Metal Mummy’s Movie Meme ‘Detectives’

The obvious thing to do, I suppose? Would be to cite Sherlock Holmes, (especially the old Basil Rathbone movies), or perhaps Columbo… but I have gone for something a bit more modern.

The best detective in film would have to be the guy played by Mark Ruffalo, David ‘Dave’ Toschi, who was attempting to track down a serial killer in the 2007 film ‘Zodiac’.



Apart from the fact that it is a brilliant film with a fantastic soundtrack, David Toschi was and still is a real person, though no longer a police detective. The ‘Zodiac’ was a real person or persons who was/were never caught and whose identity still a remains a mystery. Sure, theories abound but this film deals with for me, the one that seems the most plausible…

The film is shot in and around San Francisco and makes use of the actual crime-scenes where the killer struck. This makes an already good film even more compelling as you watch and consider what really happened in these places towards the end of the 60’s… (I could be wrong, but I believe one of the advisors working on the film was a guy who actually survived an attack by the killer. Another was Toschi himself).

As previously mentioned, this film has a great soundtrack, some brilliant acting (in the supporting roles too) and in places, the film is very atmospheric. Very absorbing. Very real.

The film also features one of my favourite cars… the Ford Galaxie 500. Just look at it!



An aside to the backdrop of ‘Toschi the man’, is that he inspired a lot of the mannerisms and features of another movie detective, Frank Bullitt of ‘Bullitt’ film fame portrayed by Steve McQueen.



See the holster for Bullitt’s gun? Pure Dave Toschi…

In ‘Zodiac’ as in life, Toschi never got his man… but I think he came damn close.

Well worth a watch (if only for the car!)

Or the soundtrack… but here’s the original trailer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dWgRfb17-M