"Zodiac"

 

David Fincher's "Zodiac" (Paramount, 2007) is set in San Francisco and we get this nice shot of the Northpoint Theater in North Beach where the Police Department is having a special briefing for their officers. The Chronicle cartoonist played by Jake Gyllenhaal has become obsessed with the case and somehow sneaks in to hear what the police are saying.   

 

 

When we go inside the Northpoint it turns out that the film is using the National in Westwood. Thanks to Jonathan Raines for recognizing the theatre as the National. 

 

 

 

A look at the screen at the National. 

 

 

 

A view across the back of the house. Gyllenhaal, on the left, notices the detective in charge of the case, played by Mark Ruffalo, is leaving. 

 

 

 

Ruffalo in the upper level of the lobby. 

 

 

Gyllenhaal follows him to the entrance level and introduces himself. And gets rebuffed. See the page about the National Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site for more about the now-vanished showplace. 

 

 

 

Years go by. Gyllenhaal, investigating on his own, is on the hunt for information about a former projectionist at the Avenue Theatre who he thinks is the killer. The former operator of the theatre agrees to meet him in front. The theatre where Gyllenhaal is seen waiting is actually the Warner Grand in San Pedro.

 

See the pages about the Warner Grand on the Los Angeles Theatres site for a history of the theatre along with many photos. 

Gary Parks comments: "What I really loved--for real--was the attention to the style of the very handmade posters for the Avenue, which were in their set for organist Bob Vaughn's house. Really nice touch."

 

 

 

Months and months later Gyllenhaal has a late night meeting at a restaurant with Ruffalo to unofficially discuss the case. When Ruffalo leaves, we see him walking across Castro St. with the Castro Theatre on the left. 

 

Note those nice numbers in the 400s that they have on several storefronts to convince us we're on the Castro's block. The Castro is at 429 Castro St. so the numbers on the right side of the frame should actually be larger than that instead of smaller. And then if you take a closer look at the "Castro" facade you realize we're not in San Francisco for this shot.

 

 

The "Castro" shot was done on the 800 block of Broadway: Here's the streetscape before the movie magic with the Rialto and Tower down there instead of the Castro. 

The film also stars Chloë Sevigny, Robert Downey Jr., Brian Cox, John Carroll Lynch, Elias Koteas and many more. It's based on the book by Robert Graysmith, the character played in the film by Jake Gyllenhaal. The cinematography was by Harris Savides. 

On IMDb: "Zodiac"