WEIRDLAND: "Zodiac" Director's Cut

Monday, January 26, 2009

"Zodiac" Director's Cut

* Director's Audio Commentary -- David Fincher provides a comprehensive guided tour through the genesis of 'Zodiac,' detailing his intentions, his research, and his deviations from the actual events. I was impressed with his attention to detail in each scene and imagine it was quite easy for the cast and crew to buy into his vision. Fincher has a quiet reverence in his voice anytime he talks about Avery, Graysmith, and Toschi. It's clear from his comments that he truly felt connected to their self-destructive obsession. This is a great starting point for anyone tackling the full set of features.
* Cast and Crew Commentary -- Author James Ellroy, writer James Vanderbilt, producer Brad Fischer, and actors Robert Downey Jr. and Jake Gyllenhaal supply an additional commentary track that rarely encroaches on the information in Fincher's track. For the most part, the group has entirely different stories and points of view. As an added bonus, the conversational nature of the large group commentary keeps things interesting. The actors tend to keep the track light, Fischer throws in some excellent tidbits, and the writers give a fascinating dissertation on adapting the story for film. This is a wonderful track that shouldn't be missed.

* Zodiac Deciphered (HD, 54 minutes) -- Once again, I was pleased with the lack of repetition. This documentary doesn't feature any interviews with Fincher (he merely appears here and there in behind-the-scenes footage), but his commentary already establishes his thoughts on every aspect of the film. Instead, screenwriter James Vanderbilt takes center stage and sets about exploring the way the actual events were recreated for the film. A series of interviews reveal the excruciatingly thorough research, the on-set attention to detail, and the cast and crew's determination to make the film something unique.

* The Visual Effects of Zodiac (HD, 15 minutes) -- This featurette covers the subtle CGI work used to enhance the authenticity of key scenes. To be honest, I hadn't noticed that CGI was employed in the film, so I was particularly intrigued by this one.

* Previsualization (SD, 6 minutes) -- The only standard definition supplement in the bunch (note the lack of an "HD" indicator on the back cover), this featurette compares a handful of animatics to the scenes that appeared in the final film.

* This is the Zodiac Speaking (HD, 101 minutes) -- This feature length documentary is a monster, packed with more information than one person can possibly take in with one viewing. It includes dense procedural summations, a tour through the Zodiac case, and interviews with survivors and investigators involved in the case. This is an intricate tapestry of information that is worth the price of the disc alone. If you watch nothing else, spend time digging through this one.

* Prime Suspect: His Name Was Arthur Leigh Allen (HD, 42 minutes) -- This is another informative documentary that focuses on the prime suspect in the Zodiac killings. Another top notch component in the package.
Source: bluray.highdefdigest.com

-It looks like we get five extra minutes of footage in the actual movie itself?

-David Fincher: I think it's more like seven.

-Seven? O.K. So were these just time issues then, why these were cut?

-David Fincher: My answer would be two-fold. It's based not only on what it played like in the theater, but it's also knowing that certain things play differently in a home theater environment. You have different expectations when you're sitting with 700 people than when you're sitting with your friends or family. It's just a different world. You have the power to pause stuff and you have the power to go to the bathroom. You can do whatever you want in your own home. It's a much more relaxed thing. It's more like a book, it seems to me. That's kind of the way I watch movies. If I see a movie for the first time on DVD, I watch it all the way through, the lights are down, I don't pick up the phone. The third or fourth time you see a movie, sometimes you just have them on and you check in every once in a while with things that you liked. [...] Source: www.movieweb.com

4 comments :

BirdGirl said...

OMG I just recently got a Bluray player. I have to have this. It would make it the third time I have purchased this movie. But I would buy it three more times. I love it.

Elena said...

then you really need to buy it and give your Bluray player the best of uses with this masterpiece, soon it's my hubby's birthday so maybe I'll give him a present that benefits both of us, lol!
Seriously, some scenes in "Zodiac" are Fincher at the top of his game, so I'll have to watch all the new additions.

BirdGirl said...

That scene at Lake Berryessa is one of the most frightening scenes in cinematic history. It takes place in broad day light. Man I just got chills thinking about it.

Elena said...

it's indeed, I still remember when I first watched that lake scene at the cinema, nothing prepares you for this assault when you watch it in a big screen, scary as hell!