Jake Gyllenhaal - a local work of art

****EMERGENCY ARM POST ****

Two new pictures today from the race at Leadville at the weekend. Jake Gyllenhaal - aka Local Art Gallery - decided to take pity on the world and display his arms in their fabulous entirety. This is a sight to be savoured as the beard continues its mission to cover Jake's whole body. And, as you can see, that would indeed be a shame...


In this second photo Jake watches and learns as a pro demonstrates the method behind how to hold a tape, while Peter Sarsgaard continues to hone his own disguise skills.


And the trail for Jake continues! The last possible sighting was yesterday when one person tweeted that he met Jake Gyllenhaal in the Home Depot at Scottsboro in Alabama.

And speaking of arms (and chest), there are some fine photos over at PoPsugar today as Jake has made it to the final shirtless four.

Pictures from running blogger Brandon Fuller via IHJ.

****END OF EMERGENCY ARM POST****

Jake Gyllenhaal Flip cameraman, and Jake's 'incredible desire to do comedies'

We've been given our last glimpse of Jake Gyllenhaal in Colorado from race day. Not only was Jake there to comfort the suffering and wounded in the Aid Station, he was also there at the beginning to wave people off with his Flip. Running blogger Brendon Fuller who has kept us well informed throughout while still managing to run in the killer event himself reminisces: 'Actor Jake Gyllenhaal was standing in front of me on the start line with his Flip camera shooting some video. Another crew was over further with some big lights. I gave Jake the head nod…what’s up. He responded.' One has to wonder if this other crew was connected with Jake, meaning some serious pre-movie research.


The obvious thing to note from this observation is that Jake must have been so impressed by my handling of my own Flip at the Prince of Persia premiere in London that he rushed out to buy his own.

Jake's fondness for photography is well known and he has been captured on camera several times while taking his own photos. He has also commented on how he videoed Swofford and Robert Graysmith in preparation for his portrayal of them on film and Jake appeared to have a mobile film studio in the boot of his car. Jake's 21st birthday present from his mother was an old Polaroid camera. I did a full post on this some time ago and you can read it here.


From Donnie to Dastan

In another Prince of Persia interview, which I'm only now getting around to posting, Jake spoke about how it shouldn't be a surprise to audiences and critics that he took on Dastan - Donnie Darko should have been a clue. Ten years ago 'maybe I would have assumed that it wasn't unreasonable [to play Dastan]. After all, back then we'd made Donnie Darko, a very promising movie that everyone had seen and had loved.'


Was it a curse or a blessing that Jake had been commected with more dramatic films? 'No, I associate so many wonderful experiences with Donnie Darko that I would never say that the film is a curse for me. If I should complain, it would be at a higher level, then it would be a complaint to the producers... Because often they don't have imagination. They would often blindly hire me for dramatic films, without asking me what I'd like to do instead.'


Had Jake been waiting all this time for Prince of Persia? 'Not specifically for that. But for something that reminded me of this little eight-year Jake, who saw himself as being Indiana Jones and who even then dreamed of acting in such a film.'


So Jake didn't have any concerns at being hired for a blockbuster? 'Not at all! This was the fulfillment of a child's dream. I could let off steam, I was on a giant playground for months, with great people around me to play with, like Gemma Arterton, Sir Ben Kingsley. So why should I hesitate?'


Because Mike Leigh and Lars von Trier might have seen Jake at the beginning of the decade and now said that he does too many commercial films? 'I don't think that masters in their field would every say such a thing. If they have a desire to work with you then it shouldn't matter what you've done recently. I once had a phase in my twenties when I took everything to do with my job too seriously. That was anything but healthy. No, I don't feel that this wild ride will mess up my future.'


'This is a film for all eight year olds in the world who still haven't forgotten how to dream!' And for the older ones, and the girls in particular? 'I had exactly six months to prepare myself for the role. What we see on the screen, is exactly what's possible if you torture your body for six months. But, when it comes to the outside; yes, I'm in good shape. But it disappears again. It's this form of vanity, that we all have, and noone can explain it. Do I find it good,what I look like now? Of course! Do I forget about who I am deep in my heart? No way!'


And on the media's headlines 'Jake is hot!' 'I make sure that this wave doesn't carry me along and I laugh about all the things people come up and say to me about myself. The most important thing in this industry is to keep a certain distance. And I've trained myself long and hard to keep this distance.'


What could happen in the next few years? 'I have an incredible desire to do comedies... Now I've done a wacky comedy starring Anne Hathaway. Then there are other offers in that direction. And maybe at some time Mike Leigh and I could make a good comedy together. That would be great!' More here (and all faults here are mine not Jake's).


Includes pictures from IHJ.

Jake Gyllenhaal a sight for sore eyes (and feet) and Maggie 'can't remember' making Jake drink like a cat...

It's good to hear that all that training at the Beverly Hills Medical Center has paid off. Not surprisingly, not everyone was able to complete the 100-mile epic endurance race up and down Colorado's mountains yesterday but for those who fell by the wayside and ended up in the Aid Station, there was a sight there bound to cheer up anyone despite the size of their blisters or the state of their ligaments and muscles - Jake Gyllenhaal. Yes, Jake was strategically located in the Aid Station where, no doubt, he was a great help, handing out plasters, ointments and leg rubs accompanied by soothing words and smiles.


One runner tweeted: 'I ran 12 miles, almost 5000 ft elevation gain, and descent, got John to aid station before cutoff. Saw Jake Gyllenhaal there...very surreal.' Surreal is definitely one word for it, 'welcome' is another. Or 'hot'. Since yesterday, all is now quiet on the Gyllenfront with Jake Gyllenhaal possibly having moved on to witness further sporting marathons for his research - although it's hard to fathom how this event can be beaten.


This post features some of my favourite pictures of Jake and a plaster (bandaid). They're from July 2006.



Maggie's little brother

Maggie Gyllenhaal has been promoting the release of Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang over the last few days (which feels strange here as - in a reversal of how things normally happen - this film has been out on DVD in the UK for quite a while). As part of the promo, Maggie appeared on a couple of shows where the interviewers were all too keen to talk to her about her talented - and did I say hot? - sibling. On the Early Show last week, Maggie talked about how she had had a video chat with Jake via a new iPhone app and so had enjoyed seeing his face. While, no doubt, telling him to shave that fuzz off it. You can watch the video here.


Maggie also visited Regis and Kelly, the worst chat show that I have ever had to sit through in the name of Gyllenhaalicism. In this interview, Maggie was given the chance to defend herself against Jake's accusation that she had made him drink from a saucer of milk like a cat. No doubt words were later exchanged about this during another iPhone video chat. You can watch that video here but, be warned, it has Regis and Kelly in it.


Includes pictures from IHJ.

The Race Across the Sky - Jake Gyllenhaal in Leadville with Peter Sarsgaard and Chris McDougall, author of Born to Run

Today the Leadville Trail 100 Mile Run took place across the forest trails and mountain roads of the Rockie. As if running 50 miles isn't enough, in this Race Across the Sky, you then turn round and run it all back again. Jake Gyllenhaal has been in Colorado to watch the race (he isn't listed in the runners) along with Peter Sarsgaard and he has been leaving a trail of his own. Competitor Jerell was lucky enough to get a picture to share on Twitter. That's either Jake Gyllenhaal on the left or Grizzly Adams.


And now we are also able to identify further people from the photo yesterday (shown below). In addition to the always unmistakable back of Jake, that is a very slim Peter Sarsgaard on the right, disguised by a Fedora. The hairless chap looks like Christopher McDougall, the author of Born to Run, which, according to the rumours coming out of Leadville, is the reason for Jake's visit.


Jake was also seen at an aid station (looking 'very cute and taller than I expected); in his natural habitat of a coffee shop; and in an outdoor clothing and equipment store with Peter last night, where they bought 'some little camping stuff'. In fact, they liked the Sawatch Backcountry shop so much they went back again today.

I think this is most definitely a developing story. Congratulations to all the runners - what an incredible endurance event.

Pictures from links

Review of Salt and my top ten list of action heroes at MovieBrit.

Born to Run - Jake Gyllenhaal in Colorado to research a sports movie? In disguise!

Update: The possible project in question: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. It sounds great - and I can't think of anyone better to play such a role.

Sometimes I think Jake Gyllenhaal has got hold of some sort of mysterious scifi transportation device (I realise I've been watching too much of Galaxy Quest lately), the reason being he nips in and out of cities and locations as if he were some kind of timelord. Yes, one minute Jake's taking his new Triumph out for a spin to get a ticket and the next he's seen amidst a group of insane people in Colorado. Why are they insane? Because they're about to run 50 miles, that's why. In (or up) mountains. To be precise Leadville, Colorado.


One competitor, Brandon Fuller, had this to say of the prerace meeting: 'After leaving the assembly, we heard rumors of Hollywood stars in the mix. Turns out Jake Gyllenhaal of gay cowboy fame was up in the rafters in a big beard and hat. We haven’t figured out his role in this yet but the lowdown seems to be a Born to Run movie in the works. They aren’t filming the movie right now. I am thinking they are doing some scouting and maybe some “day in the life” stuff so they can then portray it in a film? Seems silly since its such an event in itself and doesn’t need to be acted in my opinion. Anyway, here is a back shot of him...'

Here is the picture. I think you'll agree, Jake looks well prepared. I love the look of that camera. And thanks to the reader for pointing him out, that's a disguised Peter Sarsgaard on the right! Good to see Jake's old fedoras coming in handy (and not on Jake's head).


And another blogger, Joghard, said: 'Jake Gyllenhaal was at the pre-race meeting in disguise of sorts. Actually, he blended very well with the trail crowd with a big beard. I think they are making a movie. Kind of cool.'


I'm sure you'll agree that if anyone's born to run, it's Speedy Jake Gyllenhaal. We've heard rumours of sporting biopics for years, perhaps one is actually taking shape.



And, if the secret is now out, surely the disguise can come off?


Ghost forest - a WDW Interlude

While riding around Oxford today, we came across a ghost forest outside the Natural History Museum. These truly impressive and awe-inspiring trunks and roots had been brought by ship from the diminishing rainforests of Guyana, Africa. The trees will be in Oxford for a year and, if you can see them, please do try. You'll find them at the end of the dinosaur footprints. Here's the official site. Mr WDW then bought a pterodactyl plushie. Name and shame, that's my policy.



Pictures from here, IHJ and WDW.