AUTHOR - SCREENWRITER - HUMORIST - GRUMP
DAVID HINES
Double Feature #2: 'Zodiac'/'Memories of Murder'
A night of serial murders and obsession. Zodiac and Memories of Murder are each based on true-life murder cases. Zodiac examines the famous killings in and around the San Francisco area in the late 60's/early 70's, while Memories of Murder chronicles the search for the first (known) serial killer in South Korea in the mid-80's.
Both films work as suspenseful crime dramas and police procedurals, but are ultimately more interested in the obsessive, self-destructive behavior of those dedicated to solving their mysteries. Each feature outsiders who try to enter the mind of the killer (cartoonist Robert Graysmith in Zodiac, big-city detective Seo Tae-Yoon in Memories), stepping on the toes of more entrenched forces and nearly disappearing into madness themselves.
Zodiac and Memories of Murder are each directed by modern masters. David Fincher suffuses the first with his cool, logical and atmospheric style, while Bong Joon-Ho captures the chaos and confusion of primitive rural police confronting a modern evil they are ill-prepared to deal with. Robert Downey, Jr. and Song Kang-Ho give stand-out performances, but each film boasts a stellar cast working at the top of their game. If you're a sucker for dark, fascinating serial killer movies, you can't do much better than these two.
ZODIAC (2007)
Directed By: David Fincher
Written By: James Vanderbilt
Based on the Book By: Robert Graysmith
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey, Jr.,
Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Edwards, Brian Cox,
John Carroll Lynch
MEMORIES OF MURDER (2003)
Directed By: Bong Joon-Ho
Written By: Bong Joon-Ho, Kim Kwang-Rim, Sung Bo Shim
Starring: Song Kang-Ho, Kim Sang-Kyung, Kim Roe-Ha, Song Jae-Ho, Byeon Hie-Bong, Ko Seo-Hie