October 27th  2005

Universal Pictures Presents the New York Premiere of 'Jarhead,' Sunday, October 30 at 7:00 P.M.
Wednesday October 26, 5:08 pm ET

* MEDIA ALERT *

WHAT:
 The New York premiere of UNIVERSAL PICTURES' "JARHEAD"

WHO: 
"JARHEAD" cast members Ivan Fenyo, Jamie Foxx, Brian Geraghty, Jake Gyllenhaal, John Krasinski and Peter Sarsgaard; director Sam

Mendes; writer William Broyles, Jr.; author of the best-selling novel, Jarhead, Anthony Swofford; producers Lucy Fisher and Douglas Wick; and executive producers Bobby Cohen and Sam Mercer

Plus celebrity guests including Joy Bryant, Micky Dolenz, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dan Hedaya, Spike Lee, Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon, Ben Shenkman, Kate Winslet and many more

WHERE: 
Ziegfeld Theatre: 141 West 54th Street, New York City, NY

WHEN: 
Sunday, October 30, 2005
5:00 P.M. Press Call Time
6:00 P.M. Celebrity Arrivals
7:00 P.M. Screening Begins

"JARHEAD" opens in theaters across the country on Friday, November 4, 2005.


- posted by Ally 
- credits: PR NEWSWIRE
-

 October 25th  2005

An eclectic mix of films has been nominated for the 15th annual Gotham Awards, to be presented in New York City on November 30, 2005. Once again, the night will usher in an awards season that will continue for more than three months, culminating with the 78th Academy Awards in early March of next year. Presented by Independent Feature Project (IFP), this year's Gotham Award for Best Feature includes a wide range of movies, from a low-budget film like Lodge Kerrigan's "Keane" to the much bigger "A History of Violence" by David Cronenberg (pegged at a $32 million budget). Rounding out the race for best feature are Ang Lee's "Brokeback Mountain," Bennett Miller's "Capote", and Miranda July's "Me and You and Everyone We Know."

The Gothams celebrate, in the words of the IFP, "the innovative films and filmmakers whose passion and vision make their way onto the screen year after year." Three separate nominating committees (listed below) selected the nominees, with the IFP planning to announce next month the films vying for the Best Film Not Playing At A Theater Near You award (for films without theatrical distribution). Winners will be chosen by a group of peers, according to the IFP.

In the best documentary category, the competing films are Dayna Goldfine and Dan Geller's "Ballet Russes", "Alex Gibney's "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room," Werner Herzog's "Grizzly Man," Henry-Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro's "Murderball", and Michael Almereyda's "William Eggleston In The Real World."

No single film dominated this year's nominees, with honors spread across a number of titles. Among the films that were nominated for a pair of prizes this year were "Brokeback Mountain," "Capote," "Me and You and Everyone We Know," "Keane," and Phil Morrison's "Junebug."

"2005 was a particularly good year for films made with creative conviction and a strong point of view," said IFP Executive Director Michelle Byrd, in a statement. "That's what the IFP seeks to celebrate through the Gotham Awards. We are especially pleased to have visionary directors working at their peak among our nominees, as well as directors whose work has yet to receive widespread public recognition on our own shores, not to mention several breakthrough actors and directors bursting onto the scene with high hopes about future projects."

Matt Dillon, star of this year's "Crash" and the upcoming "Factotum" will receive this year's Gotham Awards Feature Tribute, with HBO's Sheila Nevins and producer Bob Yari serving as Gala co-chairs. In a statement this summer, Nevins and Yari cited the Gothams as supporting the "vision behind independent filmmaking," but IFP's Michelle Byrd clarified during a July conversation with indieWIRE that the Gothams are not restricted by the often confusing term, "independent." She told indieWIRE at the time that for many the term independent signals marginalization, is seen as a badge of honor to others, or has even been viewed as being co-opted. So she said, "By bypassing that word altogether, we are trying to bring it back to the work." She emphasized that the Gotham Awards are meant to recognize "auteur driven films that are in the creative control of filmmakers," including the "actors from those films and the emerging from those films." She added, "Its kind of subjective."

The IFP embraces the subjectivity as an important part of the Gothams said Byrd, in the conversation with indieWIRE this summer when she announced the creation of new competitive categories. A committee that includes festival programmers and critics chooses the nominees and winners in each category. "Ultimately these are all juried awards," she said, "Sometimes you get unusual choices -- filmmaking and film criticism are really subjective."

Serving on the three nominating committee's this year were: critic Karen Durbin, programmer Raj Roy, critic Lisa Schwartzbaum, and critic Peter Travers (Best Feature and Breakthrough Director); publication editor Scott Foundas, festival director Diana Lee, curator David Schwartz, IFP's Milton Tabbot (Best Documentary); publication editor Graham Fuller, reporter Stephen Garrett, reporter Dave Karger, and organization founder Moikgantsi Kgama (Breakthrough Actor and Best Ensemble Cast).

Last year, the Gothams moved from September to December, kicking off awards season and recognizing such films as "Sideways" and "Maria Full Grace," movies that would be singled out at numerous other events in the run up to Oscar Night in late February.


BEST FEATURE

"Brokeback Mountain" (Directed by Ang Lee / Written by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana / Produced by Diana Ossana and James Schamus)

"Capote" (Directed by Bennett Miller / Written by Dan Futterman / Produced by Caroline Baron, William Vince and Michael Ohoven)

"A History of Violence" (Directed by David Cronenberg / Written by Josh Olson / Produced by Chris Bender and JC Spink)

"Keane" (Written and directed by Lodge Kerrigan / Produced by Andrew Fierberg)

"Me and You and Everyone We Know" (Written and directed by Miranda July / Produced by Gina Kwon)

BEST DOCUMENTARY

"Ballets Russes" (Directed by Dayna Goldfine and Dan Geller / Written by Dan Geller, Dayna Goldfine, Gary Weimberg and Celeste Schaefer Snyder / Produced by Dan Geller, Dayna Goldfine, Robert Hawk and Douglas Blair Turnbaugh)

"Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room" (Written and directed by Alex Gibney / Produced by Alex Gibney, Jason Kliot and Susan Motamed)

"Grizzly Man" (Directed by Werner Herzog / Produced by Erik Nelson)

"Murderball" (Directed by Henry-Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro / Produced by Jeffrey Mandel and Dana Adam Shapiro)

"William Eggleston in the Real World" (Directed by Michael Almereyda / Produced by Michael Almereyda, Jesse Dylan and Anthony Katagas)

BREAKTHROUGH DIRECTOR

Miranda July for "Me and You and Everyone We Know"

Bennett Miller for "Capote"

Phil Morrison for "Junebug"

Andrew Wagner for "The Talent Given Us"

Alice Wu for "Saving Face"

BREAKTHROUGH ACTOR

Amy Adams as "Ashley" in "Junebug"

Camilla Belle as "Rose Slavin" in "The Ballad of Jack and Rose"

Joseph Gordon-Levitt as "Neil" in "Mysterious Skin"

Terrence Howard as "DJay" in "Hustle & Flow"

Damian Lewis as "William Keane" in "Keane"

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST

"Brokeback Mountain" (Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Williams, Anne Hathaway, Linda Cardellini, Randy Quaid, Anna Faris)

"Crash" (Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Jennifer Esposito, William Fichtner, Brendan Fraser, Terrence Dashon Howard, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Thandie Newton, Ryan Phillippe, Larenz Tate, Nona Gaye, Michael Pena)

"Good Night, and Good Luck" (David Strathairn, Patricia Clarkson, George Clooney, Jeff Daniels, Robert Downey Jr., Frank Langella)

"Nine Lives" (Kathy Baker, Amy Brenneman, Elpidia Carrillo, Glenn Close. Stephen Dillane, Dakota Fanning, William Fichtner, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Holly Hunter, Jason Isaacs, Joe Mantegna, Ian McShane, Molly Parker, Mary Kay Place, Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Aidan Quinn, Miguel Sandoval, Amanda Seyfried, Sissy Spacek, Robin Wright Penn)

"The Squid and the Whale" (Jeff Daniels, Laura Linney, Jesse Eisenberg, Owen Kline)

- posted by Ally 
- credits: Indie Wire
-

 October 25th  2005

UNIVERSAL PICTURES PRESENTS THE WORLD PREMIERE OF 'JARHEAD,'
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27 AT ARCLIGHT HOLLYWOOD

WHAT:
The world premiere of UNIVERSAL PICTURES "JARHEAD"

WHO:
"JARHEAD" cast members Laz Alonso, Lucas Black, Chris Cooper, Brianne Davis, Brian Geraghty, Kareem Grimes, Jake Gyllenhaal, Dennis Haysbert, Evan Jones, Jamie Martz and Peter Sarsgaard; director Sam Mendes; writer William Broyles, Jr.; author of the
best-selling novel, Jarhead, Anthony Swofford;
producers Lucy Fisher and Douglas Wick; and executive producers Bobby Cohen and Sam Mercer

Plus celebrity guests including Amy Brenneman, Keith
David, Maggie Gyllenhaal; Chris Isaak, Joshua Jackson, Josh Lucas, Eric McCormack, Omar Benson Miller, Mark Ruffalo, Brad Silberling and Jeffrey Tambor

WHERE:
Arclight Hollywood

WHEN: Thursday, October 27, 2005
5:30 PM Press Call Time
6:30 PM Celebrity Arrivals
7:30 PM Screening Begins

"JARHEAD" opens in theaters across the country
on Friday, November 4, 2005.

- posted by Ally 
- credits: PR NEWSWIRE
-

 October 25th  2005

Movie star JAKE GYLLENHAAL can't wait for the DVD release of his new war film JARHEAD because it will feature his video diaries.

Director SAM MENDES gave Gyllenhaal and his castmates video cameras at the start of shooting and invited them all to film journals of their "military lives" and Gyllenhaal took the task very seriously.

He reveals, "We all talked, like, a diary into the camera and shot whatever we wanted to shoot around set, each other or at home.

"I remember when I got my head shaved - and they shaved it right down - it was the most horrible haircut. It was pretty mundane. I filmed that.

"Then I filmed me honing the haircut because I wanted it to look perfect. I remember it just coming all off and there was a ceremony afterwards. I filmed that."

- posted by Ally 
- credits: Contact Music
-

 October 22nd  2005

Gyllenhaal Lost a Tooth on Jarhead Set

Actor JAKE GYLLENHAAL suffered for his art while making his new war movie JARHEAD - he knocked out one of his own teeth.

The actor, who plays real-life US Marine ANTHONY SWOFFORD in the Gulf War drama, injured himself while filming an intense fight scene.

He says, "I jammed a gun into my mouth, and I guess I did this really, really hard because I was so into the emotions of the scene.

"Suddenly, I looked down and saw my tooth had been knocked out - it was in my hand - and blood was starting to flow... but I didn't even care at that moment."

Despite the mess, Gyllenhaal finished the scene toothless. He has since had the tooth re-inserted.

- posted by Ally 
- credits: Contact Music
-

 October 22nd  2005

Gyllenhaal Mentally Drained By Jarhead Experience

- posted by Ally 
- credits: Contact Music
-

 October 7th  2005

CHASING ZODIAC
Film crew has San Francisco time-traveling to '70s
G. Allen Johnson, Chronicle Staff Writer

It's the magic hour in San Francisco.

The light meter of cinematographer Harris Savides says so. Rising star Jake Gyllenhaal takes a spin down the Mary Street alley, behind The Chronicle, dressed solidly in an ugly brown. He stops outside a bar and something catches his eye ...

"Cut!" yells director David Fincher.

"Reset!" yells an assistant, and several extras, who had been strolling on the sidewalk to serve as the background of Gyllenhaal's foreground, pace back to their original positions.

"Is that Dumpster (of the) period?" Fincher asks. When told it has indeed been placed there by the prop department, the director says, "It looks too clean."

It's 1978, after all.

No need to say more; prop masters form a creative mess of crumbling cardboard boxes and other signs of clutter. It's starting to look like a real San Francisco alley.

"Reset!"

If you've seen Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr. or Mark Ruffalo around town -- or, more likely, you've been rerouted to your destination thanks to the closure of a street filled with 1960s and '70s vehicles -- you may have accidentally returned to the time when the Zodiac killer terrorized the Bay Area.

"Zodiac" is an $80 million movie about the series of killings that has never been solved. To re-create that time, Fincher, the director of the highly stylized "Se7en," Fight Club" and "Panic Room," is taking a more realistic approach -- filming as much as possible in the actual locations where the events took place.

That meant filming outside The Chronicle, where Paul Avery (Downey) first received letters from the killer in the late 1960s, and Robert Graysmith (Gyllenhaal) was a staff member who became obsessed with the case. The film's screenplay is written by James Vanderbilt from Graysmith's 1976 book.

Included in those scenes were a vintage 1960s U.S. mail truck ("Always use Zip Code!" the cartoon figure reminds us) delivering letters to The Chronicle mailroom and a street scene in which Mission between Fifth and Sixth streets was transformed into a street once again filled with those old, rounded, gas-guzzling Muni buses, Yellow Cabs and Plymouth Valiants, et al.

For the mail scenes, the film's property master, Hope Parrish, manufactured 2,500 pieces of 1970s mail (among Parrish's other tasks: replicating the former Chronicle reporters' pens, rings, watches, glue pots, business cards, typewriters and 6-cent Dwight Eisenhower stamps).

Still, despite all the big stars, multimillion-dollar budget and period detail, it is refreshing that the filming process drops everything and moves to get a shot during the magic hour -- the time, in the hour or so before sunset, that natural light provides the most photogenic moments. Mother Nature has been a friend in this way to cinematographers since the beginning of movies in the late 1800s.

"One more time!" Fincher yells after Take 11.

The 43-year-old, Marin County-raised director is in a good mood, but he casts his eyes toward the sky at the disappearing light.

Although a rain machine is sending sheets of water cascading onto vintage cars behind Red's Java House, with the Bay Bridge making for a colorful backdrop, most of "Zodiac" will be filmed in Los Angeles -- interior scenes, some nondescript exteriors -- and that's the sad reality of moviemaking in the Bay Area: It's too expensive to shoot here.

"San Francisco is a very expensive town, and it would not have been practical or financially feasible to shoot the entire movie here," producer Brad Fischer said. "Having said that, San Francisco in the 1970s was so iconic and so much a part of this story, it was important to capture what we did of the city."

However, Fischer, Fincher and screenwriter Vanderbilt were adamant that as much of the filming as possible not only take place in the Bay Area, but in the exact locations where the Zodiac events took place.

For example, the crew shot at Lake Berryessa, but since the Zodiac killer's attack there, almost all the site's trees have died. Production designer Don Burt planted 24 new ones, flying the pin-oak trees in by helicopter, watching them dangle 200 feet below, some of them 45 feet tall and weighing 13,000 pounds.

Burt even used gravel and piping to syphon water from the lake to nourish the trees' roots from an underground irrigation system he built. He also replanted 1,600 clumps of grass to match the original scenery.

The crew spent about 20 days filming in the Bay Area, wrapping this week before the move to Los Angeles for the final 85 or so days of the shoot.

"The vision always was to do as accurate and truthful a movie as possible about the events that occurred," said Vanderbilt, who suggested the "Zodiac" project to Fischer after the two had worked together on the 2003 thriller "Basic."

"Realism is what we're going for," Vanderbilt said. "We always talk about 'All the President's Men' as a model for a documentary feel to the movie."

Fischer, Mike Medavoy and Arnold Messer optioned Graysmith's book and sent the project to their first choice as director, Fincher.

"We did the first draft and sent it to David Fincher, sort of like asking the prettiest girl to the prom -- the worst she could say is no -- and to my surprise and delight, he said yeah," Vanderbilt said.

As he spoke, the prettiest girl at the prom, who has a gray beard and is balding, was wearing a rain slicker and boots, poking his head inside a '70s car, an old Coca-Cola truck in the background, to give direction to Gyllenhaal and his character's 3-year-old daughter as they prepare to meet Detective Dave Toschi (Ruffalo) about the case.

Vanderbilt interviewed many of the people involved in the actual case and said he thinks he knows who the Zodiac killer was.

Naturally, he wouldn't tell.

It's 1978, on First Street between Howard and Mission streets, near the bus terminal. Old Greyhound buses are driving in the background as Toschi sits in an unmarked police car, a light-brown 1960s Chevrolet, while his partner eats a burger and sips soda in the driver's seat. The Zodiac's first letter in four years has arrived at The Chronicle. Toschi receives the radio dispatch, puts the siren on the roof and slams across traffic, making a U-turn, while stunt drivers screech to a stop and narrowly miss high-speed collisions with the Chevrolet.

Fincher has to work fast, because the streets are blocked off and this is a big day. There are several events in the city -- the Folsom Street Fair and the Cowboys-49ers game at Candlestick among them -- and he has to clear out as soon as possible.

Although "Zodiac" is a retro film, it will be made with cutting-edge technology. One creative choice that is allowing the crew to work faster is Fincher's decision to use the new Grass Valley Viper FilmStream system, a digital video format.

That's right -- "Zodiac" is not being shot on film. The Viper system allows Fincher's crew to use less light, set up shots more quickly and play them back instantly. To speed up the process, Fincher is filming (that's still the technical term) most of his shots with two Viper cameras, meaning Savides has to light for two different setups at once.

Fincher used the system to shoot a commercial for Hewlett-Packard, and Michael Mann used it to shoot much of "Collateral," the Tom Cruise-Jamie Foxx thriller. But "Zodiac" will be the first Hollywood feature shot entirely on the Viper system.

None of the bulky cameras and unwieldy lights that were used to shoot, say "Dirty Harry" in San Francisco around the time of the Zodiac.

Fincher's light, mobile camera package stands in stark contrast to the old school bus and kids with '70s clothes at Third Avenue and Lake, the scene of a Zodiac murder at Washington and Maple or the vintage cars and police motorcycles outside Original Joe's in the Tenderloin at 2 in the morning.

Nevertheless, sometimes it seems that San Francisco hasn't changed much at all.

- posted by Ally 
- credits: San Francisco Chronicle
-