Thursday, December 10, 2009

Get your Amazon Pre-Order In Now!

As part of the scoming marketing barrage for Prince of Persia, Jake Gyllenhaal and Jerry Bruckheimer have contributed an afterword and a forward, respectively, to a book about the movie: We Make Our Own Destiny: Behind the Scenes of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.

I think that's one colon too many!

The book seems to be aimed at children - the reading level suggested is ages 9 to 12. But I have a feeling some older readers might make a purchase.



Product Description
When a pioneering producer, a visionary director, a dynamic cast, and a talented crew come together to make a movie, the result is sure to be epic. Such was the case with Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Inspired by one of the most popular video game franchises of all time, the filmmakers set out to tell the story of Prince Dastan, a young man who is falsely accused of killing his father. Finding himself on the run with a kidnapped princess, Dastan discovers that he is in possession of a mystical dagger that could give him the power to travel back in time and prevent his father's death. But there are others who covet the dagger for more sinister reasons, and if the dagger falls into the wrong hands, it could unleash a potentially disastrous sandstorm.



A story of this scope could only be brought to the screen by the most enterprising and creative of filmmakers, and so it was that producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Mike Newell teamed up to weave this tale of courage, honor, love, and adventure. Joining them in their quest was a star-studded cast led by Jake Gyllenhaal, Sir Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina, and Gemma Arterton, as well as a world-class crew, including stunt experts, costume designers, sword makers, and camel trainers. Together, the company embarked on a quest that would take them halfway around the world, from Moroccan deserts to London soundstages.




We Make Our Own Destiny: Behind the Scenes of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time immerses readers in the filmmaking process, recounting the saga that began with Jordan Mechner's video game and culminated in a production of monumental proportions. Every grain of sand in the hourglass is examined-from horsemanship training to set construction to ostrich racing to the art of parkour. Detailed cast biographies reveal the personalities underneath the charismatic characters, and fascinating sidebars divulge insider information about crucial props and weapons, feathered and furry co-stars, and the lethal Hassansins, each of whom specializes in a different brand of death-dealing. Abundantly distributed throughout the narrative is gorgeous photography shot on location that showcases the awe-inspiring landscapes and meticulously constructed sets that coalesced to create the world of ancient Persia.



Also featured within are several spreads of photography by Jerry Bruckheimer, whose unique perspective provides a window into the realm behind the camera. A Foreword written by Bruckheimer and an Afterword written by Jake Gyllenhaal provide ideal book-ends for the spellbinding tale, and quotes from the entire cast and crew are liberally woven into every chapter.



With We Make Our Own Destiny: Behind the Scenes of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time as a magic carpet, every fan of the film will be instantly transported to ancient kasbahs, Persian palaces, and Moroccan dunes. But readers, beware: be sure to bring sunscreen, avoid black-cloaked villains, and don't provoke any camels!




Let's hope the PoP script isn't quite as cheesy as this book description! In any case, mark your calendar for April 13, 2010.


There are also two more books for children: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time: The Visual Guide and Prince of Persia: Beneath The Sands of Time



And let's not forget this guy:


It's PoP in 2010, but right now, it's still Brothers time!

(Photos courtesy of IHJ.)

Monday, December 7, 2009

Monday Monday



It was a big weekend for Jake Gyllenhaal and Jake Gyllenhaal fans, as Brothers finally opened. Jake looks pretty proud of himself - what can we look forward to this week?

Here's a video with Jake talking about visiting prisons and working with Tobey and Natalie.



Okay, that was done last week, as well. But let's hope more of these videos make their way to the interwebs. There is another audio clip of Jake, this time on what it's like working playing the brother of a contemporary/rival.

And look - thanks to Monica - a new TV spot for Brothers. Even better, it doesn't single out Tobey and Natalie while ignoring Jake!





Oh, no - Jake looks bored. Who knows what he'll do to make this another exciting week.

How about this - a nod from Cinematical as one of Oscar season's two-best performances, along with Ben Foster from The Messenger:

... Soldiers on notification duty make an appearance in Jim Sheridan's Brothers, too, to tell Grace Cahill (Natalie Portman) that her husband Sam (Tobey Maguire) has been killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan. If you've seen the trailer, you know that Sam is eventually found and returned home, by which point Grace has bonded with Sam's screw-up brother Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal). Sam's frightening transformation upon his return is the point of the film, and Maguire is terrific in the role. But it is Gyllenhaal, playing a volatile, deeply troubled ex-con, who has the harder job here. In Maguire's case, we see in graphic detail Sam's harrowing experience as a prisoner in Afghanistan, and our minds do a lot of the work of giving what follows its impact. On the other hand, the movie only hints at Tommy's past, and Gyllenhaal is left to do the heavy lifting.

He pulls it off beautifully. Consider the dinner scene early in the film, and Tommy's face-off with his father (Sam Shepard), intent on goading and belittling him; there's so much unspoken family history packed into Tommy's increasingly unsuccessful attempts to contain his anger while his dad throws insults. And consider the suggestion, subtly planted, that Tommy is using his brother's apparent death -- and the resulting opportunity to be a "good guy" -- as a self-esteem boost to make up for decades of playing second fiddle to his star athlete, war hero brother. It's a fantastic, troubling performance -- smaller and quieter than Maguire's, to be sure, but more impressive for it. ...



These might have been lost in the Brothers shuffle over the weekend. First, an official picture of Jake on Jimmy Kimmel - sorry, Monica! :)



Second, a new poster for Prince of Persia:

Saturday, December 5, 2009

The man with a thousand expressions

And none of them the same.

Just a few bits and bobs I found this morning in my travels. I really have nothing much to add except - Ooooh look at the pretty!


A quick peek at some early box office numbers shows that Brothers will most likely finish third for the weekend.

David Poland's Hot Blog goes on to say After early reports that Brothers would be opening under $7 million, it will open closer to $10 million. Pretty respectable I think. The film probably would have finished a lot lower had it not been for Jake's appearance on Kimmel Thursday night.

Please keep those reviews coming in. We love hearing what everyone thought.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Whew! What a week!

Information overload has been full on this week. Topping it off with Jake's hilarious appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Thursday night.







Oh Jake.



Go check out IHJ for 11 pages of screencaps.

Personal highlights of the week:




  • Hearing Jake call himself a Patriot's fan.

  • Getting a tour of Jake's T7 through L4 spine on Kimmel when showing off his Steeler's "tattoo".





Adding to the abundance of riches, a new Prince of Persia poster:





Some further confirmation that Jake did attend a Brothers screening, followed by a Q&A. It was at the Arclight in Los Angeles. Tobey is there, obviously, as well, and oh look, Ryan Kavanugh. Jake was described as "awesome and hilarious." Would love to hear more from this event!









Don't forget: If you have the TVGuide Channel, Veronica De La Cruz has an interview with Jake airing Friday night at 8pm.

Don't forget #2: GO SEE BROTHERS THIS WEEKEND!

(Photos courtesy IHJ and flickr/currentevents.)