Fincher, having final cut, eventually got the sucker down to roughly two hours and forty minutes, but not without making some sacrifices, the most prominent of these being a forced release date of March 2, 2007. Smack dab in the middle of dumping ground season, where films go to die. Since then, a lot has been said about Zodiac, like (and I’m paraphrasing here): “It’s got more in common with All The President’s Men than it does with Se7en”. Agreed. “The film is ultimately about obsession.” That sounds about right. “Aside from being one of the year’s best, Zodiac is David Fincher’s masterpiece.” Co-sign.

If you’re at all familiar with Fincher’s work, the first thing you’re likely to notice about the picture is how restrained it feels. This is a good thing. Don’t take that as a knock against his other films, either. I enjoy just about everything in his canon on some level, my favorite being The Game. His style just feels a bit showy at times, which is cool for something like Fight Club (the fan boys are inches from ruining that one), but not entirely necessary for Panic Room (or Zodiac). Somewhere down the line, Fincher realized this. Maybe he saw the faults in Panic Room and decided to alter his craft, or maybe he’s just matured as a filmmaker. Truthfully, the reason behind this transformation is not important. Whatever it was has birthed Fincher 2.0, and that’s all that matters.

When compared to the theatrical version, Zodiac: Director’s Cut is not an entirely new beast, as only six minutes have been added to the film. It is, however, the definitive version for fans and newcomers alike. While the new material doesn’t necessarily alter the experience on a grand scale, it does offer a couple of nice gems, ones which would be sorely missed if swayed to watch the theatrical cut again. Immediately noticeable is two minutes of pitch black screen, accompanied by shifting songs, replacing what used to be a sh*tty title card meant to signify the passing of four years. A scene which details the process of acquiring a search warrant has also been added. In it, Toschi (Mark Ruffalo) and Armstrong (Anthony Edwards) present their case against Allen (John Carroll Lynch) to Captain Lee (Dermot Mulroney) using a speaker phone, Charlie’s Angels style.

The sheer size of the Zodiac: Director’s Cut DVD rivals Meat Loaf’s man breasts in Fight Club. No joke. This thing is massive. I’ve been sifting through my screener copy for nearly two weeks, just finishing it yesterday. There are two feature length commentary tracks included. One features David Fincher, doing the solo act he does so well, while the other is populated by Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr., Brad Fischer, James Vanderbilt, and James Ellroy. Of the two, Fincher’s is superior by a country mile. The guy knows his sh*t like it’s nobody’s business, offering insights into both the filmmaking process and the history of the Zodiac case. The unique visual techniques (of which there are surprisingly many) are spotlighted in The Visual Effects Of Zodiac and an additional previsualization feature. Every other aspect imaginable is heavily documented in the meticulous making-of documentary Zodiac Deciphered.

Because all of that simply just isn’t enough, the hauntingly surreal Zodiac killings and Arthur Leigh Allen are both represented in extensive documentaries made exclusively for this set. This Is The Zodiac Speaking utilizes crime scene photos and interviews with surviving victims and detectives to render an all-encompassing view of the historical events. Presenting a sturdy case, then forcing you to question what you’ve been told, is His Name Was Arthur Leigh Allen. Those who knew and those who investigated the man many believe to have been the Zodiac killer take a retrospective look into the life of a probable madman. Both of these presentations are of the utmost quality, and would be worth purchasing on their own. That they’re available as a bonus just goes to show you how much care went into preparing this essential package. It’s only January, but when the end of 2008 approaches, you’ll almost certainly be hard pressed to find a superior DVD offering.