Rewatchables Reference

• The interrogation of Arthur Leigh Allen – the long, protracted scene where he keeps saying incriminating things ('those knives with blood came from a chicken I killed for dinner') and the detectives exchange unspoken looks when they see the watch.
• The Graysmith/Avery bar scene with the Aqua Velva – Chris's pick. Where you see the characters zeroing in on who they are, and Graysmith is just happy to be included.
• The cold open / first murder – considered one of the crowning achievements of Fincher's career.
• The credit sequence – sets up the world with incredible economy as the trolley carries the first zodiac letter to the Chronicle.
• The Lake Berryessa / Napa murder – the least rewatchable but possibly the best scene. When the figure slips behind the tree, it's one of the most unsettling murder scenes ever filmed.
• Graysmith at the projectionist's house / basement – the scariest moment in the film. Pure horror-movie territory. 'If a zombie killed him in that moment, I wouldn't be shocked.'
• Graysmith recreating Arthur Leigh Allen's proximity to the victim: 'Door-to-door, that is less than 50 yards.'
• 'This is the 'Zodiac' speaking' – the Melvin Belli television sequence.

• The procedural-ness of the film – the way it captures how temporal professional life is, how people are never synced up at the same level of interest or passion about any one thing.
• The handling of ambiguity – common to the great films of 2007, which were all 'unnaturally comfortable with ambiguity.'
• Jake Gyllenhaal's transition into great American actor begins here. With the exception of Prince of Persia, every movie he's taken since has been complicated and masochistic.
• The obsessive insert shots – every magnifying glass, every piece of authentic 1970s stationery with different handwriting styles, every piece of period Ampex tape recording equipment.
• It's an extremely San Francisco movie – warm, intimate, small-town feeling that suffuses the film.

• The fact that this movie got made at all – a $65 million, nearly three-hour procedural that wouldn't get greenlit today.
• Not nominated for a single Oscar in a historic year for American film.
• Chloe Sevigny's storyline – a recurring Fincher problem where the female character represents reality and exists mainly to nag the protagonist. 'There's no Fincher movie that stops because of something a female character does.'

Gary Oldman was supposed to play Melvin Belli but didn't have enough girth to capture the character. (Ironically, Oldman later played Winston Churchill with prosthetic weight for Darkest Hour.)

• 'Zodiac' made $33 million domestic on a $65 million budget.
• Fincher grew up in Marin County; the 'Zodiac' was the boogeyman of his childhood.
• When the crew arrived at Lake Berryessa, the oak trees were gone – Fincher flew them in by helicopter.
• Downey Jr. left jars of urine on set to protest long hours.
• Gyllenhaal: 'You get 5 takes, 10 takes, some places 90 takes.'
• Fincher: 'The thing I hate most about acting is earnestness. After about 15 takes, I can get them out of that.'
• Shot digitally (opening sequence on film), with blood splatter added in post because too many takes to clean up between.
• James Ellroy called the three leads' performances 'inadequate and unconvincing' but said it was still a great movie.
• Jennifer Aniston recommended Mark Ruffalo to Fincher.
• Fincher couldn't get the film under three hours, missing the 2006 awards push. The studio wanted a shorter film.
• Fincher had been developing a Black Dahlia miniseries with movie stars before 'Zodiac'.

• Jake Gyllenhaal – definitely not. Prisoners, Enemy, and Nightcrawler are all stronger. But this is the bridge that made him a better actor.
• Robert Downey Jr. – strong case. This is the last unselfconscious Downey performance before 'Iron Man' calcified his persona. Arguably his perfect role.
• Mark Ruffalo – strong case but hard to top You Can Count on Me. He's the biggest takeaway on the rewatch.
• David Fincher – his greatest accomplishment but not his best movie. 'Fight Club' and Seven are iconic; 'The Social Network' is his best film. But 'Zodiac' took the most to achieve.

• Winner: John Carroll Lynch as Arthur Leigh Allen – his physical presence unsettles you because you feel like you've seen him but don't know why. The opposite of the famous-actor-means-important-part misdirect.
• Brian Cox as Melvin Belli – really makes the most of his few moments. 'Is there somebody I can call you that's a little less ominous?'
• Elias Koteas as Sergeant Mulanax – a guy who looks like a cop and rarely gets a chance on this scale.
• Dermot Mulroney as Captain Marty Lee.
• Donal Logue.
• Anthony Edwards as Bill Armstrong – just decent, reliable, trustworthy. His departure from the film is when you understand the gravity of the case.
• Clea DuVall – great scene for her.
• John Getz as the Chronicle editor – from Blood Simple onward.
• James Le Gros.
• Zach Grenier – the boss from 'Fight Club'.
• Jimmi Simpson as Mike Mageau.

Chloe Sevigny's character is the one weak point – a recurring Fincher problem with female characters who exist mainly to represent reality and boundaries.

• Andy gives it to Downey – his footprint on the movie is huge and most of the best quotes come from his character. He caught lightning in a bottle right before becoming Tony Stark.
• Sean makes a case for Ruffalo – the biggest takeaway on the rewatch, with incredible subtle moments like the bathrobe/phone scene.
• Chris gives it to Fincher – the level of scholarship and obsessive detail on display is the ultimate winner.