—DAVID FINCHER
[FESTIVAL GUIDE]
“IF YOU HAVE A FUCKING CLUE AND A PASSION, PEOPLE WILL GET OUT OF YOUR WAY BECAUSE PEOPLE WANT SOMEONE TO FOLLOW.”
A DAVID FINCHER FILM FESTIVAL
[FESTIVAL GUIDE] [THE DIRECTOR] [THE FILMS] [THE FESTIVAL] [THE GOODS]
HEAD CASE
A DAVID FINCHER FILM FESTIVAL
A DAVID FINCHER FILM FESTIVAL
HEAD CASE
A DAVID FINCHER FILM FESTIVAL
“I HAVE DEMONS YOU CAN NOT EVEN IMAGINE” —
DAVID FINCHER
HEAD CASE
TABLE OF CONTENTS DIRECTOR
6–11 FINCHERLAND FILMOGRAPHY
FILMS
12–25 SE7EN THE GAME FIGHT CLUB
FESTIVAL
28–29 30–31 32–33 34–35 36–37 38–39
42–55 FINCHER TALKS: ONE SEVEN ANALYSIS THE GAME ANALYSIS FIGHT CLUB ANALYSIS
COLOPHON
14–17 18–21 22–25
26–39 THE SAENGER BLUEPRINT EATERIES THE MAP CRASH PADS ATTRACTIONS
GOODS
8–9 10–11
42–49 50–51 52–53 54–55
56–57 CREDITS
56-57
HEAD CASE
A DAVID FINCHER FILM FESTIVAL
THE DIRECTOR
HEAD CASE
FINCHERLAND
D
irector. Born on May 10, 1962, in Denver, Colorado. Known for
that featured a fetus smoking a cigarette inside the mother’s womb. This, of course,
his image-driven and often dark films, David Fincher is one of
became a very controversial ad, causing Fincher’s name to echo throughout the halls of
the most innovative and meticulous directors working today.
the entertainment industry. Never Fincher’s intent, but Fincher would agree, any press
He developed a love for film at an early age and started making
is good press.
movies after getting a Super 8 camera for his eighth birthday.
Working with the likes of Madonna, Don Henley, Aerosmith, and many others, Fincher
After seeing Fincher’s works, one would not be surprised to
became a successful director of music videos. Video after video, Fincher developed new
learn that his father was a professional writer and his mother
and innovative ways of film making.
a mental health nurse. Talk about influence. Growing up in Marin County, Fincher and
Along with other prolific directors such as Spike Jonze, David Lynch and Antoine Fuqua,
his friends were lucky enough to watch as George Lucas filmed American Graffiti in
(to name a few), Fincher helped found Propaganda Films in the mid-1980s, producing
the area, and Fincher even lived a few doors down from the famed director. After high
almost a third of all music videos in the U.S.
school, Fincher worked for Korty Films where he worked on the animated film Twice
On the big screen, Fincher made his directorial debut with Alien3 (1992). The sci-fi action
Upon a Time. He then joined the staff of Lucas’s special effects company, Industrial
film was a personal and professional disappointment. Starring Sigourney Weaver, the
Light and Magic. Here, Fincher honed his skills at using CGI to assist in amazing
film was the third installment of the successful series, but the project was experiencing
storytelling. The student quickly became the master.
problems before Fincher even signed on as director. Fincher told Entertainment Weekly
While at Industrial Light and Magic, Fincher worked on the box office hits Return of
in 1997 that he learned from the experience, “never to shoot a movie without a script,
the Jedi and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984). He eventually moved
and the more money you have the more trouble you’re likely to run into.” Fincher learns
on to making commercials, earning a reputation for his edgy work. One of his most
as his work teaches. Fincher is notorious for filming one scene over and over again until
notable projects was a public service announcement for the American Cancer Society
he deems it perfect. This is filmmaking 109. This is David Fincher.
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A DAVID FINCHER FILM FESTIVAL
“I have a philosophy about the two extremes of filmmaking. The first is the “Kubrick way,” where you’re at the end of an alley in which four guys are kicking the shit out of a wino. Hopefully, the audience members will know that such a scenario is morally wrong, even though it’s not presented as if the viewer is the one being beaten up; it’s more as if you’re witnessing an event. Inversely, there’s the “Spielberg way,” where you’re dropped into the middle of the action and you’re going to live the experience vicariously - not only through what’s happening, but through the emotional flow of what people are saying. It’s a much more involved style. I find myself attracted to both styles at different times, but mostly I’m interested in just presenting something and letting people decide for themselves what they want to look at.” —DAVID FINCHER
09
HEAD CASE
FILMOGRAPHY Aliens 3 Se7en The Game Fight Club Panic Room
1992 1995 1997 1999 2002
Zodiac
2007
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
2008
Social Network 
2010
10
A DAVID FINCHER FILM FESTIVAL
ALIENS 3
SE7EN
THE GAME
FIGHT CLUB
PANIC ROOM
ZODIAC
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE SOCIAL NETWORK
11
HEAD CASE
THE FILMS
A DAVID FINCHER FILM FESTIVAL
HEAD CASE
[
SE7EN
G
luttony. Greed. Sloth. Pride. Lust. Envy. Wrath. Both the seven
the murder scene. Putting the clues together (which no one else is able to do) Somerset
deadly sins and the basis for the best psychological, intelligent
predicts another five murders, based on the sins mentioned. Knowing the motive doesn’t
thriller of recent times. William Somerset (Morgan Freeman)
help that much though — the killer is far too clever, leaving clues which point the cops to
has existed in this anonymous city for decades, mostly on the
his next victim but don’t give anything away. The third sin, sloth, is graphically illustrated
homicide squad. The time for his (voluntary) retirement is fast
by a man tied to a bed; for a year! The power of the scene, in semi-darkness with Christmas
approaching, hence he is joined by his keen, young replacement
tree air-fresheners hanging from the ceiling, is immense.
David Mills (Brad Pitt) for his final week. Somerset has no
A lucky break for Mills and Somerset allows them to track down the serial killer leading
particular interest in hand-holding his enthusiastic partner, leading to friction as Mills
to an astonishingly intense, scary and gripping chase as they pursue the killer through
tries to prove his worth. Life is rarely that easy though, as we see when called to an
darkened passageways and rain-swept alleys. He slips from their grasp but not before we
unusual murder. In a small apartment a grossly fat man is slumped at a table, face
realize just how calm, resourceful and intelligent their opponent is. The rate of murders,
down in a plate of pasta sauce. By the lights of flickering torches (the lights never work
and the pace of the film, picks up as the killer indicates his feelings on ‘pride’ and ‘lust’.
in this film!) we see the distended veins covering his body, the ropes tying him to the
Somehow, though, he is just out of reach for the detectives as they frantically try to track
chair and the rows of tins of tomato sauce.
him down - with little success. That is until the killer walks in to their police-station, blood
Somerset suspects hidden depths to this motiveless homicide, who wouldn’t?, but asks
dripping from his fingers. Why? Somerset and Mills know that he’s toying with them but for
to be taken off of a case which could drag on forever. There is no escape for Somerset,
what purpose, with two murders to complete? With this build-up the finale is explosive,
of course. The next day a second corpse turns up - this time a rich, high-profile lawyer is
psychotic, manipulative and shocking in the extreme.
found with the word ‘greed’ written, in his own blood, on the floor next to him. Forensics turn up clues on the first murder leading Somerset to discover the word ‘gluttony’ at
14
A DAVID FINCHER FILM FESTIVAL
DISO RDER
DIAGNOSIS
DEFI NED
CASE NO.
SOCIOPATH A pervasive patte rn of disregard for, and viola tion of, the right s of othe rs that begin s in child hood or early adole scen ce and cont inues into adult hood .”
328 748 758275
MAIN CHARACTERS
BRAD PITT: DETECTIVE DAVID MILLS
MORGAN FREEMAN: DETECTIVE SOMERSET
KEVIN SPACEY: JOHN DOE
15
HEAD CASE
“YOUR NOT BUYING ALL THIS ARE YOU?” —DETECTIVE DAVID MILLS
A DAVID FINCHER FILM FESTIVAL
“DOESN'T SEEM LIKE OUR GUY DOES IT?” —DETECTIVE LT. WILLIAM SOMERSET
[
HEAD CASE
THE GAME
N
icholas Van Orton (Michael Douglas) is an extremely wealthy
Nicholas visits CRS where he undergoes a series of mental, physical, and psychological
San Francisco banker, living in an opulent estate just outside of
tests to make sure he can handle what they offer. In return, CRS agrees to customize the
the city. But Nicholas is not a happy man. He generally spends
adventure of a lifetime for Nicholas - as they do for famous and wealthy executives all
his time alone, the exception being when he spends time with
over the globe...
his clients brokering lucrative business deals. Nicholas even
But when strange things start to take place and those are followed by seemingly
spends his birthday alone, and on his forty-eighth birthday,
horrendous events, Nicholas must make use of his intellect and his instincts in order
Nicholas is forced to reflect on the fact that his father
to survive. Afraid the events are part of a misguiding sense of humor on the part of
committed suicide at the same age.
the employees at CRS, Nicholas arrives at their office building prepared to cancel the
But this year, Nicholas’s birthday takes an unexpected twist when his estranged
entertainment package. But to his dismay, the office space is vacant and the landlord has
younger brother Conrad (Sean Penn) arrives unannounced at the Van Orton estate.
never heard of CRS. Even worse, Nicholas finds out that every financial account he owns
A former drug addict involved in all sorts of nefarious schemes in the past, Nicholas
has been wiped clean and that a criminal organization has been pulling similar heists on
remains skeptical of the true reasons for his brother’s return. However, Conrad soon
wealthy industrialists all over the world. When Nicholas wants to turn for help he finds
manages to convince Nicholas that his only reason for returning is to give his lonely,
out that there is no one he can trust, and those he thinks are there for him quickly turn
boring brother a birthday present he’ll never forget. What exactly is the gift?
against him. Uncertain of his future, Nicholas sets out to get to the bottom of the truth,
It’s a very expensive entertainment package provided by a firm called Consumer
and in doing so, he finds out the truth about himself...
Recreation Services (CRS). Curious as to what sort of entertainment they provide,
18
A DAVID FINCHER FILM FESTIVAL
DISO RDER
DISORDER
DEFI NED
CASE NO.
PTSD Post-traumati c stres s disor der is a seve re anxie ty disor der that can develop after expo sure to any even t that results in psyc holog ical trauma.
385084754 87
MAIN CHARATCERS
MICHAEL DOUGLAS: NICHOLAS VAN ORTON
SEAN PENN: CONRAD VAN ORTON
DEBORAH KARA UNGER: CHRISTINE
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HEAD CASE
“WHAT FLOOR?” —NICHOLAS VAN ORTON
A DAVID FINCHER FILM FESTIVAL
HEAD CASE
[ FIGHT CLUB
T
he narrator, Jack (Edward Norton) is an automobile company
Marla eventually meets Tyler and the two embark upon a sexual relationship that Jack does
employee who travels to accident sites to perform product recall
not like. Under Tyler’s leadership, the fight club starts committing increasingly destructive
cost appraisals. Suffering from insomnia, his doctor suggests
acts of anti-capitalist vandalism in the city. The fight club becomes a network for Project
that he visit a support group for testicular cancer victims in order
Mayhem. After a member of Project Mayhem dies on a mission, Jack attempts to shut down
to appreciate real suffering. Attending the group, Jack feels
the project. Tracing Tyler’s steps, he travels the country to find that fight clubs are now in
distraught at the condition of these ill fated people and breaks
every major city, where one of the participants identifies HIM as Tyler Durden. A phone call
down. Now able to sleep soundly, Jack subsequently fakes more
to Marla confirms his identity and he realizes that Tyler is his alter ego. Out of thin air, Tyler
illnesses to attend other support groups in order to get out his pent up emotions. His
appears before Jack and explains that he controls Jack’s body whenever Jack is asleep.
routine is disrupted when he notices another impostor, Marla Singer (Helena Bonham
To much to take in, Jack faints. Awaking hours later, Jack traces Tyler’s plans to destroy
Carter), at the same meetings and his insomnia returns. On a flight home from a
the headquarters of several major credit card companies. Failing to find help with the
business trip, Jack meets Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), an eccentric soap salesman seated
police, Jack attempts to disarm the explosives in the basement of one of the buildings.
next to him. Jack is fascinated with Tyler’s take on life. An strong impression is made.
He is confronted by Tyler, knocked unconscious, and taken to witness the impending
Arriving home to find his apartment destroyed by an explosion, Jack calls Tyler and
destruction. Jack, held by Tyler at gunpoint, realizes that in sharing the same body with
meets him at a bar. Tyler agrees to let him stay at his home on one condition, that the he
Tyler, he is the one who is actually holding the gun and fires a shot into his mouth, through
hit him. Jack complies and the two end up enjoying an emotionless fist fight outside the
the cheek, without killing himself. The illusion of Tyler collapses with an exit wound to the
bar. Jack eventually moves into Tyler’s dilapidated house where they conjure up plans
back of his head. Shortly after, members of Project Mayhem bring a kidnapped Marla to
to start a ‘Fight Club’, made up of other men who feel their lives are lost.
Jack. The two hold hands and witness the destruction of the entire financial city block through the windows.
22
A DAVID FINCHER FILM FESTIVAL
DISO RDER
DIAGNOSIS
DEFI NED
CASE NO.
SCHIZOPHRENIA A ment al disor der characterized by a disintegration of the process of think ing and of emotional responsiveness.
384756383304
MAIN CHARACTERS
BRAD PITT: TYLER DURDEN
EDWARD NORTON: THE NARRATOR
HELEN BONHAM CARTER: MARLA SINGER
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HEAD CASE
“I WANT YOU TO DO ME A FAVOR. I WANT YOU
TO HIT ME AS HARD AS YOU CAN.” —TYLER DURDEN
HEAD CASE
A DAVID FINCHER FILM FESTIVAL
THE FESTIVAL
HEAD CASE
[ THE SAENGER
T
he Saenger Theatre first opened on February 4, 1927. Originally it
to their list that December. In 1978, the Saenger was sold at or around $1 million to
was a 4,000 seat-theatre, which took three years to build and wound
E.B. Breezeale, who invested $3 million in renovations (along with other investors Zev
up costing $2.5 million. When the historic theatre opened it inspired
Bufman and Barry Mendelson) to convert the building into a performing arts center. One
people to parade down Canal Street. At the time tickets cost at most
other co-investor by the name of Pace Management stepped in and was hired to run the
.65 cents. What you got for your money was a silent movie and stage
Saenger. In 1980 the Saenger Theatre made a comeback reopening with a reduction in
play. (Produced by the Paramount-Publix Corporation), as well as,
seating of 2,736. Big names appeared on the mezzanine for this event, such as Johnnie
music from the Saenger Grand Orchestra.
Carson, who did a show on the opening night. In 1983 the band Styx, while on their Kilroy
Emile Weil, the Architect, designed the interior in reflection of the Italian Baroque
Was Here tour, recorded and filmed their two performances for the Caught in the Act film.
courtyard. The first installation was the 150 lights placed in the ceiling of the
The Saenger was purchased from Breazeale by the Saenger Theatre Partnership, Ltd., in
main room, which were arranged to simulate the constellations. The Saenger also
1985. It was not until the summer of 2002 that the Saenger brought back its true purpose.
implemented special effect machines that projected images of sunrises, moving clouds
The Saenger started by showing three classic movies (Some Like It Hot, The Wizard of Oz,
and sunsets that moved about its interior. The Theatre was sold in 1929 by Julian
and Gone with the Wind) to celebrate its 75th anniversary. The Summer Classic Movie
Saenger for 10 million dollars to Paramount Publix, the theatre was able to operate well
Series became a mainstay for the next three years.
during the great depression under this new regime. Paramount converted the theatre,
In September of 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, more specifically New Orleans.
in 1933, into “talking pictures” only. It was in 1964 that ABC Interstate Theatres bought
The Saenger Theatre suffered extensive amounts of water damage. The water level rose
the Saenger and converted the one into two. ABC, turned the upper seats into, Saenger
to a foot over the stage, filling the lower lying areas of the theatre. The administrative
Orleans Theatre. September 29, 1977 dubbed a historic landmark by the New Orleans
offices of the building and the theatre’s box office suffered extensive water damage.
Landmark Commission. The National Register of Historic Places added the theatre
Photos of the theatre were immediately taken after the storm made it seem as though
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A DAVID FINCHER FILM FESTIVAL
the Canal Street Marquee was damaged. However, during the storm the acrylic glass had been removed, in the fear that it would become flying debris. In 2009 it was announced by New Orleans officials that the Canal Street Development Corp., a city agency, who in turn leased the theatre to the Saenger Theatre Partnership, Ltd. for the next 52 years. Certain stipulations were made with the deal. The Partnership must show 80 show and sell 100,000 tickets a year. The bond between the two organizations brought about $15 million in federal grants, credits at both state and federal levels, and private financing of a $38.8 million restoration. The primary focus of restoring the theatre is to return it to its original state. This includes stripping away the new paint and revealing the original color scheme, using historical photography to complement the hardware such as the doors, the light fixtures, and windows. The original floor plan is in the works and that means removing any and all new added pieces. In addition to the restoration project, certain upgrades will be made to the building. The adjacent building 1101 Canal St. will become a restaurant, equipped with restrooms and the box office. The theatre stage will be enlarged by forty percent and central air conditioning is to be added. All and any modern updates will adhere to a strict set of guidelines placed down by the various groups one being the National Park Service. In October of 2009 the marquee was relighted to emphasize the Saengers rebirth. The marquee will remain on till the grand opening in the fall of 2011.
29
HEAD CASE
[
BLUE PRINT
N
ew Orleans is quickly on the rise to becoming a mainstay in
the film industry today. It came as no surprise then, when the HEAD CASE: A DAVID FINCHER FILM FESTIVAL, was announced and that it would be held in the great and upcoming
DECEMBER 29TH: OPENING EVENING 4:30 PM
DAVID FINCHER AND BRAD PITT EVENT PRESENTATION.
city. What was even more spectacular was the location that
took on the responsibility of hosting it. The Saenger Theatre is a New Orleans treasure, which is currently going through a
transformation as a part of the rebirth of the city, due to Katrina. The festival will be a three day event held at the historic Saenger Theatre at 801 N. Rampart St. Participants can expect to see David Fincher films as this is a celebration of his work. The festival will also contain several Q&A sessions with the stars of the films, such as, Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey and many more. As the festival will not be happening feel free to explore the many amazing attractions the city has to offer. There is a great deal of history to be absorbed from the local area. Also you will find no short supply of food seasoned and cooked to perfection. The most important thing is to explore and have a great time here in the city and at the festival!
5:00 PM SUSHI DINNER. 6:00 PM SHOWING OF “THE GAME.” 8:30 PM Q&A WITH DAVID FINCHER & MICHAEL DOUGLAS.
30
A DAVID FINCHER FILM FESTIVAL
DECEMBER 30TH: ONWARD 6:00 PM SEAFOOD DINNER. 6:30 PM Q&A WITH ANDREW KEVIN WALKER (SCREEN WRITER). 7:00 PM SHOWING OF “SEVEN.” 9:00 PM Q&A WITH DAVID FINCHER, BRAD PITT, MORGAN FREEMAN & KEVIN SPACEY.
DECEMBER 31: WRAPPING UP 8:30 PM Q&A WITH TRENT RESNOR. 9:00 PM TRENT RESNOR PERFORMANCE. 9:45 PM FINGER FOODS & DESSERTS. 10:00 PM SHOWING OF “FIGHT CLUB.” 12:00 AM Q&A WITH DAVID FINCHER, BRAD PITT, EDWARD NORTON & HELENA BONHAM CARTER.
31
HEAD CASE
[ EATERIES
W
hile in town for the festival you will be challenged to find bad food. The truth is that you will not find it. The festival will be serving you food, however you would be mistaken not to venture around and try the local grub. New Orleans puts perfection into seafood with its large servings and great seasoning they are second to none. As many of you will be staying
in the downtown or French Quarter all one needs to do is step down the street to find what they need.
The following restaurants we have listed are some of the best and oldest in the city. However, these are only the tip of the iceberg. We had to start you off in the right direction. Make sure to get to as many as you can while in the city on or off the list. Try any of these any I can say with assurance you will not be disappointed. Do not fill up too much as there will be food at the festival served each night!
GALATOIRE'S 209 Bourbon St. New Orleans, LA 70130 504.525.2021
IRENE'S CAFE 539 St. Phillip St. New Orleans, LA 70130 504.529.8811
G.W. FINS 808 Bienville St. New Orleans, LA 70112 504.581.3467
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A DAVID FINCHER FILM FESTIVAL
ANTOINE'S RESTAURANT 713 Saint Louis St. New Orleans, LA 70112 504.581.4422
MOTHERS 401 Poydras St. New Orleans, LA 70112 504.523.9656
PORT OF CALL 838 Esplanade Ave. New Orleans, LA 70116 504.523.0120
OCEANAS 739 Conti St. New Orleans, LA 70130 504.525.6002
BRENNANS 417 Royal St. New Orleans, LA 70130 504.525.9711
THE NAPOLEAN HOUSE 500 Chartres St. New Orleans, LA 70130 504.524.9752
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HEAD CASE
A DAVID FINCHER FILM FESTIVAL
FIND YOUR WAY TO THE FESTIVAL
HEAD CASE
[ CRASH PADS
A
s the Head Case David Fincher Film Festival is a three day event you will be needeing sleeping accomodations. New Orleans comes equipped with a number of beautiful and historic hotels that are laced through the CBD into the French Quarter and over to the Marigny. Many of the hotels in the city are quite old and have there own stories to be told. Each one has a restaraunt in or attached to it and right outside the door is a great city to explore. The following list of Hotels I have put together are primarily located in or are around the French Quarter area. You can find the information for each below the name. Contact these hotels night or day to make your reservations for the days you will be in town. As this is the city that never sleeps, stops eating, or celebrating so its a safe assumption that you will spend more time outside your room than in it. Make sure to book well in advance as the festival is nearing. Rooms have already started to fill for other such events, Christmas, New Year’s etc.
MAISON DUPUY 1001 Toulouse St. New Orleans, LA 70112 504.586.8000
BOURBON ORLEANS 717 Orleans St. New Orleans, LA 70116 504.584.5399
ROYAL SONESTA 300 Bourbon St. New Orleans, LA 70130 504.586.0300
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A DAVID FINCHER FILM FESTIVAL
THE FRENCHMAN HOTEL 417 Frenchman St. New Orleans, LA 70116 504.581.4422
LE PAVILLON 833 Poydras St. New Orleans, LA 70112 504.581.3111
PLACE D'ARMES 625 Saint Ann St New Orleans, LA 70116-3287 (504) 524-4531
HOTEL PROVINCIAL 1024 Chartres St. New Orleans, LA 70116 504.585.4995
OMNI ROYAL ORLEANS 621 Saint Louis St. New Orleans, LA 70140 504.529.5333
HOTEL MONTELEONE 214 Royal St. New Orleans, LA 70130 504.523.3341
37
HEAD CASE
[
ATTRACTIONS
N
ew Orleans is one of the oldest cities in the country and with
age comes history. During the day time make sure to explore the area. New Orleans has a great number of attractions that
MUSEE CONTI WAX MUSEUM
are interspersed through out the downtown and french quarter
917 Conti St.
area. One very interesting place to visit is the Cabildo museum.
New Orleans, LA 70112
It was here that the Louisiana Purchase was signed. It is a
504.581.1993
beautiful building that lies in Jackson Square next to the St
Louis Cathedral. However, this is only one of many places you must see while in town. The list to the right is only a few hotspots to check. Also at night sleeping does not usually take place till the sun begins to rise so make sure to explore all the night life has to offer. There are plenty of bars and clubs that host live entertainment. The famous Bourrbon Street plays host to some of the most popular bars in the city.
OLD U.S. MINT 400 Esplanade St. New Orleans, LA 70116 504.568.6965
STEAMBOAT NATCHEZ 400 N. Peters St., Suite 203 New Orleans, LA 70130 (504) 586-8777
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A DAVID FINCHER FILM FESTIVAL
VOODOO MUSEUM 724 Dumaine St. New Orleans, LA 70116 504.680.0128
THE 1850'S HOUSE 523 Saint Ann St. New Orleans, LA 70116 504.524.9118
THE CABILDO 701 Chartres St. New Orleans, LA 70116 504.568.6968
FRENCH MARKET 1008 N Peters St. # 3 New Orleans, LA 70116 (504) 522-2621
JACKSON SQUARE 751 Decatur St. New Orleans, LA 70181
THE NEW ORLEANS JAZZ NATIONAL HISTORIC PARK 916 N Peters St. New Orleans, LA 70116 (504) 589-4841
39
HEAD CASE
THE GOODS
A DAVID FINCHER FILM FESTIVAL
HEAD CASE
[ FINCHER TALKS
D
avid Fincher sometimes slips into theaters for early screenings
see as much as you remember.
of his movies and listens for the gasps and laughs. He
Maybe he’s a bit misunderstood because of it, this guy who makes movies about a
sometimes stands outside on opening night and watches the
killer carving up people for a Bible lesson on the deadly sins or frustrated men beating
expressions of those coming out. And sometimes the critiques
the crap out of one another for fun. But while he doesn’t mind filming a good, blood-
come to him. “I don’t have the Tom Hanks fans,” he says.
spattering punch to the face, the question for Fincher is not one of quantity, but of intent.
“When you make the kind of movies I make, you get weird
“You can do something that walks a line, and invariably, whatever that line is, it will be
letters from people.” They say, Seven was my idea. That sort
crossed by people who don’t know any better and want to ape the success,” he says.
of thing. And all the noncrazy types have comments, too, when talk at a cocktail
“People say, ‘Wow, Seven’s about degradation, and it made some money.’ I don’t mean
party turns to work, to his movies, and a Beverly Hills wife wants to tell him what
this as high-minded or artistic, but it does, I think, walk a fairly tasteful line.”
she really thinks. You have no right. It’s not good to show Gwyneth Paltrow’s head
He’s still walking that line, this time with the story of the Zodiac killer, who shot and
in a box, she’ll say. It’s unnecessary.
stabbed several people around the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1960s. Like Seven,
I didn’t do that.
the movie downplays the killer’s “wet work,” as Fincher calls it. “I want to make a movie
No, I saw it.
that has enough impact that it’s going to do what it needs to do,” he says. “But I don’t
Uh, no. You’re wrong.
want to make a film that serial killers masturbate to.”
Those conversations heat up because Fincher, known for directing dark,
Slashing and screams can be scary. But far more disturbing for Fincher is the aftermath,
hyperstylized movies, has little patience for the ignorant. But such comments also
seeing a killer take stock of his work, wash his hands, mop the floor, plan the rest of his
tell him he’s getting through, making his audience work for him and fill in the gaps,
day. And more disturbing still is the unknown. Think of Jeffrey Dahmer eating people
imagining what isn’t there. Watch Seven again, look for the violence, and you won’t
in his apartment, with his neighbors none the wiser. “For me, the scariest thing about
42
A DAVID FINCHER FILM FESTIVAL
a serial killer is that there’s somebody who lives next door to you,” Fincher says, “running power tools late into the night, and you don’t know he has a refrigerator full of penises.” Okay, but still, it must be said: David Fincher’s are vastly entertaining. He is a reluctant standard-bearer for the darkness of our inner lives, but he has become a standard-bearer nonetheless. This is notable because he has made but six movies, including two about serial killers (Seven, Zodiac), two portraits of abject paranoia (The Game, Panic Room), and one genuine work of art, Fight Club, for which he was called a sadist. His reputation, then, is much larger than his resume. And for making the kinds of movies that he makes, he seems like a very happy man. Untortured, unbothered, unguarded, socially adept. Friendly. Kind. Nice guy. Doesn’t seem to have an inflated sense of his own importance. Of course, the very fact of David Fincher’s own normalcy tends to support his basic theory of life and alienation and art: “As much as people pretend ‘I fit in, I understand, I get the rules,’ there are always times spent away from that where you go, ‘I thought I knew. It seemed so clear to me, and then . . .’ That sense of loneliness, or the sense of not fitting in or being out of depth,
is probably the most common denominator,” he says.
tweaking and trimming, and next week he’ll be in New Orleans shooting
Behind his desk in his Hollywood office hangs a seventies-style oil
his next movie, but right now he’s just chilling. He seems too laid-back for
painting of waves crashing on a beach with the words pitiless purity dude
the Teutonic minimalist chic of his office, with its cement floors and bare
superimposed across the scene in huge white letters that shrink toward
walls and skylight twenty feet above casting pale light through the room.
the horizon. It seems like a declaration of principles. And you might expect
His massive wooden slab of a desk, three feet wide and ten feet long, is
Fincher to be cynical, brooding. He laughs at this, then responds rather
clutter free, save for a pile of scripts and binders marked confidential. Of
seriously that he’s not cynical; he’s just realistic. “Entertainment has to
course, he has stacks of coffee-table film books—Hitchcock, Kubrick,
come hand in hand with a little bit of medicine,” he says. “Some people
European cinema. On the back wall hang several small photographs of his
go to the movies to be reminded that everything’s okay. I don’t make those
teenage daughter. Parked next to the Zodiac poster is his Segway scooter,
kinds of movies. That, to me, is a lie. Everything’s not okay.”
and parked under the TV are his Xbox and PlayStation. He has several
He says this with a smile on his face, not wry or ironic but sweet. He
games, some driving, some shooting, but he plays just one: Madden 2007.
pauses, closes his eyes, and tilts his head back. Fincher is deliberate and
The only reading material in his bathroom is Madden NFL 07: The Official
specific in speech. He measures his words. He works his fingers into his
Guide. “I like the idea of football as chess,” he says. “I love the strategery.”
temples, then presses his thumbs over his eyes, building thoughts the way
But playing Madden is fun, and directing movies isn’t. He says his job is
he constructs his mental scenes, laying out his plans. He opens his eyes.
like four- dimensional chess, and he finds it painful and frustrating and
“You have a responsibility for the way you make the audience feel,” he says,
too wrought with compromise. “I do films because I love films, because
“and I want them to feel uncomfortable.”
otherwise it would just be too damn hard, too painful. It’s just too awful,”
It’s not easy to reconcile the guy who says that with this dude who
he says.
makes movies, wearing a T-shirt and corduroys, feet kicked up on a table,
At forty-four, he is a middle-aged dad with a longtime girlfriend who is also
letting the unreturned calls pile up, answering an e-mail an hour, pecking
his line producer. He watches football on weekends, a little indulgence,
the letters with index fingers, easygoing, unpretentious, happy. Well,
and doesn’t exercise as much as he’d like. Gray is spreading through his
not totally happy. He didn’t sleep last night. He’s still finishing Zodiac,
goatee. His hair’s thinner and his body thicker. But his eyes counter those
43
HEAD CASE
“I HAVE MANY, MANY FRIENDS WHO ARE VICE-PRESIDENTS AND PRESIDENTS OF PRODUCTION AT MOVIE STUDIOS, AND THEY NEVER UNDERSTAND THIS VERY SIMPLE THING: MY NAME'S GOING TO BE ON IT. YOUR NAME'S NOT ON IT.” benchmarks of age. They are the eyes of the young, the curious, and the questioning.
Fincher dispatches the victims quickly and without melodrama, the violence stark
His creative interests run wide, same as when he was a boy, making fake blood,
but brief, which clears the way to explore the Zodiac’s other victims, the people who
building models and blowing them up. Now he wants to make video games and
wrecked their lives trying to catch him, which they never do. Absent is Fincher’s hallmark
an opera, turn Fight Club into a musical, and make an adult cartoon. Not that kind.
darkness, the constant rain or dripping water, the impossible roller-coaster camera
A computer-generated animated movie for grown-ups. This town is the place for
movements with shots that move through floors or keyholes. He puts away the tricks
that, with all its quirkiness and artistic energy. “Hollywood is great. I also think it’s
and makes way for the actors, building a world that supports their work. This, a talking
stupid and small-minded and shortsighted,” he says. “I’m sure there are people who
movie, is new territory for a man who says he doesn’t much care what people have
get into movies so they can get nice tables at restaurants.” Do you get nice tables? No. Do you ask for nice tables? No.
to say. “If you want to see what someone is about, you look at what people do,” he says. “What they say is how they want to be seen.”
For his eighth birthday he told his parents he’d like a BB gun or an 8mm camera,
Fincher wants truth, or as near as he can get. “There is no truth after thirty-five years.
knowing he’d never get the gun. So he got the camera, which led to backyard movies,
There are only varying degrees of falsehoods,” he says. “So how do we make it true
which led to movie grunt work, which led to dozens of music videos for the biggest
to an experience?” Many scenes were shot around San Francisco, at the original
names, back when people still watched music videos and talked about them as
locations. Four actors play the Zodiac in various attacks, based on widely varying
something special, which led here, where he wanted to be all along, making his
descriptions from witnesses. Fincher and his crew met with many of the people involved
movies his way.
in the case, including the two surviving victims and many of the cops who investigated
And while Fincher says he wants to expose truths, he’s not overly concerned with
the crimes. “This is a real story. Real people really got hurt,” he says. “There are terrible
deeper messages. He readily acknowledges the absence of the profound in movies
fallouts from these murders, and it didn’t seem right to turn it into a video game and put
like The Game, with Michael Douglas running for his life in what turns out to be an
the audience in the stalker’s head. We’re responsible to the people.”
elaborate birthday present, or Jodie Foster spending a night holed up in a room in a
Fincher was a kid then, in the Bay Area. He and the other first graders talked about the
house under assault by a gang of thieves in Panic Room. “You can either look at your
Zodiac on the playground. The stories grew and grew. “It was really scary,” he says. “He
career as the things that you’re going to leave behind, and they have to be extremely
was the ultimate bogeyman.” Fincher saw sheriff’s cars tailing his school bus. Some
precious and they have to be executed flawlessly and you have to know exactly what
parents started driving their kids to school. You know, police cars are following our
it is that you’re doing,” he says. “Or you can be realistic about the fact that you’re
buses, Fincher told his father. Well, his father said, you should know that a man who
going to learn as you practice what you do.”
has murdered a handful of people has sent a letter to the Chronicle saying he plans next
He looks back now on some of his work and winces, embarrassed, and maybe he’ll
to take a high-power rifle and shoot out the tires of a school bus and kill the children.
feel the same about this movie. “Who knows?” he says. “Zodiac might be a Dubious
Uh-huh. Fincher stared at his father. “And I kept thinking, You know, you have a car, you
Achievement next year. It might be better to call it in advance. Does it hurt less if you
could give us a ride to school. You’re a freelance magazine writer. There’s really nothing
predict it?”Of course, this is the self-deprecation of the successful. He knows what
to stop you,” he says. “I remember being kind of appalled. My parents didn’t seem that
he can do, he says, and doesn’t much care about critics. And besides, in the end, his
concerned about my well-being.”
explanations, interpretations, and justifications matter little. “The movie will speak
So he’s been at this for thirty-six years, since he asked for the camera, which came after
for me whether I want it to or not,” he says. And with a movie like Seven to his credit,
watching a behind-the-scenes of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. “Prior to seeing
another serial-killer film brings certain expectations.
that, I just assumed that movies took place in real time,” he says. But they were filming
As a killer, Fincher calls the Zodiac an underachiever. He’s credited with five victims,
train robberies and shoot-outs and blowing up balsa-wood trains at locations across the
though he may have many more. But what made him special was his marketing
West. “It never occurred to me that you could infer this whole world, putting together
campaign: He named himself, announced his crimes, and taunted police with notes
the pieces. It was just revelatory,” he says. “And that’s pretty much when I made
masked by complex cryptograms. Several local newspapers printed the letters, and
up my mind. If you want to be happy, you’ve got to direct movies.”
the people fell into fits of paranoia, waiting for the Zodiac to kill again.
44
A DAVID FINCHER FILM FESTIVAL
In Fincher’s version of the early-seventies San Francisco Bay Area, movies are king. Coppola’s making The Godfather, with Michael Corleone standing there talking to his girlfriend. Fincher can’t get enough. He and his friends hang out on Fourth Street in San Rafael and watch Lucas shoot American Graffiti, and they make movies based on shows like The Six Million Dollar Man. Kids are always working in movies as extras and reading Super 8 Filmmaker magazine. “In my neighborhood, none of my friends ever looked at the film industry as this thing you couldn’t do, couldn’t dream of, because that was Hollywood, and you had to have all these different skill sets. It was like, There’s this guy with a beard who comes down in his bathrobe every morning to pick up his Independent Journal. So why not?” The bearded man was George Lucas, two doors down. By eighteen, Fincher was doing visual effects on an animated movie called Twice Upon a Time. During lunch he’d find a way to eat with the producers, pitching them ideas. “He’d use his hands and tell a story, and everyone at the table would be completely silent listening to him describe this movie idea he had floating around in his head,” says Ren Klyce, who
met Fincher on the movie and has done frequent sound work for him since,
Cameron’s Aliens, the studio expected big returns, and, as Fincher says,
including for Zodiac. “He had this knack at eighteen to hold court in a very
money makes people fucking crazy. Long before he showed up, the project
creative manner and suck people in.”
was in trouble. Directors and writers had come and gone. No one could
Fincher worked for Lucas at Industrial Light & Magic on special effects for
agree on a story line. Space? Earth? A planet made of wood inhabited
Return of the Jedi and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. In the early
by monks? (Seriously.) They settled on a maximum-security prison on a
eighties he directed his first commercial, an American Cancer Society ad
desolate planet. Sigourney Weaver’s Lieutenant Ellen Ripley crash-lands
warning about the dangers of smoking during pregnancy. Fincher showed
there with an alien baby in her belly. Fincher was a twenty-seven-year-
a fetus smoking in the womb. The commercial created huge buzz for its
old music-video director, taking over a $60 million movie with a crew of
shock value, and that led to music videos, more elaborate versions of the
hundreds and no script. It was the biggest budget ever given to a first-time
short movies he’d set to songs in junior high. “Then all the sudden there’s
director. “They probably hired me because they wanted someone to push
this thing called MTV, and I’m going, Fuck, I know how to do that,” Fincher
around,” he says. “That was a bad situation. I don’t respond well to that.”
says. “That’s actually all I know how to do.”
He shot the movie, arguments were had, and feelings were hurt. Fifteen
Through the eighties and nineties he directed dozens of videos for Rick
years later, the debate continues. Internet message boards overflow with
Springfield, the Outfield, Loverboy, Paula Abdul, Sting, and Michael
praise and vitriol: those who say he turned a disaster into a decent movie
Jackson. He’s best known for his videos for Madonna’s “Vogue” and
and those who say he single-handedly ruined the Alien franchise. Fincher
“Express Yourself” and the Rolling Stones’ “Love Is Strong,” which won him a Grammy in 1994. But Fincher loves film, and he directed commercials and videos because no one said come make a movie for us. He learned
calls it a clusterfuck. But he learned from it. Why does he micromanage, why is he combative? Alien 3. “I have many, many friends who are vice-presidents and presidents
technique and style and how to manage a crew. When the movie bigwigs
of production at movie studios, and they never understand this very simple
did call, Fincher thought he was ready. What followed was utter misery.
thing: My name’s going to be on it. Your name’s not on it,” he says. “Your
When people talk about Fincher’s movies, they usually start with Seven
point of view is as valid as any member of the audience. But it’s a different
and skip right over Alien 3. Following Ridley Scott’s Alien and James
thing when your name’s on it, when you have to wear it for the rest of your
45
HEAD CASE
“WHAT I'M REALLY ALWAYS TRYING TO DO IS GET RID OF THE THINGS THAT ARE TAKING ME OUT OF FEELING A CERTAIN WAY OR CAUSING ME TO THINK IN ANOTHER DIRECTION.” life, when it’s on a DVD and it’s hung around your fucking neck. It’s your albatross.”
the scenes and actors. “When you make trailers, you constantly have to do this to the
Fincher gets along well enough with the studios. They give him handsome
audience,” Fincher says, and starts jabbing a finger into my shoulder. “You watching?
budgets— $70 million for Zodiac and $150 million for the film he’s shooting now—
You still watching?” “Have you seen the Shining trailer?” he asks. No.
and he’s widely respected. “He’s just scary smart, sort of smarter than everyone
“Dude, you gotta see this.”
else in the room,” says producer Laura Ziskin. “There’s just a handful of those people
He pulls up a video on his computer screen, a farcical trailer for The Shining. Instead of
who know absolutely everything about the process. They could do everyone’s job
pitching a psychological thriller, the trailer twists it into a popcorn flick, anchored by a
brilliantly. Every aspect is under their control.”
feel-good-movie voice-over: “Meet Jack Torrance. He’s a writer looking for inspiration.
He can be a brutish ascetic, denying himself the extravagance of letting stories
Meet Danny. He’s a kid looking for a dad.” So they come together, the new family. Peter
unfold, approaching them as intricate mathematical problems: one method, one
Gabriel’s “Solsbury Hill” starts in, and the once ominous drive up the mountain to the
answer. “Editing David’s film is like putting together a Swiss watch,” says Angus
hotel becomes the beginning of a happy life together.
Wall, the editor on Zodiac. “All the pieces are so beautifully machined. He’s incredibly
They should have made a trailer like that for Fight Club, Fincher says, should have used
specific. He never settles. And there’s a purity that shows in his work.”
“Solsbury Hill.” At least that would have captured more of what he saw as the point of the
“There’s what he thinks is right, and there’s little else,” Ziskin says. “If you have
movie, summed up by Edward Norton’s character in the film’s last line: “You met me at a
a difference of opinion, he’ll listen politely, then tell you in no uncertain terms
very strange time in my life.” Instead, the trailer pushes the idea of expressing yourself
how completely wrong you are.”
through the catharsis of violence. “We don’t have confidence in people understanding
Ziskin first worked with Fincher on Fight Club, where they sometimes sparred over
what this is, and we certainly don’t have confidence in our ability to lay it out there in
the budget. Then came the abortion argument. In an early cut of the film screened for
three words or less. So here’s what we’re going to sell. We’re going to take Fight Club
test audiences, Brad Pitt’s Tyler Durden rolls off Helena Bonham Carter’s Marla, who
and we’re going to turn it into: ‘It’s a movie about people who hit people.’
says, postcoital, “I want to have your abortion.” The audience laughed, but Ziskin,
“Well, it’s a movie about people who hit themselves. They’re looking for ways
hard to offend, was aghast. The studio was already nervous about spending more
to feel again,” he says. “There was a malaise and frustration and sadness that that
than $60 million on such an unconventional movie. You have to change the line, she
movie had at its core. And they say, Oh, no, no, no, whoa, whoa, whoa. People. People
told Fincher. That’s too much. He agreed, so long as the new line stayed. He wouldn’t
who hit people. That’s what this is. And I can’t help you there. I don’t think like that.
shoot a third time. Fine, she said. Anything else. Now Marla flops off Tyler and says,
Do people like ambiguity? I guess not anymore. Do I like ambiguity? Yeah, I guess I
“I haven’t been fucked like that since grade school.”
do. Is that going to come into conflict? Probably.”
He has learned which fights are worthwhile and which ones are wasted breath,
To minimize these annoyances, Fincher still makes commercials, earning money that
like arguing with the movie marketers. Invited to a test screening of Seven, guests
brings freedom to be extra picky in his movie choices. The commercials also serve as
were told the movie starred Brad Pitt—Legends of the Fal—and Morgan Freeman—
his sandbox time to work out new techniques. After Panic Room in 2002, he did four
Driving Miss Daisy. Recounting this on Seven’s director’s commentary, Fincher
commercials digitally, including a Hewlett-Packard ad shot against green screens in
giggles. “They couldn’t have been more offended,” he says. “You couldn’t molest
which the scene changes every seven frames as a man walks through an office. By
the audience more than to promise Legends of the Fall and Driving Miss Daisy then
Zodiac, he was ready to shoot without film, which streamlines the process and trims
to unleash this on them. They’d just been gang-raped.”
fixed costs. Most directors shoot about seven hundred thousand feet for a movie. Fincher
“There’s this fear of being punished for selling something in any way other than
shot the equivalent of 1.3 million for Zodiac, all of it stored in a six-foot Apple tower—a
how things are sold,” he says. “The problem with that is you’re saying to the
virtual warehouse accessible to the picture and sound editors and the visual-effects crew.
audience, ‘Don’t worry, this is one of those. It’s not something other than what
His new movie draws heavily on his new techniques. People have talked for years about
you’ve experienced before. It’s a Quarter Pounder with cheese, medium fries, and a
making The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, an adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald
vanilla shake. That’s what it is.’ And then when it isn’t that, people come out of the
story about a man who’s born as a seventy-year-old baby and ages backward. But
theater and say, Screw that, they told me it was going to be x.” Movie trailers really
technology lagged behind the demands of the story line. Fincher thinks he’s got it now.
piss him off, with every trailer urgently pitching the same movie, just switching
Instead of using different actors for Benjamin Button and asking the audience to make
46
A DAVID FINCHER FILM FESTIVAL
“I HAVEN'T BEEN FUCKED LIKE THAT SINCE GRADE SCHOOL” the mental leap, he will be played at almost every age by Brad Pitt, with his head put onto other actors’ bodies. Fincher plays a demo scene, and it’s a little freaky and utterly believable. A man sits at a table tapping a spoon, and then the head changes. Same scene, same body, but a new head, flawlessly switched. When Benjamin is aged and decrepit—or young and decrepit, in this case—the role will be played by a smaller actor. The same scene will be reshot with Pitt playing Benjamin. The movements of both actors’ faces will be tracked, with Pitt’s replacing the original. That’s the plan at least. “I sure hope we’re right,” he says. “Or it’s going to be terrible.” After a morning spent laying out the geometry of every shot for Benjamin Button, Fincher’s picking minor rolls and body doubles, watching audition tapes, and flipping through a pile of head shots, checking resumes on the backs. “This girl played Giggling Coed?” he says. “I can’t believe this is Giggling Coed.”
“I know,” Laray Mayfield says. “Amazing, right?” She’s worked for Fincher for twenty years, since starting as his assistant. “Is he too handsome?” Fincher says, holding up another glossy photo. “I’m just worried that he’s a little modelly. We’ll just scruff him up and make
You’re going to play this part, and it’s my job to make sure that everything around you and everything you’re going to come in contact with and every person you’re going to be speaking with supports what you’re doing.” Some actors appreciate this and say so. Others no doubt feel confined but
him look as bad as he’s ever looked.”
stay quiet because they need to keep working. And then there’s R. Lee
The last one was too cute, this one too well fed. “He needs to be gaunt,”
Ermey, who played the police captain in Seven and the drill instructor in
Fincher says. “He’s gotta get gaunt.” “I told him that, and he’s lost thirty
Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket, where he helped create much of the
pounds,” Mayfield says. “But I told him to keep going.”
role. He calls Fincher a chickenshit. “He’s afraid to take chances. He’s
In the hallway, Fincher eyes a wall of head shots, many of them elderly
afraid to let anybody change one word in the script,” he told UnderGround-
actors for the nursing-home scenes. “Are these people robust and
Online. “He wants puppets. He doesn’t want actors that are creative. If
healthy?” he says. “I just don’t want to get into any tragic continuity issues.”
you’re not worth a shit at acting and you’re not creative, then I would
“Well, it’s a possibility. God is certainly going to be on our side if we make it
recommend that you go work with David Fincher, because he won’t let
without that happening,” Mayfield says. “We’re dealing with these people
you act, even if you are a fucking good actor.”
at the most vulnerable time of their lives. But this guy’s a firecracker. And
Fincher smiles at that. “You cast them for this certain thing that they
he drives. All these people still drive and travel.”
bring to it and maybe not for another thing that they would like to bring to
He nods, satisfied that his actors won’t be dying on set. On the way back to
it. And I think it’s difficult for actors,” he says. “My rule is simple: Come
his office, Bob Wagner, his assistant director, intercepts him with pictures
having memorized the text. I don’t mind having discussions about what
of blind people circa 1900, answering an earlier query about when the
the intent of something is or what the dramatic structure of a scene is with
blind started wearing dark glasses. “It doesn’t matter how much you do
somebody who’s done their homework. But I won’t have this discussion
your homework,” says Max Daly, the researcher who fields these requests.
with somebody who’s just hung- over. Because that’s just disrespectful to
“He’s really good at finding the one detail that was missed. He knows more than anybody.”
everybody else.” He pauses to say he’s not referring to anybody specific. “You earn the right to help write or reorder a scene when you prove that you
Fincher knows people call him a perfectionist. They’re just wrong, that’s
understand why everything is there and not when you decide on a whim
all. “What I’m really always trying to do is get rid of the things that are
that something doesn’t work for you personally.”
taking me out of feeling a certain way or causing me to think in another
He’ll take the bad reviews and the snide comments. Fight Club is a cult hit
direction,” he says. “So it’s more about limiting distractions. My gig is,
now, but it opened in 1999 to $11 million and tepid reviews. Roger Ebert
47
HEAD CASE
“WORK AS HARD AS YOU CAN ON ANY GIVEN DAY AND TRY TO LIVE IT DOWN.” said it was macho porn, and The Hollywood Reporter called it morally repulsive and socially irresponsible. And that brought out the smugness in Hollywood. Look at Fincher. Look at Fincher fail. Serves him right for coloring outside the lines. “It was amazing how many people, unsolicited, went out of their way to say, I’m really sorry about your movie,” he says. “And it wasn’t a ‘Good on you, fuck them’ kind of thing. It was like a ‘Welcome back. Now you’ll understand what we’re in for—we keep trying to tell you.’ “ Fincher has no time for that. He’ll stumble and struggle, so long as he’s not complacent. “Do your best work,” he says. “Work as hard as you can on any given day and try to live it down.” Which brings Fincher, at the end of this very long week, after stopping to see his daughter’s volleyball game, to a darkened screening room in Burbank to make color corrections on Zodiac. He plops into a plush black leather chair. He yawns and rubs his face and looks as if he’s about to fall asleep. He settles his chin onto his palm and looks at his newest work, in freeze-frame before him, through heavy eyes. “That’s a little pink. Take it down a couple points,” he says. The audience would never notice, but Fincher does, so he keeps on like this, making tiny adjustments. “And a little more warmth,” he says. “Add some yellow.” Next. “Just give me a little fog back in here.” Next. “Tone down the neon sign.” “Good.” Next. He slumps further into his chair, flops his arm across the table, and lays his head across his bicep. He looks at the screen sideways, with his laser pointer dancing across the images, and ponders the minutiae. The images change, ever so slightly, finally matching the story he has told in his head, again and again all these months, and the corners of David Fincher’s eyes crinkle into a smile.
—By Brian Mockenhaupt
[
]
“I BELIEVE YOU’RE LOOKING FOR ME.”
48
A DAVID FINCHER FILM FESTIVAL
“YOU EARN THE RIGHT TO HELP WRITE OR REORDER A SCENE WHEN YOU PROVE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND WHY EVERYTHING IS THERE AND NOT WHEN YOU DECIDE ON A WHIM THAT SOMETHING DOESN'T WORK FOR YOU PERSONALLY.” —DAVID FINCHER
49
[
HEAD CASE
SE7EN ANALYSIS
D
avid Fincher’s Se7en is a crime thriller that has become one of
in terms of dialogue and character development and we spend a lot of time getting to
my favorite film of all-time. It initially appears as your typical
know the 4 main characters. Finally, one of the first thing you will notice is the oppressive
run-of-the-mill serial killer movie but manages to go against
atmosphere. The interior scenes are almost unequivocally extremely dark, damp, and
all the viewer’s expectations. Fincher crafted an incredibly
cramped. You can almost smell the stench of putrefaction. This was achieved thanks
dark and bleak movie and the absolutely shocking final twist
to the cinematography by Darius Khondji and the sets design by Arthur Max. They set a
takes you aback like very few movies I have seen have ever
dark and gloomy atmosphere for most of the movie and the omnipresent rain on outdoor
managed to do. Since this movie has been released nearly
scenes only adds to that effect.
15 years ago, this review will contain important spoilers, I STRONGLY advise against
Fincher repeatedly plays with the viewer’s expectations. Somerset states at one point that
reading beyond this point if you plan on seeing this movie.
John Doe is eventually going to make a mistake and that’s our expectation after having
As the film begins, we meet Detective William R. Somerset (Morgan Freeman), a
been conditioned by dozens of crime movies where the criminal ends up making a stupid
disillusioned and burnt-out homicide detective who is set to retire within a week
mistake that leads to his own demise. However, in Se7en, John Doe is always in control
and only wants to get as far away as possible from this gloomy and decaying city.
from beginning to end. He surrenders himself to law enforcement but everything is still
Alongside Detective David Mills (Brad Pitt), a brash and cocky young police officer
under his terms. He is given substantial amount of dialogue and we discover that he is
who is set to replace him, Somerset investigates a series of murders inspired by the
not only a cunning and extremely intelligent individual but also extremely articulate and
seven deadly sins.
almost too convincing when trying to explain his”work”.
Structurally, Se7en is unlike most movies of its genre. We never witness the acts of
Morgan Freeman gives an outstanding subtle performance which elevates the
violence, only their aftermaths. There is also only one single action scene, a thrilling
performance of his co-stars. This is exactly the type of acting I’m talking about when
chase sequence mid-way through the movie. On the other hand, Se7en is very heavy
I speak about conveying a character’s background without the viewer actually having
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A DAVID FINCHER FILM FESTIVAL
to be told. We get to know Somerset’s life with very little dialogue and this is what makes Freeman a superb actor. We can see his personality evolve as he takes Mills under his wing after a relatively cold beginning to their relationship. He begins as this cynic and tired cop who has seen too much over the years but the layers start to peel away as he interacts with the young Mills and more importantly Tracy, who reminds him of innocence he hadn’t witnessed in so long. Beautiful Gwyneth Paltrow, as Mills’ wife Tracy, provides the few rays of brightness and hopes amid the oppressively gloomy settings and I would have liked to see more of her character. Brad Pitt gives a somewhat uneven and uni-dimensional performance (I’m harping here, he is fine). His character would have been more likable, had he been infused with another layer of complexity beyond the all-brawn personality he displays for most of the movie. Finally, Kevin Spacey embodies the personality of the most dangerous people on Earth, fanatical individuals with nothing to lose and nothing to gain. Here, he is simply pitch-perfect, giving John Doe an aura of mellow and collected detachment that is incredibly creepy. A masterpiece of the 90’s, Se7en is an oppressively dark and grisly crime thriller that has aged very well, so far.
—Reviews by Castor
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THE GAME ANALYSIS
D
avid Fincher has once been quoted as saying “I don’t know
always deemed offensive and unimportant. It is a well known story cliché. He will then
how much movies should entertain. I’m interested in
become a better person as a result of his journey which will be expressed through his
movies that scar”. Whether he is referring to the scarring
change in character and his thoughts and actions towards others. However, Fincher
of the characters within his films or of the audience
beautifully makes this simple story his own. Fincher is a master of brooding and
voyeuristically partaking in his dark and twisted tales
depressing atmospheres. There is no life in his films. Oh, there are people alive but
is unclear. What is definitely accurate about Fincher’s
his focus seems to be on reanimating the dead that exists within the body. Nicolas Van
films is that they leave an undeniable mark on each and
Orton is a character who lives alone. He is rich, powerful and most of all, successful.
everyone involved.
But yet, he is dead within. He rarely smiles and seems to have become who he is now
It is hard to mistake a Fincher film. They usually contain very little natural light and
as a result of witnessing his father’s suicide at a young age. Other than talking to his
the atmosphere will be extremely unsettling. This will then force the audience to
housekeeper and his lawyer (which he still does to a limited degree), he is a man who
share the protagonists’ feelings of unease and paranoia. As well, by the end of the
keeps to himself. He does not want to be bothered and will only bother another if there
film, Fincher’s “hero” has usually undergone some sort of life-changing trauma.
is progress to be made. He is sort of a 90’s version of Gordon Gekko from Wall Street
The Game is a film that may be the least known of Fincher’s. It arrived in between
(who Douglas played as well) who is more in touch with control and intimidation then
Seven (1995) and Fight Club (1999) and has seemed to have been overlooked
he is with emotional contact.
as a great film. This is a great film. The manipulative control Fincher seems to
The idea that Nicolas was unable to prevent his father’s suicide left him in a state
possess over his audience is mastery in its calculation and concoction.
of shock. He was unable to control the situation and thus he felt pain for the very
The story is simple. A man is given a present that will eventually drive him
first time. The film starts off with images of Nicolas as a child and his father and it
to the depths of depravity and despair by turning him into the character he has
is clear that this event was crucial in the shaping of Nicolas as a man. He lost a very
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important person in his life and as a result, he became a closed off and emotionally detached human being. He feels that being in control will prevent him from ever feeling pain again but yet (unaware to him until after the “game” begins) he yearns for closure in regards to his father’s death. It is only when the “game” begins that he slowly begins to exist once again and to reemerge as a living entity. Douglas is masterful in his performance. He refuses to break character at any moment until it is deemed necessary by the script. Even when this “game” begins, Douglas portrays Nicolas as a character who still believes he is in control of the situation. He believes he has it all figured out until, of course, he doesn’t. When things do not go as planned, he panics as a result. He does not know how to control the situation which leaves him vulnerable and confused (feelings he has cut himself off from). He has never had to cope with change because he has never attempted to change himself. He must rediscover his inner self before there is any chance of redemption or rebirth. Within moments of the films’ commencement, we come to identify with Nicolas. He may not be the most friendly and admirable protagonist in film history but yet we still attempt to identify with him. As a result, we form some sort of control over the narrative. We believe that we understand the simple structure of the story and will not be undermined by it in any manner (as Nicolas feels when the “game” begins). However, as this film progresses, we, the audience, become lost and confused. We, as Nicolas, are unaware of our surroundings and have become paranoid and fearful of the people within the narrative. Who do we trust? Where do we go from here? It is now the blind leading the blind. This film may not be noted as one of Fincher’s more important pieces of work but yet it is a beautifully crafted piece of entertainment. The writing is taut and the acting is superb. Yes, many of the events are implausible and rely heavily on coincidence and chance but it is told and shot in such a high octane sort of way that the audience is quick to forgive the filmmakers for these insignificant and basically pointless quibbles.
—Review by Mike Peters
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FIGHT CLUB ANALYSIS
F
ight Club” is the most frankly and cheerfully fascist big-star movie
in the kind of voice Nathanael West used in Miss Lonelyhearts. He’s known only as the
since “Death Wish,” a celebration of violence in which the heroes
Narrator, for reasons later made clear. The meetings are working as a sedative, and his
write themselves a license to drink, smoke, screw and beat one
life is marginally manageable when tragedy strikes: He begins to notice Marla (Helena
another up.
Bonham Carter) at meetings. She’s a “tourist” like himself--someone not addicted to
Sometimes, for variety, they beat up themselves. It’s macho porn
anything but meetings. She spoils it for him. He knows he’s a faker, but wants to believe
-- the sex movie Hollywood has been moving toward for years, in
everyone else’s pain is real.
which eroticism between the sexes is replaced by all-guy locker-
On an airplane, he has another key encounter, with Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), a man whose
room fights. Women, who have had a lifetime of practice at dealing with little-boy
manner cuts through the fog. He seems able to see right into the Narrator’s soul, and
posturing, will instinctively see through it; men may get off on the testosterone rush.
shortly after, when the Narrator’s high-rise apartment turns into a fireball, he turns to
The fact that it is very well made and has a great first act certainly clouds the issue.
Tyler for shelter. He gets more than that. He gets in on the ground floor of Fight Club,
Edward Norton stars as a depressed urban loner filled up to here with angst. He
a secret society of men who meet in order to find freedom and self-realization through
describes his world in dialogue of sardonic social satire. His life and job are driving
beating one another into pulp.
him crazy. As a means of dealing with his pain, he seeks out 12-step meetings, where
It’s at about this point that the movie stops being smart and savage and witty, and turns
he can hug those less fortunate than himself and find catharsis in their suffering. It
to some of the most brutal, unremitting, nonstop violence ever filmed. Although sensible
is not without irony that the first meeting he attends is for post-surgical victims of
people know that if you hit someone with an ungloved hand hard enough, you’re going to
testicular cancer, since the whole movie is about guys afraid of losing their cojones.
end up with broken bones, the guys in “Fight Club” have fists of steel, and hammer one
These early scenes have a nice sly tone; they’re narrated by the Norton character
another while the sound effects guys beat the hell out of Naugahyde sofas with Ping-Pong
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argument against the behavior it shows, my guess is that audience will like the behavior but not the argument. Certainly they’ll buy tickets because they can see Pitt and Norton pounding on each other; a lot more people will leave this movie and get in fights than will leave it discussing Tyler Durden’s moral philosophy. The images in movies like this argue for themselves, and it takes a lot of narration (or Narration) to argue against them. Lord knows the actors work hard enough. Norton and Pitt go through almost paddles. Later, the movie takes still another turn. A lot of recent films seem
as much physical suffering in this movie as Demi Moore endured in “G.I.
unsatisfied unless they can add final scenes that redefine the reality of
Jane,” and Helena Bonham Carter creates a feisty chain-smoking hellcat
everything that has gone before; call it the Keyser Soze syndrome.
who is probably so angry because none of the guys thinks having sex with
What is all this about? According to Durden, it is about freeing yourself from
her is as much fun as a broken nose. When you see good actors in a project
the shackles of modern life, which imprisons and emasculates men. By
like this, you wonder if they signed up as an alternative to canyoneering.
being willing to give and receive pain and risk death, Fight Club members
The movie was directed by David Fincher and written by Jim Uhls, who
find freedom. Movies like “Crash” must play like cartoons for Durden. He’s
adapted the novel by Chuck Palahniuk. In many ways, it’s like Fincher’s
a shadowy, charismatic figure, able to inspire a legion of men in big cities
movie “The Game” (1997), with the violence cranked up for teenage boys of
to descend into the secret cellars of a Fight Club and beat one another up.
all ages. That film was also about a testing process in which a man drowning
Only gradually are the final outlines of his master plan revealed. Is Tyler
in capitalism (Michael Douglas) has the rug of his life pulled out from under
Durden in fact a leader of men with a useful philosophy? “It’s only after
him and has to learn to fight for survival. I admired “The Game” much more
we’ve lost everything that we’re free to do anything,” he says, sounding
than “Fight Club” because it was really about its theme, while the message
like a man who tripped over the Nietzsche display on his way to the coffee
in “Fight Club” is like bleeding scraps of Socially Redeeming Content thrown
bar in Borders. In my opinion, he has no useful truths. He’s a bully--Werner
to the howling mob.
Erhard plus S & M, a leather club operator without the decor. None of the
Fincher is a good director (his work includes “Alien 3,” one of the best-
Fight Club members grows stronger or freer because of their membership;
looking bad movies I have ever seen, and “Seven,” the grisly and intelligent
they’re reduced to pathetic cultists. Issue them black shirts and sign them
thriller). With “Fight Club” he seems to be setting himself some kind of a
up as skinheads. Whether Durden represents hidden aspects of the male
test--how far over the top can he go? The movie is visceral and hard-edged,
psyche is a question the movie uses as a loophole--but is not able to escape
with levels of irony and commentary above and below the action. If it had all
through, because “Fight Club” is not about its ending but about its action.
continued in the vein explored in the first act, it might have become a great
Of course, “Fight Club” itself does not advocate Durden’s philosophy. It is
film. But the second act is pandering and the third is trickery, and whatever
a warning against it, I guess; one critic I like says it makes “a telling point
Fincher thinks the message is, that’s not what most audience members will
about the bestial nature of man and what can happen when the numbing
get. “Fight Club” is a thrill ride masquerading as philosophy--the kind of ride
effects of day-to-day drudgery cause people to go a little crazy.” I think
where some people puke and others can’t wait to get on again.
it’s the numbing effects of movies like this that cause people go to a little crazy. Although sophisticates will be able to rationalize the movie as an
—Review by James Berardinelli
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Written, compiled and designed by Harry Graham. GR. 612 INTEGRATED COMMUNICATIONS, taught by Marc Enlgish ©2010 by Harry Graham All Rights Reserved.
INTERVIEWS AND REVIEWS BY —Reviews by Castor —Review by Mike Peters —Review by James Berardinelli
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