Zodiac (2007)
Robert Downey Jr.: Paul Avery
Photos
Quotes
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Robert Graysmith : Does anybody ever call me names?
Paul Avery : What, you mean like retard?
Robert Graysmith : Yeah.
Paul Avery : No.
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Paul Avery : What do you do for fun?
Robert Graysmith : I love to read.
Paul Avery : Mhmm.
Robert Graysmith : Umm, I enjoy books.
Paul Avery : Those are the same things.
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Robert Graysmith : Paul, are you okay?
Paul Avery : No... but thanks for asking.
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Paul Avery : Methinks our friend's a tad bit fuckered in the head.
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Paul Avery : So... what's new?
Robert Graysmith : I've been thinking. Somebody should write a book.
Paul Avery : Somebody should write a fucking book, that's for sure.
[beat]
Paul Avery : About what?
Robert Graysmith : About Zodiac.
Paul Avery : That's not new.
Robert Graysmith : I've been thinking that if you put all the information together, maybe you could jog something loose. And I was thinking you know the case best.
Paul Avery : Yeah, that's true.
Robert Graysmith : And you know all the players and you have all the files.
Paul Avery : Lost them.
Robert Graysmith : You lost them?
Paul Avery : Or I tossed them. I don't know. I moved onto a boat. You know we work in the daily business, right? As in, today? What do you think we were doing back then? Do you know more people die in the East Bay commute every three months than that idiot ever killed? He offed a few citizens, he wrote a few letters and then he faded into a footnote.
[beat, menacingly]
Paul Avery : Not that I haven't been sitting here idly waiting for you to drop by and reinvigorate my sense of purpose. It was four years ago. Let it fucking go.
Robert Graysmith : You're wrong. It was important.
Paul Avery : [sighs] Then what did you ever do about it... if it was so important? What did you do? You *hovered* over my desk, you stole from wastebaskets. AM I BEING UNKIND? Oh, that's right. I forgot. You went to the library.
[smiles darkly]
Robert Graysmith : I'm sorry I bothered you.
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Robert Graysmith : Did he say they got a print?
Paul Avery : A partial.
Robert Graysmith : Whoa. Dude, he wears his gun like Bullitt.
Paul Avery : No, McQueen got that... from Toschi.
Robert Graysmith : Does he think that Zodiac's gonna send another code? 'Cause I think Zodiac's gonna send another code.
Paul Avery : Jesus Harold Christ on rubber crutches, Bobby, what are you doing? You're doing that thing. The thing that we discussed, the thing that I don't like, starts with an L...
Robert Graysmith : Oh, looming.
Paul Avery : Yeah.
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Paul Avery : Hey Bullitt, it's been almost a year. You gonna catch this fuckin' guy or not?
Dave Toschi : Go fuck yourself!
Paul Avery : Gladly.
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Robert Graysmith : I knew it! "Man is the most dangerous animal of all." I knew that I heard that from somewhere before. "The Most Dangerous Game."
Paul Avery : The most what?
Robert Graysmith : It's a movie about a count who hunts people for sport. People. "The Most Dangerous Game."
Paul Avery : Who's that?
Robert Graysmith : That's Count Zaroff.
Paul Avery : Zaroff? With a Z?
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Paul Avery : Welcome, please put your stuff down. You're going down five rows and left. You're looking for the Modesto Bee from March. I'm going to stand here and attempt not to vomit.
[Graysmith turns right]
Paul Avery : Left.
Robert Graysmith : Left. What I am looking for?
Paul Avery : Kathleen Johns. Also, you might want to pull the Chron from - never mind, I'll see to that.
[pulls out Zodiac letter]
Paul Avery : Okay, now tell me what facts he gives.
Robert Graysmith : Woman and her baby abducted.
Paul Avery : Mm-hmm. Fact.
Robert Graysmith : The car on fire?
Paul Avery : Anything else?
Robert Graysmith : Everything in the letter already appears in the article.
Paul Avery : Yep. And he's done it before.
[pulls out a newspaper article]
Paul Avery : Officer Richard Raditech, shot sitting in a parked car.
Robert Graysmith : Zodiac claimed he shot someone in their car.
Paul Avery : Yeah, a couple days after this article came out. Zodiac didn't do it, but he took credit for it anyway, because he's in it for the press. He even stole his symbol.
Robert Graysmith : What?
Paul Avery : [winces, realizes he's given out privileged information] Yeah, shit.
[leans close to Graysmith]
Paul Avery : If I show you something, you promise not to tell anyone?
Robert Graysmith : [defensive] Who would I tell?
Paul Avery : [calming] Okay. Totally solid point. Okay.
[pulls a clipped out magazine ad featuring a watch labeled "Zodiac"]
Paul Avery : That's the only time that word and that symbol ever appeared before the letters.
[scoffs]
Paul Avery : Guy stole his logo off a watch.
Robert Graysmith : How can somebody who's killed 13...
Paul Avery : He claims he's killed 13 people, but which ones can we actually confirm? There's three in Vallejo, one in Berryessa, the cabby. That's it.
[bemused at Graysmith's confused reaction]
Paul Avery : Bobby, you almost look disappointed.
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Paul Avery : Well, it looks like the real Zodiac Killer... was friendship
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Paul Avery : So Robert, what are your hobbies?
Robert Graysmith : Well, I like to read.
Paul Avery : Uh-huh.
Robert Graysmith : Uh, I enjoy books.
Paul Avery : Those are the same things.
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Paul Avery : [to Toschi] Hey Bullitt, it's been a year, you gonna catch this fucking guy or not?
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Robert Graysmith : Did he say they got a print?
Paul Avery : A partial.
Robert Graysmith : Whoa. Dude, he wears his gun like Bullit.
Paul Avery : No, Bullit got that... from Toschi.
Robert Graysmith : Does he thinks Zodiac is gonna send another code? Cause I think Zodiac's gonna send another code.
Paul Avery : Jesus Harold Christ on rubber crutches Bobby, what are you doing? You're doing that thing. The thing that we discussed, the thing that I don't like, starts with an L...
Robert Graysmith : Oh, looming.
Paul Avery : Yeah.
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Templeton Peck : Paul, what's on the crime beat?
Paul Avery : Janice in Datebook left the fondue party before everyone got naked.
Templeton Peck : That's a crime.
[the men laugh]
Templeton Peck : Have you seen her? Wouldn't kid you. It may be the beginning of a crime wave.
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Robert Graysmith : Are you alright?
Paul Avery : No. Thanks for asking.
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Robert Graysmith : [Avery is about to meet a secret informant] So who is this guy?
Paul Avery : He wants to remain anonymous, I wish to remain infamous... so we'll get along great.
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Paul Avery : What's your angle, here? This is good business for everyone but you.
Robert Graysmith : What do you mean, "business"?
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Paul Avery : Right, this can no longer be ignored.
Paul Avery : [points at Graysmith's drink, which is blue. Graysmith looks confused]
Paul Avery : What is that you're drinking?
Robert Graysmith : It's an Aqua Velva. You wouldn't make fun of it if you tried it.
Paul Avery : [tastes it. Time passes and they've both had a few more]
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Paul Avery : [Graysmith is on the news] There he goes again, that damned library...
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Paul Avery : We worked on Dailies, as in Today! What did you ever do? You went through my garbage. Oh, yes. You went to the library.
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Robert Graysmith : You lost them?
Paul Avery : Or I tossed them... I don't know, I moved onto a boat.
