. You beg them, no matter what it is you're going to be doing in their films - whether it's wearing a Santa cap over your dick [in Jarhead] or making love to Heath Ledger [in Brokeback Mountain].


Q: Did your co-stars give you grief about that Santa hat scene?
J: When you spend that much time in such close quarters with people, if someone's wearing a Santa hat on their dick, it's kind of like 'whatever'.

Q: The film is based on a book by ex-marine Anthony Swofford. What's your favourite book?
J: JD Salinger's Franny And Zooey.

Q: What about Salinger's The Catcher In The Rye? Your character in 2002's The Good Girl was obsessed with it.
J: I've read that many times. I went on a family vacation to Hawaii when I was 12 and my sister [actress Maggie Gyllenhaal] gave it to me for Christmas. I couldn't put it down. My production company is called Nine Stories Productions, a homage to Salinger's book of short stories.


Q: Your mother Naomi Foner is a screenwriter. Did you meet big stars when you were a child?
J: Paul Newman taught me how to drive. When I was 15, my mum was writing a script with him and we went out to the racetrack. He threw me in the passenger seat and started driving. We're 100ft from a wall, going 60 miles an hour and he hits the brake and turns the wheel - and the car spins three times. Then he turns to me and goes: 'That was what you don't do.'

Q: Your father Stephen is a director. Was there any possibility of you not following him in the family business?
J: Probably not. Acting was always a passion of mine but now I'm thinking there may be things that I'm just as interested in.

Q: Like what?
J: Cooking is just as much of a passion. My best friend is a chef and all my closest friends are chefs. I think performing has always been a big thing for me and I think cooking is another type of performance.


Q: Do you think you'll ever give up acting?
J: Maybe. My friend Peter [Sarsgaard, his Jarhead co-star and his sister's fiancé] taught me that whatever you are feeling is OK. If you are acting and you don't want to act, then fine. Peter said he's been treating his talent like it was a two-cent whore. He's having his way with it and not appreciating it. Whatever you are doing, if you lose an appreciation for it, it's time to rethink that.


Q: Young women seem to like you. Are you a sex symbol?
J: [Laughs] I don't know what I am. I know I was kind of an It-guy for a long time.

Q: You're also popular with gay people thanks to Brokeback Mountain. Are you comfortable with that?
J: I'm comfortable with whatever status I have. I've been called 'the thinking woman's sex symbol' but doesn't every woman think? A lot of young girls come up to me and they're so cute and sweet. Then I might be at a street fair and a guy with his butt cheeks hanging out of his trousers will tell me he likes my movie. It's a pretty interesting existence.

Q: Do you and your sister compare notes?
J: All the time. I'd phone Maggie while we were making Jarhead and say: 'I'm feeling this way and I don't understand.' And she'd say: 'But that sounds perfect for the film.' She came to the set and said: 'I have some notes if you want to hear them.' I was like, 'YESSS!'


Maggie wants to make a difference

While Maggie has not been afraid to shed clothes for key roles in movies such as Sherry Baby and Secretary, exploring the nature of female sexuality with great honesty, bravery and merit, she would definitely set Meyers straight on the value of actresses. That actresses are not employed just to provide decoration for a film or to titillate the audience, or actors such as Meyers.

Not surprisingly, Maggie is one of the actors who has been supporting the writers' strike in America. She is one of several well known figures who is to record a video, offering solidarity with the writers and highlighting the issues behind the action. 'The spots will begin appearing on Thursday morning which will begin posting Thanksgiving Day and run exclusively on DeadlineHollywood.com through Sunday night. Beginning Monday, they will be found on SpeechlessWithoutWriters.com with links on UnitedHollywood.com and every day thereafter during the duration of the strike.' Other names include Susan Sarandon, Minnie Driver, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Tim Robbins.


This isn't the only cause that interests Maggie at the moment; the New York Observer published an interview that they recorded with Maggie when she attended an event at the Longchamp salon recently in NYC. Like many women (and men), Maggie shows that she enjoys clothes, fashion and shopping: '“It’s okay to think about clothes as long as you think about other things... Otherwise it’s pretty problematic.”... But she didn't mean fashion can't be deep. She said shopping provides an opportunity to "think about who you are." “I think that’s the pleasure in it for me." I like the way that Maggie combines a social conscience with an enjoyment of the benefits and pleasures that her success offers, including shopping and clothes.

'“A lot of the things I try to work on, I hope, say something about the troubled world we’re living in. I think it’s undeniable that the world is in a really chaotic and violent place right now,” Ms. Gyllenhaal said. Lately, she has been particularly concerned about the mounting civil unrest in Pakistan, where President Pervez Musharraf has declared emergency rule. “I think it’s everyone’s responsibility to do everything they can to help sort out as much as they possibly can."'


We also learn that Maggie has finished her stint on The Dark Knight and is now a free agent. “I also have a baby! So I’m not actually dying to rush off and work, but I’m looking for something.”'

CWG's evening with David Fincher

As we hoped, CWG was at the Evening with David Fincher and has given her first hand account in the comments to the previous post - thank you very much! It's interesting to hear how intimate the setting was, with seats for only about 200 people. This sounds like an extraordinary occasion to see the Director's Cut of Zodiac. And now I want to see it even more than ever.


Includes pictures from IHJ. Interview from Metro.

David Fincher's night out, Zodiac's missing moments and Kelley Sane talks Rendition (video)

Last night, David Fincher got another chance to see that many people have strong feelings for Zodiac, sometimes needing to see it more than once, more than twice, because it has such a pull on them. Zodiac was shown to a sold out and very appreciative Walter Reade Theater in New York. A report of the night in the Reeler begins with words that may well speak for more than of us: 'for my money, it's one of the finest films of the decade. Host and chief interrogator Kent Jones wasn't the only one confessing to having seen the movie five times or more; one man prefaced his question with such ecstatic praise that Fincher interrupted him before he could even get to the question: "Thank God for you, sir."'


The audience wasn't just treated to a viewing of the film, but also a question and answer session with David himself, in which he recalled the San Francisco that inspired him because he himself was frightened as a child by the constant coverage, month in, month out, of the killer's threats. '"It was such a big deal for so long -- it was almost two years that the guy was in the paper every day, and then all of a sudden it just disappeared, and I remember thinking 'What happened with that?' When I got the script, I kind of thought I didn't want to make a movie about it; I didn't want to make a movie that exploited him. I wanted to make the movie about it that turned over every rock. The Chronicle was in a neck-and-neck tie with the Examiner and catapulted to the forefront because Zodiac chose to communicate through the Chronicle. So a lot of the landscape of San Francisco changed because of Zodiac."'


Once the film was recorded, the difficulty for David Fincher was in getting it to be under five hours. '"When we got the version we were happy with, we did one more screening," he explained. "We hijacked people from malls and gave them the power of life and death, and made them Siskel and Ebert." Those two scenes were the most contentious in testing; for DVD, Fincher wanted to restore the film's shape to that of "the final screening before we lopped the ears off."'


Interestingly, David commented on the stories that emanated from the film set, the numerous takes and deletions that drove Robert Downey Jr and Jake Gyllenhaal (at least) to want to garrot their director. '"Do you know the best way to get an actor to stop fucking around? Stop giving them direction. Say 'Just do another one.' Three takes of that, they're done. 'What do you want me to do?' 'I want you to come through the elevator and turn and say the line like this." Suddenly you could see the perfectionist's killer instinct that led many smart-ass critics to say Zodiac feels like a movie not just about a serial killer, but that feels like it was made by one as well.'

And I'm hoping that our own CWG had a great time in the company of one David Fincher!


The Director's Cut extras

A lucky soul who has seen the Director's Cut of Zodiac has given an account of the extra minutes, the extended or original scenes and the new dialogue - even a new emphasis. You may not want to know the details before seeing the new cut yourself, but I will say that at long last we'll be able to see the scene that goes with this picture. I've often wondered about it. And I'm glad to get more Jake, especially more Jake with more Robert.



Rendition video interview with Kelley, Omar and Gavin

I was delighted to find that Variety had hosted an interview not only with Gavin Hood, but also with Omar Metwally and, my favourite, Gorgeous Kelley Sane. Here is the video. We learn that Kelley became inspired to write the screenplay of Rendition while at a party discussing the subject in 2005 (sounds like some party). Kelley was motivated because he wanted to explore the consequences of actions and whether chipping away at the constitution of the United States could ever be justified. Kelley says that after 9/11 it was understandable that the government would wish to do everything in its power to protect its citizens, but what is the cost of these actions and are we willing to bear it? It's interesting to consider that, as Gavin Hood says, not all of the actors shared the same opinions. Perhaps not surprisingly, by the end of filming, Omar Metwally had no doubt that torture can never be excused.



Includes pictures from IHJ.

Jake - 'I feel like I'm a joyous person... I'm kooky, but I'm not crazy'

In comments in past weeks, I have heard quite a bit about the New Yorker publication and so I thought today I'd post an article that the New Yorker published in July 2002 about the Sad-eyed siblings Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal. It presents a funny snapshot of the pair of them together - one senses they bicker - and their bemusement at how they are cast. 'The Gyllenhaals say they're not sure why directors are always asking them to play depressed misfits. "I feel like I'm a joyous person," Jake said. "More and more, I want to do less kooky characters. I'm kooky, but I'm not crazy." "I think both of us have sad eyes," Maggie said. "Do I have sad eyes?" Jake asked. "They go down a little bit on the side." "Do I have cow eyes?"



Zodiac (and Jake) on Sky

Zodiac receives its premiere on UK TV tonight, on the pay per view Sky Box Office channel. To mark the event, I've heard that clips of Jake Gyllenhaal being interviewed about Rendition are floating around the other Sky channels tonight. I don't have Sky myself but an informer (ie my mother) tells me that he has a full beard and is wearing a suit and not a blue sweatshirt/t-shirt. So, in other words, the interview probably doesn't date from Jake's flying visit to the UK but from the film's promotion in LA. So if you have the wherewithal, please keep your eyes peeled!


The Radio Times has given Zodiac four stars and says: 'Eschewing his usual trademark visual trickery, Fincher delivers a powerful, matter-of-fact tale. It's like a serial killing All the President's Men, with meticulous attention to detail that makes even the most inactive scenes crackle with energy.' In another feature, Barry Norman, possibly the UK's most venerable movie critic, focuses on the career of Zodiac's Robert Downey Jr. At the moment, it is possible that the UK edition of the Director's Cut of Zodiac will be out at the same time as the US version, 8 January.


Vote for Jake

Matt Damon may have been voted as People magazine's sexiest man alive, but Cinematical is giving its readers a chance to strike back for their favorite. Jake is not doing at all well, with men I've never heard of above him and The Rock at the head of the list. This is despite a stunning Cannes pic and the legend: 'He's smart, he's sensitive, and oh, those eyes! From Brokeback Mountain to Zodiac, Jake Gyllenhaal has proved his versatility on the screen, but does he have the charisma to be the Sexiest Man?' I may be wrong, but I think you can only vote once, so it will take you but a second. The well known figure 'None of the Above' is doing particularly well.


Includes pictures from IHJ and New Yorker.

Jake's lovely and amazing, and Paramount's shoddy Zodiac games

I saw Lovely and Amazing for - I'm ashamed to say - the very first time on this wet and dark Sunday afternoon and I rather enjoyed meeting Jake's Jordan. Apparently this was the film that made a certain young actress Kirsten Dunst sit up and take notice: "I saw this film Jake was in, Lovely and Amazing, and I was like, 'He is so hot! He's gorgeous.' I think I told her [Maggie, of course], 'I have a crush on your brother'."


Director Nicola Holofcener, in all her publicity interviews for Lovely and Amazing, never had enough good words to say about the young Jake. 'Jeanne McCarthy, the casting director, brought in Jake Gyllenhaal - she has great taste and really understood the script. He came in with this big pouf of hair and his big blue eyes and I was sold. He was sexy but awkward - the perfect combination for the role of Jordan. He had to be young and gawky enough so that we feel the affair is weird and uncomfortable, yet he had to be just manly enough so it would believable' (source).


In an interview recorded on the set of the film, Nicola said '"Jeanne McCarthy was the casting director, she introduced me to Jake Gyllenhaal, I didn't know who he was," says Holofcener. Gyllenhaal turns in a pitch-perfect performance as Jordan, a coworker of Catherine Keener's much older Michelle in the film. Again I dig myself deeper into the trench of a flatterer, telling her how great Gyllenhaal was in the film. "Wasn't he? But it's funny," says Holofcener, "I felt the same way, like once I met him I couldn't picture anybody else in the role." "Right, because who else can pull off the kind of geeky young kid but –" "- be sexy enough. Not very many people. It was just between him and a few others and I was so crazy for him, I was so afraid it wouldn't work out. You know, when you're negotiating the contract and stuff, it's up in the air." Luckily for Holofcener, things worked out with Gyllenhaal, as well as first choices Brenda Blethyn, Emily Mortimer, and Catherine Keener, for whom the part of Michelle was written.'


When interviewed by fellow Lovely actress Emily Blunt, Jake's older woman Catherine Keener said of Jake: I had a blast with him. People have asked was it weird because he was so much younger. I guess I was so in the mindset of Michelle and the story and she is so immature it seemed sort of an appropriate guy for her [laughter]. It wasn't freakish at all to me. And so therefore if it's going to be a guy who's only seventeen why not Jake Gyllenhaal ! It was fantastic! He's adorable, fun, enthusiastic. We were laughing all the time. It was three o'clock in the morning the first night we're working and we are kissing in the back of the car, freezing it was just silly. It wasn't like one of those standard uncomfortable love scenes were you feel weird enough. We had no time, no money and no time. He's so gifted and a really nice guy. Everybody was. This movie was really a great time everyone was unbelievable.'


At around this time, the young and exciting actor was featured in an article in the Guardian. In it, Jake discussed the differences between his two quite similar roles (at least on the surface) in Lovely and Amazing and The Good Girl: 'Although they both have affairs with older women, the two characters are completely different. The guy in Lovely & Amazing is just a sweet kid who isn't aware of what he's getting into. The guy in The Good Girl has a dire need to be loved and is clearly disturbed. But it was the complicated relationships that I responded to. The way relationships are usually painted in films is bullshit. In my experience relationships are really complicated, especially when you're young: you're just flailing around and hurting each other. I haven't yet found a relationship in a movie that is true to that.'


Paramount gave up on Zodiac

I came across an old, very interesting interview with David Fincher in which he discussed the reasons for that long delay that we all had to endure between the original opening date of Zodiac and its final release. It seemed to last forever. Now that we have seen the film and can appreciate its intricacy, detail and length, the delay is less surprising but it appears Paramount had not been happy with the length of the version initially delivered but Fincher would not back down. As a result, Paramount decided to not bother promoting the film for the Oscars but we got a better film.


'But according to some accounts, distributor Paramount balked at releasing the even longer version delivered by Fincher, who contractually had final cut, and, asked him to make changes. When he declined, they elected not to mount an Oscar campaign and release the film in March, traditionally a time when movie attendance is low and the studios unload films they consider to be lacking in commercial potential. Fincher, who admits to “doing my best to avoid those kind of political games and all the speculation that goes with it,” is somewhat coy with the subject, saying he is “really all not that certain what was going through those guys’ heads.”


“Truth is, I really didn’t have the film in the shape I wanted it in December anyway,” he says. “I don’t know what their thinking is, but I assume they have research and experts in this field... After all,” Fincher adds with obvious sarcasm, “these are the guys who were working `Nacho Libre.’”.

Includes pictures from IHJ.