Mank (2020) - New movie by David Fincher

[Edmilson 7,427]

I wanted another mystery thriller like Zodiac and Gone Girl, but this seems pretty good. It's good to have Fincher, one of my favorite directors, back.

 

Quote

David Fincher’s ‘Mank’ Is Halfway Done With Filming: ‘It’s Not Just a Biopic’

 

The new year is almost upon us and it goes without saying that David Fincher’s “Mank” is one of the most highly anticipated films of 2020, right up there with Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch,” Guillermo del Toro’s “Nightmare Alley,” and Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet.” “Mank” is Fincher’s first feature directorial effort since 2014’s “Gone Girl” and marks a reunion between the director and Netflix, the home of his serial killer drama series “Mindhunter.” Fincher’s longtime location manager William Doyle told Daily Press just before Christmas that “Mank” is roughly 50% done with principal photography.

 

The “Mank” production spent most of December filming at Kemper Campbell Ranch in Victorville, California. Doyle was keen on using the ranch for “Mank” considering the location has direct ties to the film’s storyline. “Mank,” written by the director’s late father Jack Fincher, tells the true story of Herman J. Mankiewicz as he sets out to write the script for Orson Welles’ “Citizen Kane.” Mankiewicz, played by Gary Oldman in Fincher’s movie, won an Oscar for the screenplay. Doyle teases that “Mank” is “not just a biopic about” the legendary writer.

 

Mankiewicz was a notorious drinker and suffered a leg injury in a car crash, so Welles brought the screenwriter to the Kemper Campbell Ranch so that he could work on “Citizen Kane” without distractions. Mankiewicz spent two months at the dry ranch and wrote hundreds of draft pages of the “Kane” script for Welles to edit. Because of Mankiewicz’s ties to the ranch, it was of the upmost importance to Doyle to have the production film there.

 

“The place hasn’t changed,” Doyle said. “You get over that hill into that ranch, and you’re in this tiny time capsule. Here you are where Herman Mankiewicz really sat, and stood and wrote this story.”

 

In addition to Oldman as Mankiewicz, “Mank” also features Amanda Seyfried as actress Marion Davies, Lily Collins as Mankiewicz’s secretary Rita Alexander, Tuppence Middleton as wife Sara Mankiewicz, and “The Souvenir” breakout Tom Burke as Orson Welles. The film will also reunite Fincher with his longtime composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, who won the Oscar for their work on “The Social Network.” Reznor recently told Revolver that he would only being used period-authentic instruments to compose the “Mank” score. The film is set in the 1940s.

 

“We’re not gonna be using the modular synthesizer on that one,” Reznor said. “We think we’re gonna be period authentic, so it just creates a new set of challenges.”

 

Netflix has not announced a release date for “Mank” yet but the film is expected to be ready for a fall 2020 debut.

 

https://www.indiewire.com/2019/12/david-fincher-mank-filming-score-halfway-done-1202199358/

[A24 4,331]

A biopic about a Hollywood writer set in the '40s?! Moviegoing teens must be dying to see this one. 

[Jules 59]

Extremely excited to hear what a period Reznor/Ross score sounds like

[Thor 7,491]

Fincher is one of my alltime favourite directors, although mostly because of the first four films. From ZODIAC onwards, I've been less enthused (some of his lush style often gets lost in oodles of clever dialogue). But GONE GIRL was great. Looking forward to this.

[Jay 37,340]

Oh man I think Zodiac is one of his best films.  I have loved all his films except Benjamin Button and Gone Girl

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Gone Girl was great!  I didn't like Dragon Tattoo much.

[Jay 37,340]

That's one of my favorite ones!

[A24 4,331]

Gone Girl is great. Dragon Tattoo is okay. 

[Jay 37,340]

I'd rank them

 

1) Zodiac

2) Fight Club

3) Seven

4) The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

5) The Game

6) Panic Room

7) The Social Network

8) Gone Girl

9) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

 

EDIT: Looks like I feel different now than I did almost 3 years ago

 

On 3/4/2017 at 10:59 AM, Jay said:

1 Fight Club

2 Seven

3 Girl With The Dragon Tatoo

4 Zodiac

5 The Game 

6 Panic Room

7 Social Network

8 Benjamin Button

9 Gone Girl

[Thor 7,491]

You forgot his best one -- ALIEN 3.

[Jay 37,340]

No I didn't.  On Alien 3 he was a hired gun, forced to follow a script that had already been written, sets that had already been built, actors that had already been cast, etc.

 

Everything after that he was in total control, and it doesn't make sense to rank this studio-led project among his auteur work

[Thor 7,491]

Nonsense. There's plenty of trademark Fincher that remains in ALIEN 3, despite the behind-the-scenes shenanigans, or even Fincher's apparent disownment.

 

I'll rank them thusly:

 

1: ALIEN 3

2. Seven

3. Fight Club

4. Panic Room

5. The Game

6. Gone Girl

7. The Social Network

8. Benjamin Button

9. Dragon Tattoo

10. Zodiac

 

Obviously not counting music videos, television work etc.

 

[A24 4,331]

Just now, Jay said:

No I didn't.  On Alien 3 he was a hired gun, forced to follow a script that had already been written, sets that had already been built, actors that had already been cast, etc.

 

Everything after that he was in total control, and it doesn't make sense to rank this studio-led project among his auteur work

 

I agree. Heck, it's why he disowned the movie. I wouldn't be proud of that one either. 

[Koray Savas 2,251]

1. Zodiac

2. Seven

3. Panic Room

4. The Game

5. The Social Network

6. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

7. The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

8. Fight Club

9. Gone Girl

[mstrox 6,651]

I'm not a big Fincher fan.  I've seen a few of his movies, and would never seek something based on his name alone.  I think his work is very cold and clinical, and while that's by design and effective, it's not something I have much interest in.

 

1)  Gone Girl

2)  The Social Network

3)  Seven

4)  The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

5)  Panic Room

6)  Fight Club

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Overrated director. Another one-note specialist like Nolan.

[Thor 7,491]

8 minutes ago, Alexcremers said:

 

I agree. Heck, it's why he disowned the movie. I wouldn't be proud of that one either. 

 

Seems like such an arbitrary thing to do. At which point does one decide if a film 'counts' or not? How does one measure the degree of total control? Do you also not count DUNE as a David Lynch film, for example? It makes absolutely no sense to me. He's credited as the director, and there are plenty of Fincher trademarks in the film -- from visual look (saturated, organic, "dirty" earth colours) to the way he weaves the fatalistic themes. In fact, it's DRENCHED in Fincher, regardless of everything that happened behind the scenes. So not only do I count it as a Fincher film, I count it as his BEST film!

[Nick Parker 3,040]

Oh snap, Del Toro's making a new movie!?

 

6 minutes ago, Stefancos said:

Overrated director. Another one-note specialist like Nolan.

 

I have to admit, the trailer for Tenet or whatever did look interesting when I saw it before Star Wars, especially that he got Goransson for this one.

 

4 minutes ago, Thor said:

It's DRENCHED in Fincher, regardless of everything that happened behind the scenes

 

Quality of the film put away from the conversation--though I do like it--I agree completely.

 

 

10 hours ago, Jules said:

Extremely excited to hear what a period Reznor/Ross score sounds like

 

Trent Reznor feels like a dude I should be totally into, but even on "classic" Nine Inch Nails albums I find his writing to be...lacking. Do you think they'll go period?

[Edmilson 7,427]

Here's my rank:

 

1- Fight Club

2- Se7en

3- Gone Girl

4- Zodiac

5- Panic Room

6- Alien 3

7- Benjamin Button

8- The Social Network

9- Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

 

Haven't watched The Game yet.

 

As for Alien 3, it's not a perfect movie, far from it. But I like it as a fitting end to Ripley's story and as a Christian alegory. It's essentially a movie about Jesus Christ set on outer space!

[Jay 37,340]

15 minutes ago, Koray Savas said:

1. Zodiac

2. Seven

3. Panic Room

4. The Game

5. The Social Network

6. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

7. The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

8. Fight Club

9. Gone Girl

 

Looks like you've changed your opinion in the past almost 3 years as well

 

On 3/4/2017 at 12:13 PM, Koray Savas said:

1. Zodiac

2. The Game

3. Seven

4. The Social Network

5. The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

6. Panic Room

7. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

8. Fight Club

9. Gone Girl

[A24 4,331]

Just now, Thor said:

 

 At which point does one decide if a film 'counts' or not? How does one measure the degree of total control?

 

Well, apparently it was enough for Fincher to hate and disown it. 

 

So we know which one he considers his worst movie, but do we know which one he is the most proud of? 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Perhaps he is unable to judge the film objectively?

[A24 4,331]

I doubt that very much. He still hates the movie to this very day. I hate it too so I understand how he feels. 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Really? You were pissed off that Newt and Hicks died? Ah of course you're a huge Aliens fan!

[Thor 7,491]

13 minutes ago, Alexcremers said:

 

Well, apparently it was enough for Fincher to hate and disown it. 

 

Yes, I'm well aware, and totally disagree.

[Nick Parker 3,040]

Why do we unabashedly go against the opinions of some directors but totally go with the opinions of others?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

1 hour ago, Thor said:

You forgot his best one -- ALIEN 3.

 

I agree with this actually!

[Edmilson 7,427]

It's the best Christian parable for nerds, alongside Harry Potter and the Matrix trilogy!

[A24 4,331]

2 hours ago, Stefancos said:

Really? You were pissed off that Newt and Hicks died? 

 

No, I couldn't care less about things like that, but I know James Cameron thought that was a dumb thing to do. 

 

2 hours ago, Nick Parker said:

Why do we unabashedly go against the opinions of some directors but totally go with the opinions of others?

 

What do you mean? In the case of Alien 3, I always hated it, not knowing Fincher hated it even more than me. It's not like I adjusted my opinion to Fincher's. 

[crocodile 8,000]

This would be my list:

 

1. Zodiac

2. Seven

3. Panic Room

4. Fight Club

5. Alien 3

6. The Social Network

7. The Game

8. Gone Girl

9. The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

10. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

 

Karol

[Koray Savas 2,251]

7 hours ago, Jay said:

Looks like you've changed your opinion in the past almost 3 years as well

Over time my appreciation for The Game has fallen and for Panic Room has risen. I feel like the latter holds up more on repeat viewings. 

[A24 4,331]

6 hours ago, Koray Savas said:

 I feel like the latter holds up more on repeat viewings. 

 

For me, Seven and Gone Girl are the only two Finchers that I enjoyed equally as good during a second run and maybe even more. Never liked The Game though. That one requires an almost inhuman suspension of disbelief. It therefore ends up somewhere at the bottom region of my list. BTW, coincidence or not, but Fincher doesn't like The Game either. 

[crocodile 8,000]

8 hours ago, Koray Savas said:

Over time my appreciation for The Game has fallen and for Panic Room has risen. I feel like the latter holds up more on repeat viewings. 

It is a straightforward thriller and doesn't pretend to be anything profound. Nothing wrong with that and exactly the reason why it ranks so highly on my list. 

 

Now where's Blu-ray? Or, better yet, UHD?

 

Karol

[Thor 7,491]

2 hours ago, Alexcremers said:

BTW, coincidence or not, but Fincher doesn't like The Game either. 

 

Danny Elfman doesn't like 90% of his own music either. It really doesn't matter what the creators think of their work; it has no bearing on my own evaluation.

[A24 4,331]

Of course it doesn't matter, it's about what you like. I just find amusing that Fincher always agrees with me. 

 

 

[Koray Savas 2,251]

7 hours ago, crocodile said:

It is a straightforward thriller and doesn't pretend to be anything profound. Nothing wrong with that and exactly the reason why it ranks so highly on my list. 

 

Now where's Blu-ray? Or, better yet, UHD?

 

Karol

Indeed. A blu-ray was announced by Twilight Time years ago. Then a 4K edition was announced. Still nothing!

[Corellian2019 386]

1. Zodiac

2. Seven

3. Fight Club

4. Gone Girl

5. Panic Room

6. The Game

7. Alien³

8. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

9. The Social Network

10. The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

 

11 hours ago, Alexcremers said:

BTW, coincidence or not, but Fincher doesn't like The Game either. 

 

Where did he say that?

 

1 hour ago, Koray Savas said:

Indeed. A blu-ray was announced by Twilight Time years ago. Then a 4K edition was announced. Still nothing!

 

Shame. We missed out on an isolated score

[A24 4,331]

1 hour ago, Corellian2019 said:

 

Where did he say that?

 

 

It's mentioned on the wikipedia page.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Game_(1997_film)

 

 

[Jay 37,340]

https://www.indiewire.com/2014/09/david-fincher-says-he-shouldnt-have-directed-the-game-dislikes-superhero-movies-talks-crazy-20000-leagues-272234/

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

1 minute ago, Jay said:

https://www.indiewire.com/2014/09/david-fincher-says-he-shouldnt-have-directed-the-game-dislikes-superhero-movies-talks-crazy-20000-leagues-272234/

 

Dislikes The Game? Alex is right again!