166-631: Andrew Kevin Walker (born August 14, 1964) is an American screenwriter. He is known for having written Seven (1995), for which he earned a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay , as well as several other films, including 8mm (1999), Sleepy Hollow (1999) and many uncredited script rewrites . Walker was born in Altoona, Pennsylvania , though some time during his childhood, he moved to Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania , where he
332-458: A Guardian editorial in 2002 condemned antisemitism and defended the paper's right to criticise the policies and actions of the Israeli government, arguing that those who view such criticism as inherently anti-Jewish are mistaken. Harriet Sherwood, then The Guardian 's foreign editor, later its Jerusalem correspondent, has also denied that The Guardian has an anti-Israel bias, saying that
498-422: A film rating . Fincher described Seven as psychologically violent, implying violence without overtly showing it. In the opening scene, Walker portrays a corpse lying in a pool of blood; he said the blood was very cold and he had a minor panic attack once in place because he was worried about moving and ruining the shot. Following the removal of the planned opening train-ride scene with Somerset, Fincher needed
664-431: A serial killer from committing a series of murders based on the seven deadly sins . Walker, an aspiring writer, based Seven on his experiences of moving from a suburban setting to New York City during a period of rising crime and drug addiction in the late 1980s. An Italian film company optioned his script, but following financial difficulties, the rights were sold to New Line Cinema . Studio executives were opposed to
830-444: A "myth", as Walker had written it into the script. Lights with green color gels were shone through the window from the adjacent building to impart the scene with a green tint. The ending was scripted to take place directly beneath transmission towers , a location Doe selects to interfere with the police communications; the towers, however, interfered with the film crew's radios and the actors had to use cell phones to communicate with
996-534: A $ 33–$ 34 million budget. Seven garnered middling test audience results and was not predicted to perform well due to its violent and mature content. However, it grossed $ 327.3 million worldwide, becoming a sleeper hit and the seventh highest-grossing film of the year . Contemporaneous reviews were generally positive, praising the performances of the central cast and the ending. Seven revitalized Fincher's career and helped Pitt move from roles based on his appearance to more serious, dramatic roles. In
1162-421: A 27-year-old British Muslim and journalism trainee from Yorkshire . Aslam was a member of Hizb ut-Tahrir , an Islamist group, and had published a number of articles on their website. According to the newspaper, it did not know that Aslam was a member of Hizb ut-Tahrir when he applied to become a trainee, though several staff members were informed of this once he started at the paper. The Home Office said that
1328-435: A Friday night call asking him to join and was filming by the following Tuesday. Spacey wanted his name omitted from the film's marketing and opening credits to ensure the killer's identity remained secret. He said: "I'd just done Swimming with Sharks (1994), The Usual Suspects , and Outbreak (both 1995) ... I knew that if any of those movies did well, my profile would be ... different ... If I'm
1494-439: A brief, four-frame insert of Tracy as Mills pulls the trigger to compensate for not showing the contents of the box. To emphasize the darkness, Fincher and Khondji used an expensive, lengthy bleach bypass chemical process that retained some of the silver that would normally be removed from the film stock . The silver created a luminous effect in light tones and deeper, darker colors. Of the 2,500 prints sent to theaters, only
1660-479: A fan of his music video for "Closer" and sharing similar design sensibilities, but Cooper secured the role because of his previous experience on similar title sequences. Fincher told Cooper: "all I want is for the audience to want to run screaming from the theater during the title section". The title sequence depicts Doe's preparations and routines for his murderous plans, such as cutting off his fingertips, processing photographs in his bathtub, and making tea. This
1826-591: A few hundred used the process. Seven was budgeted at $ 30–$ 31 million but Fincher persuaded studio executives to provide further funding to achieve his vision for the film, eventually pushing it $ 3 million over budget, to $ 33–$ 34 million, making it New Line Cinema's most expensive film at that point. A studio employee said executives would meet with Fincher, adamant he would receive no further funding, but his relentless and persuasive attitude would change their mind. Fincher hired Howard Shore to score Seven based on his score for The Silence of
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#17328011476101992-529: A focus on dialogue, akin to thriller films such as The Conversation (1974). Pitt described Mills as a well-intentioned "idiot" who "speaks before he really knows what he's talking about". He cut his hair for the role and lost weight to reduce the muscle he developed for Legends of the Fall . Sylvester Stallone and Denzel Washington rejected the role. Walker named the character Somerset after writer W. Somerset Maugham . He envisioned William Hurt playing
2158-510: A growing fire. There is no knowing what kind of explosion will follow." On 24 August 1959, The Manchester Guardian changed its name to The Guardian . This change reflected the growing prominence of national and international affairs in the newspaper. In September 1961, The Guardian , which had previously only been published in Manchester , began to be printed in London. Nesta Roberts
2324-452: A humorous column by Charlie Brooker in its entertainment guide, the final sentence of which was viewed by some as a call for violence against U.S. President George W. Bush ; after a controversy, Brooker and the paper issued an apology, saying the "closing comments were intended as an ironic joke, not as a call to action". Following the 7 July 2005 London bombings , The Guardian published an article on its comment pages by Dilpazier Aslam ,
2490-404: A limited appeal and rarely received positive reviews. Fincher's public image had also been tarnished by the failure of Alien 3 , and although Freeman and Pitt were proven stars who were capable of attracting audiences, New Line Cinema struggled to capitalize on Pitt's popularity. Pitt's core audience, teenage girls, were not the film's target audience and research showed young men would avoid taking
2656-412: A more-mainstream ending in which the detectives confront Doe in a church described as either on fire or burned out. In this revised script, Doe embodies the sin of envy and kills Mills before being shot dead by Somerset, while a pregnant Tracy leaves the city. In a 2017 interview, Walker said he felt he was ruining his script and should have left the project. To meet the studio's demands, Walker wrote
2822-578: A move to London. Along with its sister papers, The Observer and The Guardian Weekly , The Guardian is part of the Guardian Media Group , owned by the Scott Trust Limited . The trust was created in 1936 to "secure the financial and editorial independence of The Guardian in perpetuity and to safeguard the journalistic freedom and liberal values of The Guardian free from commercial or political interference". The trust
2988-474: A nation having slavery as its basis". There was a comment that "an effort had been made in a leading article of the Manchester Guardian to deter the working men from assembling together for such a purpose". The newspaper reported all this and published their letter to President Lincoln while complaining that "the chief occupation, if not the chief object of the meeting, seems to have been to abuse
3154-486: A person they believed was an intrusive journalist at the sloth crime scene. Doe calls the apartment and speaks of his admiration for Mills. On Saturday, Somerset and Mills investigate the fourth victim, lust , a prostitute who has been raped with a custom-made, bladed strap-on by a man held at gunpoint. The following day, the pride victim is found: a model whom Doe facially disfigured. Unable to live without her beauty, she committed suicide. As Somerset and Mills return to
3320-479: A preference for the original script. They mutually decided to begin filming that version within six weeks, wary that any further delay might attract unwanted executive attention and potential interference with their plan. Kopelson and studio executives continued efforts to lighten Seven ' s tone and change the ending. Fincher was resistant to any changes, and was unwilling to compromise his creative control and vision. De Luca remained supportive of Fincher, and
3486-692: A role in the Balfour Declaration . In 1948 The Manchester Guardian was a supporter of the new State of Israel. Ownership of the paper passed in June 1936 to the Scott Trust (named after the last owner, John Russell Scott , who was the first chairman of the Trust). This move ensured the paper's independence. From 1930 to 1967, a special archival copy of all the daily newspapers was preserved in 700 zinc cases. These were found in 1988 whilst
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#17328011476103652-909: A romantic partner to films featuring Pitt because they felt "threatened" by his appeal. The positive word-of-mouth following Seven ' s release resulted in the marketing campaign shifting focus toward targeting Pitt's female fans. The premiere of Seven took place on September 19, 1995, at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills, California . The event was attended by over 800 guests, including Fincher, Freeman, McGinley, Spacey, Tia Carrere , Elliott Gould , Matthew Modine , Lori Petty , Lou Diamond Phillips , Michael Rapaport , Eric Roberts , Robert Rodriguez , Steven Seagal , John Singleton , Christian Slater , Quentin Tarantino , and Jennifer Tilly . Seven received
3818-537: A scale of A+ to F. New Line Cinema distribution executive, Mitch Goldman had moved forward the release date of Seven to avoid competition and strategically opened the film in more theaters than usual to target suburban and small-town locations where Pitt's recent films had fared well. The Guardian The Guardian is a British daily newspaper . It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as The Manchester Guardian , and changed its name in 1959, followed by
3984-467: A scalpel over a dotted shape of the Gaza Strip on his stomach. The caption read: "Residents of Gaza, get out now." Due to what has been seen by some as a reference to Shakespeare's Shylock 's "pound of flesh", it prompted accusations that it was antisemitic. Bell said that he was inspired by the 1960s "Johnson's Scar" cartoon by David Levine of U.S. president Lyndon B Johnson within the context of
4150-452: A serial killer driven by the seven deadly sins would attract attention and help begin a professional writing career. Walker intended to leave the script's narrative open to interpretation to avoid invalidating the opinions of the prospective audience. He wanted to defy audience expectations, and leave them feeling "violated and exhausted" by the conclusion. According to Walker, "there's lots of evil out there, and you're not always going to get
4316-615: A series of acts abhorrent to every true notion of constitutional right and human liberty", adding: "it is doubtless to be regretted that he had not the opportunity of vindicating his good intentions". According to Martin Kettle , writing for The Guardian in February 2011: " The Guardian had always hated slavery. But it doubted the Union hated slavery to the same degree. It argued that the Union had always tacitly condoned slavery by shielding
4482-690: A slight frame for the emaciated character. The filmmakers asked him to lose more weight but he refused. The effects team made a body cast of MacKay to develop rubber prosthetics that could be applied all over his body. These prosthetics were painted to appear bruised and scarred, MacKay's skin painted a pale white with highlighted veins, and he was fitted with gelatin sores, overgrown fingernails, skeletal teeth, and matted hair. The process took up to 14 hours, requiring MacKay to begin at 5 am to be ready for filming by 8 pm. He had to remain fairly still during four hours of filming, having to limit his breathing to prevent his stomach rising and falling, and
4648-462: A smear effect combined with variants of the same text achieved by placing the text over a light box and filming them over-exposed, creating an animation-style effect. "Disquieting" sounds were added throughout the sequence at a low frequency, such as barking dogs and screams. The title sequence cost $ 50,000. New Line Cinema had low expectations for Seven based on middling scores from test audiences. The studio's marketing president Chris Pula called
4814-420: A speech "and the hate-gospellers of his entourage" that it encouraged readers to vote Conservative in the 1951 general election and remove Clement Attlee's post-war Labour government. The Manchester Guardian strongly opposed military intervention during the 1956 Suez Crisis : "The Anglo-French ultimatum to Egypt is an act of folly, without justification in any terms but brief expediency. It pours petrol on
4980-435: A temporary title sequence to screen Seven for studio executives. He recruited R/GA designer Kyle Cooper and his team to assemble a montage reflecting Doe's perspective. This helped to establish the character and the threat he poses prior to his appearance in the film's final act. The sequence was set to the "Closer" remix at Fincher's request. The sequence was well-received by executives, who suggested retaining it for
5146-424: A thin vagrant outside Doe's apartment, and Richmond Arquette plays Doe's delivery man. Doe's victims include: Bob Mack as gluttony, a morbidly obese man who is force-fed until his stomach bursts; Gene Borkan as greed victim Eli Gould, a criminal attorney who is forced to cut off his own flesh; and Michael Reid MacKay as the sloth victim Theodore "Victor" Allen, a drug dealer and child abuser. Cat Mueller portrays
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5312-409: A total of thirteen drafts. As the script option was due to expire and Penta Film was experiencing financial difficulties—leading to its dissolution in 1994—the studio sold the rights to producer Arnold Kopelson , who subsequently took it to New Line Cinema . Chechik left the project, and Guillermo del Toro and Phil Joanou were approached to replace him; Joanou rejected the offer because he found
5478-469: A visceral effect on him; he incorporated his reaction into the sequence's score, providing little accompaniment during the dialogue between Mills, Somerset, and Doe, but using it to punctuate significant moments such as Somerset opening the box. Shore's opening theme "The Last Seven Days", a more upbeat piece, was replaced with Nine Inch Nails 's song " Closer ", which was remixed by Coil and Danny Hyde . David Bowie 's song " The Hearts Filthy Lesson "
5644-513: A wanton barrage of stones, steel bars, and other missiles. That still does not justify opening fire so freely." After the events of Bloody Sunday, John Widgery, Baron Widgery was appointed the head of a tribunal to investigate the killings. The resulting tribunal, known as the Widgery Tribunal , largely exonerated the actions of the soldiers involved in the incident. The Guardian published an article on 20 April 1972 which supported
5810-481: A wide-release in the United States and Canada on September 22, 1995. During its opening weekend, Seven grossed $ 14 million across 2,441 theaters—an average of $ 5,714 per theater—making it the number-one film of the weekend, ahead of the debut of Showgirls ($ 8.1 million), and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar ($ 4.5 million), in its third week of release. Seven had
5976-438: Is a 1995 American crime thriller film directed by David Fincher and written by Andrew Kevin Walker . It stars Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman , with Gwyneth Paltrow and John C. McGinley in supporting roles. Set in an unnamed, crime-ridden city, Seven ' s narrative follows disenchanted, nearly retired Detective Lieutenant William Somerset (Freeman) and his newly transferred partner David Mills (Pitt) as they try to stop
6142-541: Is a fine place, and worth fighting for.' I agree with the second part." Seven also features Julie Araskog as Mrs. Gould, John Cassini as Officer Davis, Reg E. Cathey as Doctor Santiago, Peter Crombie as Doctor O'Neil, Richard Portnow as Doctor Beardsley, Richard Schiff as Mark Swarr, and Mark Boone Junior as a "greasy FBI man". Hawthorne James appears as George the library night guard, Michael Massee portrays "man in massage parlor booth", Leland Orser plays "crazed man in massage parlor", Pamala Tyson portrays
6308-547: Is a step to which there is no obvious alternative." In 1983, the paper was at the centre of a controversy surrounding documents regarding the stationing of cruise missiles in Britain that were leaked to The Guardian by civil servant Sarah Tisdall . The paper eventually complied with a court order to hand over the documents to the authorities, which resulted in a six-month prison sentence for Tisdall, though she served only four. "I still blame myself", said Peter Preston , who
6474-562: Is generally on the mainstream left of British political opinion, and the term " Guardian reader" is used to imply a stereotype of a person with modern liberal , left-wing or " politically correct " views. Frequent typographical errors during the age of manual typesetting led Private Eye magazine to dub the paper the "Grauniad" in the 1970s, a nickname still occasionally used by the editors for self-mockery. In an Ipsos MORI research poll in September 2018 designed to interrogate
6640-507: Is not a less one; and we would not seek the abolition even of the former through the imminent hazard of the latter". It suggested that the United States should compensate slave-owners for freeing slaves and called on President Franklin Pierce to resolve the 1856 "civil war", the Sacking of Lawrence due to pro-slavery laws imposed by Congress. In 1860, The Observer quoted a report that
6806-465: Is that Mr Lloyd George is fighting to enfranchise seven million women and the militants are smashing unoffending people's windows and breaking up benevolent societies' meetings in a desperate effort to prevent him." Scott thought the Suffragettes' "courage and devotion" was "worthy of a better cause and saner leadership". It has been argued that Scott's criticism reflected a widespread disdain, at
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6972-648: Is used for the end credits. Seven features songs including "In the Beginning" by the Statler Brothers , " Guilty " by Gravity Kills , " Trouble Man " by Marvin Gaye , "Speaking of Happiness" by Gloria Lynne , " Suite No. 3 in D Major, BWV 1068 Air " by Stuttgarter Kammerorchester and Karl Münchinger , " Love Plus One " by Haircut One Hundred , " I Cover the Waterfront " by Billie Holiday , "Now's
7138-436: Is wrong to state that Tel Aviv – the country's financial and diplomatic centre – is the capital. The style guide has been amended accordingly." On 11 August 2014 the print edition of The Guardian published a pro-Israeli advocacy advert during the 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict featuring Elie Wiesel , headed by the words "Jews rejected child sacrifice 3,500 years ago. Now it's Hamas' turn." The Times had decided against running
7304-561: The Sunday Times , so phone-hacking will surely be to The Guardian : a defining moment in its history. In recent decades, The Guardian has been accused of biased criticism of Israeli government policy and of bias against the Palestinians. In December 2003, columnist Julie Burchill cited "striking bias against the state of Israel" as one of the reasons she left the paper for The Times . Responding to these accusations,
7470-627: The BMW Films series The Hire , starring Clive Owen : Ambush , directed by John Frankenheimer , and The Follow , by Wong Kar-wai . Walker also co-wrote (with David Self and Paul Attanasio ) the screenplay for The Wolfman , a remake of the Universal Studios classic . The remake, directed by Joe Johnston and starring Benicio del Toro in the title role, received a 2010 release. Amazon named Walker's 2015 Kindle Single, Old Man Johnson (his first novel), among its "Best of
7636-638: The FTSE 100 companies. Internal documents relating to Barclays Bank 's tax avoidance were removed from The Guardian website after Barclays obtained a gagging order . The newspaper played a pivotal role in exposing the depth of the News of the World phone hacking affair . The Economist 's Intelligent Life magazine opined that: As Watergate is to the Washington Post , and thalidomide to
7802-521: The Hôtel Ritz in Paris, which would have amounted to accepting a bribe on Aitken's part. Aitken publicly stated that he would fight with "the simple sword of truth and the trusty shield of British fair play". The court case proceeded, and in 1997 The Guardian produced evidence that Aitken's claim of his wife paying for the hotel stay was untrue. In 1999, Aitken was jailed for perjury and perverting
7968-574: The Kosovo War in 1998–1999. The Guardian stated that "the only honourable course for Europe and America is to use military force". Mary Kaldor 's piece was headlined "Bombs away! But to save civilians, we must get in some soldiers too." In the early 2000s, The Guardian challenged the Act of Settlement 1701 and the Treason Felony Act 1848 . In October 2004, The Guardian published
8134-500: The Manchester Guardian ". Lincoln replied to the letter thanking the workers for their "sublime Christian heroism" and American ships delivered relief supplies to Britain. The newspaper reported the shock to the community of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln in 1865, concluding that "[t]he parting of his family with the dying President is too sad for description", but in what from today's perspective looks an ill-judged editorial wrote that "[o]f his rule we can never speak except as
8300-665: The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), The Guardian called for the British Armed Forces to be deployed to the region, arguing that their deployment would "present a more disinterested face of law and order" than the RUC." On 30 January 1972, troops from the 1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment opened fire on a Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association march, killing fourteen people in an event that would come to be known as Bloody Sunday . In response to
8466-516: The Seven script. Initially uninterested in the police procedural elements, Fincher found himself captivated by the gradual revelation of Doe's plans, admitting, 'I found myself getting more and more trapped in this kind of evil ... and even though I felt uncomfortable about being there, I had to keep going.' Fincher recognized the script aligned with his own creative sensibilities, especially its exploration of evil, and uncompromising ending in which
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#17328011476108632-706: The Union blockade was causing suffering in British towns . Some including Liverpool supported the Confederacy as did "current opinion in all classes" in London. On 31 December 1862, cotton workers held a meeting at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester which resolved "its detestation of negro slavery in America, and of the attempt of the rebellious Southern slave-holders to organise on the great American continent
8798-576: The Vietnam War . In August 2004, for the US presidential election , the daily G2 supplement launched an experimental letter-writing campaign in Clark County , Ohio, an average-sized county in a swing state . Editor Ian Katz bought a voter list from the county for $ 25 and asked readers to write to people listed as undecided in the election, giving them an impression of the international view and
8964-525: The 2016 animated dark comedy Nerdland , starring Paul Rudd and Patton Oswalt . Walker also wrote as-yet unproduced screenplays for the American version of The Girl Who Played with Fire and a remake of The Reincarnation of Peter Proud , both for Seven director David Fincher, as well as the adaption of the graphic novel "The Killer" by Alexis Nolent, which has been filmed by Fincher and stars Michael Fassbender. Walker also wrote two shorts for
9130-456: The Act would encourage emancipation in other slave-owning nations to avoid "imminent risk of a violent and bloody termination." However, the newspaper argued against restricting trade with countries that had not yet abolished slavery. Complex tensions developed in the United States. When the abolitionist George Thompson toured, the newspaper said that "[s]lavery is a monstrous evil, but civil war
9296-423: The Confederacy to self-determination. It criticised Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation for not freeing all American slaves. On 10 October 1862, it wrote: "It is impossible to cast any reflections upon a man so evidently sincere and well-intentioned as Mr Lincoln but it is also impossible not to feel that it was an evil day both for America and the world, when he was chosen President of the United States". By then,
9462-521: The Holy City of Jerusalem" and calling on all member states with diplomatic missions in the city to withdraw. The UN has reaffirmed this position on several occasions, and almost every country now has its embassy in Tel Aviv. While it was therefore right to issue a correction to make clear Israel's designation of Jerusalem as its capital is not recognised by the international community, we accept that it
9628-476: The Lambs (1991), and The French Connection (1971), as well as the over-the-shoulder viewpoint used in documentary television show Cops because of its implicit vulnerability. Cinematographer Darius Khondji named the crime thriller Klute (1971) as a significant influence because of its "use of toplight ... widescreen compositions for intimacy rather than big vistas, the way that vertical strips of
9794-424: The Lambs (1991). Shore said Fincher would attend recording sessions but rarely interfered with Shore's process. The score, which was performed by an orchestra of up to 100 musicians, combines elements of brass (including trumpets), percussion, piano. "Portrait of John Doe" serves as the central theme with two cue notes ; a rising version is used for Tracy's appearances. Shore described the film's ending as having
9960-570: The PCC retracted its original ruling, leading to the newspaper's acknowledgement that it was wrong to call Tel Aviv Israel's capital. The Guardian later clarified: "In 1980, the Israeli Knesset enacted a law designating the city of Jerusalem, including East Jerusalem, as the country's capital. In response, the UN security council issued resolution 478, censuring the "change in character and status of
10126-726: The Soviet Embassy and had taken benefits from the KGB on overseas visits. Gott resigned from his post. Gordievsky commented on the newspaper: "The KGB loved The Guardian . It was deemed highly susceptible to penetration." In 1995, both the Granada Television programme World in Action and The Guardian were sued for libel by the then cabinet minister Jonathan Aitken , for their allegation that Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed had paid for Aitken and his wife to stay at
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#173280114761010292-461: The Time" by Charlie Parker , and " Straight, No Chaser " by Thelonious Monk . Sound engineer Ren Klyce and Fincher inserted frequent diegetic background sounds, such as rain or screaming, to create a psychological impression that terrifying things are occurring off-screen even when the audience cannot see or escape it. Klyce and sound designer Steve Boedekker also produced the music that is heard at
10458-532: The Year." Walker is known for making short cameos in films for which he served as a writer. In Panic Room , he appears as a sleepy neighbor; in Fight Club , three detectives are named, respectively, Andrew, Kevin and Walker; and in Seven , he is the corpse near the very beginning of the movie. Writer Script doctor Other credits Seven (1995 film) Seven (often stylized as Se7en )
10624-464: The ad, although it had already appeared in major American newspapers. One week later, Chris Elliott expressed the opinion that the newspaper should have rejected the language used in the advert and should have negotiated with the advertiser on this matter. In October 2023, The Guardian stated it would not renew the contract of cartoonist Steve Bell after he submitted a cartoon featuring Netanyahu, with his shirt open, wearing boxing gloves and holding
10790-425: The advertising campaign for Seven risky because it had to prepare people for the film's dark, violent content while making it a topic of discussion among potential audiences. Early trailers and newspaper, television, and radio advertisements focused on the seven sins, presenting Seven as an "edgy" prestige film rather than a jumpscare -style horror. Entertainment professionals believed violent or horrific films had
10956-407: The audience on Mills's side regardless of the character's actions. To help secure Pitt's involvement, Kopelson shortened the pre-production schedule from twelve weeks to five to accommodate Pitt's schedule. Pitt rejected several offers from other films because he wanted to escape his typecasting as a romantic lead character in favor of something with a more "documentary feel" with urban settings and
11122-414: The character but Fincher cast Freeman; the studio was concerned pairing a black detective with a white one would make Seven seem derivative of the action film Lethal Weapon (1987). Robert Duvall , Gene Hackman , and Al Pacino rejected the role. The script was further modified after Pitt's and Freeman's castings to better match their acting styles; Mills was made more verbose and Somerset's dialogue
11288-434: The chase, Pitt would keep his hand in his pocket or otherwise obscured to hide the injury. The crew had to clear used condoms and crack pipes from the location of the sloth victim sequence, replacing them with prop crack pipes and air fresheners. It has been said the actors were not told the sloth victim was a person in costume, and McGinley's shock at the body's movement is real; however, this has also been disputed as
11454-475: The city are shown in horizontal mode, the fragments of faces and bodies ... the look of Se7en has this heightened sense of realism—a realism that's been kicked up several notches and becomes its own style". Fincher chose one scene in Klute in which the only illumination is the character's flashlight, saying he disliked other films in which characters state visibility is low but the audience can clearly see
11620-469: The city. She reveals her unhappiness at moving there, especially after learning she is pregnant, and believes the city is an unfit place to raise a child. Somerset sympathizes with Tracy, having persuaded his former girlfriend to abort their child for similar reasons and regretting it ever since; he advises Tracy to inform Mills only if she intends to keep the child. A remark by Mills inspires Somerset to research libraries for anyone checking out books based on
11786-580: The cold on set was worsened by makeup artists repeatedly spraying his body with water. Unable to move, he tensed his muscles to warm himself. He described the relief that came when he was permitted to cough in McGinley's inspecting face, because he could move and breathe again. For Schanz's pride victim, Fincher added blood to her while her nose was taped to the side and her face was covered in gauze. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) mandated cuts to some scenes of Bottin's effects work to secure
11952-517: The company. In subsequent years, however, The Guardian has hired various commentators on US affairs including Ana Marie Cox , Michael Wolff , Naomi Wolf , Glenn Greenwald and George W. Bush's former speechwriter Josh Treviño . Treviño's first blog post was an apology for a controversial tweet posted in June 2011 over the second Gaza flotilla, the controversy which had been revived by the appointment. Guardian US launched in September 2011, led by editor-in-chief Janine Gibson , which replaced
12118-634: The continuing "cruelty and injustice" to slaves in the West Indies long after the abolition of the slave trade with the Slave Trade Act 1807 wanted fairness to the interests and claims both of the planters and of their oppressed slaves. It welcomed the Slavery Abolition Act 1833 and accepted the "increased compensation" to the planters as the "guilt of slavery attaches far more to the nation" rather than individuals. Success of
12284-497: The course of justice . In May 1998, a series of Guardian investigations exposed the wholesale fabrication of a much-garlanded ITV documentary The Connection , produced by Carlton Television. The documentary purported to film an undiscovered route by which heroin was smuggled into the United Kingdom from Colombia. An internal inquiry at Carlton found that The Guardian ' s allegations were in large part correct and
12450-454: The crew from afar. The film's ending remained a point of contention between New Line Cinema and the filmmakers; Fincher, intending to stun the audience, wanted to follow Mills's shooting of Doe with a sudden cut to black but executives believed this would alienate audiences. Fincher instructed staff at a test screening to keep off the lights following the cut to black so the audience could take it in but his instructions were not followed. After
12616-441: The critical hits Stir of Echoes and Fight Club , now considered a cult classic . Walker's adaptation of Washington Irving 's short story " The Legend of Sleepy Hollow " also wrapped up production as Sleepy Hollow , directed by Tim Burton . While Burton admired Walker's original script, he hired the playwright and Academy Award-winning screenwriter Tom Stoppard to tone down the violence. The film, starring Johnny Depp ,
12782-406: The darkness of the city but there was insufficient budget to film it. As a result, scenes of Somerset looking at the wallpaper piece had to be cut. Richard Francis-Bruce edited the 127-minute theatrical cut. His style focused on "having a motivated cut" in which every cut had a specific purpose. For the finale, he introduced more rapid cuts to emphasize the tension as Doe's plan is revealed, and
12948-490: The diffusion of just principles of Political Economy and ... support, without reference to the party from which they emanate, all serviceable measures". In 1825, the paper merged with the British Volunteer and was known as The Manchester Guardian and British Volunteer until 1828. The working-class Manchester and Salford Advertiser called The Manchester Guardian "the foul prostitute and dirty parasite of
13114-576: The ending intact. While the project was ongoing, Walker found other work as a screenwriter, including a short stint with HBO 's television series Tales From the Crypt , as well as writing two other films, Brainscan ( 1994 ) and the novel adaptation Hideaway ( 1995 ). Seven began production between his two other films, headed by Fincher as the director and starring Morgan Freeman , Brad Pitt and Kevin Spacey . At one point during production,
13280-488: The entrance to the sex club where the lust victim is murdered. Production designer Arthur Max , costume designer Michael Kaplan , Fincher, and Khondji collaborated on establishing a unified vision for the art direction. These guidelines established that the designs should represent a world where everything is corrupted, dysfunctional and in a state of decay. Fincher was influenced by the photography of William Eggleston and Robert Frank , who focused on "coolness", making
13446-589: The existence of the surveillance program PRISM after knowledge of it was leaked to the paper by the whistleblower and former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden . In 2016, The Guardian led an investigation into the Panama Papers , exposing then–Prime Minister David Cameron 's links to offshore bank accounts . It has been named "newspaper of the year" four times at the annual British Press Awards : most recently in 2014, for its reporting on government surveillance. The Manchester Guardian
13612-418: The film's production encountered concerns regarding the dark subject matter, and the studio asked Walker to lighten the film's tone. With Joel Schumacher as director, Walker felt a rewrite would no longer be needed. But as it turned out, Schumacher supported the studio and made changes of his own, leading to a much-publicized fallout between the two, with Walker virtually disowning the film and walking away from
13778-400: The ground-based scenes had to be color-corrected to match the new footage. The opening credits were scripted to be set over footage of Somerset visiting a countryside home he intended to purchase for his retirement, taking a piece of the wallpaper which he would carry through the film, before returning to the city by train. This was intended to create a stark contrast between the countryside and
13944-402: The group's "ultimate aim is the establishment of an Islamic state (Caliphate), according to Hizb ut-Tahrir via non-violent means". The Guardian asked Aslam to resign his membership of the group and, when he did not do so, terminated his employment. In early 2009, The Guardian started a tax investigation into a number of major UK companies, including publishing a database of the tax paid by
14110-415: The highest-grossing September opening weekend of its time, replacing 1991's Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare ($ 12.6 million). The successful opening was credited to Pitt's broad popularity, a lack of competing action films, and the marketing campaign overcoming audience skepticism around the premise. Audiences polled by market research firm CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on
14276-425: The importance of voting against President George W. Bush. Katz admitted later that he did not believe Democrats who warned that the campaign would benefit Bush and not opponent John Kerry . The newspaper scrapped "Operation Clark County" on 21 October 2004 after first publishing a column of responses—nearly all of them outraged—to the campaign under the headline "Dear Limey assholes". Some commentators suggested that
14442-460: The incident, The Guardian argued that "Neither side can escape condemnation... The organizers of the demonstration, Miss Bernadette Devlin among them, deliberately challenged the ban on marches. They knew that stone throwing and sniping could not be prevented, and that the IRA might use the crowd as a shield ." The Guardian further stated that "It is certainly true that the army cordons had endured
14608-488: The language and footnoting this change. The Guardian ' s style guide section referred to Tel Aviv as the capital of Israel in 2012. In 2012, media watchdog HonestReporting filed a complaint with the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) after The Guardian ran a correction apologizing for "wrongly" having called Jerusalem as Israel's capital. After an initial ruling supporting The Guardian ,
14774-560: The library. Traditionally affiliated with the centrist to centre-left Liberal Party , and with a northern, non-conformist circulation base, the paper earned a national reputation and the respect of the left during the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939). George Orwell wrote in Homage to Catalonia (1938): "Of our larger papers, the Manchester Guardian is the only one that leaves me with an increased respect for its honesty". With
14940-465: The location was too dark for the camera to capture Freeman's face. Pitt insisted on performing his own stunts for the scene; he slipped on a rain-slicked car bonnet , crashing through the windshield and sustaining injuries including cut tendons and nerves in his left hand; Fincher said he saw exposed bone. Pitt returned to the set a few days later, having received stitches and a forearm cast, which had to be written into later scenes. For scenes set prior to
15106-510: The lust victim, a sex worker who is impaled with a bladed sex toy, and Heidi Schanz appears as model Rachel Slade, pride, whom Doe disfigures. Writer Andrew Kevin Walker makes a cameo appearance as a corpse Somerset investigates during the film's opening scene; Morgan Freeman's son Alfonso appears as a fingerprint technician; and columnist George Christy portrays the police department janitor scraping Somerset's name from his door. In 1986, aspiring screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker moved from
15272-478: The mill-owners' champions had the upper hand. The influential journalist Jeremiah Garnett joined Taylor during the establishment of the paper, and all of the Little Circle wrote articles for the new paper. The prospectus announcing the new publication proclaimed that it would "zealously enforce the principles of civil and religious Liberty ... warmly advocate the cause of Reform ... endeavour to assist in
15438-496: The mind of somebody who's lost it ... [the audience] won't understand while they're watching it, but they'll get it later". Clive Piercy and John Sabel made Doe's journals, which cost tens of thousands of dollars each to fill with text and images; about six complete journals were made, supplemented by blank ones on shelves. Artist Wayne Coe storyboarded the sequence, which Harris Savides filmed and Angus Wall edited. Cooper regularly conferred with Wall on ideas, and spent
15604-406: The most shocking and unforgettable in cinematic history. In an unnamed city overcome with violent crime and corruption, disillusioned police Detective Lieutenant William Somerset is one week from retirement. He is partnered with David Mills, a young, short-tempered, idealistic detective who recently relocated to the city with his wife, Tracy. On Monday, Somerset and Mills investigate an obese man who
15770-478: The most-read of the UK's "quality newsbrands", including digital editions; other "quality" brands included The Times , The Daily Telegraph , The Independent , and the i . While The Guardian ' s print circulation is in decline, the report indicated that news from The Guardian , including that reported online, reaches more than 23 million UK adults each month. Chief among the notable " scoops " obtained by
15936-413: The movie industry. However, Walker would not earn another film credit to his name for another four years, though he penned several uncredited rewrites during this period, including The Game (on which he again worked with David Fincher) and Paul W. S. Anderson 's Event Horizon . In 1999 , Walker's 8MM finally saw the light of day, having been sold by him for a reported $ 1.25 million. Once again,
16102-676: The newly elected president Abraham Lincoln was opposed to abolition of slavery. On 13 May 1861, shortly after the start of the American Civil War , the Manchester Guardian portrayed the Northern states as primarily imposing a burdensome trade monopoly on the Confederate States , arguing that if the South was freed to have direct trade with Europe, "the day would not be distant when slavery itself would cease". Therefore,
16268-514: The newspaper asked "Why should the South be prevented from freeing itself from slavery?" This hopeful view was also held by the Liberal leader William Ewart Gladstone . There was division in Britain over the Civil War, even within political parties. The Manchester Guardian had also been conflicted. It had supported other independence movements and felt it should also support the rights of
16434-641: The newspaper's archives were deposited at the University of Manchester 's John Rylands University Library , on the Oxford Road campus. The first case was opened and found to contain the newspapers issued in August 1930 in pristine condition. The zinc cases had been made each month by the newspaper's plumber and stored for posterity. The other 699 cases were not opened and were all returned to storage at The Guardian ' s garage, owing to shortage of space at
16600-475: The night before filming locating items such as fish hooks and loose hairs from his drain, which he believed would make interesting inclusions. Filming took place over eight days, including two days filming a hand-model stand-in for Doe. Fincher was upset at the casting because the model's hands were shorter and chunkier than Spacey's. A further five weeks were spent assembling the sequence. Although digital options were available, Cooper's team chose to assemble
16766-455: The occupation of the agents of the Union is gone. They live on strife ... ." In March 2023, an academic review commissioned by the Scott Trust determined that John Edward Taylor and nine of his eleven backers had links to the Atlantic slave trade through their interests in Manchester's textile industry. The newspaper opposed slavery and supported free trade . An 1823 leading article on
16932-402: The original ending gained further backing as the project secured prominent actors, including Freeman, Pitt, and Spacey. Pitt joined Seven on condition the head-in-the-box ending be retained, as he was upset that the original ending of his previous film Legends of the Fall (1994) had been cut in response to negative test-audience responses. He also insisted that Mills kill Doe, believing it
17098-461: The package contains her severed head. He urges Mills to become wrath, telling him Tracy begged for her life and that of her unborn child, and takes pleasure in realizing Mills was unaware of the pregnancy. Despite Somerset's pleas, Mills, distraught and enraged, shoots Doe dead, completing Doe's plan. Police remove the catatonic Mills, and Somerset tells his captain he will "be around." Somerset says in voiceover: " Ernest Hemingway once wrote: 'The world
17264-610: The paper aims to cover all viewpoints in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict . On 6 November 2011, Chris Elliott, The Guardian ' s readers' editor, wrote that " Guardian reporters, writers and editors must be more vigilant about the language they use when writing about Jews or Israel", citing recent cases where The Guardian received complaints regarding language chosen to describe Jews or Israel. Elliott noted that, over nine months, he upheld complaints regarding language in certain articles that were seen as anti-Semitic, revising
17430-535: The paper from the estate of Taylor's son in 1907. Under Scott, the paper's moderate editorial line became more radical, supporting William Gladstone when the Liberals split in 1886, and opposing the Second Boer War against popular opinion. Scott supported the movement for women's suffrage , but was critical of any tactics by the suffragettes that involved direct action : "The really ludicrous position
17596-523: The paper was the 2011 News International phone-hacking scandal —and in particular the hacking of the murdered English teenager Milly Dowler 's phone. The investigation led to the closure of the News of the World , the UK's best-selling Sunday newspaper and one of the highest-circulation newspapers in history. In June 2013, The Guardian broke news of the secret collection by the Obama administration of Verizon telephone records, and subsequently revealed
17762-474: The paper's main newsprint sections have been published in tabloid format . As of July 2021 , its print edition had a daily circulation of 105,134. The newspaper is available online; it lists UK, US (founded in 2011), Australian (founded in 2013), European, and International editions, and its website has sections for World, Europe, US, Americas, Asia, Australia, Middle East, Africa, New Zealand , Inequality, and Global development. The paper's readership
17928-558: The police because it would rob the audience and characters of the anticipated satisfaction, opting instead to leave them in discomfort leading up to the finale. In the early 1990s, Italian company Penta Film [ it ] , under manager Phyllis Carlyle, optioned the script. Walker received the minimum fee permitted by the Writers Guild of America (WGA), which proved sufficient to quit his job, relocate to Los Angeles, and dedicate himself to working on Seven . To lead
18094-438: The police station, Doe arrives covered in blood and surrenders himself. He threatens to plead insanity at his trial, potentially escaping punishment, unless Mills and Somerset escort him to an undisclosed location where they will find the envy and wrath victims. During the drive, Doe says he believes God has chosen him to send a message about the ubiquity of, and apathy toward, sin. Doe has no remorse for his victims, believing
18260-646: The pro-Liberal News Chronicle , the Labour -supporting Daily Herald , the Communist Party 's Daily Worker and several Sunday and weekly papers, it supported the Republican government against General Francisco Franco 's insurgent nationalists. The paper's then editor, A. P. Wadsworth , so loathed Labour's left-wing champion Aneurin Bevan , who had made a reference to getting rid of "Tory Vermin" in
18426-484: The project and hire a staff of American reporters and web editors. The site featured news from The Guardian that was relevant to an American audience: coverage of US news and the Middle East, for example. Tomasky stepped down from his position as editor of Guardian America in February 2009, ceding editing and planning duties to other US and London staff. He retained his position as a columnist and blogger, taking
18592-491: The project, Penta Film hired director Jeremiah S. Chechik , known for his recent success directing the comedy film National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) and seeking a more serious project. Chechik and Penta Film insisted on several script changes, including the removal of the bleak conclusion, in which Tracy's severed head is delivered in a box. Facing the ultimatum of complying with these requests or risking replacement or project cancellation, Walker acquiesced and wrote
18758-433: The protagonists do not engage in a last-minute action sequence to save Tracy because she is already dead. Fincher expressed his interest to the studio, which realized he had been sent Walker's original script. New Line Cinema sent Fincher an up-to-date draft in which Tracy survives but Fincher insisted on directing the original script. In discussions with Michael De Luca , New Line Cinema's president of production, both shared
18924-476: The public's dislike of the campaign contributed to Bush's victory in Clark County. In 2007, the paper launched Guardian America , an attempt to capitalise on its large online readership in the United States, which at the time stood at more than 5.9 million. The company hired former American Prospect editor, New York magazine columnist and New York Review of Books writer Michael Tomasky to head
19090-508: The public's trust of specific titles online, The Guardian scored highest for digital-content news, with 84% of readers agreeing that they "trust what [they] see in it". A December 2018 report of a poll by the Publishers Audience Measurement Company stated that the paper's print edition was found to be the most trusted in the UK in the period from October 2017 to September 2018. It was also reported to be
19256-477: The radical reformers, writing: "They have appealed not to the reason but the passions and the suffering of their abused and credulous fellow-countrymen, from whose ill-requited industry they extort for themselves the means of a plentiful and comfortable existence. They do not toil, neither do they spin, but they live better than those that do." When the government closed down the Manchester Observer ,
19422-465: The satisfaction of having any sort of understanding of why that is. That's one of the things that scares people the most about serial killers". To shape the character of the killer, Walker drew inspiration from his own experiences navigating city streets, where he witnessed crimes and sins unfolding openly on every corner. This exploration led him to contemplate the idea of an individual who deliberately fixated on these sins. He had Doe surrender himself to
19588-557: The scene lead Somerset and Mills to the sloth victim, a drug-dealing pederast whom they find emaciated and restrained to a bed. Photographs reveal the victim was restrained for precisely one year. Somerset surmises the murders are based on the Christian concept of the seven deadly sins . Tracy invites Somerset to share supper with her and Mills, helping the detectives overcome their mutual hostility. On Friday, Tracy meets privately with Somerset because she has no other acquaintances in
19754-409: The scene to lose its momentum, affecting the pacing and emotion. The helicopter scenes were also filmed in post-production because there was no time during principal photography; the studio agreed the provision of extra time and funding for additional scenes if they were deemed necessary. Because these scenes were filmed several months later than the rest of the film, the green ground had turned brown and
19920-410: The scene. Fincher wanted precise staging for every scene to make the audience feel as if they were in the location. Believing it was important to create limitations to challenge himself, Fincher had sets built without removable walls, and the crew had to film within their confines. Doe's murder scenes were influenced by photography, such as the work of Joel-Peter Witkin . The sloth scene in particular
20086-403: The scene. Khondji used a mixture of lighting, using the warm light of Chinese lanterns to represent the past and present, and the cold light of Kino Flos to represent the future. The studio was unhappy with the darkness of the dailies ; Khondji suggested printing the footage brighter but Fincher refused to compromise. Available footage was made into a well-received promotional showreel for
20252-442: The screening, one female audience member walking by Fincher said: "the people who made that movie should be killed". According to Fincher, the screening invitation only told audiences that the film would feature Pitt and Freeman, both of whom were known for films very different in tone to Seven . Executives wanted a mainstream conclusion in which Mills and Somerset pursue Doe and a kidnapped Tracy, who would survive. According to Pitt,
20418-492: The script was shelved. After the announcement and subsequent successes of Batman Begins and Superman Returns , the film seemed to be shelved permanently, though Wolfgang Petersen , who was due to direct the feature, had continued to express his interest in the project. That script and version of the project was permanently shelved in favor of the Zack Snyder helmed Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice . Walker wrote
20584-497: The script's bleak conclusion, insisting on a more mainstream and optimistic outcome. Fincher, determined to re-establish himself after a career setback with his directorial debut Alien 3 (1992), was mistakenly sent Walker's original script and, convinced of its merit, committed to directing the project if the original ending remained intact. Principal photography took place in Los Angeles between December 1994 and March 1995, on
20750-432: The sequence by hand, believing any irregularities and accidents in the images would enhance the overall aesthetic, and manually added scratches, tears, and pen marks directly to the film negative. Fincher and Cooper devised a rough-looking text for the credits to appear as if written by a "disturbed hand". The text was etched onto a black-surfaced scratchboard and visually manipulated while being transferred to film to add
20916-557: The set. He refused to even watch the film, which became a critical failure. In an interview with The Guardian , he said that "it was such an inherently depressing experience that the very least I can do is protect myself from the miserable experience of actually watching it." In 2015, he expressed his openness to a redo 8MM instead of remaking Seven. The latter had left the studios and producers unhappy with Somerset merely standing there helpless as Mills shot John Doe. Walker found other success in 1999, as he penned uncredited rewrites to
21082-440: The seven deadly sins, leading the pair to John Doe 's apartment. Unexpectedly, Doe returns home and is pursued by Mills. Doe incapacitates Mills by striking him with a tire iron and holds him at gunpoint, but chooses to leave him alive and flees. The police investigate Doe's apartment, finding a large amount of cash, hundreds of Doe's notebooks, and photographs of some of his victims; the cache includes images of Somerset and Mills by
21248-479: The shocking murders will force society to pay attention to him. Doe leads the detectives to a remote location far outside the city limits, where a delivery van approaches. Somerset intercepts the vehicle, whose driver was instructed to deliver a package to Mills at this specific time and location. Somerset is horrified at the package's contents and tells Mills to put down his gun. Doe reveals he himself represents envy because he envied Mills's life with Tracy and implies
21414-419: The sloth victim involved him portraying a corpse that slowly turned his head towards the camera; his performance was deemed "creepy" enough. Set decorator Cat Mueller portrayed the lust victim after Fincher's assistant said she had the personality and body to portray a dead prostitute. She received $ 500 for six hours of filming over two days but described being nude in front of Pitt as a perk. Model Heidi Schanz
21580-502: The southern slave states from the condemnation they deserved. It was critical of Lincoln's emancipation proclamation for stopping short of a full repudiation of slavery throughout the US. And it chastised the president for being so willing to negotiate with the south, with slavery one of the issues still on the table." C. P. Scott made the newspaper nationally recognised. He was editor for 57 years from 1872, and became its owner when he bought
21746-409: The story too bleak. David Fincher was known mainly for directing popular music videos, such as " Vogue " and " Who Is It ". His only feature film, Alien 3 (1992), had been a negative experience as the studio edited it against Fincher's intent, leading to him disowning the project, stating "I'd rather die of colon cancer than make another movie". Despite this, Fincher's agent presented him with
21912-416: The studio proposed several changes — which would later become a recurring theme throughout Walker's career — deeming it too dark for its target audience. Both Fincher and Freeman backed Walker's original script, and it eventually went unchanged. The film was met with critical acclaim and enormous box office success, earning $ 327,311,859 worldwide. It would allow Walker to make a name for himself in
22078-506: The studio wanted a more heroic ending for Mills in which he did not kill Doe, and instead of Tracy's head being in the box, for it to be the head of one of Mills's dogs. Freeman preferred a storyboarded sequence of Somerset killing Doe, sparing Mills from losing his career as well, but Pitt believed Mills had to kill Doe and test audiences preferred that version. Another alternative ending depicted Mills shooting Somerset to stop him killing Doe first. Fincher and Pitt both refused to compromise with
22244-406: The studio's request to replace the head-in-the-box ending but settled for a longer epilogue showing Mills being arrested and Somerset delivering a concluding narration, offering some humanity. Pitt and Fincher were unhappy with the car-ride scene leading into the ending because the dialogue had to be overdubbed after too much ambient sound had been picked up during filming. Pitt believed this caused
22410-726: The suburbs of Pennsylvania to New York City, and described the culture shock of living in a city undergoing significant rises in crime and drug abuse . While working as a sales assistant for Tower Records in 1991, Walker began writing a spec script called Seven , which is set in an unnamed, bleak and gloomy city that was inspired by his "depressing" time in New York. Walker said: "it's true that if I hadn't lived there I probably wouldn't have written Seven ... " Film studios were eager for high concept spec scripts—simple and succinct ideas that could be easily sold to audiences. Walker believed his thriller about police officers pursuing
22576-519: The theater-owner convention ShoWest , after which complaints about the darkness ceased. Khondji used Panavision Primo lenses, which offered a sharp image with good contrast, and Kodak film stocks that could capture the "gritty" interiors and deep blacks for night-time exteriors. Khondji described the scene in which Mills pursues Doe as one of the most-difficult scenes to film due to its length, fast camera movements in rain, and tight, barely lit interior spaces. One segment had to be re-filmed because
22742-414: The theatrical release. Fincher did not want to appear to be accepting their suggestion and instructed Cooper to develop a new concept; Cooper persuaded Fincher to use a more-elaborate and detailed version of the montage. Cooper focused on Doe's elaborate journals, briefly glimpsed in the film, while Fincher suggested the sequence should depict Doe. Fincher wanted Mark Romanek to direct the sequence, being
22908-456: The then industry regulator, the ITC, punished Carlton with a record £2 million fine for multiple breaches of the UK's broadcasting codes. The scandal led to an impassioned debate about the accuracy of documentary production. Later in June 1998, The Guardian revealed further fabrications in another Carlton documentary from the same director. The paper supported NATO 's military intervention in
23074-462: The third-billed actor in a movie where the top two billings are trying to find somebody and they don't find that somebody until the last reel, then it's obvious who that somebody is ... I felt very strongly that it was the right thing to do for the movie. We finally won because it was a deal-breaker; I was either going to be on a plane to shoot the movie or I wasn't". The 480 lb (220 kg) actor Bob Mack made his film debut as gluttony, who
23240-455: The time, for those women who "transgressed the gender expectations of Edwardian society ". Scott commissioned J. M. Synge and his friend Jack Yeats to produce articles and drawings documenting the social conditions of the west of Ireland; these pieces were published in 1911 in the collection Travels in Wicklow, West Kerry and Connemara . Scott's friendship with Chaim Weizmann played
23406-553: The title editor-at-large. In October 2009, the company abandoned the Guardian America homepage, instead directing users to a US news index page on the main Guardian website. The following month, the company laid off six American employees, including a reporter, a multimedia producer and four web editors. The move came as Guardian News and Media opted to reconsider its US strategy amid a huge effort to cut costs across
23572-477: The tribunal and its findings, arguing that "Widgery's report is not one-sided". In response to the introduction of internment without trial in Northern Ireland, The Guardian argued that "Internment without trial is hateful, repressive and undemocratic. In the existing Irish situation, most regrettably, it is also inevitable... To remove the ringleaders, in the hope that the atmosphere might calm down,
23738-400: The visuals simultaneously gritty, stylized, classic, and contemporary. Khondji said Frank's style could be seen in Seven ' s very bright exteriors and dark interiors, a visual contrast achieved by underexposing the film negative. The final scene with Mills, Somerset, and Doe, had inconsistent lighting because the actors were always lit from behind by the sun regardless of their placement in
23904-474: The worst portion of the mill-owners". The Manchester Guardian was generally hostile to labour's claims. Of the 1832 Ten Hours Bill, the paper doubted whether in view of the foreign competition "the passing of a law positively enacting a gradual destruction of the cotton manufacture in this kingdom would be a much less rational procedure." The Manchester Guardian dismissed strikes as the work of outside agitators, stating that "if an accommodation can be effected,
24070-404: The years since its release, the critical reception has been more positive. The film has inspired a number of TV series and films with its aesthetic, music, and premise. Its title sequence, which depicts the killer preparing for his actions in the film, is considered an important design innovation that sparked a renewed interest in title design, while the film's twist ending has been named as one of
24236-637: Was appointed as the newspaper's first news editor there, becoming the first woman to hold such a position on a British national newspaper. During the early period of the Troubles , The Guardian supported British state intervention to quell disturbances between Irish Catholics and Ulster loyalists in Northern Ireland . After the Battle of the Bogside between Catholic residents of Derry and
24402-591: Was cast as the pride victim after the previous actor dropped out. Fincher, who was running low on time, wanted a model with existing headshots and pictures that could be displayed in the character's apartment. The film's content made casting and crewing Seven difficult; Gary Oldman turned down an unspecified role, Fincher's former costume designer declined to work on the film, and talent agents refused to pass offers on to their clients, describing Seven as "evil and misogynistic". Principal photography began on December 12, 1994, and concluded on March 10, 1995. Walker
24568-474: Was completed by August 1994. Pitt had established himself as an in-demand and highly-paid film star following successes with Interview with the Vampire (1994) and Legends of the Fall , but Fincher had not considered him to portray Mills because he felt Pitt did not fit the image he had for the character. However, after meeting Pitt, Fincher believed he was charismatic and likeable enough that he could keep
24734-500: Was considered but filming dates conflicted with the band's tour. Val Kilmer declined the role; R. Lee Ermey auditioned but Fincher found his portrayal unsympathetic and lacking depth. Kevin Spacey was preferred by Pitt but executives refused to pay his asking price. Doe's scenes were initially filmed with an unknown actor portraying Doe; the filmmakers quickly decided to replace them and Pitt helped negotiate Spacey's involvement. Spacey, who filmed his scenes in twelve days, received
24900-502: Was converted into a limited company in 2008, with a constitution written so as to maintain for The Guardian the same protections as were built into the structure of the Scott Trust by its creators. Profits are reinvested in its journalism rather than distributed to owners or shareholders . It is considered a newspaper of record in the UK. The editor-in-chief Katharine Viner succeeded Alan Rusbridger in 2015. Since 2018,
25066-479: Was described as a "very heavy guy face down in spaghetti". Gene Borkan was cast to play the greed victim because the filmmakers wanted someone who resembled lawyer Robert Shapiro . He did not realize his character would already be dead and refused a request to perform nude. On the set, when he realized what his scene entailed, Borkan renegotiated his salary, receiving "five times [the $ 522 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) day-scale fee]". Michael Reid MacKay's audition for
25232-404: Was forced to eat until his stomach burst, killing him. The detectives find the word " gluttony " written on a wall. Somerset, considering the case too extreme for his last investigation, asks to be reassigned, but his request is denied. The following day, another victim, who had been forced to cut one pound (0.45 kg) of flesh from his body, is found; the crime scene is marked " greed ." Clues at
25398-548: Was founded in Manchester in 1821 by cotton merchant John Edward Taylor with backing from the Little Circle , a group of non-conformist businessmen. They launched the paper, on 5 May 1821 (by chance the very day of Napoleon's death) after the police closure of the more radical Manchester Observer , a paper that had championed the cause of the Peterloo Massacre protesters. Taylor had been hostile to
25564-591: Was important because she provides the film's only tonally positive elements and he thought Paltrow's previous performances demonstrated she could effectively convey this in Tracy's limited screentime. Fincher and Walker wanted Ned Beatty to play John Doe because of his resemblance to the 1969 composite sketch of the Zodiac Killer ; Beatty declined, describing the script as the "most evil thing I've ever read". Michael Stipe , lead vocalist of rock band R.E.M. ,
25730-557: Was important that Mills act out of passion instead of morality. Kopelson supported Fincher after being reassured the severed head would not be shown. Walker said changing the dark tone of the ending would remove the core of the story. Walker further refined the script. His changes included extending a chase sequence depicting Mills cautiously pursuing Doe, aiming to avoid typical cinematic chases in which characters frantically pursue their target, saying that were he in that situation he would be wary to turn any corner. A shooting script
25896-414: Was influenced by the work of painter Edvard Munch , drawing on the green and "claustrophobic" imagery. Rob Bottin led development of practical effects. He researched crime-scene photographs and police evidence files, observed an autopsy, and studied the effects of obesity to realize his designs. For the gluttony victim, Mack spent up to 10 hours a day having makeup and prosthetics applied. Mack said he
26062-408: Was inspired by Cooper's appreciation for the "elegant" way Doe stirs his tea following his surrender. The sequence focuses on Doe writing his journal and crossing out words such as "pregnancy", "marriage", and other elements representing a "perfect life", which he does not believe people deserve. Fincher said: "it was a way of introducing the evil. The idea was that you're watching title sequences from
26228-588: Was on set throughout filming to provide suggestions or on-spec rewrites but did not give Fincher much input, believing he should adapt the script as he wanted. Michael Alan Kahn served as assistant director. Location filming took place entirely in downtown Los Angeles. Fincher wanted to film in Oakland, California , because of its aesthetically pleasing clapboard houses but the schedule would not allow for this. Rain often fell during filming; Fincher decided to film in rain to avoid continuity errors and because Pitt
26394-428: Was only available for fifty-five days before he began filming 12 Monkeys (1995). Fincher also said the rain introduced an inescapable element for the characters because conditions were bad inside and outside, and that the rain made the film's city appear less like Los Angeles, which is associated with sunny weather. Seven ' s aesthetic was influenced by films such as All That Jazz (1979), The Silence of
26560-468: Was originally chosen to direct the optioned film but he asked for a number of modifications, including the changes to the ending, particularly the removal of the head in a box scene. Walker continued reworking the script but the film got passed around in Hollywood. The project finally went ahead when David Fincher agreed to direct the film after he read the original draft, which was accidentally sent with
26726-598: Was raised. He attended the Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School until his graduation in 1982. Walker soon enrolled in Penn State University to pursue a career in film production . He graduated from Penn State in 1986, with a Bachelor of Arts in film and video. Shortly after completing his education, he moved to New York City and took a job at Tower Records . During that time, he worked on several projects, but Walker
26892-566: Was reduced, and made more precise and direct. Robin Wright auditioned for the role of Tracy and Christina Applegate rejected it before Paltrow was cast. Pitt had recommended Paltrow after being impressed by her audition for Legends of the Fall . Fincher preferred Paltrow but initial discussions suggested that if approached she would not be interested in a film with a dark tone like Seven . Fincher auditioned about 100 people before Pitt contacted Paltrow to meet with them. Fincher said that Tracy
27058-467: Was still a box office and critical success. Since the mid-1990s, Walker wrote several screenplays that were never greenlit or have yet to go into production, such as a script for a movie starring the superhero Silver Surfer , a version of X-Men ( 2000 ; his script was written in 1994), and a film tentatively titled Batman vs. Superman . The latter film was set to go into production, but Warner Bros. opted to revive their franchises separately, and so
27224-593: Was the editor of The Guardian at the time, but he went on to argue that the paper had no choice because it "believed in the rule of law". In a 2019 article discussing Julian Assange and the protection of sources by journalists, John Pilger criticised the editor of The Guardian for betraying Tisdall by choosing not to go to prison "on a fundamental principle of protecting a source". In 1994, KGB defector Oleg Gordievsky identified Guardian literary editor Richard Gott as "an agent of influence". While Gott denied that he received cash, he admitted he had had lunch at
27390-425: Was unable to find much success until 1991, when he completed the script for Seven . Walker decided to move to Los Angeles to sell his screenplay. There, he personally contacted screenwriter David Koepp , who showed the script to executives at New Line Cinema , who ended up purchasing the rights to it. The film, however, took nearly three years to begin production. Christmas Vacation director Jeremiah S. Chechik
27556-419: Was unaware he would be surrounded by live insects until reading the daily call sheet and noticing a "cockroach wrangler ". A fiberglass replica of Mack was used for the character's autopsy. Bottin's team spent 11 days experimenting on the aesthetic and prosthetics for the sloth victim. MacKay was 5 ft 5 in (165 cm) tall and weighed 96 to 98 lb (about 44 kg) during filming, offering
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