I read your letters each day and enjoy them very much. I am 41 and grew up with the stories of Leigh Allen and the Zodiac Killer. Don Cheney and my father were roommates in college and my father was instrumental in getting the police to go after Allen in the 70′s. Don Cheney and my dad were consultants on the movie and treated so well by David Fincher and his team.

David was so determined to get it right and be accurate. When you see the DVD there is extra footage of real interviews with the actual people who knew Leigh including my dad and others. My Dad is played by the PAUL SCHULZE who plays the priest on the HBO series "Sopranos".

Some insight on Fincher, In the break room scene with my Dad and Don Cheney he took brochures of my father’s company and recreated the rooms to exact detail. He did the same thing when they ask Don to testify in the new lobby that my Dad had a few years into the business. Then the phone call with my father where he says Leigh Allen can write with both hands was accurate as well.

MY father’s quote in the DVD when asked what he thought when he met Leigh Allen: "My ex-wife thought he was a great guy, that should have been a sign." Sandy Panzarella

Best
Patrick Panzarella

Glad you liked the movie. I had the good fortune to be the music supervisor on Zodiac. Working with Fincher was one of the most rewarding experiences I have had in a long time professionally or otherwise. When we first met to discuss the movie David said two things, "I want to use ‘Hurdy Gurdy Man’" and "I want to keep it real" I said, "Well we shouldn’t just load it up with hip 60′s psychedelia and the like, we are going to have to let them hear some of the, how do I put this politely, not so great songs (crap) of the era as well."

I brought along my hard drive with hundreds of songs and we were transported back to our childhoods. What joy two grown men had singing along to "Tracy" by the Cuff Links. David was tough, but encouraging. I will give an example. For the opening he had cut in "All Is Loneliness" by Big Brother And The Holding Company. Everybody loved it, as did Fincher. While I liked it, I thought it tipped our hand too early. It was eerie and creepy and really didn’t provide much hope for our doomed lovers. Thinking we could do better I said "Hey, let me show you a couple of things".

I knew I had my work cut out for me. I had watched David shoot over 40 takes of a guy walking thru a door. Let’s just say he is very intense and really specific. I showed him over 30 different songs for the opening spot. Everything from "Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet" to "Sweet Caroline"(which we both loved in a perverse way, but David said they would run him out of town if he opened with that). We would discuss each song after we watched. Even when the guy was rejecting something he made you fell great and appreciated. He would say "You know this is perfect and I love it but here’s why I can’t use it." and give you his reasons.

Fair enough I thought, here is a guy who knew I had really made the effort to please him and he was letting me know he got it. We had narrowed it down to about three and I went into my pitch for "Easy To be Hard". I told him it was in the top 10 the week of July 4th 1969 (keep it real). That it worked with the opening visuals perfectly, the sweeping tracking shot of the bridge and fireworks. That it started so sparse with the organ stabs and the fragile vocal before building into this powerful emotional plea (social injustice anyone?) It would put the audience at ease so that the shootings would have a bigger impact. Finally I said it was in its own way foreshadowing the beginning of the end of the "Summer Of Love." Woodstock was coming, but so was the Zodiac and Altamont. He was sold.

For each song spot we went thru the same process, but I won’t bore you with details. Let’s just say no spot was taken for granted. I must also acknowledge the excellent work of Randy Poster who I partnered with, Ren Klyce, Fincher’s sound designer and Angus Wall the editor. I think we would all agree that it is both exhausting and exhilarating working with David. I can’t wait to do it again.

George Drakoulias

P.S. The film you saw was shot digital, not on film.