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Thanks for the detailed notes. Yeah, I was going for a real neat card trick with this ending much like Usual Suspects and Keyzer Soze. We're being led down one road the whole time and then...gotcha!
Your reaction is much like Siskel and Ebert when they reviewed Suspects. They felt they'd been had by the big reveal that Spacey lied through his teeth. I'd be interested in seeing how many other people feel the way you do about the twist. One thing about this script is it originated back in 2006, even before Fincher did Zodiac. I based the original script on Graysmith's novels.
It's become a tired concept with the Zodiac copycat angle since then and it hurts this script. A couple years ago, a San Fran director was looking for a psychological thriller police procedural so I catered it toward his needs. Of course, nothing ever came of it.
Your reaction is much like Siskel and Ebert when they reviewed Suspects. They felt they'd been had by the big reveal that Spacey lied through his teeth. I'd be interested in seeing how many other people feel the way you do about the twist.
- That's true, I never made that connection. I love The Usual Suspects, it's an ingenious rug puller. I should reiterate that I dig what you do here, I appreciate its nihilism, there is a fair amount of "fuck you" in it, I'm just unsure about how its embedded within the script, I reckon it needs a bit of finessing. Like you, I was merely wondering how others will take it due to the reasons mentioned.
One thing about this script is it originated back in 2006, even before Fincher did Zodiac. I based the original script on Graysmith's novels.
- Yeah, just checked the script's date now, that is a pity. Fincher's film probably closed the door on this story for awhile but we all know how much Hollywood loves a remake, reimagining, reboot, rehash, reheat, etc, so you won't have to wait long.
It's become a tired concept with the Zodiac copycat angle since then and it hurts this script.
- Would you consider excising that element then? As I've said, the characters don't make a big deal of it and there are no cryptograms (because of who turns out to be the killer) only the symbol really connects it to him so would it lose anything if you took those out and let it stand on its own?