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Zodiac
2007
Based on the Robert Graysmith books about the real life notorious Zodiac, a serial killer who terrorized San Francisco with a string of seemingly random murders during the 1960s and 1970s. Read more
| Starring | Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey, Chloe Sevigny, Anthony Edwards |
|---|---|
| Director | David Fincher |
| Genres | Drama, Thriller |
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Zodiac
Based on the Robert Graysmith books about the real life notorious Zodiac, a serial killer who terrorized San Francisco with a string of seemingly random murders during the 1960s and 1970s.
| 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, Charles Fleischer, Jimmi Simpson |
|---|---|
| Director | David Fincher |
| Studio | WARNER BROS |
| Run time | DVD: 2 hrs 38 mins Blu-ray: 2 hrs 35 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama, Thriller |
| Language | English |
| Released | DVD: 17 Sep 2007 Blu-ray: 29 Sep 2008 Production year: 2007 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews
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Some murders just won't lie down and die. The man who called himself Zodiac is officially linked to five killings, though in letters to the press he claimed as many as 37. For several years... read more »
- LOVEFiLM
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Most helpful member's review
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119 out of 125 people found this review helpful
Zodiac
David Fincher retreads the serial killer genre with his latest offering Zodiac. Following the true-life case of the killings in the San Francisco area in the late 60's and 70's, Zodiac is not your usual true crime film.
Jake Gyllenhaal plays Robert Graysmith, a cartoonist at the San Francisco Chronicle, who becomes obsessed with discovering the identity of the killer who has labelled themself 'ZODIAC'. When the killer begins sending letters to the newspaper, Graysmith takes an active interest in the case. But this is not just Graysmith's story, it is also the story of crime reporter Paul Avery (portrayed superbly by Robert Downey Jr) and lead police officer David Toschi (Mark Ruffalo in his best performance to date). You get to see how the crimes affect the three and how their lives were changed because of the killings and subsequent hunt for the killer.
The supporting cast is a who's who of acting pedigree, from Brian Cox's lawyer to Philip Baker Hall as a document's expert.
Many true crime films rely on heavy violence to tell the story, Zodiac does not. Whilst you see some of the murders, they are never portrayed in a gratuitous or exploitative way. The focus on the film being on the obsession of the main characters rather than the sensationalism of the crimes.
Even though the film has a running time of 158 minutes, the pacing of the film means that you never get bored. It is so tightly edited that not a moment of screen time is wasted. Added to that, you have a constant undercurrent of suspense that puts many modern horror films to shame. There are some scary moments, and none more than the fact that this is a true story.
Fincher is a master of visual style and this film is no different. The film looks like a seventies film (even down to classic 70's Warner and Paramount logos at the start).
The film also stays true to the source material, Graysmith's book 'Zodiac', and does not veer off into any moments of dramatic license. It is fact based, and because of this engages the audience more.
This is my film of the year so far. It is thought provoking and so well made it should be a blue print for how true crime films should be made. Great performances by all involved and the attention to detail is amazing (even down to radio adverts for the Rolling Stones' Altamont gig).
The film is up there with the best of true crime films, such as The Boston Strangler and To Catch A Killer. This is David Fincher, and his cast, on top form. -
Most recent members' review
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
Zodiac
Interesting film, that drags on slightly, but is well worth watching
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News and features
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David Fincher: Real Zodiac was scary
- 18 May 2007
The period when self-named serial killer Zodiac terrorised San Francisco was "very scary", director David Fincher has said. Fincher, who previously made Seven, Fight Club and Alien 3, grew up in the area during the 1960s and 70s, and told the Guardian it was impossible to be unaffected by the murderer's actions. "Growing up around Zodiac warped your little mind," Fincher remarked in an interview about his new film, which tells the story of three men hunting the killer - who... Read more
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- Zodiac - BLU-RAY Version
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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 ... -
