DOUGIE-BLOG!! Doug Jones on location in Hungary for HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY

I’m loving the #3 Combo at the Burger King across the street.  Yes, unfortunately I AM that American who goes to a foreign culture and jumps for joy when he sees a KFC.  Of course I experience the local cuisine and fine dining, which is lovely, but when the bill comes, and I’m a cheap-ass miser, well, that #3 Combo doesn’t sound so bad now, does it.  My Per Diem (daily cash allowance for expenses) has always been a little game for me.  How much can I actually bring home with me at the end.  And being a hermit who has barely seen any of this city yet, I am off to a smashing start.  I think my goal is to be Old Man Jones one day who lives in that run down mansion on the hill outside of town, who never comes out, and just counts his money while cackling to himself.  Meanwhile, thunder rolls outside anytime the town folk speak my name.  A boy can dream, can’t he?

ON HERMITAGE

Since cameras don’t role until June 8th, I have SO enjoyed the couple hours here and there rehearsal schedule so far that affords me all this much-needed down time.  I finally pulled out my maps and travel guides yesterday, after being here almost 2 weeks, saying, “Hmm … so … Budapest … hmmm … “   What’s the hurry, I have until early November, right?

THE PRINCESS

I have been rehearsing scenes with Guillermo and the lovely Anna Walton, who plays Princess Nuala.  Without giving anything away, I will simply tell you that this is one fantastic actress, and her highness may bring out a side of Abe Sapien that you’ve never seen before.  Anna is just delightful, and is here in Budapest with her 4 week old baby!!!!!  I shall never complain about stress ever again for as long as I live (said Dougie, as he pictured 3am feedings before a work day).  My hope is that you will fall in love with Anna as we all have on this end.

One day on the way out of the production office with director Guillermo and lovely Anna, I put my hands in my jean pockets and found my fingers swirling around in star-shaped confetti.  Ah … yes … an old tradition that Mrs. Laurie started long ago.  Every time I leave for a location shoot, she sprinkles metallic confetti throughout my luggage when I’m not looking.  Then when I land in my temporary home on the other end, I find myself picking this crap out of every fold and pocket of my clothes … for weeks.  Annoying, but Mrs. Laurie finds it amusing as she sits at home chuckling to herself, while sipping tea and wearing an outfit that she didn’t have to shake out first.  This time, it is in the shape of stars with little pointy tips all around.  After hearing my explanation of this, Guillermo said, “Well THAT could hurt in the wrong garment.”  I assured him he was correct.  And Mrs. Laurie chuckles once more.

OOH — Here is a video interview I did at a sci-fi convention in Burbank, CA just a couple of weeks before coming here.  A few minutes of candid chat that will give you more insight into Dougie’s world of late.  Thanks to the good folks at IESB.com …

CLICK ON THIS:
http://iesb.net/index.php?option=com_xevidmegafx&Itemid=139&func=detail&id=477

OK then (Dougie looks at his watch), looks like dinner time, and I hear a #3 Combo calling my name.

There’s Love!! — Your Dougie

Here I sit in an odiferous internet café in downtown Budapest, Hungary … that smell of cologne and body odor … mmmmm.

I arrived here Thursday May 17th to begin my 6 month stay for the production of Hellboy 2: The Golden Army.  I am very excited to be reprising one of my favorite characters, Abe Sapien the blue fishman.  Along with him, I am also tackling a couple of other heavily made-up characters:  The Chamberlain, a doorkeeper for the King of the alternate world, and The Angel Of Death, kind of self explanatory, but not to be feared, as she (yes, she) is SUCH a cool moment in the film that will leave you wondering when you might see her again in films to come.

So far, all we are doing for a couple of weeks is fittings and light rehearsals.  So the rest of my time has been spent walking about the city like a zombie, watching fountains with music playing in my walkman like a zombie, a little reading with a café latté in front of me, sleeping more than should be allowed, and basically drooling on myself while staring at my hotel room walls … like a zombie.  Heaven I tell you, especially after the non-stop press and events schedule over the last 5 months.

LANGUAGE BARRIER:

This is one of those rare moments when I don’t mind telling you what a great mime I am.  I wish you could have seen my performance as I acted out becoming a regular at this net café to get the cheaper hourly rate.  Arms a-flappin’, face a-goin’, acting like I was coming in the door again on different days, dear me I was good.  And yes, I got my pre-paid 10 hour card, bless that little confused lady’s heart.

TECHNO BARRIER:

They’ve put me up at possibly the swankiest hotel I’ve ever been in ever, The Boscolo New York Palace Hotel.  Anything with “Palace” in the title should give you a clue.  And my junior suite is where the prince might stay … absolutely lovely, gold swirly things, chandelier things, and a bathroom I could bowl in (yeah, that’s how a classy fellow would describe it).  So something as simple as a TV remote shouldn’t have thrown me, right?  Wanting to get a jump on my Euro-MTV, and all kinds of shows dubbed in Hungarian, I sat there pressing the power button.  Nothing.  Again.  Nothing.  This went on for around 6 minutes until I called the front desk, telling them I had a defective remote.  When the nice little maintenence man showed up with his tool box, he took the remote, pressed something and the TV came on immediately.  What?  Apparently, ANY button turns it on EXCEPT the power button … no no, THAT is reserved for turning the power OFF.  So had I ventured out and pressed, say, ANY other button on the remote, the TV would have turned on … without standing in front of a man with a tool box and a mocking grin on his face.  Next, I’ll be calling the front desk because I can’t wipe myself.

I’ll be in touch when I can, and you can always keep tabs on me at my official website run by the lovely Webmaster Helen in Scotland:

http://thedougjonesexperience.com/

ALSO!!  PAN’S LABYRINTH NOW ON DVD EVERYWHERE!!!!!

There’s Hungarian Love!!!! —- Your Dougie