What Do The Critics Say?

"With its unhurried pace and cerebrally engaging plot, Zodiac is an unusually haunting and compelling horror film." Claudia Puig USA TODAY "David Fincher's magnificently obsessive new film Zodiac is part police procedural, part monster movie, a funereal entertainment that is a testament to this cinematic savant's gifts." Manohla Dargis NEW YORK TIMES "The best film of its kind since All the President's Men." Walter Chaw FILM FREAK CENTRAL "You'll feel a chill in the theatre, and in your blood." Richard Corliss TIME MAGAZINE "It may not be his [Fincher's] most groundbreaking film, but it is one of his most important ones." Bill Clark FROMTHEBALCONY "The film is just as creepy as any slasher-fest, but without the facade of fantasy, it resonates much more deeply, violating the audience's sense of security and its illusion of a world with happy endings and a guilty party made to pay." Andrea Chase KILLER MOVIE REVIEWS

"Reverent docudrama...to those completely unfamiliar with the case, Zodiac should be every bit as satisfying as a true-crime paperback." Peter Canavese GROUCHO REVIEWS "a masterpiece... [it's] like quicksand, inexorably drawing you deeper and deeper into itself." Devin Faraci CHUD "Zodiac crackles with a kind of corrupt electricity, an overriding feeling of discomfort that makes even the conversations between couples ache with an aura of unease." Bill Gibron POPMATTERS "Reminds us what great filmmaking is all about. Isn't a false note anywhere." Pete Hammond MAXIM "A long work of completely sustained suspense and dark humor." Wesley Morris BOSTON GLOBE "David Fincher's sprawling, lavishly produced Zodiac is, in my estimation, more than a good movie." Lou Lumenick NEW YORK POST "Fincher leads us down little dark alleys and side streets, and we're never quite sure who might jump out to be the killer. After three decades, details of the case have faded from public consciousness, so the movie is surprising at times." Bill Muller ARIZONA REPUBLIC

The Inside Story It is the ultimate cold case. The rampage of a madman who has never been caught; the elusive cipher slayer who gripped the nation in fear, America’s very own Jack the Ripper. He publicly claimed thirteen victims, then more, two dozen more. Police pinned him with seven, five dead. The true body count may never be known. One thing is certain: That count includes the living. Based on the true story of a serial killer who terrified the San Francisco Bay Area and taunted authorities in four jurisdictions with his ciphers and letters for decades, 'Zodiac'. Hunting down the hunter would become an obsession for four men, an obsession that would turn them into ghosts of their former selves, their lives built and destroyed by the killer’s endless trail of clues.He was the ultimate bogey man. "If you grew up there, at that time, you had this childhood fear that you kind of insinuated yourself into it. What if it was our bus? What if he showed up in our neighborhood? You create even more drama about it when you’re a kid because that is what kids do. I grew up in Marin and now I know the geography of where the crimes took place, but when you’re in grade school, children don’t think about that." What does a second grader think? "He’s going to show up at our school," says director David Fincher who grew up in the Bay area in the early 1970s. The then seven year old was spellbound by the invisible monster known only as the Zodiac. "I remember as kids talking about the killer calling in on the Dunbar Show. In 1974, we moved away and I remember realizing that other places, other people knew about the Zodiac killer," he recalls. Now three decades later he would be asked to direct a film that would prompt him to: Retrace the killer’s steps with several of the officers who tracked the most notorious killer of his youth; Comb through 10,000 pages of documents and evidence; Interview the victims who survived, the loved ones of those who didn’t and the relatives of a prime suspect. And just like San Francisco Chronicle cartoonist Robert Graysmith (author of "Zodiac" and "Zodiac Unmasked"), Inspector David Toschi and San Francisco Chronicle crime reporter Paul Avery, Fincher would succumb to the need to know just who was this man known as, Zodiac. "Robert Graysmith knew he was a guy on the sidelines of this story. He wanted to be a part of it and he made himself a part of it," says Fincher. "He was doing it on his own time because he wasn’t a reporter. It was Robert who went after it and after everybody else had pretty much walked away. Everything we included in the movie, we used from what Robert gave us. But, we had police reports and we backed everything up with documentation, our own interviews and evidence. Even when we did our own interviews, we would talk to two people. One would confirm some aspects of it and another would deny it." Because so much time had passed, because so many myths had sprung up surrounding the Zodiac and "there are so many people out there who are convinced Robert is wrong", Fincher quickly realized there was only one source for the chilling, engrossing film about the notorious serial killer. "That is why we chose to tell the story the way we did, through Robert’s eyes," says Fincher. "My goal was to capture the truth of those books." Screenwriter and producer James 'Jamie' Vanderbilt explains, "When you begin an adaptation, the only thing you can be sure of is you’re gonna end up throwing out five sixths of your source material for the simple fact that you can’t fit it all in. “Add to that the facts that the movie is based on two books, as well as a ton of interviews. The one thing we had going for us is that the movie is about these guys who get sucked down the rabbit hole of the Zodiac case, Graysmith in particular, but also the detectives and a reporter. The dearth of information worked for us, because there was always another conversation to be had, theory to be discussed, suspect to examine. I think the movie itself is one of the most 'informationally packed' I’ve ever seen, and it doesn’t even scratch the surface in terms of the sheer volume of material out there." 'Jamie' got to know the author well. "Getting to know Robert during this process was actually invaluable because the script changed as we became friends; and very rarely in order to make him look better. Robert truly invited us into his life warts and all, and that’s how I think we ended up portraying him onscreen. The great thing about Robert the artist is that he recognizes the value in that, he understands the creative process and what makes a good story." Jake Gyllenhaal signed on for the role of Robert Graysmith after director Fincher sent him the script. "The first time I read the script, the murders, in particular, were terrifying," the star of "Shattered Glass" says."I remember flipping through the pages and thinking, 'This is real, this actually happened.' I immediately wanted to do it. I think what is most interesting about this story is that when something like this happens there’s mass hysteria. And then it’s given to the experts. And sometimes the experts don’t have the same heart that just a kind of a regular guy like Robert Graysmith would have." Gyllenhaal’s says that when it came to preparing himself for the role his method was deliberate and scientific. How would he describe the author? "Robert Graysmith is an interesting bird, I would say." What happened when you met him? "When I first met him I had told him that I was going to put him on tape because I wanted to study his mannerisms and just physically, I wanted to see how he behaved. I was actually really nervous. I thought to myself, 'Oh, well, what kind of personality does this guy have to have in order to go into this world?' And I thought, 'I’m going to meet this guy and it’s gonna be like this weird, dark exchange. What world am I going to have to go to with him in order to get some truth out of him?' And he walks into the room and he's this like sweet, unassuming, constantly complimentary, kind of innocent man." Graysmith was impressed with Gyllenhal's performance. "I watched Jake interpret my character on several occasions," notes Graysmith. "He was not doing an impersonation of me but an interpretation of me. I thought he caught my enthusiasm and excitability, my Southern upbringing, polite deference and eccentricities perfectly. We already had the same color of hair." Gyllenhaal credits Robert Downey Jr with providing some special energy on the set that inspired the players to make the story come alive. "Robert Downey Jr, is extraordinary. What he’s done, and what he always does, is bring a presence, kind of 'wipe through'. His Paul Avery is kind of a court jester in that he dances around things and he has this sense of humor, almost a detachment from the situation, but a real sense of humor about it. Kind of like Tinkerbell in Peter Pan. He just sheds light all over everybody whenever he flies around." Inspector David Toschi knew Avery very well. "I met Paul Avery in 1960 when I was twenty eight. I was with the Bureau of Inspectors (San Francisco Police Department) and I wanted to be a detective. We shared a lot of history. At the end Paul was doing cocaine and he was on a machine. He was in really bad shape. He called me before he passed away. He wanted to write a book, a quick paperback before he died to leave to his grandchildren. He said, 'Dave we can make $25,000 each, just like that!' I felt bad for him, really bad." Mark Ruffalo who was cast in the role of Toschi recalls, "David had written this script that, when I read it, I saw that this character I was going to be playing had come to life in a nuanced, beautiful way. Then I took a trip to meet the guy, and at that point I just felt so fortunate to be doing the movie. After all, he is the model for actors who attempt to play detectives, and I am playing the one that some actors have modeled their career making roles on." He too, just as audiences will be, was impressed with Downey Jr's performance. "Robert Downey Jr is amazing. I’ve always loved him and think he’s as close to genius as you can come without falling over the edge," he notes. "I found it really exciting to work with him, and scary and fun. There’s the danger factor. Not physical or violent danger." Then what was it? "It’s his spontaneity", he says. Vanderbilt and Phoenix Pictures’ Producer Bradley 'Brad' J Fischer who optioned the rights to Graysmith’s book when it finally became available after lingering in limbo at another studio for nearly a decade certainly made the right choice when it came to who should direct the film. He revealed they only ever had one director in mind. David Fincher. "I felt David Fincher would be able to tell the story in a way that would be true to what happened and get to the psychology of what motivated the people who inhabited that world. He had obviously done a serial killer movie before, but this went beyond genre," says Fischer, "There was something in these characters that exists in all of us: the capacity for becoming consumed by something so fully, that day after day, night after night, year after year, you can’t ever truly put it away." Fincher modest response to that big wrap was "I found the people I wanted to work with. And I was very fortunate to have many of the real people from that time around. I think we tried to give people their due respect. But it was never about duplicating them exactly, their hair, etc. Example: Robert Downey Jr, who plays Paul Avery, is the only one who plays someone that is no longer alive. But I think he has such enthusiasm and because he is someone who could really grasp Paul’s inner demons, he was perfect for the role." Producer Mike Medavoy, Phoenix Pictures co-founder and Chairman, says it "is not so much that it is about a serial killer, which is a movie unto itself, but it’s about the people that went after the serial killer. It is what happens when you get so obsessed with something and you lose sight of what the objective is." Synopsis

A crudely written Letter to the Editor arrives in a pile of mail. One of three penned to the Chronicle, the San Francisco Examiner and the Vallejo Times-Herald, its contents brought the newsrooms to a standstill. "Dear Editor, This is the murderer…" of David Faraday and Betty Lou Jensen shot to death Dec 20 1968 and the July 4, 1969 fatal shooting of Darlene Ferrin and attempted murder of Mike Mageau. He didn’t name them, but he gave details only the police could know. Each paper was given part of a cipher which, when decoded, would purportedly reveal his identity. It was followed by a threat; publish or more would perish. No killer since Jack the Ripper had written the press and taunted the police with clues to his identity. Zodiac had raised the bar for homicidal psychopaths in the U.S. Shy editorial cartoonist Robert Graysmith, who didn’t have the cache and expertise of his seasoned and cynical colleague Paul Avery decoded its hidden intent, a reference to the 1932 film "The Most Dangerous Game".

The Verdict "This is not a gore-fest or one of those 'in your face', highly confronting serial killer films. "Zodiac" is an engrossing film that shows how easily mistakes are made and how the hunt for the truth can sometimes become so consumingly obsessive it leads to a life changing effect. One that in the case of Graysmith, Toschi and Avery was not for the better. Fincher's film is well constructed; realistically recreates the era; is haunting in parts and will, at the right moments, involuntarily induce a chilling tingle down your spine. It's a sobering look at how an unco-operative attitude between law enforcement agencies, combined with human failings, did little to serve justice. Amongst a solid cast (all of whom are good), Robert Downey Jr is a standout. It's a long story that is both absorbing and very revealing. Take a step back in time with Fincher's latest film, "Zodiac". 4 1/2 STARS." Cast & Crew Bytes "ZODIAC" stars .......
Jake Gyllenhaal ["The Good Girl", "Brokeback Mountain" and "Jarhead"]; Mark Ruffalo ["View From The Top", "Just Like Heaven" and "All the King's Men"]; Anthony Edwards ["Sexual Healing", "The Client" and "The Forgotten"]; Robert Downey Jr ["Kiss Kiss Bang Bang", "Good Night, and Good Luck" and "The Shaggy Dog"]; Brian Cox ["25th Hour", "The Bourne Supremacy" and "Red Eye"]; John Carroll Lynch ["The Good Girl", "Confidence" and "Gothika"] and Dermot Mulroney ["About Schmidt", "Must Love Dogs", "The Family Stone" and "Georgia Rule"] as Captain Marty Lee.
"ZODIAC" was .......
directed by David Fincher ["Fight Club", "Se7en" and "Panic Room"]; adapted from the book by Robert Graysmith ["Auto Focus" and "Zodiac Unmasked"]; art direction by Keith P Cunningham ["Traffic", "Ocean's Eleven", "Signs", "Van Helsing" and "Hostag"]; costume design by Casey Storm ["Being John Malkovich" and "Adaptation"]; production design by Donald Graham Burt ["Donnie Brasco", "White Oleander" and "Because of Winn-Dixie"]; edited by Angus Wall ["Sunset Strip", "Panic Room" and "Hostage"]; director of photography by Harris Savides ["The Game", "Finding Forrester" and "Birth"]; original music by David Shire ["The Conversation", "All the President's Men" and "Ash Wednesday"]. Who's Who?

Jake Gyllenhaal Mark Ruffalo Anthony Edwards Robert Downey Jr Brian Cox John Carroll Lynch Richmond Arquette Bob Stephenson John Lacy Chloë Sevigny Ed Setrakian John Getz John Terry Candy Clark Elias Koteas Dermot Mulroney Donal Logue June Raphael Ciara Hughes Lee Norris Patrick Scott Lewis Pell James Philip Baker Hall David Lee Smith Charles Schneider Tom Verica Jimmi Simpson

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Robert Graysmith Inspector David Toschi Inspector William Armstrong Paul Avery Melvin Belli Arthur Leigh Allen Zodiac 1 & 2 Zodiac 3 Zodiac 4 Melanie Al Hyman Templeton Peck Charles Theiriot Carol Fisher Sgt Jack Mulanax Captain Marty Lee Ken Narlow Mrs Toschi Darlene Ferrin Mike Mageau (Young) Bryan Hartnell Cecelia Shepherd Sherwood Morrill Father Cabbie/Paul Stine Jim Dunbar Mike Mageau (Older)

Run Time 157 minutes Rated MA 15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2007 - Paramount Pictures - All Rights Reserved ©2007 All Rights Reserved - The Movie Pages & Impact Internet Services - Protected by Australian & International Copyright. Trademark Laws Apply.