Cinema Shock

After his disastrous experience on ALIEN 3, David Fincher retreated back into the world of music video and commercials, vowing to never again direct a feature film.

That is, until a script by a young, first-time screenwriter named Andrew Kevin Walker crossed his desk. That script — about a serial killer who chooses his victims based on the Seven Deadly Sins — would prove to be the perfect canvas for Fincher's dark, exacting sensibilities.

Making SEVEN (or SE7EN if ya nasty) didn't come without its share of headaches or interference from the studio. The now-iconic ending was a particular point of contention. But Fincher, having learned his lesson on ALIEN 3, was determined to make the film his way, no compromise.

On this episode, we dive into the history behind SEVEN, from the evolution of Walker's script, through the difficult shoot and battles with the studio, through the film's release and ultimate success.

Up Next: David Fincher — Rules of the Game, Part 4: THE GAME.

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, and Justin Bishop.

For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

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After spending years in Development Hell, the production of ALIEN 3 finally moved forward once first-time feature director David Fincher came on board.

But it wasn't smooth sailing from there. The story of ALIEN 3's production is one of a legendary disaster, one where studio interference turned the film into one that was so compromised that its director disowns it to this day.

In this episode, we will discuss all of the trials and tribulations that Fincher and his cast and crew went through while making ALIEN 3 and we'll discuss its legacy not only in the annals of science fiction, but in the scope of Fincher's overall career. Is ALIEN 3 the unmitigated disaster that many (including its director) would have us believe it is, or was it simply misunderstood by audiences who saw it in 1992?

Up Next: David Fincher — Rules of the Game, Part 3: SE7EN.

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, and Justin Bishop & Todd A. Davis.

For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

"People will say, 'There are a million ways to shoot a scene', but I don't think so. I think there're two, maybe. And the other one is wrong." — David Fincher

David Fincher has a reputation for being an exacting, meticulous director, one who sees an entire film in his head and who will do whatever it takes to get that vision onscreen.

While that way of working has helped him to produce a filmography filled with modern classic — everything from the cult classics THE GAME and FIGHT CLUB to award winning prestige films like THE SOCIAL NETWORK and ZODIAC — it also has a tendency to cause friction between him and anyone who isn't fully on board with his vision.

In this new series, David Fincher: Rules of the Game, we'll be exploring the first decade and a half of Fincher's career, beginning with his oft-maligned debut film, ALIEN3

In this introductory episode, we'll explore the years that the third ALIEN film spent in development hell, a time in which is went through multiple story variations, nearly a dozen writers, and several directors before Fincher ever even came on board. We'll also be taking a look at Fincher's life and career before ALIEN3 and the years that he spent as an award-winning and highly influential director of commercials and music videos.

Up Next: David Fincher — Rules of the Game, Part 2: ALIEN3.

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, and Justin Bishop & Todd A. Davis.

For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For our next series here on Cinema Shock, we're going to be taking a look at the films of David Fincher, including his feature film debut ALIEN3. 

This episode was originally released in June of 2022 as part of our series James Cameron: Man of Tomorrow.

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, and Justin Bishop.

For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For our next series here on Cinema Shock, we're going to be taking a look at the films of David Fincher, including his feature film debut ALIEN3. 

This episode was originally released in April of 2021 as part of our series The Unsung Legacy of Dan O'Bannon.

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, and Justin Bishop.

For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this special bonus episode, Justin, Gary and Todd take a look at every sequel to ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA!

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, and Justin Bishop.

For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For the final entry in our Cinema Shock Roulette Extravaganza (but certainly not our last Cinema Shock Roulette episode), we're headed to Hong Kong to take a deep dive into the production of Tsui Hark's seminal martial arts film, ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA.

In this episode, we'll discuss not only the production of ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA, but the history of Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung on film, the early careers of Tsui and star Jet Li, and how this film reshaped the Hong Kong film industry, not only revitalizing the period martial arts film genre, but also spawning no less than five sequels, which in turn helped launch the career of martial arts sensation Donnie Yen.

Up Next: David Fincher — Rules of the Game, a 7-part series on the career of director David Fincher.

Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, and Justin Bishop & Todd A. Davis.

For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this Cinema Shock Rewind episode, we're re-publishing our episode covering THE 36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN!

As was the case with GAME OF DEATH, our previous Rewind episode, the history of THE 36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN has some significant ties with the history of martial arts cinema in Hong Kong, which directly influences the creation of Tsui Hark's ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA. We're providing this episode as a refresher for older listners and new listeners alike, as it provides some fun context and cross-over with our upcoming episode covering Tsui's film.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this Cinema Shock Rewind episode, we're republishing our episode covering Bruce Lee's GAME OF DEATH. The story of Bruce Lee ties in directly to our upcoming episode covering the production of ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA, so we're providing a refresher here for new listeners or longtime listeners who may want to revisit it.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this Extras episode, Justin and Gary break down some reviews of POSSESSION from various corners of the internet!