Episode 6: Zodiac (Part 2)
Explicit content warning
03/29/21 • 79 min
In Episode 6, Bolton and Grace finish recapping the 2007 movie, Zodiac, and discuss the facts of the true crime story that the movie is based on.
The movie was directed by David Fincher and is based on Robert Graysmith’s book, Zodiac. The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal as political cartoonist/sleuth/author Robert Graysmith, Robert Downey Jr. as San Francisco Chronicle reporter Paul Avery, and Mark Ruffalo as San Francisco Police Inspector Dave Toschi. The film focuses on the rise of the Zodiac killer in the San Francisco bay area during the late 1960s and early 1970s and Robert Graysmith’s fascination with solving the mystery of the Zodiac’s identity. Both Fincher and Graysmith had access to actual Zodiac case files in their work and generously provide viewers with accurate reproductions of Zodiac letters and writings throughout the film. Zodiac provides an entertaining and frustrating look into the mystery of the Zodiac killer. Nonetheless, it is important to note that because the movie is based on Robert Graysmith’s book, it focuses on the suspects Graysmith was most interested in and is by no means a complete look at all of the Zodiac suspects identified by law enforcement.
Sources:
Zodiac (2007)Graysmith, Robert. Zodiac. St. Martin’s Press, 1986.
Graysmith, Robert. Zodiac Unmasked. Berkley Books, 2002.
“Zodiac (Film).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 2 Mar. 2021.
“Zodiac Killer.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Feb. 2021.
“Zodiac.” IMDb.com, 2 Mar. 2007.
McCormick, Colin. “Zodiac: 8 Things Fincher's Movie Gets Right About The Unsolved Case (& 7 It Gets Wrong).” ScreenRant, 8 Feb. 2021.
Netzel, Daniel, director. Zodiac | When Truth Is Stranger than Fiction, YouTube, 28 Mar. 2018.
Sharf, Zack. “'Zodiac': David Fincher's Historical Accuracy Is More Specific Than You Can Imagine - Watch.” IndieWire, IndieWire, 2 Apr. 2018.
“Ted Cruz–Zodiac Killer Meme.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 2 Mar. 2021.
Stevens, Dana (March 2, 2007). "Zodiac: The surprisingly cerebral new thriller from David Fincher". Slate Magazine. Archived from the original on July 7, 2019.
Lim, Dennis (July 22, 2007). "David Fincher's masterful 'Zodiac'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 7, 2019.
Monster: The Zodiac Killer, podcast by iHeartRadio and Tenderfoot TV, hosted by Matt Fredric.
Butterfield, Mike. ZodiacKillerFacts.com. (was also involved in the podcast Monster: The Zodiac Killer)
In Episode 6, Bolton and Grace finish recapping the 2007 movie, Zodiac, and discuss the facts of the true crime story that the movie is based on.
The movie was directed by David Fincher and is based on Robert Graysmith’s book, Zodiac. The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal as political cartoonist/sleuth/author Robert Graysmith, Robert Downey Jr. as San Francisco Chronicle reporter Paul Avery, and Mark Ruffalo as San Francisco Police Inspector Dave Toschi. The film focuses on the rise of the Zodiac killer in the San Francisco bay area during the late 1960s and early 1970s and Robert Graysmith’s fascination with solving the mystery of the Zodiac’s identity. Both Fincher and Graysmith had access to actual Zodiac case files in their work and generously provide viewers with accurate reproductions of Zodiac letters and writings throughout the film. Zodiac provides an entertaining and frustrating look into the mystery of the Zodiac killer. Nonetheless, it is important to note that because the movie is based on Robert Graysmith’s book, it focuses on the suspects Graysmith was most interested in and is by no means a complete look at all of the Zodiac suspects identified by law enforcement.
Sources:
Zodiac (2007)Graysmith, Robert. Zodiac. St. Martin’s Press, 1986.
Graysmith, Robert. Zodiac Unmasked. Berkley Books, 2002.
“Zodiac (Film).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 2 Mar. 2021.
“Zodiac Killer.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Feb. 2021.
“Zodiac.” IMDb.com, 2 Mar. 2007.
McCormick, Colin. “Zodiac: 8 Things Fincher's Movie Gets Right About The Unsolved Case (& 7 It Gets Wrong).” ScreenRant, 8 Feb. 2021.
Netzel, Daniel, director. Zodiac | When Truth Is Stranger than Fiction, YouTube, 28 Mar. 2018.
Sharf, Zack. “'Zodiac': David Fincher's Historical Accuracy Is More Specific Than You Can Imagine - Watch.” IndieWire, IndieWire, 2 Apr. 2018.
“Ted Cruz–Zodiac Killer Meme.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 2 Mar. 2021.
Stevens, Dana (March 2, 2007). "Zodiac: The surprisingly cerebral new thriller from David Fincher". Slate Magazine. Archived from the original on July 7, 2019.
Lim, Dennis (July 22, 2007). "David Fincher's masterful 'Zodiac'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 7, 2019.
Monster: The Zodiac Killer, podcast by iHeartRadio and Tenderfoot TV, hosted by Matt Fredric.
Butterfield, Mike. ZodiacKillerFacts.com. (was also involved in the podcast Monster: The Zodiac Killer)
Previous Episode
Episode 5: Zodiac (Part 1)
In Episode 5, Bolton and Grace begin recapping the 2007 movie, Zodiac, and discuss the facts of the true crime story that the movie is based on. We had too much to say about this movie & case to fit it all in one episode- so be on the lookout for Part 2!
The movie was directed by David Fincher and is based on Robert Graysmith’s book, Zodiac. The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal as political cartoonist/sleuth/author Robert Graysmith, Robert Downey Jr. as San Francisco Chronicle reporter Paul Avery, and Mark Ruffalo as San Francisco Police Inspector Dave Toschi. The film focuses on the rise of the Zodiac killer in the San Francisco bay area during the late 1960s and early 1970s and Robert Graysmith’s fascination with solving the mystery of the Zodiac’s identity. Both Fincher and Graysmith had access to actual Zodiac case files in their work and generously provide viewers with accurate reproductions of Zodiac letters and writings throughout the film. Zodiac provides an entertaining and frustrating look into the mystery of the Zodiac killer. Nonetheless, it is important to note that because the movie is based on Robert Graysmith’s book, it focuses on the suspects Graysmith was most interested in and is by no means a complete look at all of the Zodiac suspects identified by law enforcement.
Sources:
Zodiac (2007)Graysmith, Robert. Zodiac. St. Martin’s Press, 1986.
Graysmith, Robert. Zodiac Unmasked. Berkley Books, 2002.
“Zodiac (Film).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 2 Mar. 2021.
“Zodiac Killer.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Feb. 2021.
“Zodiac.” IMDb.com, 2 Mar. 2007.
McCormick, Colin. “Zodiac: 8 Things Fincher's Movie Gets Right About The Unsolved Case (& 7 It Gets Wrong).” ScreenRant, 8 Feb. 2021.
Netzel, Daniel, director. Zodiac | When Truth Is Stranger than Fiction, YouTube, 28 Mar. 2018.
Sharf, Zack. “'Zodiac': David Fincher's Historical Accuracy Is More Specific Than You Can Imagine - Watch.” IndieWire, IndieWire, 2 Apr. 2018.
“Ted Cruz–Zodiac Killer Meme.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 2 Mar. 2021.
Stevens, Dana (March 2, 2007). "Zodiac: The surprisingly cerebral new thriller from David Fincher". Slate Magazine. Archived from the original on July 7, 2019.
Lim, Dennis (July 22, 2007). "David Fincher's masterful 'Zodiac'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 7, 2019.
Monster: The Zodiac Killer, podcast by iHeartRadio and Tenderfoot TV, hosted by Matt Fredric.
Butterfield, Mike. ZodiacKillerFacts.com. (was also involved in the podcast Monster: The Zodiac Killer)
Next Episode
Episode 7: The Frozen Ground
In Episode 7, Bolton and Grace recap the 2013 movie, The Frozen Ground, and discuss the facts of the true crime story that the movie is based on.
The movie was written and directed by Scott Walker. The film stars Nicolas Cage as Alaskan State Trooper Sergeant Jack Halcombe, Vanessa Hudgens as survivor-hero Cindy Paulson, and John Cusack as serial killer Robert Hansen. The film focuses on serial killer Robert Hansen’s rampage against women and girls in the Anchorage area, and how survivor Cindy Paulson helped law enforcement apprehend Hansen and discover the extent of his crimes. The Frozen Ground provides insight into how Hansen was able to get away with his crimes for so long, and does a great job of highlighting the important role Cindy Paulson played in his eventual apprehension. This movie has some scenes that are tough to watch, and may be especially triggering for survivors of sex trafficking and/or sexual assault. While The Frozen Ground gets most of the major details correct; Scott Walker took dramatic license with parts of the storyline, which Bolton & Grace discuss in this episode.
Sources:
The Frozen Ground (2013)
“The FBI Files: Hunter's Game.” Season 2, episode 6, 1999. Available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
“The Frozen Ground.” IMDb.com, 1 Feb. 2013.
“The Frozen Ground.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 7 Feb. 2021.
“Robert Hansen.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 9 Apr. 2021.
The Butcher Baker: The Making of a Monster (Investigation Discovery Sept 2, 2020). Available to purchase on Amazon Prime Video.
Gilmour, Walter, and Leland E. Hale. Butcher, Baker: the True Account of an Alaskan Serial Killer. Open Road Integrated Media, 2018.
Crime Junkie (podcast), Episode titled: SERIAL KILLER: The Butcher Baker of Alaska, released Sept 21, 2020.
True Crime Guys (podcast), Episode titled: #19 Robert Hansen “The Butcher Baker”, released July 1, 2017.
True Crime All the Time (podcast), Episode titled: Ep80- Robert Hansen, released May 27, 2018.
Morbid (podcast), Episodes titled: Episode 43: Robert Hansen Part 1 AND Episode 45: Robert Hansen Part 2, released February 6, 2019 and February 13, 2019 respectively.
Sharma, Dhruv. “Where is Cindy Paulson Now?” The Cinemaholic, 22 Aug. 2020.
Hale, Leland. Butcher Baker: True Crime in Alaska.
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