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Zodiac (2007)
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Reviews Counted:105
Fresh:62
Rotten:43
Average Rating:3.8/10
Consensus: A quiet, dialogue-driven thriller that delivers with scene after scene of gut-wrenching anxiety. David Fincher also spends more time illustrating nuances of his characters and recreating the mood of the 70s than he does on gory details of murder.
Rated: R [See Full Rating] for some strong killings, language, drug material and brief sexual images
Runtime: 2 hrs 42 mins
Genre: Murder, Killer, , Cops, True Story, Thriller, Serial Killers, 1970s, 1960s, Detectives, Murder Mysteries, Murder Investigations, Based On A Novel, Theatrical Release
Theatrical Release:Mar 2, 2007 Wide
Box Office: $33,048,353
Synopsis: David Fincher's (FIGHT CLUB, SE7EN) adaptation of the Robert Graysmith book masterfully transports viewers to the Bay Area in the 1960s and '70s by drawing on actual case files from the notoriously... David Fincher's (FIGHT CLUB, SE7EN) adaptation of the Robert Graysmith book masterfully transports viewers to the Bay Area in the 1960s and '70s by drawing on actual case files from the notoriously unsolved Zodiac killer mystery. As a murderer with seemingly random targets starts sending terrifying threats and cryptic codes to police and publishers all around San Francisco, fear and paranoia descend on the city. Through slow pacing, Fincher creates an effectively chilling atmosphere in which he spins a thick web of character-driven plotlines. Early scenes depicting the Zodiac's first-known murders vividly capture the victim's fear and agony and will leave viewers haunted. When the Zodiac's ciphers arrive at the San Francisco Chronicle, they spark the interest of Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal), a young cartoonist with a penchant for puzzles. As the former Boy Scout earnestly tries to decode the messages, eccentric reporter Paul Avery approaches the case from a career-boosting angle. Meanwhile, a string of investigators from four jurisdictions carry on a complex and unsatisfying search for the elusive killer. Inspectors Dave Toschi (Mark Ruffalo) and Bill Armstrong (Anthony Edwards) at times collide with Avery and Graysmith, whose interest in the case extends long after most have given up. Even at two-and-a-half hours in length, this dense murder mystery should manage to keep its audience riveted throughout. Paired with stellar performances from Ruffalo, Downey, Gyllenhaal, and countless others, a clever script produces well-developed characters, and the film's art direction, music, and costumes all combine to create an authentic sense of time and place. The somber tone of the atmospheric thriller gives the film a documentary-like aesthetic at times, lending weight to the story's facts while never relying on cheap tricks. Unlike murder mysteries such as THE BLACK DAHLIA, ZODIAC invites viewers to develop theories of their own, allowing them to come to their own conclusions. [More]
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey, Chloe Sevigny, Anthony Edwards
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey, Chloe Sevigny, Anthony Edwards, Gary Oldman, Mark Ruffalo, Ione Skye, Clea DuVall, Brian Cox, Elias Koteas, John Carroll Lynch, Dermot Mulroney, Donal Logue, Pell James, Jimmi Simpson, Charles Fleischer
Director: David Fincher
Director: David Fincher
Screenwriter: James Vanderbilt
Composer: David Shire
Producer: Arnold Messer, Mike Medavoy
Studio: Paramount Pictures
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Release:
Jan 27, 2009
Blu-ray Disc Features:
- 2-Disc Set
- Sensormatic
- Director's Cut
- Full Frame - 1.33
- Widescreen - 1.85
Audio:
- Dolby Digital 5.1 Plus - English
- Subtitles - English, French, Spanish
Additional Release Material:
Featruettes:
- 1. Zodiac Deciphered HD
- 2. Blue Rock Springs HD
- 3. The San Francisco Chronicle HD
- 4. The Hall of Justice HD
- 5. Presidio Heights HD
- 6. Lake Berryessa HD
- 7. Obsession HD
- 8. The Visual Effects of Zodiac HD
- 9. Previsualization
- 10. Blue Rock Springs
- 11. Lake Berryessa
- 12. San Francisco
- 13. The Facts
- 14. This is the Zodiac Speaking
- 15. Lake Herman Road HD
- 16. Prime Suspect
- 17. His Name Was Arthur Leigh Allen HD
- Trailers: Original Theatrical Trailer HD
Audio Commentary:
- 1. David Fincher - Director
- 2. Jake Gyllenhall - Star, Robert Downey Jr. - Star, Brad Fischer - Producer, James Vanderbilt - Writer, James Ellroy - Writer
Featurette:
- 1. The Visual Effects of Zodiac
- 2. Previsualization
Documentary:
- 1. Zodiac Deciphered
- 2. This is Zodiac Speaking
- 3. His Name Was Arthur Leigh Allen
Reviews for Zodiac
The Blu-ray transfer is pretty close to perfect. Not that this is a surprise. The same could have been said about that HD-DVD transfer back when the format war was still being fought.
Although the film is a good police procedural that moves methodically through the available clues, its strong suit is its characterizations. (Blu-ray Edition)
Fincher's films have always ended up with the special edition treatment, and while it's unfortunate that many aspects of post-production have been overlooked, this is still an excellent set that both explores the making of a Hollywood film, as well as the
Watching the movie on a widescreen HDTV monitor in HD-DVD is an ocular orgy.
A superior two-disc set for Zodiac aficionados desperate to drown themselves in even more facts, figures, and conjecture.
What makes this DVD edition worth owning is the new set of terrific bonus features Paramount assembled.
If you (like me) found the theatrical experience interminable, I promise: Zodiac is more easily absorbed from the comfort of home and the convenience of a pause button at your fingertips.
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