Zodiac (2007)

As this week wore on, I decided to spend some time revisiting some movies that I have seen many times but failed to review. The first one on the list was the 2007 thriller Zodiac.

Plot/ In the late 1960s/early 1970s, a San Francisco cartoonist becomes an amateur detective obsessed with tracking down the Zodiac Killer, an unidentified individual who terrorizes Northern California with a killing spree.

This is a film that I thought I had already reviewed. However, I realized that although this is one of my favorite films on the Zodiac Killer, I had never actually written it up. With that being said, I just had to watch it again and do what should have been done some time ago. This is a tremendous film that actually takes a surprising approach to telling the true story of one of the most famous unsolved cases in history. The storyline is thought out and compelling, the cinematography and direction create a dark and heavy atmosphere, and the outstanding cast all do an outstanding job at embracing their characters and pulling through with solid performances. Yes, the movie may run a bit long, and most of the murders take place early on, but those are only small hiccups that don’t bring the movie down. In the end, if you are fascinated by the Zodiac Killer this is a must see. If you aren’t, you too should watch this one, it offers a detailed look at this mystery.

Awakening the Zodiac (2017)

After spending last night reviewing the latest entry from the Planet of the Apes series, I decided to get back to something more realistic for my next review. That movie is the 2017 thriller Awakening the Zodiac.

Plot/ The story follows a down-on-their-luck couple that discovers a serial killer's film reels. They decide to take the law into their own hands, risking everything for the chance at a $100,000 reward. It isn't long until they find themselves in the killer's lethal cross-hairs.

I love movies about serial killers, especially ones with a historic and mysterious appeal. With that being said, Awakening The Zodiac was much better than I imagined when I saw the synopsis at Family Video. More of a thriller than a true horror movie, this one comes complete with some originality and a dark/heavy atmosphere that helps bring everything together. Overall, the storyline, the performances, the cinematography, and the scripting work extremely well together and create something better than one would expect. Yes, there are some head-scratching moments and there are a few moments where the editing feels like it removed a bit too much of a scene (probably due to budget or time issues), but those flaws are minor in the grand scheme. In the end, this is one of the better thrillers to come out in some time and one that has an authentic feel. Give it a shot; it is worth watching.

Curse of the Zodiac (2007)

I am so glad that my week has come to an end. This schedule has been miserable and cannot wait until next week when I can get back into some type of routine. Between the holidays and weather, this has been a strange few weeks. During this time, I was able to watch a variety of horror. Some good, some bad, but still horror. My next selection is from Ulli Lommell, and his 2007 entry Curse of the Zodiac. 

Plot/ Though decades have passed since the infamous Zodiac Killer was feasting upon victims, his legend remains and the mystery of his identity continues to grow.

As a researher, the Zodiac Killer sits up their in the same air as Jack the Ripper, and I love atching everthing about him. That is until I watched this. Yes, I had watch Lommell before and somewhat expected what I was about to see, yet that did not even prepare me for it. There was even less to like in this one than usual. Yes, I do like the disjointed feel, but this time it was too much. Poor scripting, horrid dialogue, terrible cinematography, and bad acting, need I say more? In the end, this is one of the worst journey's into the realm of the Zodiac and one that should never see the light of day. Stay Away!