Product Description

Based on the actual case files of one of the most intriguing unsolved crimes in the nation s history Zodiac is a thriller from David Fincher director of Se7en and Panic Room. As a serial killer terrifies the San Francisco Bay Area and taunts police with his ciphers and letters investigators in four jurisdictions search for the murderer. The case will become an obsession for four men as their lives and careers are built and destroyed by the endless trail of clues.System Requirements:Running Time: 162 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA/PSYCHOLOGICAL DRAMA Rating: R UPC: 097361313146 Manufacturer No: 131314

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9183 in DVD
• Brand: PARAMOUNT PICTURES
• Released on: 2008-01-08
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 162 minutes

Amazon.com
Closer in spirit to a police procedural than a gory serial-killer flick, David Fincher's Zodiac provides a sleek, armrest-gripping re-invention of the crime film. It surveys the investigation of the Zodiac killings that terrorized the San Francisco Bay area in the late -60-early -70s; Zodiac not only killed people, but cultivated a Jack the Ripper aura by sending icky letters to the newspapers and daring readers to solve coded messages. But the film's focus isn't on the killer. We follow the reporters and detectives whose lives are taken over by the case, notably an addictive crime writer (a sartorially splendid Robert Downey Jr.), an awkward editorial cartoonist (Jake Gyllenhaal), and a hard-working cop (Mark Ruffalo). Fincher and his brilliant cinematographer Harris Savides are deft at capturing the period feel of the city, without laying on the seventies kitsch, and James Vanderbilt's script doles out its big moments to major and minor characters alike. Fincher's confidence is infectious; the movie glides through its myriad details with such dexterity that even the blind alleys and red herrings seem essential. The well-chosen cast includes unexpected people popping up all over: Anthony Edwards as a lunch-bucket homicide cop; Charles Fleischer as a mysterious suspect; Elias Koteas and Donal Logue as small-town policemen whose districts are hit by Zodiac; Chloe Sevigny as Gyllenhaal's sweet-natured wife; Brian Cox as the media-friendly lawyer Melvin Belli, so famous he once appeared on Star Trek; and the mighty John Carroll Lynch, as a supremely creepy suspect. The film is based on non-fiction books by Robert Graysmith (he's portrayed by Gyllenhaal), although Fincher and co. did extensive research on their own. The result is a propulsive whodunit without (thus far) an ending, but the uncertainty makes the film even more intriguing. --Robert Horton

Beyond Zodiac

The Zodiac (2005)

Curse of the Zodiac (2007)

The Novel

On the DVD
The special edition of David Fincher's riveting true-crime movie is called the Director's Cut, although the extra footage in the film itself is not the main attraction. In fact, just 4-6 minutes' worth of previously unseen material is here on display, hardly changing the effect or impact of the film. (No, the extra footage doesn't reveal who the real killer was.) The set is loaded with background to satisfy both hungry film nerds and true-crime buffs, which is the real reason to buy this edition. On the film front, two commentaries yammer away during the movie, one from Fincher himself, the other from a tag-team group including stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Robert Downey Jr., and, intriguingly, novelist and Black Dahlia obsessive James Ellroy. An hourlong making-of feature and a pair of technical documentaries give abundant details about how the film was made: painstaking location work in real Zodiac haunts, plus some mind-boggling green-screen special effects. (You can also witness Gyllenhaal's exasperation at Fincher's take-after-take perfectionism.) On the real case, two rather remarkable documentaries not only recount the facts but seem to stir up new controversies: This Is the Zodiac Speaking is a 102-minute account of the crimes and their initial investigation; Prime Suspect is a 42-minute portrait of the man many sleuths think is the culprit. (His name is given on the DVD box in an alternate title for this doc, which might be a spoiler for first-time viewers, so beware.) All exhaustive stuff for a movie that gets under your skin. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews

Bird-Dog
When I saw this version of "Zodiac" in the budget bin, it was an impulse purchase. I'd seen the film in the theatre. The strange thing for me is that I remembered this as being an older film, like 2000 or so. Made last year, David Fincher directed this and was nominated for Best Director from Film Critics in Chicago and Toronto. Fincher's other films include "Panic Room," "Fight Club" & "Seven." One might expect a bloody thriller, but instead "Zodiac" is an intense drama centered on Robert Graysmith's compulsion to find the killer.

Jake Gyllenhall who was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Brokeback Mountain (Widescreen Edition) and actually won @ the British Academy Awards plays the role with subtle but growing indications of Graysmith's strength of conviction. Since Graysmith is a cartoonist at the San Francisco paper, his mission about this case seems to come from left field.

Mark Ruffalo won a Best Actor Award from the Montreal World Film Festival for "You Can Count On Me" and shined in one of my favorite films, Just Like Heaven (Widescreen Edition). As Inspector David Toschi, he does a good job of bird-dogging the case, but then even he reaches a point where he wants to throw in the towel.

Robert Downey Jr. plays San Francisco reporter Paul Avery whose arrogance leads him into pursuit. Downey was nominated for an Oscar in 1992 for "Chaplin" and won a Golden Globe for "Ally McBeal" in 2000. He shows the deterioration of the character into an alcoholic haze.

Brian Cox does an excellent job as Melvin Belli. Anthony Edwards from TV's "ER" plays Inspector William Armstrong who comes to prefer a desk job. The film is a good psychological study of the main characters tracking the killer. The final scene where Graysmith goes into the hardware store and stares at the guy he knows did it, but is unable to prove is intense. The film got Best Picture nominations from Film critics in the Southeast, Las Vegas & Oklahoma. Enjoy!

Good Byeeeee.....................
Zodiac does an exceptional job of bringing the lunatic to the big screen.
The dude was nuts, no doubt!
I especially liked the first phone call at the end he says good byeeeeeeeeeee.............CREEPY!!!!!!!
Too bad they never caught the loser, if he's since passed away it's a pretty safe bet he's not in a very good place.
The pacing of the movie is spot on, and the film just reeks of atmosphere, something that's missing from most movies nowadays.
Just plain creepy.
The part in the basement, the phone calls, EVERYTHING, creepy, freaky!!!
I still can't believe this happened in real life!!!
Tragic and a shame that so many lives were ruined by this guy.
Zodiac is one of the best "horror" movies out there, not only is it a true story, but it doesn't fall into the usual Hollywood horror trappings.
Not so much a "horror" movie as a crime thriller.
Haunting, brilliant, superbly acted.
I can't believe how far Jake has come in his career since being the teen goof in "The Day After Tomorrow".
Brilliant and amazing from start to finish and one of the best movies to come out that year.
Highly recommended!!!

Obsession...
I went in to this movie thinking I was going to see another serial-killer-as-evil-genius story. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Fincher had put together a fascinating tale of determination / obsessive dedication in the face of mounting terror. ZODIAC starts off w/ a bang, showing us the maniac in action. The murders themselves are dealt with in quick succession, leaving the majority of the film to decyphering Zodiac's codes, gathering evidence, and interviewing suspects. I love police procedurals (Forensic Files is one of my favorite TV shows), so this movie held my interest throughout. However, ZODIAC is also about the effects of such a baffling, frustratingly drawn-out case on those who relentlessly pursue it. We watch as the characters' lives are nearly consumed by Zodiac to the point of their own ruin. Jake Gyllenhaal's cartoonist character goes from being interested in the case to being taken over by it. He will not rest or stop until Zodiac's identity is revealed. I could feel his obsession grow! Mark Ruffalo is the cop who runs down leads and ultimately gives up hope (almost) entirely. Watching these two is an amazing study in doggedness and dedication. These are the guys I want working on these types of cases! At the same time, we also get a look at the tremendous toll taken. The simple things in life that are missed. The price that is paid in mental / physical burn-out, lost opportunities, and personal relationships altered or destroyed. ZODIAC reminds us that life is precious, and that obsession, even well-placed obsession, will drain our souls. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who loves horror / thriller / mystery / real-life drama, as well as to those who love a great human story... P.S.- Robert Downey, jr. and Anthony Edwards are also excellent in their smaller roles...