Blu-ray Movie Reviews

The Zodiac killer terrorized the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1960s with a handful of murders and cryptic messages sent to local newspapers, including the San Francisco Chronicle. Paul Avery (Robert Downey Jr.) covered the story for the Chronicle, and cartoonist Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal) became so obsessed with the Zodiac story that it begins to affect his family life.

David Fincher sure knows how to make a thriller, with a resume that includes Se7en and Panic Room, and he draws you into the story. The nearly three hours flew by, even though this was my second viewing in as many years. I knew what was going to happen, but I still found many of the suspense scenes unsettling and made sure to turn on a lot of lights at the conclusion of the film.

Shot entirely with digital cameras, Zodiac boasts a flawless presentation. Colors tend toward the drab side, befitting the dark mood of the film and the depicted era, but the detail is amazing. Every texture in clothing is easily distinguished, and you can actually read the text in the newspaper with distinct clarity. The sweeping shots of San Francisco in the late '60s are breathtaking thanks to the aid of some CGI.

The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack is driven by the dialog, which comes through clear and concise, and there are a few directional cues that move across the front soundstage. The surround speakers contain some eerie ambient effects—for example, when Graysmith is in the basement of a home and the floorboards are creaking above his head. It sounded like someone was walking across my own roof, which is quite unsettling considering the Zodiac killed a few of his victims less than 30 miles from my home—I'm getting chills just thinking about it.

The bonus features are ported over from the HD DVD release and are just as good, if not better, than the actual film. The highlight is a documentary about the Zodiac killer, covering every aspect of the investigation with interviews from the investigators and surviving victims. Additional features include a profile of one of the suspects, a making-of featurette, and some technical background on the digital effects. For commentary junkies, there is a director commentary as well as a cast commentary that includes Downey, Gyllenhaal, and others.

Zodiac is a mesmerizing story about a serial killer, but it's not an uplifting story by any means. The A/V quality is solid and the supplements are worth the purchase alone, especially if you are curious about this tragic real-life episode. Highly recommended.

Release Date: January 27, 2009

Movie: 9/10
Picture: 10/10
Sound: 8/10

Review System

Source
Panasonic DMP-BD55

Display
JVC DLA-RS1 projector
Stewart FireHawk screen (76.5" wide, 16:9)

Electronics
Onkyo Pro PR-SC885 pre/pro
Anthem PVA-7 Amplifier
Belkin PF60 power conditioner

Speakers
M&K S-150s (L, C, R)
M&K SS-150s (LS, RS, SBL, SBR)
SVS PC-Ultra subwoofer

Cables
Monoprice HDMI cables (source to pre/pro)
Best Deal analog-audio cables
PureLink HDC Fiber Optic HDMI Cable System (15 meters) from pre/pro to projector

Acoustical treatments from GIK Acoustics