Recent Thrifting

I've been out thrifting twice since my last update on it, and I figured I could get a post out of the finds on those trips.  Once again, mostly books & movies added to the collection.




This is a random selection of books that appealed to me.  I'm always down for an intriguing true crime book, and The Last Victim is about correspondence with some of the most notorious serial killers, and the secrets they spilled in their letters.  Trivia and humor books are always an easy sale with me, especially since they are normally re-readable.  And Dead Wrong is another conspiracy book written by Richard Belzer, who wrote one of my all-time favorites: UFOs, JFK, & Elvis.

 

Elizabeth was introduced to the works of David Baldacci via a co-worker, so I've slowly started picking up his books when I find them at a good price.

 

Four movie novelizations I found while out this past weekend.  As I've stated in previous entries, I am a big fan of these, and I was happy to find these.  I rarely stumble across them while out, and I was pleased to find two newer novelizations, as well as one for The Shadow, which is one of my favorite '90s comic book movies.

 

Brand new board game, so was an easy sell.  We are always looking for new games, and when they haven't even been opened yet, it's hard to pass up.  This one is based on visual word puzzles, so we we're intrigued.  Probably will break it out at the next game night with friends.

 

When looking for movies while thrifting, it is usually hit or miss.  I either don't find any titles that interest me, OR the disc has seen better days.  Thankfully, I've come across some stuff the last few trips that prove it is still worth looking.

 

 

Most Wanted I've never seen, but falls into a genre of film I love (the mid '90s action film), and the plot sounded interesting enough to give it a try.  Plus, DVDs were BOGO, and I had already found Heart and Souls, so needed a 2nd.  Even though I'm not the biggest fan of RDJ, I remember watching Heart and Souls a lot growing up and enjoying it.  I'm a fan of the time travel/destiny/body-swapping movies, which I would say this falls into.

 

 

This past weekend, I found these two gems.  Paid $5 for both, which is a steal given that Paramount set has 10 films.  For a Disney DVD, Melody Time looks brand new.  And if the picture is too small, the list of films on the 10 pack are:

Cloak & Dagger
The Wizard
Cop and a Half
King Ralph
Matinee
Sgt. Bilko
Ghost Dad
Ed
A Simple Wish
The Borrowers

I bolded the two films I mainly bought it for, as I'm a big fan of both and had yet to purchase the individual dvds.  I look forward to watching this set, and is probably one of the better movie deals I've found while thrifting.

Will probably be doing some more thrifting over the upcoming Labor Day weekend, as  my parents will be visiting, so hoping to find some good deals then.

"This is the Zodiac speaking..."

I'm hoping this will be a first post in an ongoing series, in which I finally get around to some of the Unseen Cinema in my life.  New theatrical releases, as well as anything within the last 2-3 years, I probably won't cover (but may review, depending on my mood and what I thought of it).  Also, for the readers who do decide to venture to my little blog, bear with me.  I am not a master wordsmith.

                                       ZODIAC (2007)

As much as I like true crime (both movies and books), as well as the mystery behind the Zodiac Killer, I avoided this film due to the cast.  I'm not a huge Robert Downey Jr (even thought I can't really think of another actor who could bring Tony Stark to life like he has) or Jake Gyllenhaal fan, so them having top billing kind of just had me push it away.

Thankfully to the awesomeness of the interwebs and Twitter, I've made a few friends who are into movies as much as I am, and based upon their recommendations, I seeked out this film.  On top of that, I got an awesome deal on the blu-ray on Amazon, only paying $4.99 for it.

Based upon Robert Graysmith's book Zodiac, the movie follows San Francisco Chronicle employees Graysmith and Paul Avery and SFPD Inspectors Toschi and Armstrong as they search for the killer known as the Zodiac.  For some, obsession eventually takes over.

I'm sad I decided to avoid this film for the past 8 years, as I loved it.  The film brings to life 1970s San Francisco, and you feel like you are part of the investigation as the movie progresses.  Fincher does a magnificent job, and this has easily become my favorite film of his.  Each actor plays their role magnificently, and no one out shines anyone.  I will say the best performance is Mark Ruffalo, who portrays Inspector Toschi.

Even the minor roles are played great, and this film has one heck of a supporting cast.  Anthony Edwards, Brian Cox, Elias Koteas, and Dermot Mulroney are just some of actors who play bit parts that have significance to the story.

But best of all: John Carroll Lynch as main suspect Arthur Leigh Allen.  He brings a calmness and eeriness to the character in each scene he is present.

There are two scenes that have stuck with me, which is always a good sign to me, that a movie has that kind of impact on my memory.  The first scene is also the films most brutal: the Zodiacs attack at Lake Berryessa.  If you've seen the movie, you know this scene.  The second scene is closer to the end, where Graysmith visits Bob Vaughn (portrayed by Charles Fleischer) to gain some additional information on a potential suspect.  What starts out as a hopeful visit has a very eerie and sudden twist.

Also worth noting is how Fincher does the time jumps, as this film takes place throughout the '70s.  Days and weeks turn into months, which eventually turn into years.  My favorite is the one late in the film, as we jump 4 years into the future with a black screen as the music and news tidbits of the era play over it.

I 'm not sure how much of the film was fictionalized, if any, and just as the case remains unsolved, the movie doesn't give us an answer to the identity of Zodiac.  But, as Graysmith's two books on the subject have revealed, I truly believe Allen was the man behind one of the greatest unsolved crimes of the 20th century.

For a film that has little any action and a running time of almost 3 hours, the film flys by.  I never really looked at the time, and as the movie was winding down, I was surprised by how quickly it seemed to be ending.  I am looking forward to watching the two documentaries that are bonus features, just to expand upon what the movie covers.