Go Back  DVD Talk Forum > Entertainment Discussions > Movie Talk
Reload this Page >

Zodiac (2007, Fincher) -- Ted Cruz biography

Movie Talk A Discussion area for everything movie related including films In The Theaters

Zodiac (2007, Fincher) -- Ted Cruz biography

Old 01-20-05, 10:00 AM
  #1  
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
Posts: 6,207
Likes: 0
Received 234 Likes on 169 Posts
Zodiac (2007, Fincher) -- Ted Cruz biography

Found this.

http://movieweb.com/news/news.php?id=6526

Still on negotiations but should be interesting on the subject on the famed serial killer.
Old 01-20-05, 10:15 AM
  #2  
DVD Talk Limited Edition
 
tommyp007's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Kingsport, TN
Posts: 6,415
Received 120 Likes on 80 Posts
I'm so there! I love Fincher's movies...and this is a fascinating topic!
Old 01-20-05, 10:37 AM
  #3  
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: East of Ypsi
Posts: 8,905
Received 5 Likes on 5 Posts
Will this be Fincher's next project?
Old 01-20-05, 10:42 AM
  #4  
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Rampaging across DVDTalk.
Posts: 4,046
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Hell yeah! Can't wait for this. Nobody does the serial killer thing better than Fincher! Thanks for the link Dom!
Old 01-20-05, 11:02 AM
  #5  
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
 
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Fort Collins, CO
Posts: 3,479
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
I'll cross my fingers for this one.
Old 01-20-05, 11:04 AM
  #6  
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
dvduser6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,675
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Sounds promising as long as they don't call it "EI8HT".
Old 01-20-05, 11:45 AM
  #7  
Moderator
 
Geofferson's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: The Village Green
Posts: 39,765
Received 97 Likes on 80 Posts
Sounds promising.
Old 01-20-05, 03:51 PM
  #8  
Needs to contact an admin about multiple accounts
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 2,830
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
despite having a strong visual signature, Fincher strikes me as the sort of director that is only as good as the script he's working from. and this one, i'm sorry to say, is being adapted by the writer of The Rundown, Basic and Darkness Falls.
Old 01-20-05, 03:58 PM
  #9  
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
 
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 4,551
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Well, I think Fincher can elevate a bad script to a watchable movie. But, obviously not a masterpiece if the writing isn't there to back it up. And, while I enjoy the Rundown, that writer is not a good writer and Basic and Darkness Falls are two terribly written movies.

But, glad to see Fincher is doing something. More than likely I'd imagine the script will be rewritten left and right anyway. Though I was hoping he'd get his Black Dahlia or Rendevous with Rama projects off the ground.
Old 01-20-05, 04:07 PM
  #10  
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,391
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I don't know, I think Fincher will be able to make something from this. Highly interesting topic, great director. I'm there.
Old 01-20-05, 07:17 PM
  #11  
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: NJ
Posts: 1,243
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by jaeufraser
Though I was hoping he'd get his Black Dahlia or Rendevous with Rama projects off the ground.
Didn't I hear Brian DePalma was doing the Black Dahlia flick?
Old 01-20-05, 07:18 PM
  #12  
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Rampaging across DVDTalk.
Posts: 4,046
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Originally Posted by jaeufraser
But, obviously not a masterpiece if the writing isn't there to back it up.
I agree completely, but that could be said about any director. But yeah, Finch can raise the quality of any script. In any other person's hands, Panic Room would have been an incoherent, trashy piece of straight-to-video crap. Yeah, I know that's an easy setup for some of you, but the script did have a lot of garbage in it.
Old 01-21-05, 07:46 AM
  #13  
Moderator
 
wendersfan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: America!
Posts: 33,922
Received 164 Likes on 120 Posts
Originally Posted by Rizor
Didn't I hear Brian DePalma was doing the Black Dahlia flick?
That's what I heard, too. Apparently it has a huge emotional resonance for DePalma.
Old 01-21-05, 08:31 AM
  #14  
DVD Talk Hero
 
PopcornTreeCt's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 25,913
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Fincher can direct really crappy scripts (Panic Room) into just-as-crappy movies (Panic Room) and trick everyone into thinking it was a good movie by releasing a 3-disc must-have DVD (Panic Room).
Old 01-21-05, 08:51 AM
  #15  
DVD Talk Gold Edition
 
Jazzbutcher's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: NYC Burbs
Posts: 2,702
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by PopcornTreeCt
Fincher can direct really crappy scripts (Panic Room) into just-as-crappy movies (Panic Room) and trick everyone into thinking it was a good movie by releasing a 3-disc must-have DVD (Panic Room).
Old 01-21-05, 06:14 PM
  #16  
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: The Archives, Indiana
Posts: 1,758
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Jippy
Sounds promising as long as they don't call it "EI8HT".
They shouldn't need any silly title tricks for this premise. In it's day it was a huge story over the course of several years. This guy was the real deal, not some movie character.
Old 01-21-05, 07:00 PM
  #17  
Needs to contact an admin about multiple accounts
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 2,830
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Originally Posted by nightmaster
This guy was the real deal, not some movie character.
surely an oversight soon to be rectified by Fincher and company.
Old 01-21-05, 07:04 PM
  #18  
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
 
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 4,551
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by PopcornTreeCt
Fincher can direct really crappy scripts (Panic Room) into just-as-crappy movies (Panic Room) and trick everyone into thinking it was a good movie by releasing a 3-disc must-have DVD (Panic Room).
Eh, I humbly disagree. The script is rather hohum, but Fincher's direction in terms of mood and setting the scene, with his creative usage of camera and lighting, made for an entertaining thriller.

Anyway, anything to get Fincher making another movie. He's got good chops and I'm happy to see him make anything. Every one of his films has been, at the very least, worth watching.
Old 01-21-05, 08:21 PM
  #19  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Arizona
Posts: 376
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by cygnet74
despite having a strong visual signature, Fincher strikes me as the sort of director that is only as good as the script he's working from. and this one, i'm sorry to say, is being adapted by the writer of The Rundown, Basic and Darkness Falls.
something tells me andrew kevin walker will have his (uncredited) hands on this at some point, which i personally feel would help...
Old 01-21-05, 08:26 PM
  #20  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Arizona
Posts: 376
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Rizor
Didn't I hear Brian DePalma was doing the Black Dahlia flick?
he is
Old 01-22-05, 12:28 AM
  #21  
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Chicago
Posts: 1,899
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by cygnet74
despite having a strong visual signature, Fincher strikes me as the sort of director that is only as good as the script he's working from. and this one, i'm sorry to say, is being adapted by the writer of The Rundown, Basic and Darkness Falls.
What directors, then, aren't only as good as the script they're working from?
Old 01-22-05, 12:37 AM
  #22  
Needs to contact an admin about multiple accounts
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 2,830
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Originally Posted by Corvin
What directors, then, aren't only as good as the script they're working from?
the sort of filmmaker many would call writer/directors, maybe auteurs (although I hate that word). they are rare in the studio system. i'm talking about kieslowski, tarkovsky, kiarostami, leigh, dardenne, cassavettes, etc. these are names of filmmakers that have built their projects from the ground up. they are able to transcend even the most seemingly basic, uninspired story (I recommend you see 'Rosetta' for the most compelling film about simply trying to find and keep a job you'll ever see). so when i say a certain director is only as good as the script he's given, i mean to say that at best he is a talented storyteller but will likely never take a film deeper than the story given to him to tell. there are others capable of much more.

Last edited by cygnet74; 01-22-05 at 01:01 AM.
Old 01-22-05, 12:53 AM
  #23  
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Sitting on a beach, earning 20%
Posts: 9,917
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes on 3 Posts
Hmmm... I don't see this happening, for two reasons.

David Fincher is an artist-as-director, really. He doesn't seem to make films just for money; he seems to genuinely appreciate the story and concept. As such, I don't think he'd throw himself back into another serial killer flick, at least not in such a hurry. I realize Se7en was many years ago, but he's only made three films since.

There's also the fact that Fincher's name has been attached to four different flicks I can think of since Panic Room, none of which have materialized, or they have been taken over by other directors.

Last edited by DonnachaOne; 01-22-05 at 12:56 AM.
Old 01-22-05, 01:35 AM
  #24  
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
 
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 4,551
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by cygnet74
the sort of filmmaker many would call writer/directors, maybe auteurs (although I hate that word). they are rare in the studio system. i'm talking about kieslowski, tarkovsky, kiarostami, leigh, dardenne, cassavettes, etc. these are names of filmmakers that have built their projects from the ground up. they are able to transcend even the most seemingly basic, uninspired story (I recommend you see 'Rosetta' for the most compelling film about simply trying to find and keep a job you'll ever see). so when i say a certain director is only as good as the script he's given, i mean to say that at best he is a talented storyteller but will likely never take a film deeper than the story given to him to tell. there are others capable of much more.
I disagree simply on the issue that, while most auteurs I would say use film to explore things more than just a visual and atmospheric asthetic, sometimes those elements can make for compelling cinema. Panic Room was very much a visual and tonal exercise, a hitchockian play of camera moves and lighting and atmosphere. There's not much deeper meaning to it, but to say deeper thought and philosophical rumblings are the only things that define an artist would be, in my opinion, limiting. Fincher can take a mediocre screenplay and make a film that's entertaining, that's visually unique and creative, that's visceral and moving. There may not be anything deep about it from a character or philosophical standpoint, but you can elevate material in other ways, and with regards to films like The Game and Panic Room, that's exactly what he does do. He brings his exceptional style and ability to create a convincing sense of tension, and elevates a mediocre story into something that's an effective, thrilling, involving piece. Perhaps not superb and deep art, but definately better than your run of the mill piece o junk.

One might disagree, but that's what I see in him. Fincher's talents lie in storytelling and a strong visual style. I think there's something to be said in a talent for the visual aesthetic, and in creating mood and atmosphere, something with which Fincher excels with. He doesn't always do it with rich characterizations or complex dramatics, but moreso with style and atmosphere and visuals. Some dismiss that, and will just say anybody can do that. But I disagree and think there's definately something to be admired in his skills. While he's never been an artist that has really moved me on more humanistic levels, I don't dismiss someone for not necessarily being that type of director. What he does he does very well, and I look forward to each of his projects because of it.
Old 01-22-05, 03:02 AM
  #25  
Needs to contact an admin about multiple accounts
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 2,830
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
i think that's essentially what i said. he's a very capable and talented storyteller, but he doesn't strive to go much deeper than a visceral level. personally, not going deeper is what i'd define as "limiting". i still can enjoy the entertainment value of his work, while finding more meaningful cinema (to me) elsewhere.

Last edited by cygnet74; 01-22-05 at 03:05 AM.

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.