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It's Monday March the 19 around 6:49AM and

Zodiac and David Fincher's time machine to the late 60's

I thought for the 1,000th post on this blog (really? 1,000? I'm never going to get that time back. Also does this enshrine me as blog nerd? Sigh.) that I could talk about Zodiac, and director David Fincher. Last week a friend asked me to list my Top 5 directors working today. I felt like John Cusak in High Fidelity. Well. Fincher is on the list for sure although I'm not sure I could choose between him and Wes Anderson. Throw in Scorsese, Spielberg, and in that 5th spot I don't know - Coen Brother? Sam Mendes, Soderbergh, Alexander Payne, Spike Jonze, Ang Lee. Hard to say, and lists are lame.

Anyway. Where was I going? Zodiac. Right.

This film is good. Really good. Not only is it a change in direction for Fincher, it is just dead sexy. For 2 hours and 40 minutes you get taken back in time. Fincher rebuilds the past in ridiculous detail. Its a movie that doesn't go very far, and you already know how it ends - and yet, you hang on your seat anyway watching the cops and newspapermen get obsessed with the Zodiac killer.

Let me just run down how many things are amazing about this film: Anthony Edwards has the best hair piece, EVER. Robert Downey Jr. makes me want to roll down to Edward Chapman and get about 15 ascots/cravats. Seriously amazing. The smoking! Someone in my office this week claimed he was going to just start smoking at his desk. I think that is a great idea. The shout out to the Slinky on the TV set in one scene. Mark Ruffalo - who has the 2nd best outfits after Downey - eats Animal Crackers throughout the movie. I want some. Donovan's "Hurdy Gurdy Man". Overhead shots. Lots of overhead shots - particularly the one of the Golden Gate Bridge. Watching the building of the Transamerica Pyramid in seconds. Nods to blue girl drinks (a secret code on Gyllenhall?) and the hot Toddy. Brilliant. Although all of this was in jeapardy because the marketing people think this movie is Seven all over again. It's not.