I saw Zodiac

[LukenDC]

I saw Zodiac this evening and enjoyed it. Some have complained that the film is too long, but I disagree. The film follows a complex investigation that lasted for years and shortening the film would not have done the subject justice. Zodiac is not so much about a serial killer as it is about obsession and the toll that it takes on those consumed with the case. Jake Gyllenhaal is great as SF Chronicle catroonist/independent investigator Robert Graysmith and Robert Downey Jr. is ideal as the boozing and drugging Paul Avery. The violence is not nearly as bad as many murder mystery films, but there is one scene that is so disturbing that I had to avert my eyes.

While the Zodiac case was never solved, the film fingers an actual suspect and all but convicts him of the crimes. The man in question is now dead, but it raises some interesting ethical issues.

 

[SwedishMeatball]

I thought it was really good. The scene with the couple by the lake was so intense for me that I seriously wanted to leave. So glad I stayed.

 

[LukenDC]

I thought it was really good. The scene with the couple by the lake was so intense for me that I seriously wanted to leave. So glad I stayed.

That's the scene where I had to turn away from the screen.

 

[wdw4us2]

I saw the movie on Friday. I thought it was excellent.

I don't agree with the films' conclusions about who did it. I have read several books on the subject and there is not enough evidence to convict any of the possible suspects. There was also a recent special on, I believe, the Discovery Channel that explored all the possible suspects. Very illuminating.

 

[disykat]

I need to watch it, but it really creeps me out. I know someone who was befriended by the prime suspect many years ago as a child. Nothing ever happened in that instance but it's really scary to think about someone I care about having possibly been in a very risky situation.

 

[grinningghost]

Glad to hear it's not a snoozer. I've been looking forward to seeing it.

 

[Cee]

I read the book and it was compelling. I'm going to see it soon, I hope.

 

[Charade]

We want to see it!!! I heard the author "Graysmith" interviewed on the radio a week or so ago and was fascinated by the whole thing.

 

[mtemm]

can I ask you how gruesome it is? I want to see this because it is advertised as a psych. thriller (yes, I know its a true story, btw). DH thinks I won't like it because of the director, that he's known for making things very gruesome. I like thrillers...silence of the lambs, that kind, but not gore movies like hostel and such.

 

[barkley]

i have to wait for it on dvd. having grown up in vallejo and lived through the whole nightmare i found the book so chilling i had to put it down and walk away from it several times. i don't know how well they relate it in the movie-but the places the events happened were such common areas for families and couples to frequent. although at night they look (at least from the coming attractions) like they are out in the middle of nowhere, they were areas at the edge of town that kids frequented on their bikes all the time and were always filled with picnicers and families (but they were popular lover's lanes because we did'nt have street lights out there at night).

'the lake' scene must be the couple up at berryessa. they were both students at pacific union college-and this is an area realy close by that the students frequented allot (still a huge water rec. area). i have a family member who was the roommate of the young man who survived that attack-it realy shattered that little college town.

it's going to be interesting to see what the results of the newest testing of the original letters will turn up. when the main suspect passed away dna samples were taken. although the one envelope did'nt show a match a few years back, there is hope there may be material on the letters that can be compared.

since the movie has just come out, and the producers involved allot of the key players in the events-the local paper has had allot of coverage. there's allot of conflicting opionions on the main suspect. he was, in his youth a kind of 'local hero' who despite his later physical condition, was a major swimming and diving champion, and well liked by allot of people. those same people though point to a real shift in his personality in later years leading up to the murders-and some of his long time friends say they cut off contact with him prior to the events because they were uncomfortable/disturbed by changes in his manner and personality (getting convicted as a pedophile did'nt help much either). so there are allot of mixed opnions as to weather he was in fact zodiac or not.

 

[SwedishMeatball]

can I ask you how gruesome it is? I want to see this because it is advertised as a psych. thriller (yes, I know its a true story, btw). DH thinks I won't like it because of the director, that he's known for making things very gruesome. I like thrillers...silence of the lambs, that kind, but not gore movies like hostel and such.

It is far from a gore fest. In the overall scope of the movie, those scenes take up very little screen time. It could have been a lot worse. The scene by the lake didn't upset me because of any blood. You'd just have to see it to understand.

 

[LukenDC]

It is far from a gore fest. In the overall scope of the movie, those scenes take up very little screen time. It could have been a lot worse. The scene by the lake didn't upset me because of any blood. You'd just have to see it to understand.

I agree.

 

[mtemm]

thanks! hopefully we'll figure out a time to go see it. its getting great reviews.

 

[Kimberly815]

I saw the movie yesterday afternoon and really enjoyed it as well. I was suprised at how long it was, because I was so caught up in it, I didn't even notice the time pass. I definitely recommend it.

 

[minniecarousel]

Like Barkley, I have mixed feelings. Living in the Bay Area, this was "current events" for such a long time. It bothers me that they aren't sure that the guy was ever caught. Not sure if I'll go and see it.

 

[barkley]

Like Barkley, I have mixed feelings. Living in the Bay Area, this was "current events" for such a long time. It bothers me that they aren't sure that the guy was ever caught. Not sure if I'll go and see it.

yeah, i first saw the movie 'dirty harry' as an adult and dh did'nt understand why i found the scene (based on the zodiac events) where the bus of school kids is involved disturbing. well it was because i remember zodiac's threats of shooting kids on busses, and since we lived right down the road from where 2 of the took place i remember clearly the armed police escorts on the busses and near the schools

until graysmith wrote his book noone realy put together that some of the co-ed killings by sonoma state university were likely zodiac's as well, so that freaked me out even more because when i was going to college i commuted on those same backroads every night over to ssu. but back then the sonoma, petaluma and rohnert park areas were much as vallejo was considered before the zodiac events-safe areas that you'de never be concerned taking an offer of assistance from someone in. i realy believe zodiac had to have been a long time native of the area-he knew far too well the isolated areas that people felt entirely safe being alone in. and he knew the times of day and night when there was likely to be someone there (i mean realy-unless you lived in vallejo you did'nt know that some of the teens took off to neck out by blue rock springs on the evening of the 4th of july, once dusk hit that place cleared out and everyone headed down to kennedy park to set off fireworks and watch the city display over mare island).

 

[2princesscuties]

We saw the movie last night.Compared to some of other true crime movies we have seen lately,it was really good.When I heard how long the film was,I thought it was going to be a real snoozefest.