I need to post this! Its so funny, and I loved it! Jake is so witty here, and the host is weird, flirting with Jake! you'll love the video!

At 6 feet tall, Jake Gyllenhaal is that rare breed of movie star, an actor who’s actually bigger in life than he appears onscreen. On reason might be that when Gyllenhaal fills the frame, so much of one’s attention is focused on his eyes; another might be that until recently Gyllenhaal’s roles called for him to portray boyish figures on the cusp of manhood.

In this month’s Rendition, however, that youthful, wide-eyed innocence comes face to face with some ugly realities. Gyllenhaal plays a CIA analyst who enthusiastically signs on for a less-than-orthodox interrogation of an Egyptian-born terror suspect, an assignment that forces him to put his own beliefs on the hot seat. It’s one of the handful of films this fall and in the months to follow that tackle such lighting-rod issues as post-9/11 security and the war in Iraq. For Gyllenhaal, it may well prove the final leap from indie heartthrob to leading man, a process he began with 2005’s Jarhead and Brokeback Mountain, the latter of which earned him earned him his first Oscar nomination. Here Gyllenhaal speaks with David Fincher, who directed him in this year’s Zodiac.

There's also a '15 minute of Interview voices', featuring the actor answering questions from director David Fincher.

[ More from Interview magazine ]

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Our friend at Wet, Dark and Wild is having a field day! Here's what she said:

"You don't need me to tell you that Jake Gyllenhaal's schedule - and ours - is looking a litle busy over the next week or two. We know how entertaining Jake will be and how his ready wit will be armed and ready to take on the likes of Jonathan Ross, Conan O'Brien, Ellen and Jon Stewart. I am fully expecting more classic moments along the lines of the kicked toad, the modern dance troupe, 24 hour Yellow fever, Inuit chanting, shirt stripping and maybe a bit of basketball - or some new interesting fabrics, even more so than suits made out of goats blood or diapers/nappies made from bananas and straw. But what we're also going to get is something a little bit more serious to complement all this wonderful stuff. "

The excitement is all about the upcoming wide release of Jake's film, Rendition. As America gets ready for more of what Jake has to say, many shows will definitely try to outdo each other. But since Jake is the star of these shows, we'll be waiting for what he has to say, and we know he can say a lot!

You may remember him as the idealistic young journalist covering the rock band Stillwater in the film Almost Famous , and his 'adventure' to get his first cover story published. Directed by Cameron Crowe, the role Fugit played is almost an autobiography of the filmmaker himself.

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That film was made when Fugit was only 17 years old. While the film was not a box-office success, it was nevertheless recognized in the Oscars, winning the Oscar for Best Screenplay for Crowe. Fugit went on to star in several more films, and also appeared in several TV series including ER in 2003. Now he's back in another movie that truly highlights his talent as a young actor to be reckoned with.

Wristcutters: A Love Story is a film directed by Goran Dukic and stars Fugit and Shannyn Sossamon.

What's the Movie About: The film is set in a strange afterlife way station that has been reserved for people who have committed suicide. Says Chris Docker:

"Sometimes we find beauty in the strangest places; and, remarkably for such a gruesome title, Wristcutters could probably be said to be a rather uplifting affirmation of life, hidden within a seriously quirky black comedy. Set in an afterlife reserved for people who commit suicide, it seems to contain wacky nuggets of truth from oddball characters including Zia (Patrick Fugit) searching for the love of his life; Mikal (Shannyn Sossamon), an accidental visitor; Eugene (Shea Whigham), a Russian musician that electrocuted himself on stage from being badly heckled, and the weird and wonderful Kneller, played by the ever-mysterious Tom Waits." [ more ]

[ Official movie site ] [ Patrick Fugit ]

Our affiliate, the Cillian Site, continues to update us on the upcoming Cillian Murphy film Hippie Hippie Shake.

"I'm happy to report that director Beeban Kidron is an equal opportunity filmmaker when it comes to depicting Hippie Hippie Shake's sexual revolution era story. Cillian fans, I'm sure you'll be very happy to discover that Sienna Miller is not the only one who's taking off her clothes in this movie. "

It's a bit on the 'naughty' side, but who cares? [ click here for more ]

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What's the Movie About? Hippie Hippie Shake will take the audience on a psychedelic journey through London in the late '60s and early '70s. Murphy plays Richard Neville, the editor of the notorious satirical magazine Oz, and Miller plays his girlfriend Louise. In an era of free love and flower power, the film follows their love story as Neville and his friends launch the magazine and find themselves fighting for both the magazine's survival and for the freedom of their generation.

The movie also stars Max Minghella, the son of famous director Anthony Minghella (The English Patient, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Breaking and Entering).

[ tMF Profile of Cillian Murphy ] [ The Cillian Site ] [ Hippie Hippie Shake @Working Title Films]

It was just recently when Cinematical invited its viewers to see Carice van Houten in Paul Verhoeven’s Black Book, which we think is one of the most engrossing films of 2006. Van Houten, although a well-known actress in Holland, has yet to make a movie in Hollywood. It's great news then that Van Houten is now on board for at least three high-profile films: Valkyrie with Tom Cruise, Body of Lies with Leonardo diCaprio and Russell Crowe and Repossession Mambo with Jude Law.

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But what kind of roles will she be playing?

“ is Van Houten just a minor character who is left behind? That's what it sounds like, and if you look at most of these American roles she's getting they're either labeled simply wife or love-interest. Considering all that she got to do in Black Book, it seems Hollywood could be missing the boat on why she's worth casting. If Van Houten does end up wasted or underused in these roles, it wouldn't be the first time a young European actress came into favor and was then miscast. “

“I never believed in going to America with my show reel and knocking on every agent's door. I'm way too insecure and too proud. I have a little more security to think that maybe I can do something outside my own country. I would like to because there's not so much to do anymore for me now. I've done a lot and now I've worked with Paul. What more is there to get in my own country?” says van Houten.

But given her set of talents, it might not be that bad at all. Surely, in the end, it’s the performance that counts…

An iconoclast. That's the term many fans and writers are using to describe filmmaker Terry Gilliam. With such films as ‘Time Bandits', ‘Brazil', ‘Baron Munchausen', ‘The Fisher King', '12 Monkeys', ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas', ‘The Brothers Grimm'... no one can say that Gilliam's work is anything but his.

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He was asked recently about how his films are almost always received with mixed reviews, and that more often than not, many change their minds and love it upon second viewing:

"Reviewers are often trapped in clichéd ideas of what movies are, and what storytelling is. And when you deal with these things sort of differently, they respond by rejecting it or being confused by it. They watch too many films, is their problem. "

Now, from Gilliam's resource site Dreams, comes the news of an upcoming film:

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a fantastical morality tale, set in the present day. It tells the story of Dr Parnassus and his extraordinary 'Imaginarium', a travelling show where members of the audience get an irresistible opportunity to choose between light and joy or darkness and gloom. Blessed with the extraordinary gift of guiding the imaginations of others, Dr Parnassus is cursed with a dark secret... [ read more ]

We've been following Charlie Hunnam's career very closely - from the time he played Nathan Maloney, a young gay teen in the series 'Queer as Folk', through his critically-acclaimed performance in Nicholas Nickleby, to his powerful portrayal of the psychotic albino, Bosie, in Cold Mountain.

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The young actor has an innate ability to look perfect for the part - be it a period film where he dons a classic suit of old to wearing the most faddish of today's fashion. He is also not afraid to play second fiddle to other actors (who may seem less talented than him). He has this boy-next-door image but with a big difference - the guy can act and act really well.

Based on the science fiction novel by Steve Gould, Jumper is one of the most anticipated films coming out in 2008. Directed by Doug Liman (The Jason Bourne trilogy), it stars Hayden Christensen, Samuel L. Jackson, Rachel Bilson and Jamie Bell. With the cool teaser unveiled today, the public has been given its first preview of this amazing film.

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Powerful and thrilling, with an awesome set of special effects, plus the teaming up of Hayden Christensen and Jamie Bell against Samuel L. Jackson, it's definitely one of the better science fiction movies in a long time. The gadgets, the weaponry, the actual teleporting from place to place...you name it. Its definitely a film to watch out for in 2008.

While we're sure Jamie Bell will do an awesome job as Griffin, we're a bit more hesitant about Christensen's abilities to match Bell's wit and on-screen presence. There maybe some hints of rivalry here...

[ More of Jumper in our Film Feature ] [ View the first trailer here ]

The Movie-Fanatic interviews film critics from around the world: Featuring european-films.net’s Boyd van Hoeij

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I think it would be hard for anyone to claim they are particularly fond of European films since the term is more of a geographical denomination than anything else—but from a general love of films and the realization that a lot of European films were getting overlooked because there was almost no information available about them. "

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Tell us how you started doing film reviews and analysis? Which was your first ever film review? Can you tell us more about it, what was the reception like and how did your viewers react to it? Was it a good film or a bad film?

Unlike many critics, I started working in film journalism by chance. I’ve always had an interest in entertainment and the arts and have written for newspapers since I was 15, though I did not study journalism but art history and the classics. During my studies, I was encouraged to keep a research workbook that detailed my personal reactions to all sorts of artistic endeavors I encountered and naturally films were a part of that and the writing about films grew out of that. I don’t remember which film I first wrote about, but my first published film review was of Julie Taymor’s Frida, which I called “a work of art in its own right”. Actually, biopics of artists are extremely difficult to do well, but that one is very good and features Salma Hayek’s best performance ever.

The second feature film from German-Turkish director Fatih Akin, The Edge of Heaven, is also Germany's entry in the upcoming Oscar Foreign Language Films race.

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"Best known for Head-On, Akin has, in a short period, risen to become one of the most significant voices of contemporary German cinema. While it may be a stretch to refer to him as heir apparent to Fassbinder, there is something in his realist style and readiness to engage in social and political issues that reminds one of the great master. " reports Piers Handling.

What's it About: Retired widower Ali ( (Tuncel Kurtiz) sees a solution to loneliness when he meets prostitute Yeter ( (Nursel Köse), Ali proposes to the fellow Turkish native to live with him in exchange for a monthly stipend. Ali’s bookish son Nejat ( (Baki Davrak), seems disapproving about his bully father’s choice. But the young German professor quickly grows fond of kind Yeter, especially upon discovering most of her hard-earned money is sent home to Turkey for her daughter’s university studies.

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Cahiers du Cinéma member Claude Chabrol is back! Just like fellow CdC member Eric Rohmer, the prolific French filmmaker remains active in his film career. This new film marks his second feature for the new decade, after Le Demoiselle d’honneur. The film is entitled Girl Cut in Two (La Fille coupée en deux). Piers Handling reports:

The Nouvelle Vague is back in force this year with new films by Eric Rohmer, Jacques Rivette and, now, Claude Chabrol. Each new work by one of these masters remains an event, and none more so than Chabrol’s wicked and beautifully realized La Fille coupée en deux. He has always revelled in the human foibles of his deeply flawed but eminently recognizable characters, and here he rises to the occasion to create a superbly caustic tale of – as the title describes her – a girl cut in two.