my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Community   » Film Handlers' Movie Reviews   » Zodiac (2007)

Author Topic: Zodiac (2007) Richard Greco Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1180 From: Plant City, FL Registered: Nov 2003 posted 03-03-2007 12:43 AM                     Ok, I'm usually for a good crime movie. I really liked "The Good Shepherd". I like those types of movies. However, this wasn't like that. The main problem with it is it is about 45 mins too long. This was one of the most BORING movies I have ever seen! The majority of the action comes within the first hour. ****************SPOILER****************************** You find out who the killer is halfway through it...but the cops don't realize it... ********************End Spoiler******************** After that, it is a mess, with Jake Gyllenhall(sp) trying to figure out the identity of the guy. Then through the course of 22 years we see people come and go and then it ends so anti-climatically.... There were a few quick witted lines thrown in for laughs, but that was all this movie had going for it. Overall the best performance was by Robert Downey Jr. He really had some nice wit and helped with some of the comedy... Since I did laugh a bit, I give this a 1.5/5... Otherwise, I would've snored my way through it... I feel sorry for those who had to screen this...  |  IP: Logged Allison Parsons Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 630 From: East Peoria, IL Registered: Oct 2004 posted 03-03-2007 01:32 AM                        Richard, I take it there's no hot girls in the movie, is there?  |  IP: Logged Richard Greco Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1180 From: Plant City, FL Registered: Nov 2003 posted 03-03-2007 02:03 AM                     Not a one...but I don't think even a hot girl would have helped this movie...  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 03-03-2007 02:42 AM                     Did Richard Greco just write that???  |  IP: Logged Alex Grueneberg Expert Film Handler Posts: 125 From: Chicago, IL Registered: Aug 2004 posted 03-04-2007 01:27 AM                        I loved it. From the classic Wanner Brothers and Paramount logo to the page credits. Not to go off but I watch 85% of what comes into my 18 screen complex and this really stood out. The camera work, and some of the angles are beautiful with scope and can honestly say I'm honored to be presenting Zodiac in our 3 largest houses. I've always been a fan of David Finchers work. For me at least (being one with a short attention span and all) the slower moments passes by with ease and I even lost track of what reel I was on because I was so into the characters. But yet again, this movie is basically a bunch of my favorite actors who've I've seen with much worse material which an actual good story. Anthony Edward's (who I've grown up with watching ER) was particular on the spot and impressive. I must add one thing to this though. I had to stop the movie because a currier showed up early. I was exactly half way threw the movie so maybe an intermission helps. The sound mix might be low, but its just as meticulous to detail as everything else. Screened in a 6 channel SDDS house there is amble (but subtle) surround usage and a great sub system is recommend. I would have loved to screen this in a auditorium larger then 430. 4/5 but thats because there was some color fading and management throws up too much of a fuss to get a new one. ...Who else misses getting more technicolor prints.  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 03-06-2007 05:27 AM                        I liked it, too. It's a very solid film, although I can see where some would think that it was too long (I didn't). Great acting all around. I thought that there was some muddy dialogue in a few spots, but the sound was otherwise fine. The print that I saw looked pretty shitty, complete with negative dust and no shadow detail to speak of. A big to Loews (AMC) Boston Common for shutter ghosting and nasty flicker (dying bulb?).  |  IP: Logged Richard Greco Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1180 From: Plant City, FL Registered: Nov 2003 posted 03-06-2007 07:45 AM                     I didn't mind the length at all, Troy, The Departed, and many others were this long and I liked them Maybe it was because I didn't read the book that I didn't like it?  |  IP: Logged Paul Linfesty Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1383 From: Bakersfield, CA, USA Registered: Nov 1999 posted 03-06-2007 10:07 AM                     Was this shot in HD? That lack of shadow detail mentioned above reminded me of the way SUPERMAN RETURNS looked, with some pretty bad contrast of the darkly lit scenes, as well as pasty skintones. If this is not a DP choice but embematic of HD production, its got quite a long ways to go before it matches film.  |  IP: Logged Mike Schindler Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1039 From: Oak Park, IL, USA Registered: Jun 2002 posted 03-06-2007 12:31 PM                     Yes, this was shot in HD with the Viper, which was used on MIAMI VICE and (I think) COLLATERAL. I liked how it looked quite a bit, and I agree with Alex that the sound was awesome. On the whole, not a bad movie, but it was a little too straight-forward and procedural, especially for how long it is. Robert Downey, Jr. is fantastic, as per usual.  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 03-06-2007 07:34 PM                        Well, it didn't look like video, which is the good news. It looked more like a digital-intermediate-gone-wrong combined with lousy lab work. There were a few scenes with visible jagged edges, but it was mostly sharp (I usually think of HD as being a bit soft). I thought it looked bad regardless, though. The negative dirt is a different issue and was really bad on the print that I saw. Why do people settle for this crap?  |  IP: Logged Mike Schindler Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1039 From: Oak Park, IL, USA Registered: Jun 2002 posted 03-06-2007 07:45 PM                     Our print had a bunch of negative dirt too. What's up with that?  |  IP: Logged Chad Souder Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 962 From: Waterloo, IA, USA Registered: Feb 2000 posted 03-07-2007 10:02 AM                     I thought this was a nice portrayal of the obsession, desperation and facination the author (and others involved in the case) went through during these killings. Unlike other serial killings, the Zodiac crimes and taunts took place over such a long period of time I could just imagine how it must have pecked away in the back of their minds years after the case was cold. Also, a serial killer that never gets caught, and especially one that just decides to quit killing, is quite a rarety, so I was not bored at all because I have always found this case interesting. This was not a typical "crime movie" in that (if you knew anything at all about the case or book) you knew coming in who the author thought the killer was. I did not like Jake Gyllenhaal as the lead (as any lead do date, actually) but the rest of the cast did a bang-up job.  |  IP: Logged Chad M Calpito Master Film Handler Posts: 435 From: San Diego, CA Registered: Apr 2006 posted 03-14-2007 05:16 PM                        Well, I just saw this movie today at Regal Parkway Plaza 18, in Theatre #1. Overall, the movie was decent enough. Normally, I can't stand very long movies, but, this was an exception. While there were some slow & boring moments, I did manage to keep watching it. One thing that was reminicent during my childhood days was the PSA (Pacific Southwest Airlines) scene. Otherwise, I thought that movie was ok, a 3.5 out of 5 stars. Oh yeah, the sound was good, but, I did notice some dust on the print at various points, mainly at the splices.  |  IP: Logged Damien Taylor Master Film Handler Posts: 493 From: Perth, Western Australia Registered: Apr 2007 posted 05-22-2007 11:41 AM                     I really enjoyed all 185 reels of that behemoth. The thing that most stood out for me was the excruciating correctness for period details, which i am usually a nit-picker for. Also, if the movie theater worker was showing silent films, would that make all the cans in his basement nitrate? Excellent storytelling, the experience was ruined by the pirates trailer, I'm really beginning to loath blatant franchise pictures. I feel very cheated seeing a movie that turns out in the end to be filler for a series. Downright insulting ...Oh yeah, like 10 huge breaks in various points *KA-THUNK* I used my own detective skills to discern that this particular print was made up in the car-park. Like Greco said, sans babe. The girlfriend had a definite Marsha Marsha Marsha quality to her. 3.5 stars, I felt sorry for the movie because I have complaining friends.  |  IP: Logged Jennifer Pan THE JEN! Posts: 1219 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: Nov 2003 posted 05-25-2007 12:41 AM                        Reminded me of Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind. Felt long and not really happy with the ending. It was an ok movie, just creeps me out... still kinda paranoid out now. There weren't major crazy elements. Just the thought of this stuff happening in life creeps me out and puts me on end. out of 5  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.