Before you see Button, Fight Club, Zodiac or Se7en, listen to this podcast on David Fincher

Under the Sign of Fincher is finally upon us…your chance to see the director’s most acclaimed films up on the big screen, including Se7en, Zodiac, Fight Club and the directors newest, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

In the second installment of the Critics’ Roundtable, Film Comment’s Evan Davis sat down with two trusted colleagues to discuss the films of David Fincher:

Kent Jones, Editor-at-large, Film Comment
Nathan Lee, The New York Times, Alt.Cult (WNYC)

Among the issues tackled were the development of Fincher’s career, how Zodiac may or may not be “talking” back to Se7en, the passage of time in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and the exploration of systems within Fincher’s work. Listen to it now:

[Download the MP3 here]

In related news, our special Facebook contest has a winner! Wayne Titus wants to ask David Fincher “For an ensemble piece like Zodiac do you do a lot of rehearsing with your actors before principal shooting?” Kent Jones will be on hand to interview the director about his career on Sunday at 7:30 at Rose Hall, and with any luck there will be a Q & A session after the conversation open to audience participation.

See classic Fincher films paired with Fincher selections Jan 1-3

See The Curious Case of Benjamin Button on Sunday at 3

See a conversation with David Fincher on Sunday at 7:30

The filmlinc blog asks: what’s your fantasy double feature?

The Under the Sign of Fincher program (Jan 1-4) offers audiences the chance to see several unique double features chosen by director David Fincher himself. It got us to thinking about unique pairings and so we asked friends and contributors to come up with their own “fantasy double features.”

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) and Paris, Texas (1984)

Compare the perpetual motion of Leatherface with the almost static (and leathery) features of a forlorn Harry Dean Stanton. They are loosely-defined family men, in broken-family films, struggling with the transvaluation of family values. (The “female question,” in both cases, is a tough one.) While on seemingly opposite sides of the stylistic spectrum (Tobe Hooper versus Wim Wenders) the two gents are, nonetheless, part of an existential continuum of angst. Get out your handkerchiefs for Harry; but you’ll more likely need a bucket and mop for the guy with the power tool. You will feel the pain.

–Chris Chang, Senior Editor, Film Comment magazine

10 Rillington Place (1971) and Alien (1979)

Sure, at first it’s just a coupling of John Hurt’s most contagious performances, from the “JFK”-like refrain “Christie did it” in Richard Fleischer’s 1971 serial crime story to the ultimate John Hurt moment eight short years later. But together this double feature of British-made thrillers provides a master class on on-screen dread–achieved mostly
through atmosphere and uncertainty–as well as a potent sense of the country’s gloom on the eve of the Thatcher-era.

–Arthur Ryel-Lindsey, Editor, Film Society

Good Night, and Good Luck (2005) and Network (1976)

Perhaps no two films are as prescient and relevant when making a commentary on our media-saturated society, and no two films can better exemplify the integrity our news media has potential for….  and the three-ring circus it has truly become.  Even more fascinating:  these are movies representative of our past, yet both are keenly observant of the perversions and self-important altruism at the hand of the television news networks broadcasting today.

-Tom Treanor, New York Film Festival Correspondent

Kids (1995) & Y Tú Mamá También (2001)

Maybe it’s just the cold weather, but who doesn’t like two smart, raw, fun and sometimes dark teen flicks set during summertime? This selection offers an interesting and unique look at teens from Mexico City and NYC that will radiate warmth—at least temperature-wise. Both are about being young, rebellious, careless, and free spirited—so 2009—and there’s not a glove, scarf or mitten in sight.

-Christian Del Moral, Cine Latino en Nueva York

Me, I’d like to see Five Easy Pieces (1970) and Wendy and Lucy (2008) together. Both are Pacific Northwest-set dramas that grapple with class in an interesting way. In Five Easy Pieces, Jack Nicholson returns to his upper class family after years doing manual labor in the oil fields, and in Wendy and Lucy, Michelle Williams leaves the safety of family in the hopes of finding a good-paying job in Alaska that will save her from destitution. Both show how powerful simple stories and strong central performance can be in terms of conveying core human dramas.

Check out David Fincher’s picks (and see two films for the price of one!) all the rest of the week. And tell us your fantasy double features in the comments!

Your very last chance to win Fincher tix!

There’s Oscar buzz all over the new film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Make sure to enter for your chance to  win a pair of tickets to a conversation with David Fincher on the making of the film on Sunday, January 4, 2009 at 7:30pm at Rose Hall.

To play, write the question you would like to ask David Fincher about his movies or his career on the Wall of the Film Society of Lincoln Center fan page by midnight, EST Monday, December 29th. One winner will be chosen at random out of a pool of eligible entries and announced on the blog and the Film Society fan page.

Start the new year…Under the Sign of Fincher!

Tuesday roundup: Fincher contest, mujeres to watch, and a very Scorsese Xmas

Craving some strong female Spanish performances? Guest blogger Christian Del Moral from the essential Cine Latino en Nueva York picks “Mujeres On the Verge,” the five films from the Spanish Cinema Now series you must see if you love strong Spanish women. And you can catch several of the screenings this weekend.

Still looking for last-minute gifts? Check out the Film Society’s handy-dandy gift guide, full of unexpected picks and great ideas, including eighteen hours of Fassbinder and a way to frame those beloved movie posters on the cheap.

Don’t forget to enter our Fincher Contest! For your chance to win a pair of tickets to see a conversation with David Fincher on January 4th, all you need to do is write the question you’d like to ask Mr. Fincher on the Wall of our Film Society of Lincoln Center fan page.

You talkin’ ta me? Don’t forget, our Scorsese Classics series starts right after Christmas!

Special contest for our Facebook fans…start the year off Under the Sign of Fincher!

Very excited to announce a unique line-up of films by and selected by director David Fincher. I mean, how often do you get the chance to see Se7en and Mary Poppins back to back? That’s right, in an unusual Film Society happening, you can see double features starting at the very beginning of the year: see Se7en and Mary Poppins on the 1st, Fight Club and Butch Cassidy on the 2nd, and Zodiac (the director’s cut) and Chinatown on the 3rd. Your ticket admits you to any two consecutive screenings!

And in a special contest for our Facebook Fans, you have the chance to win a pair of tickets to a conversation with David Fincher on the making of Benjamin Button on Sunday, January 4, 2009 at 7:30pm at Rose Hall.

To play, write the question you would like to ask David Fincher about his movies or his career on the Wall of the Film Society of Lincoln Center fan page by midnight, EST Monday, December 29th. One winner will be chosen at random out of a pool of eligible entries and announced on the blog and the Film Society fan page.

Start the new year…Under the Sign of Fincher!