Up till now, director David Fincher was probably best known for the almost universally reviled (but not by me) 'Alien 3'. Much of what I found appealing with 'Alien 3', the atmosphere and the visuals, are also a large part of the appeal with Fincher's latest film, 'Seven'.
'Seven' stars Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt as two homicide detectives on the trail of a particularly viscious serial killer. Freeman is the aging cop, tired with life and tired of death, wanting only to retire and get away from the city he has grown to hate while Pitt is the brash, young partner eager for the chase, until he becomes unsure of who's chasing who. Fincher and writer, Andrew Kevin Walker have fashioned a graphic, unsettling and unremittingly grim story that is at he same time difficult to watch yet nearly impossible to turn away from. Not for the faint of heart.
Two laser disc versions of 'Seven' are available. A Criterion Collection special edition from Voyager with a raft of extras and a "movie-only" edition from New Line Home Video and Image. If the high price of the Criterion is a little too much for you or if you just don't care for the CAV format, the standard edition should fill the bill nicely. The transfer is quite good considering most of the film is shot in the rain, at night, or in dim, smoky interiors. Colors are a bit muted, though this appears conceptual and are otherwise clean and accurate. The image is almost grain free with very good detail and sharpness. Contrast and brightness are also very good. The framing is just a fraction less than 2.35:1.
The soundtrack of 'Seven', while not of the "crash-bang" variety, is more subtle with layers of effects used to re-create the on-screen atmosphere and enhance the tension, which it does very well. Dialog is clear and well balanced and the overall mix is very detailed. There are a few high impact scenes, such as the opening title sequence and the requisite "gotcha" effects that will, no doubt, add to the enjoyment (if that's what you would
call watching this movie) of 'Seven'.The film runs 127 minutes and is spread to 3 sides with sides 1 and 2 in CLV and side 3 in CAV. The disc contains 38 chapters. Side breaks are generally well placed. New Line and Image did not include a trailer or any other extras in this edition. List price is $49.95.
At $50 bucks with no extras, this disc won't make anybody's "best buy" list, but it is a terrific transfer and an undeniably powerful film. Recommended.
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