Zodiac was one of the highest rated films this year and you don't have to take my word for it, just look at rottentomatoes.com. But never underestimate the vapidity of the average American movie-goer as the film didn't even gross 35 million at the North American box office. Instead viewers were drawn to the erudite and socially conscious
Wild Hogs the weekend
Zodiac premiered which out-grossed
David Fincher's penultimate work three-fold.
Maybe it was the two and a half hour running time that dissuaded potential viewers who were saving their attention span for
Pirates of the Caribbean 3. Maybe it was the "procedural" nature of the film that shifted focus as the Zodiac investigation progressed. Maybe it was because
Brad Pitt,
Will Smith or
Adam Sandler were nowhere to be found. But for whatever reason, the film tanked.
None-the-less, North America will have a chance to watch the film at their own pace this week as a bare-bones edition of the film hits shelves retailing at a cool $17.99. By bare-bones I mean no commentary, no documentary, no interviews, no nothing. In fact, the only addition besides the film is a preview for a 2-disc "Directors Cut" of
Zodiac due out next year. Apparently Fincher is too busy working post for
Benjamin Button to be available for special features.
The film centers around the infamous Zodiac killings largely from the point-of-views of the press and police investigators.
Jake Gyllenhaal portrays
Robert Graysmith a cartoonist for the San Francisco Chronicle who became obsessed with the killer and whose subsequent books the film is based. It also delves into the investigation of two detectives, inspectors
Toschi and
Armstrong (
Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Edwards) whose investigation is severely hindered by sub-par police work and bureaucratic red tape.
This is a fantastically shot, incredibly detailed, and superbly executed film, I recommend everyone who didn't see it in the theatres to get to the video store or rearrange your queue because this really was one of the best films of the year. I can't in good conscience endorse the purchase of this particular DVD as you'll want to hold out for the special edition that's on the way.
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# posted by Benjamin Crossley-Marra @ 7/23/2007 03:12:00 PM
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