HD DVD
REVIEW:
ZODIAC
(DIRECTOR'S CUT)

01/06/08

David Fincher the man behind
the spine-chilling movie Seven. Who also likes to mess with
his audience and if you remember the movie The Game you know
what I’m taking about. Next he directed one of the best book
to movie adaptations and one of my favorite movies Fight
Club. One would think that with Zodiac, David would use some
of the substance acquired from Seven or some of the visuals
he used in Fight Club or Panic Room, but, no, David goes in
a whole different direction solidifying his status as a
great filmmaker.
Based on the book by Robert Graysmith, played by Jake
Gyllenhaal, Screenwriter James Vanderbilt took some
liberties and decides to put Robert Graysmith directly in
the action. The movie starts off with Robert Graysmith
acquiring a job at The San Francisco Chronicle as a
political cartoonist. During this time the Zodiac begins to
strike and Robert slowly grows more and more obsessed with the
Zodiac and the cryptic messages he leaves to police. He
becomes so obsessed that his whole life begins to revolve
around the Zodiac and it threatens he relationship with his
wife. After Robert Graysmith deciphers one of the Zodiac’s
cryptic messages, he becomes good friends with Paul Avery (
Robert Downey Jr.), the man reporting on the Zodiac, and
with Inspector David Toschi (Mark Ruffalo) who is investing
the murders. Graysmith and Toschi share the same obsession
and things heat up when they find a prime suspect in one
Arthur Leigh Allen (John Carroll Lynch).
The main problem people had with Zodiac was that they wanted
to see another Seven. However, David Fincher created a
beautifully crafted slow paced movie that is as authentic as
they get. The look of the movie and the detail that when
into it is impressive.
The acting by Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo and Robert
Downey Jr. are nothing short of stupendous. Jake Gyllenhaal
performance while subtle was pitch perfect. Mark Ruffalo who
is only not becoming a leading man gives a strong
performance, and nobody can play paranoid better than Robert
Downey. A special mention goes to John Carroll Lynch who
really surprised me. I had only previously seen him on The
Drew Carey Show and when I saw he was playing who we
supposedly think is the Zodiac I was disappointed, but, was
I wrong, he gave a performance that was creepy as hell.
The look of the film is stupendous in HD-DVD. Paramount has
done a great job providing a bunch of extras and a 40 minute
HD documentary on the prime suspect Arthur Leigh Allen. This
2-Disc Director’s Cut is a must have for anybody wanting to
own one of the best movies of 2007.
VIDEO:
1080p High Definition
AUDIO:
English 5.1
Dolby Digital Plus
Subtitles English/English SDH/French/Spanish
BONUS FEATURES:
Disk 1:
Commentary by Director David Fincher
Commentary by Jake
Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr., Producer Brad Fischer, James
Vanderbilt and James Ellroy
Disk 2:
The Film:
Zodiac Deciphered - Producer Brad Fischer &
Screenwriter/Producer James Vanderbilt talk about why they
wanted to made a movie about the Zodiac and how they
acquired the rights to the book. (HD)
Blue Rock Springs
- Shows how the events that transpired in Blue Rock
Spring were shot to match the evidence.
The San Francisco
Chronicle - a discussion about The San Francisco
Chronicle set.
The Hall of Justice
- Discussion on Mark Ruffalo character on his
portrayal of Inspector David Toschi
Presidio Heights - Shows
the filming of the events that transpired in Presidio
Heights. They has to build a set because they had limited
access.
Lake Berryessa
- a discussion on the Lake Berryessa location.
Obsession - Jake Gyllenhaal talks about his character’s
obsession with the Zodiac.
The Visual Effects of Zodiac - Craig Barron &
Eric Barba discuss the visual effects. The look of this is
beautiful in High Definition. (HD)
Previsualization - Shows the animation scenes
that were make for the Blue Rock Spring, Lake Berryessa and
San Francisco murder scenes.
Theatrical Trailer
The Facts:
This Is The Zodiac Speaking - For those
interested in the crime scene; The Lake Herman Road, Blue
Rock Spring, Lake Berryessa and San Francisco murder scenes
are discussed in detail. (HD)
Prime Suspect - Very good documentary with the
people who knew Arthur Leigh Allen, the prime suspect,
discussing different aspects of his personality. (HD) (42
minutes)
RATING BREAK DOWN:
FILM REVIEW |
 |
VIDEO |
 |
AUDIO |
 |
BONUS
FEATURES |
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Review
By Milton Brayson
milton@smartcine.com
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