As a big fan of David Fincher (I gave him a mulligan for Alien3 and I let him off easy for Panic Room), and as someone who is interested in the mythology surrounding the Zodiac murders, I am looking forward to seeing Zodiac.

I recently read this New York Times article (found via Kottke) about David Fincher's authoritarian film making process. It's always very interesting to see how these guys work. Fincher seems to have everything outlined and storyboarded down to the last detail and he settles for nothing less than the exact execution of those ideas -- and this is something that has brought him heat from both studios and actors. But you have to respect his vision and guts. Very Hitchcockian. Though Fincher apparently has loosened up a little during the making of this film, Jake Gyllenhaal still seems to be whining about Fincher's uncompromising approach. I'll have to see the movie to see if he has a legitimate gripe.

Another interesting piece of information in that article relates to how Fincher has subdued his usually flashy visual style. Apparently Zodiac will rely less on cinematic effects and gimmicks and instead let the story take precedent over the presentation. Somewhat of a change for Fincher, but one could argue that it is welcome.

Finally, this film is accompanied by a very subtle and clever marketing campaign. While they probably should avoid putting up these fake wanted posters in Boston, I think it is the perfect way to promote the movie.

Zodiac comes out March 2nd. Check out the very in depth website -- especially the interactive time line. The movie is true to actual case files and facts, so there is plenty of information to dig through in preparation.