.

[Brónach 1,302]

I loved Se7en on first viewing. But seeing it later I lost interest on it.

[Quintus 5,399]

Massively overrated movie. Good though.

[A24 4,333]

Hmm, I understand why it's rated so highly. Even when the horror or thriller effect has worn out on you, which tends to happen with this genre (we get used to it), it is still a great mood piece.

[crocodile 8,012]

?

Karol

[A24 4,333]

Oops

[crocodile 8,012]

I read the updated post again.

Karol

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I love Seven.

[Quintus 5,399]

Hmm, I understand why it's rated so highly. Even when the horror or thriller effect has worn out on you, which tends to happen with this genre (we get used to it), it is still a great mood piece.

The ending feels like a different movie, though. Feels like Tony Scott suddenly got behind the camera.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

How so?

[Quintus 5,399]

The swirling helicopter shots, the sweaty desert heat, the style of the score. Scott trademarks.

[A24 4,333]

I understand it. The mood of the film changes when they are no longer in the city. Luckily, the characters maintain the link bewteen the two 'settings'.

Alex

[Quintus 5,399]

As they should.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I don't think the mood changes at all.

[Quintus 5,399]

Really? I think it's blatant. The first two acts are very gloomy and oppressive - classic investigative horror. Then the climax turns it all into Speed.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I understand what you mean, but it's the climax, it's got to amp things up a bit. I still feel that mysterious, disgusting vibe from it all. Spacey's performance in no doubt attributes to that.

[A24 4,333]

We all understand. Just like we understand that, after Seven, Fincher temporarily fell into mediocrity with The Game. But no worries, again he managed to bounce back gloriously with Fight Club. Then it was time for averageness again and so he made Panic Room, a mainstream and formulaic thriller. It's like for every movie that he wants to make, he's obliged to make one for the studios too.

Alex

[Koray Savas 2,251]

The Game is amazing, pure adrenaline thriller. Panic Room is great too. I probably prefer them over Fight Club these days since that's been played everywhere so much.

[A24 4,333]

Very mainstream, Koray. It's Fincher being a good dog. Zodiac is a Fincher taking more risks. Like Seven, it's more ambitious, its goals set higher, ..

[Koray Savas 2,251]

It's Fincher being Fincher. Fight Club is the most mainstream out of any of his films.

[A24 4,333]

Amazing! Do you really think that Fight Club, his most controversial (and probably the most controversial film of the '90s), his most debated, most shocking, most hated film (as well as loved) is more mainstream than a traditional, tame, straightforward, little more than a run-of-the-mill thriller about a nice mom and child defending themselves against the evil burglars? Panic Room almost plays like Home Alone without the humor! I don't think you understand the word "mainstream".

[crocodile 8,012]

Zodiac is his best.

Karol

[A24 4,333]

I appreciate the idea, the concept and ambition but I don't think Zodiac works on all levels. It actually makes me want to watch All The President's Men, the film it's in love with.

Alex

[Brónach 1,302]

Of the ones I've seen my favourite is Fight Club.

[publicist 4,643]

The Game is amazing, pure adrenaline thriller. Panic Room is great too. I probably prefer them over Fight Club these days since that's been played everywhere so much.

I agree with Alex on this. Those are potboilers and i've lost any interest in them after 40 or 50 minutes...

[Jay 37,364]

We all understand. Just like we understand that, after Seven, Fincher temporarily fell into mediocrity with The Game. But no worries, again he managed to bounce back gloriously with Fight Club. Then it was time for averageness again and so he made Panic Room, a mainstream and formulaic thriller. It's like for every movie that he wants to make, he's obliged to make one for the studios too.

Alex

There is nothing mediocre or conventional about The Game, its one of the best thrillers of the 90s! Totally disagree with you here Alex.

I'd rank Finchers movies thusly:

1. Fight Club

2. The Game

3. Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

4. Zodiac

5. Seven

6. The Social Network

7. Panic Room

8. The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

I don't count Alien3 cause Fincher was really more of a hired hand without much creative control. TCCOBB is the only one of his films that really didn't work for me, that I'm not compelled at all to see again. The rest are all proudly part of my blu ray collection, or will be.

Koray's way off about Fight Club too, there is NOTHING mainstream about that movie, it was completely unconventional when it came out. Maybe it seems mainstream now because other films have been ripping it off for 13 years. I still remember being blown away in the theater. I think I saw it theatrically 4 times!

[alicebrallice 134]

I love the game. I remember thinking about it for several days after the first time I watched it, and that doesn't happen very often.

still haven't seen fight club though:o

[Wojo 2,453]

Out of that list, I've only seen Zodiac and Seven. My family rented The Panic Room and I started to watch it, but I think had to leave for a date or something.

My coworkers tell me I'm a weirdo for not having seen Fight Club. I tell them there are more reasons than that.

[Jay 37,364]

I love the game. I remember thinking about it for several days after the first time I watched it, and that doesn't happen very often.

Yes, exactly! Same thing with me. I still think about that film all the time. I haven't seen it in about a decade, can't wait to watch it again on Blu some day.

[A24 4,333]

There is nothing mediocre or conventional about The Game,

What did I not see then? What makes it not conventional? I want to know. You might like it but that doesn't mean it's not mediocre or run-off-the mill-ish. BTW, 'averageness' is not the only reason why I was disappointed with The Game. I find those kind of stories (where everybody is in on the scam/game) to be completely unbelievable. The Box, anyone?

Alex

[Jay 37,364]

The idea of the film (the real life game) was something cool I had never seen / read before. The multiple endings were great, a technique that wasn't overused at the time. Just the whole idea of not knowing for so long what was real and what was part of the game, was a terrific technique that really involved you in the movie and kept you guessing. On top of all that the acting, editing, cinematography, scoring, and directing were all top notch. Great film.

[KK 3,307]

I love the game. I remember thinking about it for several days after the first time I watched it, and that doesn't happen very often.

still haven't seen fight club though:o

I haven't seen The Game. But Fight Club is a great film and surely amongst Fincher's best.

[Jay 37,364]

I think Alice Brallice and Wojo should see Fight Club as soon as possible

I love the score by The Dust Brothers too

[A24 4,333]

On top of all that the acting, editing, cinematography, scoring, and directing were all top notch.

But without signature, probably Fincher's lowest profile film. That's what I mean with 'conventional'. The film's style is very typical of a Hollywood thriller. A top score? Really? Again, it's not the type of score that I find unusual. It doesn't stand out to me. Heard it many times before and after.

Anyway, my point is that The Game plays a lot more conventional and mainstream than Fight Club, Zodiac and even The Social Club. The ordinary thriller with Michael Douglass (like we all know him) ... the sort of movie that nobody can get upset about.

[KK 3,307]

I think Alice Brallice and Wojo should see The Game as soon as possible

I love the score by The Dust Brothers too

Alice just said she watched the Game and loved it!

[Jay 37,364]

Typo

On top of all that the acting, editing, cinematography, scoring, and directing were all top notch.

But without signature, probably Fincher's lowest profile film. That's what I mean with 'conventional'. The film's style is very typical of a Hollywood thriller.

Well, Fincher hadn't yet found his "voice" by that point. From Fight Club onward he has re-used a lot of the same techniques, but Alien 3 -> Seven -> The Game -> Fight Club each featured him experimenting with different ideas. Then his voice kind of evolved from Fight Club -> Panic Room -> Zodiac -> Benjamin Button, and now his style is pretty permanently cemented (Social Network and Dragon Tattoo having very similar styles evolved from Zodiac)

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I love the game. I remember thinking about it for several days after the first time I watched it, and that doesn't happen very often.

Yes, exactly! Same thing with me. I still think about that film all the time. I haven't seen it in about a decade, can't wait to watch it again on Blu some day.

I think it was a blind buy for me on DVD. I watched it, and immediately watched it the next day. Had to see it again. Criterion is releasing it on Blu later this year.

Koray's way off about Fight Club too, there is NOTHING mainstream about that movie, it was completely unconventional when it came out. Maybe it seems mainstream now because other films have been ripping it off for 13 years. I still remember being blown away in the theater. I think I saw it theatrically 4 times!

That could be it. I definitely didn't see it in theaters. I don't remember when I first saw it.

I rank Fincher as:

1. Zodiac

2. The Game

3. Seven

4. Panic Room

5. The Social Network

6. The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

7. Fight Club

8. Alien 3

I haven't seen The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo yet. As much as I love The Social Network and Benjamin Button, it's hard for me to rank them above my 1-4. I also disagree that Fincher had yet to find his footing with The Game. To me, he's one of those directors that knew what he was doing from the very beginning, kinda like Nolan and so many other great directors.

[Jay 37,364]

It was a pretty amazing theatrical experience in a year that was full of them (1999)

[Brónach 1,302]

1. Fight Club

2. Se7en

3. The Social Network

I've got Benjamin Button but I haven't seen it yet. I'm lucky to have seen Fight Club without having a clue about the film and no expectations whatsoever, just like other of my favourite films.

I would like this guy to do a science-fiction film.

[Jay 37,364]

He's been trying to make one for over a decade (Rendezvous with Rama)

[Brónach 1,302]

Shit. Whaaat? Why is David Fincher not making that right now? Who are responsible of this bullshit situation? They should be shot!

-Chaac (who hasn't read Rama, but knows it and loves cilindrical and spherical space habitats. We might see one in next year's Elysium.)

[alicebrallice 134]

I think it was a blind buy for me on DVD. I watched it, and immediately watched it the next day. Had to see it again. Criterion is releasing it on Blu later this year.

oh, nice! I did not know that.

I'm loving that cover.

[Jay 37,364]

great cover!

[Quintus 5,399]

I've not seen The Game properly. I'll have to get around to it again. Cover is good, but I'm not sure it represents the film as well as it represents a New Order album sleeve.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

The cover makes more sense if you've seen the whole film. I don't think there's been a Criterion cover that I didn't like. Even for films I've never heard of, I'll just see them on their site and want to check it out. It's a shame regular Blu releases get horrendous photoshop art.

[A24 4,333]

I would like this guy to do a science-fiction film.

He has and it wasn't very good.

Well, Fincher hadn't yet found his "voice" by that point.

Well, Seven, which came before The Game, carries a lot of Fincher's signature, stuff that you are still seeing his work today. If I would watch Seven for the first time now, I would recognize him right away. The strong dark-colored, yet classy and beautiful mood and images he creates with Jeff Cronenweth are a dead giveaway. The presentation of Seven is so great, I can immensely enjoy that film without actually following the story. That's why I must agree with Quint that the mood is indeed very different when they are outside the city. I wouldn't call it "Speed" though.

Alex

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Se7en seems a good film on it's on until you compare it to something like Silence of the Lambs and then you see just how pale and shallow Se7en really is.

[A24 4,333]

Se7en seems a good film on it's on until you compare it to something like Silence of the Lambs and then you see just how pale and shallow Se7en really is.

I compared it and Silence lost.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

naturally you would think it's better.

[A24 4,333]

Of course I do. The storytelling of Silence feels (looks) a bit dated today, even on Blu-ray. Seven still looks like it could've been made this year.

[Jay 37,364]

Both are great films