MovieChat Forums > Zodiac (2007) Discussion > What's the scariest scene? (other then t...

What's the scariest scene? (other then the basement)

posted 8 years ago by The-Demon
7 replies | jump to latest

I know most say the basement scene is the scariest but for me I already know the real Graysmith is alive and well (a liar and an idiot, yes but still alive). For me it was funny seeing Bob Vaughan messing with Graysmith, especially when he was smirking when he said goodbye to him.

For me though, I think the Riverside scene was chilling. Showing photos of the Cherri Jo Bates crime scenes, the letters and the desk top poem can be a little chilling. The fact that they're suspecting that maybe this was Zodiacs earlier work, or maybe Zodiac copying someone else.

At the same time I felt like it gave a little tribute to a young girl who probably had her whole life ahead of her but never got any justice but will at least be remembered as films last forever.

[–] Schleiben28 8 years ago

I think it's a toss up between the Lake Berryessa murders and Kathleen Johnsons abduction on March 22, 1970.

[–] Schleiben28 8 years ago

Oops, I meant Johns. Not Johnson.

[–] roreyking 8 years ago

Schleiben28 - I found the Berryessa scene downright disturbing. I looked away from it in the theatre and fast forward through it on DVD.

I'd put the first scene ahead of the abduction, but that was also pretty creepy.

[–] sgtpowers 8 years ago

Well, when I watched Zodiac I didn't know anything about the Zodiac killer. So almost every killing scene was pretty 'scary' because I had no idea what would happen.

The first killing scene of Darlene Ferrin and Mike Mageau had the most impact on me. I felt so bad for both of them that a 'random' person fired on them, with the result of the death of Darlene Ferrin.

After that I couldn't take my eyes of the screen the entire movie because I needed to know who did this.

[–] The-Demon 8 years ago

Yeah but I felt like the song kinda killed it for me. Only scary killing was the lake case if had no music.

In reality the cab murder scares me the most. It's in a small neighborhood and the thought that a serial killer is outside your home is scary. That's why I had to walk the area when I visited SF.

I have been to a "lovers lane" with a few girls in my life since knowing about Zodiac but never thought about it. To this day I'm afraid to even be an Über driver because of the cab killing.

And while I love the way the cab scene was shot, that music after the shooting again takes away a bit.

[–] max-ben-marshall 8 years ago

The basement scene isn't just the scariest in the movie, it's one of the most effectively scary scenes in any movie, ever!

I also felt some real chills during the SFPD's interrogation of Arthur Leigh Allen in the factory. The ambient noise throughout is very effective, as is John Carroll Lynch's demeanor. The way is voice suddenly drops an octave as he looks at that detectives to say "I'm not the Zodiac." Made me shudder!

[–] The-Demon 8 years ago

At first, yes, the interrogation scene was a little chilling. But a lot of things were fiction that it kinda throws me off. They have Allen wearing wing walker which never happened. Lots of things in that scene was made up to implicate Allen to the viewers which killed it.

But 1 scene that is in the directors cut was getting the search warrant. That scene at least had some accuracy in what they discussed with the DA. It had Toschi, Armstrong and Marty Lee with the DA on speaker phone. I loved they at least sald Allen doesn't resemble the SF composite and Toschi says he never had confidence it was accurate. Still wish they showed the composite as its iconic.

I also felt chills in one scene after the cab murder where Graysmith is watching TV and the newscaster says "the Zodiac Killer has come to San Francisco."