David Fincher (b. 1962) did not go to film school and hates being defined as an auteur. He prefers to see himself as a craftsman, dutifully going about the art and business of making film. Trouble is, it's hard to be self-effacing when you are the director responsible for \u003ci\u003eSe7en, Fight Club\u003c/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eThe Social Network\u003c/i\u003e. Along with Quentin Tarantino, Fincher is the most accomplished of the Generation X filmmakers to emerge in the early 1990s.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This collection of interviews highlights Fincher's unwavering commitment to his craft as he evolved from an entrepreneurial music video director (Fincher helped Madonna become the undisputed queen of MTV) into an enterprising feature filmmaker. Fincher landed his first Hollywood blockbuster at twenty-seven with \u003ci\u003eAlien3\u003c/i\u003e, but that film, handicapped by cost overruns and corporate mismanagement, taught Fincher that he needed absolute control over his work. Once he had it, with \u003ci\u003eSe7en\u003c/i\u003e, he achieved instant box-office success and critical acclaim, as well as a close partnership with Brad Pitt that led to the cult favorite \u003ci\u003eFight Club\u003c/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Fincher became circumspect in the 2000s after \u003ci\u003ePanic Room\u003c/i\u003e, shooting ads and biding his time until \u003ci\u003eZodiac\u003c/i\u003e, when he returned to his mantra that âentertainment has to come hand in hand with a little bit of medicine. Some people go to the movies to be reminded that everything's okay. I don't make those kinds of movies. That, to me, is a lie. Everything's not okay.â \u003ci\u003eZodiac\u003c/i\u003e reinvigorated Fincher, inspiring a string of filmsâ\u003ci\u003eThe Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Social Network\u003c/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eThe Girl with the Dragon Tattoo\u003c/i\u003eâthat enthralled audiences and garnered his films dozens of Oscar nominations.
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