The Killer (David Fincher, 2023).

Seven's original soundtrack is available on vinyl for $40 via Waxwork Records. Shipping in January, the score is composed by Howard Shore (The Lord of the Rings, The Silence of the Lambs, The Fly).

The 2xLP album is pressed on 150-gram "Lust & Sloth" colored vinyl. It's housed in a gatefold jacket with matte satin coating featuring a layout by Steve Reeves and an 11x11 insert.

Se7en directed by David Fincher

Behind the Scenes

The Killer (2023, dir. David Fincher)

The Killer might not be David Fincher’s most important film, but it’s one of his most fun ones recently and certainly one of the best-crafted thrillers playing on Netflix after a limited theatrical release. The film has a highly cinematic canvas reminiscing the 70’s political thrillers like The Day of the Jackal while also referencing Hitchcock's Rear Window and De Palma’s homage to it in Body Double. But at the same time, the film subverts the genre of the cool assassin by having the hero’s internal dialogue narrate the whole film, contradicting his supposed coolness and his impassionate stance with his foolish actions driven by empathy for others. Unlike some reviewers who were appalled by the narration, thinking it took away from the coolness of the character, it’s the narration that is the key to unlocking the film’s intention, which is clearly to make a dark comedy about someone believing to be cool and unemotional, while clearly driven by his emotions as he’s trying to cover his errors. Is it ethical? Well, no. It’s based on a graphic novel about a paid killer that is concerned more about style and form. But here, Andrew Kevin Walker, the writer of Seven, along with Fincher, are trying to have their cake and eat it too by telling a revenge story that leads to unpunished victory. They succeed by transforming the hero from a cool bastard to a lucky bastard, and we’re certainly lucky to live in his brains for the two hours of this excellent film, with top-notch contributions in cinematography, editing sound design and music, as well as an excellent cast lead by the epitome of cool and fun, Michael Fassbender. 

A-

Trailer: https://youtu.be/5S7FR_HCg9g

i’m dying over this picture 😭 Fincher and Fassbender look like AKW’s children or something with the small cups lmao (image from @ BeatFassbender on twitter)

. Stick to your plan. Anticipate, don't improvise. Trust no one. Never yield an advantage. Fight only the battle you're paid to fight.

The Killer, David Fincher (2023)

Sieben (1995)

In der verregneten amerikanischen Großstadt tobt ein Mörder, der sich an das Konzept der Sieben Todessünden hält und seine Opfer nach diesen auswählt: Begonnen mit einem übergewichtigen Mann, den er der Faulheit bezichtigt und ihn umbringt, indem er ihn festkettet und zwingt, so viel Nahrung zu sich zu nehmen, bis sein Magen den Geist aufgibt. Die Morde jener Natur werden von zwei Detectives der Mordkommission ermittelt. (10/10)

192 - Panic Room (EW Spring Movie Preview)

We’re kicking off our May Miniseries on EW Movie Preview cover movies at the beginning of the calendar with the Spring Movie Preview spotlight on Panic Room. David Fincher’s post-Fight Club foray into elevating a straightforward thriller with his stylistic perfectionism, the film almost starred Nicole Kidman as a recently separated mother who hides with her daughter in the eponymous fortress when her new home is invaded by a trio of fledgling criminals. But when Kidman exited due to lingering injuries sustained during Moulin Rouge!, the extremely Oscar friendly Jodie Foster ditched Cannes jury president duties to work with Fincher. Though Foster’s name was still synonymous with Oscar after almost winning her third only a few years prior, this spring release was left in awards voters minds as a crowd pleasing thriller by year’s end.

This episode, senior entertainment writer for Variety Adam B. Vary joins us to discuss how the EW movie previews were made, including a deep dive into how movies were chosen for prime coverage, letters to the editor, and its bonanza of fonts. We also discuss the films’ mismatched brilliance of its three criminals played by Forrest Whitaker, Jared Leto, and Dwight Yoakam, its breakthrough performance for Kristen Stewart, and covering Jodie Foster’s pregnancy during filming.

Topics also include EW’s Critical Mass grid as the early Rotten Tomatoes, movies delayed because of 9/11, and Free Winona.

Links:

The 2002 Oscar nominations

Joe on Podcast Like It’s 1999 for EW’s Best of 1999

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Sleepy Hollow (1999)

"Villainy wears many masks, none so dangerous as the mask of virtue."

Bottleneck Gallery will release Se7en 36x24 giclee prints by HKV today, March 31, at 12pm EST. The standard version is limited to 125 for $50, while the variant (below) is limited to 50 for $60.

The Wolfman (2010)

The 2010 remake of The Wolfman had the ingredients to be a horror classic. Its cast includes the likes of Benicio del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, and Hugo Weaving. Rick Baker's makeup effects remain faithful to the original design while giving it new life. Then, there's the source material. 1941's The Wolf Man is solid, certainly old enough to warrant a remake, and would benefit from modern-day special effects in key scenes. Too bad this new story expands on the original in all the wrong ways.

After years of absence, Larry Talbot (del Toro) returns home for his brother's funeral. He discovers the beast responsible has been terrorizing the small town. Co-starring is Anthony Hopkins as Larry’s father Sir John Talbot, Emily Blunt as Gwen, the dead brother’s widow, and the full moon, who appears in every second shot.

This only feels like a remake of The Wolf Man in the most superficial ways: the names are the same, Larry returns home because of his brother’s death, and the titular creature has the same look. You look beyond those and you see this film by Joe Johnston for what it is: a schlocky piece of horror trash. It's un-scary and predictable. At least it looks like Anthony Hopkins had fun - probably because he realized quickly there was no reason to care. He stops just short of laughing maniacally while rubbing his hands in mischief every time he’s on-screen.

Horror movies often run out of steam towards the end. Most of the characters are dead, the monster’s been revealed, you’ve started figuring out its weaknesses, and the air of mystery that was so frightening at first has eroded. I can’t remember the last time I saw a third act as weak as this one. Maybe Mirrors? Again, you know EXACTLY what’s going to happen from the first few minutes. When it plays out as you predicted, it’s not satisfactory, it’s what you’ve been dreading the whole time.

Don't think it only falls apart towards the conclusion; the problems start as soon as the werewolf shows up. With the beast only appearing during the full moon, the plot must come up with endless excuses for months to pass by quickly. Meanwhile, we're subjected to clumsy mobs of villagers who accidentally get themselves killed. As you laugh uncontrollably at those poor fools and their gory demises, those around you will think you're destined for the nuthouse, which is coincidentally where the picture's only good scene is set.

Let’s talk about gore. Used correctly, blood, torn flesh, unspooling intestines can be truly horrific. 2010's The Wolfman tries so hard to be extreme, it'll make you blush. Every dismemberment, shredded throat, and decapitation would’ve been effective if it weren't so overdone. Having seen both the theatrical and the unrated version, I have to point you towards the theatrical cut. Not that it’s much better but at least it resembles a bit more what a horror movie SHOULD be and doesn’t include weird inconsistencies and continuity errors because of scenes that were added in.

2010’s The Wolfman is a perfect example of "less is more". It may have all the blood you could ask for, flashy transformation sequences, tons of shots of the full moon, and big action scenes, but you’d rather watch the imperfect, memorable, and classy 1941 version any day. It’s a huge disappointment for fans of the Universal Monsters, and an embarrassment for everyone who helped make it. (Unrated version on Blu-ray, April 29, 2017)