Wednesday, May 23, 2007

ZODIAC COVER ART: EXERCISES IN CREATIVITY

This is a terrible DVD cover. Let's discuss.

1. What the HELL is up with that picture of the Gyllenhaal?
2. No, seriously, how did they even GET a picture of Jake looking like that?
3. Come on, are we even 100% sure that that's Jake? We have been fooled before (heh).

On the upside, the actual word "Zodiac" does look quite nice.

More info HERE and HERE.

63 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thats horrible, someone on imdb made one up.

http://www.hillvillesoundlab.com/zodiac/poster.jpg

This is better though I do like the original movie poster.

call me cherita said...

2. No, seriously, how did they even GET a picture of Jake looking like that?

PG, I'm surprised you even have to ask that. One word: Photoshop.

Anonymous said...

why oh why they didn't use the original movie poster?

Anonymous said...

Jake looks like he's just been told about Jodie Marsh's hunt for a husband and she has him in her sights*



*Apologies, that makes no sense to anyone outside the UK

Anonymous said...

I think I've figured this out.

Because Jake outshines any other male within his vacinity, whether it be on the screen, in person, or in a picture/poster, whoever came up with this illustration deliberately made the G look bad so that the other 2 would be noticable. I mean, obviously no one would waste a glance at Ruffalo or RDJ if any "normal" pic, i.e. every other pic of Jake ever taken, was on that cover.

Seriously, those don't even look like Jake's eyes! I think I agree with Cherita...Photoshop. Obviously.

Anonymous said...

Anon 3:33, which one was made up? The one PG posted, or the one on the link you posted?

Cuz the one on the link you posted looks pretty good, alto I would have preferred Jake front and center instead of RDJ.

Anonymous said...

Sorry the one on the link is the one made up by a poster on imdb.

Anonymous said...

Well, whoever designed that DVD cover ought to be tarred and feathered.

It's AWFUL, and not just cuz the pic of Jake is bad. It's just amateurish and poorly done, IMO.

THIS is the best they could come up with??

Anonymous said...

I thought it was Ken Watanabi, the guy who was in The Last Samurai and Memoirs of a Geisha. LOL!!! I was gonna say, Gee, I didn't see him in that movie.
I think they should have used the original art from the movie and had no pictures of the principals at all. OR just some shadows. This is scurrilous. No wonder David Fincher was all "Oh, Jake I love you! You're such a great guy!!!" at Cannes. Oh to smile and smile and still play the villain!!!!

Anonymous said...

Maybe Jake is supposed to look haggard, haunted and obssessed.
I agree with those who say the cover is amatuerish and that they should have used the original poster art for the DVD. But I cannot form the words to say Jake looks bad. It is not a good picture. I just can't take that extra step.... I CAN'T DO IT!!!!

Anonymous said...

BUSTED!!! Towelroad has two adorable pictures of Jake, one sleeping...on the Eurostar, the train that goes between PARIS and London. Apparently he is now heading for London...from Paris... so I guess I will re-think the so-called Paris sighting from some random blogger..he seemed to be alone... Only he was snapped.

Anonymous said...

Yup, here are the pics of sleepy Jake on the train from Paris to London. Get ready UK agents! Although I am not sure how I feel about someone snapping a pic of Jake when he is just trying to sleep.

Anonymous said...

Awwwww! He looks just like himself!!! LOL!!! All sleeping and cuddly. So he left Cannes, went to Paris and is just now heading for London. Seems when he really must, he knows how to disappear, but at the same time, is constitutionally incapable of being a total sneak!!!
So here is the first sighting and it was on May 22nd. My, my. My.

Anonymous said...

dude, that's one creepy pic of jake on the train. i'm a bit uneasy about it.

Anonymous said...

Those pictures are way too creepy, but at least it that blogger sighting of Jake and Reese on Saturday a little bit more believeable. My guess if they were in Paris, he took the train to London and she flew back to L.A. since he was going to London to visit his sister. Let's see, we had the Cannes pictures last Wednesday and Thurday and nothing until these pics popped up from Tuesday.It's a good guess that he was in Paris all this time. With the paps all in Cannes chasing Brad, Angelina and the rest I hope he was able to enjoy his time away from them (if he was with Reese).

Anonymous said...

so I guess I will re-think the so-called Paris sighting from some random blogger
he travelled yesterday (monday) no? (according to the post)
so that will still make the w/end sighting still a possibility. plus he seems to have lost all his assistants enroute, bless him.

Anonymous said...

The fact he took Eurostar was probably to maintain a low profile and avoid paps lurking at airports. I mean, it was a Tuesday and probably off peak hours. LOL!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Mais non! He travelled Tuesday.

Anonymous said...

The pictures were taken Tuesday and the sighting took place on a Saturaday I believe, so yeah the timing is about right. I also think if she was in Paris also that she flew back to the States, Jake is the on with the sister in London. And true the paps a re preoccupied with Cannes, too bad his peace was disrupted by those creepy pictures.

PS: That is one ugly DVD cover and Jake looks horrible! What are they thinking?

Anonymous said...

hmm

Anonymous said...

jake looks like he's embraced his inner tai'chi on the zodiac cover.
he looks like ang lee's less attractive older brother...who the hell does that to our jake huh?

Anonymous said...

Jake looks really different in that picture...very dark....tormented. I think they were going for tormented. They didn't mean to include us! LOL!!!

The Chemistry Guru said...

His inner tai-chi? I thought you were suppose to be all calm and shit practising that stuff.

Yeah I concur...he looks terrible, actually the all look pretty bad.

call me cherita said...

kokodee, I think Mark looks better on this cover than he did in most of the movie. :X

And yes, they obviously intended him to look more like Robert Graysmith than Jake Gyllenhaal, though why any attempt at accurately depicting the story (three men's lives down the crapper) should be made now when they've mismarketed the whole thing from the get-go--especially one that involves altering (and I'm not kidding, I believe they had to, whether just the lighting/contrast or actual touchup) Jake's image--is as beyond me as anything else they've done.

Anonymous said...

When someone can actually say that frumpy rumpled ol' Mark Ruffalo (who does have a certain charm) looks as good as or better than our Jake, then something is very wrong. You call this art??? I would flay them alive. Of course I'm buying the DVD. At least we heard it from Jake himself that he did the commentary. The Paramount people must be blind! Any artist with eyes would have done a better job! And everybody knows cameras love Jake...and he loves them.

Anonymous said...

Just thinking. At least it was a real person on that train and they only snapped two pics and sort of backed off. Can you just imagine how horrible it would have been if Jake were to suddenly realize he was trapped on a train with Paps????He probably would have gone all Swofford on them! Yeah!

Anonymous said...

I love it! The gossip blogs/ tabrags are filled with pics of random people partying themselves sick in Cannes. A-listers like Jude Law, who's film opened the day before Jake's,Leo Di Caprio, hitting the clubs, the parties, getting plastered etc. along with the Jessica Simpsons and Pam Andersons. We really have no idea what our baby boy's been up to, he sure looked wiped out on that train ride, but that's about as much as we're ever gonna get. LOLOL!!! Good on Jake!

Anonymous said...

He looks cross-eyed.

Anonymous said...

His eyes DO look a bit off! Rotters! I think we need to STOP them from using this art!!! But How?????

welliwont said...

^^^ of course you are right. There was a place to leave comments about it, but damned if I can remember where it is. I left a comment sometime last week . This would be just another one of our Jake crusades, I still think 217 signatures on our petition is a fn dismal embarassment.

welliwont said...

well I am stunned, that hardly took no time at all. I don't know if this will effect anything, there are only 56 comments so far, but here
is the webby link to comment on the artwork of the Zodiac DVD release.

Anonymous said...

welliwont, thanks for that link! I've registered and I intend to voice my opinion and do what I can.

welliwont said...

eep! boy is my face red! that's the same link as PG gave us in the post. not very Agently of me to wait four hours to check them out.
*slinks away embarrassly*

heddaparsons said...

The cover of that DVD is beyond fug. I hope this is NOT the final cover. It looks cheap and something they threw together at the last minute.

Anonymous said...

Double Eeep! If i would check ALL the links so ably provided by PG I would know that wouldn't I????

Anonymous said...

(The DVD-cover artist on the phone with his boss:)

- Man, that was some hard work! It’s a good thing I’m the God of Photoshop, hehe. When you said “make them look exhausted and depressed” did you expect that it would look so good? That Jake Gyllenhaal character in particular took me hours to finish! He didn’t look at all the part of the 45-year-old, washed up, alcoholic drug addict, but thanks to my magic powers...What do you mean he’s not playing Paul Avery? Who is? The guy in the back? But I thought he was the Zodiac killer?...OK, calm down, stop crying...

call me cherita said...

^^^ROFLMFAO!!! Thanks, pink mist, I definitely needed that. I almost sprayed mocha protein drink all over my monitor.

Anonymous said...

Had a peak at the towelroad pics when aye-curumba! I was distracted by the Aussiebum Wonderjocks ad. What I wouldn't give to see our Jakey at the beach in one of those!

Anonymous said...

No way, don't like that cover, leave it without the actors "Mug shots" thanks!

It's bad enough that Jake got freaked out just being in the movie, there's no need to further traumatize him! ;)

Anonymous said...

It's actually amazing that somehow they've managed to make the most mesmerising eyes look so utterly weird and close set, they've managed to make Jake look like the sort of person you wouldn't want sitting next to you on a late night tube journey.

Mark Ruffalo appears to be auditioning as a Vincent D'Onofrio lookalike

Anonymous said...

Actually, for me the DVD cover seems almost misleading. Yes these are the principals and they all look stressed and obsessed but there's such a sinister cast to the "floating heads" that if I hadn't actually seen the movie, I'd think it was your typical crime thriller just from looking at the pictures. I think the original poster art with just the Golden Gate Bridge would have been more effective and less misleading. IMHO.

Anonymous said...

They all look hideous on that DVD. How cheap and tacky looking.

Anonymous said...

What's up with this studio and this film? No premieres in Europe, crappy DVD cover, private screenings in the US. I just don't get it.

Anonymous said...

For some people, the Zodiac killer isn't "over." The fact that he was never caught,etc. the studio didn't think a big celebration was in order. However, it also has been widely known that there were very grave differences of opinion between Fincher and Paramount and Warner Bros (Foreign Dist.) about the budget to market and promote the movie. That is why Fincher didn't release it in November when he could have. He "tinkered" until March. Post-Oscars Dreamgirls push. It speaks volumes about Fincher and his actors that Jake and, to a lesser extent, the other actors have been really pushing to promote the film for Fincher. Without that it wouldn't be doing as well as it is! Of course the length is the main culprit for it not making as much $$$ as they hoped for. Paramount was on Fincher about that, too, but Fincher won out. Oh,well.

Anonymous said...

Argh, he looks like a South Park character!

And for anonymous above - please tell me you were joking about Jodie Marsh. Please. I wouldn't wish her on anyone, let alone Jake Gyllenhaal.

Anonymous said...

OK. The festival in Cannes ends on 27th. There are only about 8 films that are anywhere near as good quality as Fincher. The Coen brothers among them with No Country for Old Men.
Usually by now there is buzz.Anyone hearing anything from Cannes? Do we think David Fincher will get that phone call? If so, will Jake go back?

Anonymous said...

There are only about 8 films that are anywhere near as good quality as Fincher.

Can you recommend a site with Cannes movies reviews?

heddaparsons said...

Variety.com is the best source for all things Cannes, including reviews of all movies screened there. Unfortunately you have to be registered to read the full articles:


http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=Cannes2007&jump=story&id=1061&articleid=VR1117965767&nid=2853

Here is a little on the top contenders, they seem to be split:

Cannes' great divide
Critics impressed but split over fest's best
By TODD MCCARTHY
Posted: Thurs., May 24, 2007, 7:15pm PT
The Coen brothers' 'No Country for Old Men' is one of the few competition films crix agree on.


CANNES -- Everyone seems to agree that there have been quite a few fine films at the Cannes Film Festival this year. What they entirely can't agree upon is which films they are.
Entering the 60th anniversary edition's second and final weekend, the leading contenders for the Palme d'Or would still seem to be two movies from very early in the fest, the Coen brothers' pungent bloody thriller "No Country for Old Men" and Romanian helmer Cristian Mungiu's bracing abortion drama set in the late communist days, "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days."

And this is what they say about Zodiac:

Going strictly by the critics' polls here, the top-rated pictures on the Croisette in 2007 are "No Country for Old Men," "4 Months" and "Zodiac"; reaction to "Zodiac" confirms the view of some industryites that Paramount should have waited to premiere the film in Cannes and waited until September to release it.


I think Fincher has a chance as best director IMO.

Anonymous said...

Jake- you should sue. Surely he must have final approval on what goes out in terms of images. Are his people going to allow this? May be he is trying to lose the 'most goergeous man in history' tag in an effort to be taken seriously as an actor?

Jake we take you completely seriously as an actor. You can be beautiful and serious at the same time. You ARE beautiful and serious at the same time.

Considering goiung to see Zodiac now (like right this minute)- first oppertunity this week- but I've just had the worst morning in God knows how long- don't know if I can handle murder- even with Jake. Still the knowledge that he is in the UK is enough to cheer.

Anonymous said...

There's no way Maggie or Mum or Dad will permit Jake to "ugly down!" If he even has such a notion!! That is so totally unrealistic. Besides, isn't it wrong, from a spiritual persective not to have reverence for "the temple"???? And it's dishonest!!! So it goes against everything, family, spirituality, integrity, etc. Jake believes in, to make himself look ugly. Plus, it won't work. There's not a damned thing you can do about bone structure, Jake! And those eyes, baby!! And the body!!! So don't even go there.

Anonymous said...

I'm really tired of the notion that these actors need to get ugly to be taken seriously! I hate it that Heath does that. Even in RL he makes himself look ridiculous. And he is gorgeous sexy! And I remember Nicole Kidman with that fake nose in The Hours? I've always appreciated Jake for the fact that he doesn't go to extremes in altering his looks. I mean, I know the poor thing had to work out relentlessly to turn into a believable marine like Swoff. And I didn't mind it so much that he did that (LOL!!!). But he better be very careful about considerng altering his looks. Even on a movie poster.

Anonymous said...

Nicole Kidman and the nose - she was playing Virginia Woolf, who had an enormous hooter.

Anonymous said...

First I was creeped out by the stalkerazzi portrait of Jake Reclining and Asleep Not Nude...(bcz who knows. One day there could be a Nude Jake Reclining...)
But now, I'm grateful to the little creep who stole moments of Jake in sleep...bcz at least now I know that he was OK, that he was still really Jake, and that he was on his way to sister Maggie and the munchkin with the orange poop. But there's been nothing since then!Three whole days and he is totally invisible again. Part of me loves that he can do that...part of me hates that he needs to.

Anonymous said...

The cover of that DVD is just plain bad. What is wrong with using the original poster??? Blech!

Anonymous said...

So I guess Jake isn't in Martha's Vineyard this weekend, for what would presumably be the opening up of the Gyllenhaal's summer home?

It's too early in the season, and the ocean would be too chilly still, but damn, I want another one of those towel-tied-at-the-waist pictures. Like the one we got last year.

Anonymous said...

I think this is just a mock-up cover put together by the dvd site, and not the final version. I mean, for a start they've given more emphasis to Mark Ruffalo than RDJ and put Jake's pic under RDJ's name.

Anonymous said...

Hey Nice anon! Nope, Jake is not on MV, he is in London Town. Hope the UK agents have been on high alert?

Anonymous said...

Anon 1:38, I hope it's only a mock -up cover bcz it sure is a mess to be the real one.And I hope who ever designed it lost their job...and I hate to see people lose their jobs!!

Anonymous said...

I hope that this is just a mock up as well, seriously.

Anonymous said...

It's gloomy and rainy outside and I guess BPB and PG are hiatusssing again... and I miss Jake...if he is hiatusssing WITH BPB...bcz he's in the UK, I will be very sad that you didn't share him...he is a people person...I think he would want to share himself...I bet he shares himself all the time...I am a sharing person, too...I would love to share Jake.

Anonymous said...

Hey, Get Real! [Waves.] So Jake is being obliging, knowing that Jake Watch is frequented by a lot of European fans, and wanting to give them the thrill of a possible sighting in London. Or maybe he's on a mission to find BritPopBaby, bearing the gift of a bottle of gin, and an emabrrassed explanation regarding Boo's whereabouts -- but he doesn't know what county she lives in. Wouldn't he attend a play, at least, while hanging out there? I want new Jake photos, damn it. I feel myself on the verge of a pout.

Anonymous said...

Aren't they gining out the awards tonight in Cannes? Does anyone know the buzz on Zodiac??

Anonymous said...

*Waves back to Nice Anon* I so agree about being on the verge of a pout without any Gyllen-sightings. One little pic or story of him in London would help. My dream sighting though is Jake, Maggie, Heath, Peter, Ramona and Matilda. *sigh* At least a Jake, Ramona sighting would be happiness for me. :)