Zodiac

Zodiac Killer (By: Megan Miller)

Actor Choice
o John Carroll Lynch
o Quote from an article analyzing Lynchs acting:
Six minutes. Thats how long John Carroll Lynchs character is in
David Finchers crime noir masterpiece, Zodiac. Proof that the
power to impose fear on the audience has nothing whatsoever
to do with the amount of time youre on screen.
Voice
o Deep voice, but always calm
o He speaks smoothly
o His silence speaks just as loud as his words
Body Language
o He sits back in his chair, relaxed
o Folds hands
o Crosses his legs
o Precise movements
o Quiet and still
Facial Expressions
o Displays many emotions, most of which are friendly
o Does not have a static expression
Personality
o Friendly, sometimes overly friendly
o Wants attention
o Attention to detail
o Obsessive / Compulsive
o Innocent, nice-guy act
o Confident
Why is he Feared
o Unpredictable / Impulsive
o Confidence
o Intelligent
o Vicious / Violent / Dangerous
o Unknown / Hard to track
o Publicity / Inspiration to other criminals
o Power / Threat
Aristotle (335-322 B.C.) explained that fear is experienced when
humans are threatened by something perceived to be more
powerful than they are.
Sources
http://www.andsoitbeginsfilms.com/2014/01/in-character-john-carroll-lynch.html

https://digital.library.txstate.edu/bitstream/handle/10877/3220/fulltext.pdf?
sequence=1
Zodiac Film (2007)

Detective Styles (By: Andrew Wiemann)

Robert Graysmith (played by Jake Gyllenhaal)

Was a political cartoonist at the San Francisco Chronicle during time the
Zodiac killer was active
Became obsessed with trying to figure out the killers motives and reasoning
Eventually quit his cartoonist job so that he could thoroughly follow and
investigate the Zodiac case on his own
Lost his second wife because of how obsessive he was toward finding out the
Zodiac
Turned into an amateur private eye, borderline hardboiled
However, he used the police for help and advice throughout his process
Wrote a book called Zodiac, which is considered the most thorough and
definitive account of the case and the main influence for the screenplay
There are many things presented in this book that completely clash with
information that the police had compiled; this lends to the idea of him being a
hardboiled detective
Graysmith is now a very well-accomplished true crime author who is still
living in San Francisco

Paul Avery (played by Robert Downey Jr.)

Was a columnist/reporter for the Chronicle at the height of the Zodiac killings
Avery covered every major event of the Zodiac happenings and was the
front man when it came to this particular case
Many times he got to important evidence before the police, due to the letters
he received and his own sources
The Zodiac haunted Avery, threatening his life many times via letters and
even through a Halloween card at one point, but it never brought him down
He was never ruined by the killer as the movie inaccurately portrays
He left the Chronicle to join the Sacramento Bee in 1976
He was a wild human being and was heavy drinker and drug user which
contributed to his early death caused by pulmonary emphysema in December
of 2010

Dave Toschi (played by Mark Ruffalo)

Was the lead inspector for the San Francisco Police Department on the Zodiac
case
He started the job immediately after Paul Stein, a taxi driver, was killed by
the Zodiac on a quiet San Francisco street
Toschi and his partner worked tirelessly to uncover the case but all leads went
cold
 Best suspect they had was Arthur Leigh Allen, but they could never make it
an absolute match due insubstantial evidence
Toschi was accused of writing a letter to the San Francisco Chronicle
pretending to be the Zodiac in 78 to stir up publicity, but those charges were
later dropped
He became notorious for his upside down shoulder holster, never ending
collection of bow ties, his tan trench coat, and his love for animal crackers
Actor Steve McQeen modeled his character in the movie Bullitt afer Toschi;
some say Clint Eastwoods Dirty Harry is modeled after him as well
Toschi retired from the police force in 1987
The case still haunts Toschi to this day and he claims at one point it gave him
a bleeding ulcer

Sources

Breslau, Karen. "Q&A: Zodiac Writer Robert Graysmith." Newsweek. Newsweek, 3

Jan. 2007. Web.
17 Nov. 2015.

Williams, Lance. "Did the Zodiac Killer Haunt Paul Avery?" California Watch.
California Watch, 7 Jan.
2010. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.

Jennings, Duffy. "40 Years of Zodiac - The Cold Case That Haunts Dave Toschi." City
Brights. SF Gate, 07
Oct. 2009. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.

Cinematography (By Megan Kallmeyer)

Cinematographer of Zodiac- Harris Savides

Zodiac is presented subjectively all information type film
Not your typical mystery type movie
Zodiac expanded over Dec 1968-late 1970s
o The movie shows time passing in 3 different ways

Sources

Zodiac Film (2007)

http://www.elementsofcinema.com/editing/types-of-transitions/

Survivors of the Zodiac Attack (By: Sean Bell)

Bryan Hartnell
Basic info
Born July 1, 1949 (66)
Film Actor
Graduated from Pacific Union College
One of only two people that survived an attack from the Zodiac Killer
The Attack
Was attacked September 27, 1969 on the shorelines of Lake Berryessa near
Napa, California
Was with Cecelia Shepard at the time of the attack
Shepard was stabbed 10 times and later died from the attack
Hartnell was stabbed six times in the back and was able to survive the attack
The killer was concealed by a strange costume and there were no witnesses
so he was able to get away
After the Attack
At first he didnt want there to be a movie made, but later was in favor of it
after he found out that the movie was going to recreate what actually
happened.
Acted as an advisor on the film, which caused him emotional distress because
of the memories of the attack
Hartnell found the movie too difficult to watch, but believes the director,
David Fincher, recreated his attack perfectly. The director went to the same
spot on the lake.

Michael Mageau

Before the Attack

Was 19 when he got attacked
Was single and worked as a laborer
The Attack
Was attacked July 5, 1969 in a parking lot of Blue Rock Springs Park, which is
in the eastern part of Vallejo, California
Was with Darlene Ferrin at the time of the attack
Mageau was shot four times by a 9mm pistol and Ferrin was shot five times
A car pulled up to them and approached them with a flashlight and began
fring a gun at them
The suspect then went back to his car, but Mageau started screaming in pain,
which caused the shooter to come back.
The shooter came back and fired two more shots into each victim and then
left
The cops eventually came and Mageau was still alive and tried to identify the
shooter. Ferrin had been killed.
After the Attack
In 1991, Mageau identified Arthur Leigh Allen as the Zodiac killer
Everyone wondered why he didnt come out with this information sooner, but
he claimed that he had not seen a picture of him in the past
Mageau has tried to stay out of the media with his involvement in the Zodiac
killings
 He showed zero interest in helping with the movie and claims he has never
watched it, because it would bring up terrible memories

Sources

"Definite Zodiac Victims Cecelia Shepard And Bryan Hartnell." Definite Zodiac
Victims Cecelia Shepard
And Bryan Hartnell. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.

"Definite Zodiac Victims Darlene Ferrin And Mike Mageau." Definite Zodiac Victims
Darlene Ferrin And
Mike Mageau. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.

"Zodiac Movie vs. Zodiac Killer True Story - Real Robert Graysmith."
ChasingtheFrog.com. N.p., n.d. Web.
17 Nov. 2015.

Movie vs. Reality (By: Erin Reynolds)

Director David Fincher wanted to make this movie as real to the actual events
as possible. He interviewed the two only survivors of the attacks, Michael
Mageau and Bryan Hartnell.
The other main characters: Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal) and David
Toschi (Mark Ruffalo) were interviewed as well for the movie so that Fincher
could get the exact information about what they saw, how they felt, their
process, etc.
The parts of the movie that were exact:
o Arthur Leigh Allen wearing a Zodiac watch while he was being
interviewed
o Graysmith losing his marriage because of his search for the Zodiac\
o The names of the people that lost their lives to the Zodiac: David
Faraday (17), Betty Lou Jensen (16), Darlene Ferrin (22), Cecelia
Shepard (22), and Paul Stine (29).
o In his letters, the Zodiac claimed to have killed 37 people even though
there were only 5 known victims
o Zodiac getting in the womans car with the baby and driving her
around for a while before the woman finally jumped out (She was also
the one who talked to the sketch artist to make the wanted poster.)
o Zodiac calling into the talk show and talking to Melvin Belli
o Zodiac sending a piece of the dead taxi drivers shirt the to the San
Francisco Chronicle
o Him threatening to kill a bunch of school children on a bus
 o Graysmith going to a mans house of whom he believed was working
with a suspect named Rick Marshall (even hearing the footsteps and
everything)
A few parts were exaggerated, one example:
o Graysmith did not see Arthur Leigh Allen in a hardware store that Allen
was working in. He actually said that he had followed Allen to a
hardware store and "...I'm following [Allen] around in an orange VW
Rabbit and I park outside of Ace Hardware and obviously he's seen me
from the big window and so I'm parked and he pulls alongside me so I
can't get my door open and he gives me this look like you wouldn't
believe." Graysmith also attempted to get a handwriting sample from
Allen by sending friends into the hardware store to buy things from
him.
Arthur Leigh Allen died a little bit before he was supposed to be questioned
again about the Zodiac killings. Coincidence?

Sources

http://www.zodiackillerfacts.com/movie.htm

http://www.chasingthefrog.com/reelfaces/zodiac.php

Zodiac Film (2007)