Se7en (1995)

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1995
Running Times: 115 mins (Belgium)     127 mins
Format: colour     Super 35mm (anamorphic)
Ratio: 2.35:1
Sound: Dolby SR     DTS

PRODUCTION
Production Company: New Line Cinema
Executive Producers: Dan Kolsrud, Anne Kopelson, Gianni Nunnari
Co-Executive Producers: Lynn Harris, Richard Saperstein
Producer: Phyllis Carlyle, Arnold Kopelson
Co-Producers: Stephen Brown, Nana Greenwald, Sanford Panitch
Line Producer: William C. Gerrity
Associate Producer: Michele Platt

SCRIPT
Script: Andrew Kevin Walker

DIRECTION
Director: David Fincher

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Darius Khondji
Director of Photography (Aerial Unit): Stan McClain
Steadicam Operator: David Emmerichs
Aerial Camera: Michael Kelem
Key Grip: Michael J. Coo
Grip: Nico Bally
Best Boy Grip: William E. Fitch
Video Image Supervisor: Paul Taglianetti
Stills: Peter Sorel
Colour: Deluxe

EDITING
Editor: Richard Francis-Bruce
Assistant AVID Editor: David Reale

MUSIC
Music: Howard Shore; Johann Sebastian Bach (from Suite No 3 in d major, BWV 1068: Air)
Songs Performed By: Nine Inch Nails (Closer (precursor)); David Bowie (The Heart's Filthy Lesson); Haircut 100 (Love Plus One); Billie Holiday (I Cover the Waterfront); Marvin Gaye (Trouble Man)

SOUND
Temporary Mix Supervisor: Mark Levinson

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Costume Designer: Michael Kaplan

SPECIAL MAKE UP EFFECTS
Special Make Up Effects: Rob Bottin

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Arthur Max
Colour Consultant: Yvan Lucas
Title Designer: Kyle Cooper
Main / End Titles Producer: Steven T Puri

MISCELLANEOUS
Script Supervisor: Cori Glazer
Transportation Co-Captain: Bo Falck
Driver: Robert Gaskill
Office Production Assistant: Basil Grillo
Unit Publicist: Susan Steinlauf-Pascal
Production Aide: Adam M. Stone
Police Technical Advisor: Randy Walker
Assistant to Freeman: Quentin Pierre

LOCATIONS
Locations: Los Angeles, California, USA; New York City, New York, USA; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Location Manager: Paul Hargrave

CASTING
Casting Assistant: Kim Coleman

CAST
Morgan Freeman (Detective William Somerset)
Brad Pitt (Detective David Mills)
Kevin Spacey (John Doe)
Daniel Zacapa (Detective Taylor)
Gwyneth Paltrow (Tracy Mills)
John Cassini (Officer Davis)
Bob Mack (gluttony victim)
Peter Crombie (Dr O'Neill)
Reg E. Cathey (coroner)
R. Lee Ermey (police captain)
George Christy (workman)
Endre Hules (cab driver)
Hawthorne James (George the library night guard)
Roscoe Davidson, Bob Collins (library guard)
Jimmy Dale Hartsell (library janitor)
Richard Roundtree (Martin Talbot)
Charline Su, Dominique Jennings (TV news reporters)
Allan Kolman (forensic man)
Beverly Burke (TV anchor woman)
Gene Borkan (Eli Gould - greed victim)
Julie Araskog (Mrs Gould)
Mario Di Donato (fingerprint forensic man)
Alfonso Freeman (fingerprint technician)
John C. McGinley (California)
Robert J. Stephenson, Harrison White (cops on SWAT team)
Michael Reid MacKay (Victor - sloth victim)
Richard Portnow (Dr Beardsley)
Tudor Sherrard (coupon man)
Mark Boone Junior (greasy FBI man)
Pamala Tyson (homeless woman)
Lennie Loftin (policeman)
Sarah Hale Reinhardt (police sketch artist)
Emily Wagner (Detective Sara)
Martin Serene (Wild Bill)
Michael Massee (man in massage parlour booth)
David Correia, Ron Blair (cops at massage parlour)
Cat Mueller (hooker - lust victim)
Leland Orser (crazed man in massage parlour)
Lexie Bigham (sweating cop at massage parlour)
Evan Miranda, Paul S. Eckstein (paramedics)
Harris Savides (911 pperator)
Heidi Schanz (beautiful woman - pride victim)
Brian Evers (duty sergeant)
Shannon Wilcox (cop behind desk)
Richard Schiff (Mark Swarr)
James Deeth, John Santin (helicopter pilot)
Charles A. Tamburro (SWAT helicopter pilot)
Richmond Arquette (delivery man)
Duffy Gaver (marksman in helicopter)
Rachel Schadt (additional 911 operator)
Andy Walker (rn: Andrew Kevin Walker) (dead man)

Soon-to-retire Detective Somerset and his new partner Mills investigate a series of serial murders based on the seven deadly sins. Their quarry finally gives himself up, but he has one last sin to re-enact with horrific results.

Dark, disturbing and quite unlike anything else being produced by the mainstream Hollywood system in the mid-90s, Se7en is more than enough for us to forgive and forget Fincher's previous film, the tedious Alien³ (1992). Great performances and incredible visuals combine in a film that revitalised the moribund serial killer genre and established Fincher as one of the most impressive and important directors of the 90s.

Argentina
Theatrical Release: Lider Films
Video Distributor: Gativideo

France
Theatrical Release: Metropolitan Filmexport

Germany
Video Distributor: VCL Communications GmbH

Portugal
Theatrical Distributor: Edifilmes

Spain
Theatrical Release: Líder Films S.A.

UK
Video Distributor: Entertainment in Video (EVS1200; EVS1214 - widescreen)
DVD Distributor: Entertainment in Video (EDV9008 - 1999 release; EDV9072 - 2001 re-issue)

USA
Video Distributor: New Line Cinema; Asso Film; IVE

Argentina
Rating: 16

Australia
Rating: R

Belgium
Rating: KNT

Denmark
Rating: 16

Finland
Rating: K-16

France
Rating: -12

Germany
Rating: 16 (nf)

Hong Kong
Rating: IIB

Iceland
Rating: 16

Italy
Rating: VM14

Norway
Rating: 18

Portugal
Rating: M/16

Spain
Rating: 18

Sweden
Rating: 15

UK
Rating: 18

USA
Rating: R (for grisly afterviews of horrific and bizarre killings and for strong language)

Key Art Award: Peter Sorel (for 1-sheet poster design)

1995
September
22: USA - theatrical release
22: Canada - theatrical release

November
2: Australia - theatrical release
23: Germany - theatrical release

December
15: Italy - theatrical release
25: Sweden - theatrical release

1996
January
5: UK - theatrical release
6: Ireland - theatrical release
10: Spain - theatrical release
26: Norway - theatrical release
27: Japan - theatrical release
31: France - theatrical release

February
2: Portugal - theatrical release
7: Belgium - theatrical release
7: Slovenia - theatrical release
9: Greece - theatrical release
14: Poland - theatrical release
15: Singapore - theatrical release
17: Argentina - theatrical release

March
Day Unknown: USA - video release
8: Denmark - theatrical release

April
4: Austria - theatrical release

June
17: UK - video release (rental)

October
14: UK - video release (pan-and-scan and widescreen retail)

November
7: Hungary - theatrical release

December
27: Estonia - theatrical release

1999
June
28: UK - DVD release

2001
February
26: UK - DVD release (2-disc set)

Let he who is without sin try to survive

Gluttony * Greed * Sloth * Envy * Wrath * Pride * Lust

Seven deadly sins. Seven ways to die. Seven ways to kill.

Seven - alternative spelling
Sieben - German title

SEE ALSO
666 mo gui fu huo (1996)
8MM (1999)
The Cell (2000)
Fight Club (1999)
Free Enterprise (1998)
Messiah (2001)
Mimic (1997)
The Night of the Hunter (1955)
Scream 3 (2000)
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Theatre of Blood (1973)

BOOKS

The BFI Companion to Crime p.301
review, credits

MAGAZINES

Cinefantastique 27:6 pp.48-50, 55
illustrated production notes

Cinema (Germany) 23 November 1995
review (by Eric Stahl)

Cinescape April 1996 p.70
review (by Mo Ryan)

Diario de Noticias 2 February 1996
review (by Eurico De Barros)

Diario de Noticias, Viver 2 February 1996
review (by Joao Antunes)

Empire February 1996 p.29
review (by Mark Salisbury)

Feral Tribune 12 February 1996
review (by Zivorad Tomic)

FilmMagasinet December / January 1995 / 1996 p.38
review (by Erlend Eskeland)

FilmMagasinet July 1996 p.60
review (by Kathrine Kristiansen)

Film Review February 1996 pp.17; 32-35; 36; 37-38; 39; 39, 41-42 (UK)
illustrated credits, review (by James Cameron-Wilson); illustrated interview with David Fincher (by Judy Sloane); illustrated article (The World's Sexiest Man? by Anwar Brett); illustrated interview with Morgan Freeman (by Philip Zonkel); illustrated interview with Kevin Spacey (Watch This Man by Tony Crawley); illustrated interview with Gwyneth Paltrow (byRoald Rynning)

Imágenes February 1996 p.114
review (by Tomas Fernandez Valenti)

Metro 7 January 2000 p.21
illustrated review (by Richard Morrissey)

Première (France) February 1996 p.17
review (by Christian Jauberty)

Premiere August 1995 p.31
review (by Lori Pope)

Shivers 26 pp.8-10
illustrated article

Starburst 215 pp.54-55
illustrated review

Svenska Dagbladet 24 December 1995
review (Alla hemska mord måste inte bli film by Jeanette Gentele)

Visao 8 February 1996 p.90
review (by Joao Mario Grilo)

serial killers, seven deadly sins, police