Tag: Blu-ray

Sinnin’ Ain’t Easy: David Fincher on The Lasting Legacy of SE7EN’s Pervasive Horror

Original photo by Frank Ockenfels 3

As SE7EN receives an anniversary release in IMAX theaters and on 4K UHD Blu-ray, David Fincher tells Mitchell Beaupre about the film’s enduring impact, Brad Pitt’s basketball ties, John Doe’s memorable entrance and more, including his personal favorite opening credit sequences.

Mitchell Beaupre
January 3, 2025
Letterboxd

“The movie is a horror movie. The movie is about utter and total loss of control.” —⁠David Fincher on SE7EN

Plenty of films want to sell us on the idea that sinning is fun. SE7EN is not that film. Drenched in the cold city rain, grime coming out from the sewers and onto the streets, cockroaches scattering behind furniture and paint peeling off the walls, in the world of Se7en there’s not much fun about life at all. And yet, since its release thirty years ago, David Fincher’s neo-noir-tinged detective thriller/serial killer horror has been a fan favorite, pulling in more than $327 million worldwide and firmly cementing a place on the Letterboxd Top 250 with a whopping 4.3 average rating. Not bad for a movie that makes you want to take a shower the minute you finish watching.

Beneath all of the shocking moments of grotesquerie as Detectives Mills (Brad Pitt) and Somerset (Morgan Freeman) track the meticulously orchestrated slaughters executed by John Doe (Kevin Spacey), SE7EN’s resonance comes from how it invites us to question the futility of feeling good about anything in this life. It’s the ultimate glass half full or half empty story, as these men see some of the worst that humankind is capable of every day, and Mills somehow retains a positive outlook while Somerset has lost all hope for society. Over the course of a week, these two develop a natural bond while their worldviews continuously clash. Director Jim Cummings writes in a Letterboxd review of SE7EN that “outside of the incredible craftsmanship displayed in its filmmaking, it’s an incredible character study with perfect fusion of character-comedy and detective-pornography.”

Cummings is one of many filmmakers who adore Fincher’s sophomore feature, which laid the foundation in 1995 for essentially every gnarly detective thriller that would come in the years to follow. “Easy to forget that this became the template for the genre it reinvented, but beyond that it’s a spectacular piece of provocation and confidence,” Matt writes, which Dirk echoes by saying, “The true star here is David Fincher. He has created an aesthetic that has been copied so many times, but has never really been equaled.” Dirk also opens his review by pondering, “It is always difficult to determine when you are ‘allowed’ to call a film a classic or a masterpiece,” then three paragraphs later ending with the declaration that SE7EN is, indeed, both.

So that settles that. Here’s my conversation with David Fincher.

Read the full interview

David Fincher gives SE7EN a final, 4K UHD Glow Up For Its 30th Anniversary

Lindsey Bahr
January 3, 2025
AP News

For David Fincher, seeing SE7EN in 4K was an experience he can only describe as harrowing. That or a high school reunion.

“There are definitely moments that you go, ‘What was I thinking?’ Or ‘Why did I let this person have that hairdo’?” Fincher said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.

He’s OK with the film being a product of its time in most respects. But some things just could not stand in high-definition resolution.

“It was a little decrepit, to be honest,” said Fincher. “We needed to resuscitate it. There are things you can see in 4K HDR that you cannot see on a film print.”

Ever the perfectionist, he and a team got to work on a new restoration of the film for its 30th anniversary re-release. This weekend the restored SE7EN will play on IMAX screens for the first time in the U.S. and Canada, and on Jan. 7, the 4K UHD home video version will be available as well.

The dark crime thriller written by Andrew Kevin Walker and starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman as a pair of detectives looking for a serial killer was somewhat of a career-reviver for Fincher, whose directorial debut Alien 3 had not gone well. SE7EN was not a sure thing: It was made for only $34 million (and only got that when Fincher managed to persuade studio execs to give up $3 million more). But it went on to earn more than $327 million, not accounting for inflation, and continues to influence the genre.

Fincher has over the years overseen several restorations of the film (including one for laser disc) but decided this needed to be the last. It’s why he insisted on an 8K scan that they could derive the 4K from. He wanted to ensure that it wouldn’t have to be repeated when screens get more advanced.

“I don’t want to do this again,” Fincher said. “What we’ve essentially gotten to with this is that this is the new negative. This will be the new archival storage element.”

For casual viewers, the tweaks should not be terribly noticeable. Fincher didn’t go in and add characters or give Gwyneth Paltrow a happy ending.

“I’m very against the idea of changing any of the content,” Fincher said. “There’s literally zero opportunity for toys in ‘Seven’ so we won’t be introducing any of that.”

But take the opening scene where Pitt’s character selects a pre-tied tie and looks out a window. In the original version, Fincher used a tried and true filmmaking technique where you bounce soft light off a white card outside the window to give the appearance of depth and natural light coming in. He called them the Being There windows, referring to what cinematographer Caleb Deschanel did on that film.

“There’s no expectation by the audience that you see the buildings beyond the window. They’re just overexposed. The inside is dark enough that your eyes don’t adjust. And so outside it’s very bright,” he explained. “In 4K, it’s no good. You could see the sheen of the white card.”

The fix was to add a cityscape and some rain drizzle.

“We’re not showing off that now you can see the city,” he said. “We’re just finally kind of bringing the bottom end of the expectation up a little bit so that it feels like it was intended to because now we have the ability to resolve that stuff.”

There were some exposure issues, some cinch marks, some places where the splices came loose or where the perforations of the print changed the properties. Fincher also removed some of the camera jiggles at the end of the film, explaining that because it was an omniscient camera it was distracting. But he didn’t want to do too much and have it lose its essence.

“It’s a document of its time and I believe that movies should be that,” Fincher said. “For all the primitive nonsense of the equipment that went into making The French Connection, it informs that movie. There is a kind of rugged primitivism in it. And I didn’t want that baked out.

David Fincher on SE7EN 4K Restoration, Post-‘Alien 3’ Redemption and Casting Ned Beatty as John Doe

The making of a masterpiece.

Todd Gilchrist
January 3, 2025
Variety

David Fincher bristles at being labeled a perfectionist.

He makes an unconvincing case in the shadow of his filmography, which includes “Fight Club,” “Zodiac” and “The Social Network” among several other films marked by a meticulous and unerring technical precision. But Fincher’s objections ring especially hollow when it comes in the midst of an explanation — involving corrections to emulsion caused by the device that perforated the original celluloid — why a new 4K version of “SE7EN” took a year to complete. Yet even if one were inclined to describe his approach merely as a “passionate attention to detail,” that attention has nevertheless resulted in some of the most unforgettable cinematic images of the last 30 years — and now, one of the most beautiful restorations produced in the high-definition era.

Perhaps ironically, “SE7EN,” the film that marked his Hollywood breakthrough, was by his description inspired by “movies with dirt under their fingernails.” Following its premiere at the 2024 TCM Film Festival, the upgraded transfer will be released in theaters (including IMAX) Jan. 3, to be followed on 4K UHD Jan. 7. Fincher recently spoke with Variety about the film, describing his approach to the project after the critical and commercial underperformance of his debut feature, “Alien 3;” revealing details about key casting and creative choices in bringing to life the story of a serial killer inspired by the seven deadly sins; and reflecting on its legacy as a film that both inspired countless imitators and defined his reputation — be it as a perfectionist or just a filmmaker who learned to ask for forgiveness instead of permission.

David Fincher:

I bristle at that idea of perfectionism because if you look at an image and you can see that there’s something going on on the left side of it, I’ll admit it was a big problem for me when I moved to high definition because now I could finally see all of the background actors looky-looing and counting, and you go, “Wow, what is this behavior that’s in the background?” So the more you see, the more I feel it’s my responsibility to make sure that the only thing that’s documented is the stuff that focuses your attention on what you need to walk away with. 

Read the full interview

David Fincher and the Prisoner of Fiorina 161 (Alien3, 1992) / Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)

David Fincher Says He Met With Warner Bros. to Direct ‘Harry Potter’ and Told the Studio ‘I Want It to Be Kind of Creepy’

Todd Gilchrist
January 2, 2025
Variety

David Fincher talks remastering SE7EN and reveals what was really in the box

The filmmaker says the rumor that the infamous box contained a prosthetic head is “entirely ridiculous.”

Wesley Stenzel
January 2, 2025
Entertainment Weekly

SE7EN turns 30 this year, and to commemorate the anniversary, director David Fincher has overseen the 4K remaster of the seminal crime drama.

The serial killer mystery — which stars Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Kevin Spacey — first shook up the crime genre in 1995 with propulsive, precise craft and unprecedentedly nasty crime scenes that have influenced everything from Saw to The Batman. The film now has a higher-resolution look that will debut on IMAX screens on Jan. 3 before releasing on 4K UHD Blu-ray Discs and on digital Jan. 7. Fincher and his team painstakingly recreated the film as it was originally printed in 1995, utilizing some AI tools to enhance the image and fix visual mistakes that weren’t visible in previous scans of the film.

Entertainment Weekly chatted with Fincher to discuss the new version of SE7EN and reflect on his memories of helming his feature directorial breakout 30 years later — including what’s really in the box.

Read the full interview

“The Most Thrillingly Stupid Fix in the World”: David Fincher Tells Us How He Restored SE7EN in 4K

Original photo by Frank Ockenfels 3

Perri Nemiroff
January 2, 2025
Collider

It’s officially 2025, and that makes it the year of SE7EN’s 30th anniversary. Released in theaters on September 22, 1995, David Fincher’s second feature film enjoyed a successful run at the box office, scored an Academy Award nomination for Best Film Editing, a BAFTA nomination for Best Original Screenplay, and is still revered as top-tier cinema to this day.

The movie stars Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt as detectives. Freeman’s William Somerset is a respected veteran on the verge of retirement, while Pitt’s David Mills is a recently transferred detective with loads of confidence, but lots to learn from Somerset. The pair is assigned to investigate a string of elaborate and ruthless murders, each one connected to one of the seven deadly sins.

In celebration of SE7EN’s release on 4K UHD on January 7, and also its first-ever IMAX release on January 3, I got the opportunity to get a peek behind the curtain of the restoration process courtesy of Fincher himself. He broke down the factors he must consider when choosing which of his films to restore, where he draws the line when making changes to the original film during this restoration process, how he used AI to pull off “the most thrillingly stupid fix in the world,” and loads more. You can read about all of that and his thoughts on his Netflix projects getting physical releases in the interview below.

Read the full interview

The 4K Remaster of “The Social Network” Will Be Re-released in UHD Blu-ray

Celebrating the 15th Anniversary of the acclaimed award-winning modern classic from director David Fincher

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
December 12, 2024

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has officially announced the standalone UHD HDR release of The Social Network, featuring the 2021 remaster in 4K supervised by David Fincher, previously only available in the Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection Volume 2 Limited Edition box set.

It will be available as a limited edition Steelbook on February 18, 2025.

The Social Network, directed by David Fincher, is the stunning tale of a new breed of cultural insurgent: a punk genius who sparked a revolution and changed the face of human interaction for a generation, and perhaps forever. Shot through with emotional brutality and unexpected humor, this superbly crafted film chronicles the formation of Facebook and the battles over ownership that followed upon the website’s unfathomable success. With a complex, incisive screenplay by Aaron Sorkin and a brilliant cast including Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield and Justin Timberlake, The Social Network bears witness to the birth of an idea that rewove the fabric of society even as it unraveled the friendship of its creators. Nominated for 8 Academy Awards, including Best Picture (2010).

Directed by: David Fincher
Produced by: Ceán Chaffin, Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca
Written by: Aaron Sorkin, based Upon the Book “The Accidental Billionaires” by Ben Mezrich

Basics

Video: 4K UHD (2160p). 2.40:1 (OAR). HEVC/H.265 Codec
HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR 10.
Audio: Dolby Atmos / Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit), DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Languages: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and more
Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and more
Discs: 3-Disc Set

Run Time: 120 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for sexual content, drug and alcohol use and language, and Unrated

4K ULTRA HD Disc

  • Feature presented in 4K resolution with Dolby Vision
  • Unrated Dolby Atmos English audio (with one extra “fuck”)
  • Unrated 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio (with one extra “fuck”)
  • Theatrical 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
  • Optional English subtitles
  • Theatrical Trailers

Blu-Ray Disc

  • Feature presented in HD resolution
  • Theatrical 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
  • Optional English subtitles for the main feature
  • Commentary 1 by David Fincher
  • Commentary 2 by Aaron Sorkin & Cast

Blu-Ray Disc with Special Features

All previously available Special Features produced by David Prior.

  • How Did They Ever Make a Movie of Facebook?
  • David Fincher and Jeff Cronenweth on the Visuals
  • Angus Wall, Kirk Baxter, and Ren Klyce on Post
  • Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and David Fincher on the Score
  • Ruby Skye VIP Room: Multi-Angle Scene Breakdown
  • In the Hall of the Mountain King: Reznor’s First Draft
  • Swarmatron

The 4K Remaster of “Panic Room” Will Be Released in UHD Blu-ray

The claustrophobic thriller from director David Fincher finally debuts on 4K ULTRA HD

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
December 11, 2024

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has officially announced the long-awaited UHD HDR release of Panic Room, featuring the new remaster in 4K supervised by David Fincher.

It will be available as a limited edition Steelbook on February 18, 2025.

Trapped in their New York brownstone’s panic room, a hidden chamber built as a sanctuary in the event of break-ins, newly divorced Meg Altman (Jodie Foster) and her daughter, Sarah (Kristen Stewart), play a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with three intruders—Burnham (Forest Whitaker), Raoul (Dwight Yoakam) and Junior (Jared Leto)—during a brutal home invasion. But the room itself is the focal point because what the intruders really want is inside it.

Directed by: David Fincher
Produced by: Ceán Chaffin, Gavin Polone, Judy Hofflund, David Koepp
Written by: David Koepp

Basics

Video: 4K UHD (2160p). 2.39:1 (OAR). HEVC/H.265 Codec
HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR 10.
Audio: Dolby Atmos / Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit), DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
Languages: English
Subtitles: English
Discs: 3-Disc Set

Run Time: 112 minutes
Rating: R for violence and language

4K ULTRA HD Disc

  • Feature presented in 4K resolution with Dolby Vision
  • English Dolby Atmos + English 5.1
  • Optional English subtitles

Blu-Ray Disc

  • Feature presented in HD resolution, sourced from the 4K remaster
  • English 5.1
  • Optional English subtitles for the main feature
  • Commentary 1 by David Fincher
  • Commentary 2 by Jodie Foster, Forest Whitaker, and Dwight Yoakam
  • Commentary 3 by writer David Koepp and special guest

Blu-Ray Disc with Special Features

All previously available Special Features produced by David Prior.

  • Pre-Production:

– Six featurettes on the prep phase, from pre-visualization through testing.
– Interactive previsualization: Compare the pre-visualization, storyboards, dailies and final film in a multi-angle, multi-audio feature with optional commentary.

  • Production:

– Shooting Panic Room: An hour-long documentary on the principal photography phase.
– Makeup effects featurette with Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff Jr.
– Sequence breakdowns: An interactive look at the creation of four separate scenes in the film

  • Post-Production:

– 21 documentaries and featurettes on the visual effects.
– On Sound Design with Ren Klyce.
– Digital Intermediate and other featurettes dealing with the post-production phase.
– A multi-angle look at the scoring session conducted by Howard Shore.

This edition will include the fantastic Teaser Trailer narrated by Linda Hunt, edited by Angus Wall, and with Sound Design by Ren Klyce, previously only available in the “SuperBit” Edition and worldwide standard edition DVDs:

SE7EN Celebrates its 30th Anniversary with a 4K Remaster and a Re-release in IMAX

Warner Bros.
November 19, 2024

FROM ACCLAIMED DIRECTOR DAVID FINCHER, THE PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 4K RESOLUTION WITH HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE (HDR).

AVAILABLE ON DIGITAL AND 4K UHD DISC ON JANUARY 7, 2025.

EXPERIENCE THE FILM IN IMAX® FOR THE FIRST TIME, STARTING JANUARY 3, 2025 FOR A LIMITED ENGAGEMENT.

The film stars Academy Award Winners Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, and Gwyneth Paltrow.

Burbank, Calif., November 19, 2024 – Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the psychological thriller SE7EN from New Line Cinema and acclaimed director David Fincher, the 1995 film will be available for purchase Digitally in 4K Ultra HD and on 4K UHD Blu-ray Disc on January 7, 2025.

SE7EN will be available to purchase on Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc online and in-store at major retailers and available for purchase Digitally from Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Google Play, Fandango at Home and more.

Additionally, to celebrate the film’s 30th anniversary, the newly re-mastered version of SE7EN will be offered theatrically worldwide with exclusive IMAX engagements in the U.S. and Canada beginning on January 3, and international theatrical engagements on select dates. To purchase tickets, or for further information, please visit www.imax.com/seven.

Directed by three-time Academy Award nominee David Fincher (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Social Network, Mank) from a screenplay by Andrew Kevin Walker, the film stars Academy Award winner Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood), Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby), Academy Award winner Gwyneth Paltrow (Shakespeare in Love), along with John C. McGinley (Platoon), Golden Globe nominee R. Lee Ermey (Full Metal Jacket), and Academy Award winner Kevin Spacey (The Usual Suspects, American Beauty) as John Doe. The film is produced by Arnold Kopelson and Phyllis Carlyle.

SE7EN received an Academy Award nomination for Best Film Editing (Richard Francis-Bruce) at the 68th Academy Awards. The film was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay (Andrew Kevin Walker) at the 49th British Academy Film Awards.

The 4K restoration of Se7en was completed at Warner Bros. Discovery’s Motion Picture Imaging (MPI) and was sourced from the original camera negative. The restoration was overseen by director David Fincher.

About the Film

Two cops (Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman) track a brilliant and elusive killer who orchestrates a string of horrific murders, each kill targeting a practitioner of one of the Seven Deadly Sins. Gwyneth Paltrow also stars in this acclaimed thriller set in a dour, drizzly city sick with pain and blight. David Fincher (Fight Club, Zodiac, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) guides the action – physical, mental, and spiritual – with a sure understanding of what terrifies us, right up to a stunning denouement that will rip the scar tissue off the most hardened soul.

SE7EN 4K UHD Blu-ray. DigiPack Case

SE7EN 4K UHD Blu-ray. SteelBook Case (Limited Edition)

Basics

Video: 4K UHD (2160p). 2.39:1 (OAR). HEVC/H.265 Codec. HDR 10.
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Languages: English, Spanish, Parisian French
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, Parisian French

Run Time: 127 minutes
Rating: R for grisly afterviews of horrific and bizarre killings, and for strong language

Special Features

SE7EN Digital release and Ultra HD Blu-ray disc contain the following previously released special features:

  • Commentaries:

– The Stars: David Fincher, Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman
– The Story: Richard Dyer, Andrew Kevin Walker, Richard Francis-Bruce, Michael De Luca, David Fincher
– The Picture: Darius Khondji, Arthur Max, Richard Francis-Bruce, Richard Dyer, David Fincher
– The Sound: Ren Klyce, Howard Shore, Richard Dyer, David Fincher

  • Deleted Scenes:

– Car Ride in from Gluttony
– My Future
– Raid on Victor’s
– Spare Some Change?
– Tracy Wakes from Light Sleep
– Pride

  • Alternate endings:

– Animated storyboards of un-shot ending
– Original “Test” ending

  • Still Photographs (featurettes):

– John Doe’s Photographs
– Victor’s Decomposition
– Police Crime Scene Photographs
– Production Photographs
– The Notebooks

  • Production Design (featurette)
  • Mastering for the Home Theater (featurette)
  • Exploration of the Opening Title Sequence: Early Storyboards (featurette)
  • Exploration of the Opening Title Sequence: Rough Version (featurette)
  • Exploration of the Opening Title Sequence: Final Edit (featurette)
  • Exploration of the Opening Title Sequence: Stereo Audio Commentary One – The Concept – Designer Kyle Cooper (featurette)
  • Exploration of the Opening Title Sequence: Stereo Audio Commentary Two – The Sound – Brant Biles & Robert Margouleff (featurette)
  • Theatrical EPK

“Fight Club” Celebrates its 25th Anniversary with a 4K Remaster and an Art Book

“WELL, MAYBE IT’S TIME TO TALK ABOUT… 👊”

Or so says the mysterious account that discreetly appeared on Instagram on October 15, the 25th Anniversary of Fight Club.

Now, New Regency and 20th Century Studios have officially announced that the subversive film, based on Chuck Palahniuk’s satirical novel, has been “meticulously remastered” in 4K under the supervision of David Fincher, “offering audiences the chance to experience the film with sharper detail than ever before.”

We will be able to experience the new remaster in 2025, in a theatrical re-release and 4K UHD HDR Streaming and Blu-ray releases.

Insight Editions, in partnership with New Regency, is releasing a companion art book (announced on THE FINCHER ANALYST last year), “a collector’s piece, that includes new interviews, unearthed visuals, original artwork, and rare behind-the-scenes material, offering fans the deepest look yet into the making of the film and its enduring legacy.”

“Fight Club is an enduring symbol of cinematic innovation, with its exploration of identity, masculinity, and consumerism continuing to resonate with audiences.”

VFX Notes: Fight Club 25th Anniversary. CGI, photogrammetry, fat suits and soap

Hugo Guerra & Ian Failes
October 15, 2022
Hugo’s Desk / befores & afters

David Fincher’s glorious, mysterious, spectacular Fight Club has just turned 25! A new VFX Notes episode with Hugo Guerra and Ian Failes looks back at the film, and breaks down the incredible, invisible visual effects work.

We dive deep into the photogrammetry side of things from BUF, and look at the variety of work from Digital Domain, the penguin from Blue Sky (!), plus VFX from other vendors. It was an extraordinary achievement from visual effects designer Kevin Tod Haug to oversee this work.

Check out the video below which includes a whole range of behind the scenes and VFX breakdowns.

Chapters:
00:00:00: Intro
00:00:40: A word from our sponsors
00:01:50: The podcast begins
00:04:52: Our first viewing of FIGHT CLUB
00:11:56: The DVD is like film school
00:28:47: Jeff Cronenweth and the visual style
00:37:23: The manny takes of Fincher
00:41:27: Kevin Tod Haug’s amazing work
00:43:20: It would be nominated if it was today
00:45:24: Shaders and radiosity
00:48:03: Photogrammetry and BUF
00:53:07: Previz
00:57:08: The virtual camera moves like the kitchen scenes
01:00:45: BUF VFX and the sex shots
01:06:19: The age of CG tests
01:09:48: The plane crash
01:13:48: High rise collapse
01:21:49: Having fewer artists for a longer time
01:23:49: Peter Ramnsey’s animatics
01:24:23: The cave animal
01:27:08: One of the first behind the scenes featuring HDR spheres and grey balls
01:31:03: The Titanic breath leftovers
01:33:15: The gunshot
01:37:14: The Furni shot
01:39:44: The opening credits
01:45:43: Meat Loaf’s Fat Suit
01:50:00: Members and Patreon credits

Watch the “age-restricted” Fight Club VFX breakdown by BUF:
YouTube
BUF.com