Dark Eye: The Films of David Fincher [Paperback]

James Swallow (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2003

An in–depth guide to the work of innovative young director David Fincher, whose films include Seven, Alien 3, Fight Club, and Panic Room. Featuring 60 photos.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

David Fincher is young, talented, and something of an outsider, with a dark cinematic vision—from the visceral serial killer drama Seven to the urban gothic thriller Panic Room. In Dark Eye, written with Fincher’s full involvement and featuring in–depth interviews, journalist James Swallow offers a complete survey of the director’s work. He begins with Fincher’s early career at special effects house Industrial Light & Magic, where he worked on films like Return of the Jedi and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, as well as commercials and music videos. He then looks at each of the director’s major films: Seven, Alien 3, The Game, Fight Club, and Panic Room. Rounding out the book is a view ahead to the films in David Fincher’s future as well as a reference section with an in–depth bibliography and website listing.

About the Author

James Swallow is an award-winning New York Times bestselling author. He has written extensively for the Warhammer universe, Horus Heresey and Blood Angels books. He has also written for Star Trek Voyager. 

Swallow is one of the lead writers on Deus Ex 3; one of the most eagerly anticipated games of 2011.  --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Reynolds & Hearn (October 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1903111528
• ISBN-13: 978-1903111529
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #861,745 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

James Swallow has written several books, including Star Trek: Terok Nor: Day of the Vipers and Seeds of Dissent (from Star Trek: Myriad Universes: Infinity's Prism); the Sundowners quartet of 'steampunk' science fiction Westerns (Ghost Town, Underworld, Iron Dragon and Showdown); the best-selling novelization of The Butterfly Effect; The Flight of the Eisenstein, Faith and Fire and Jade Dragon; the 2000AD tie-ins Eclipse, Blood Relative and Whiteout; Stargate Atlantis: Halcyon; and the Blood Angels duology Deus Encarmine and Deus Sanguinius.


In addition, Swallow's short fiction has appeared in Inferno! and Stargate magazine, the anthologies Star Trek Voyager: Distant Shores, the Doctor Who Short Trips collections Dalek Empire and Destination Prague, Something Changed, Collected Works, What Price Victory and Silent Night.


His non-fiction includes Dark Eye: The Films of David Fincher and books on writing, genre television and animation; he has also written for Star Trek: Voyager, Doctor Who and Space 1889, along with several scripts for audio and videogames.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars at last a recognition for Mr Fincher, August 31, 2003

By 

C. Christophe "gould" (Paris, France) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dark Eye: The Films of David Fincher (Paperback)

For any Fincher admirer, this book is a must have. Not because you'll learn anything you should already know about the man and his movies, but because it will give you an interesting point of view of Mr Fincher's creative process.

James Swallow should be thanked for arguing about the greatest "malentendu" regarding Mr Fincher : no, he's not just another MTV director.

Just reading about his uncompromising choices should convince you (could you ever imagine a hollywood movie with no happy ending? do you ever dream about what "the avengers" could have been in black & white cinemascope? could you, as a relatively unknown director, sell a movie about nihilists?...)

Finally, as a bonus, the book is as sharply edited as Mr Fincher movies.