The Black Dahlia

[nadia]

Goddamnit! Josh Hartnett? I like the story of the Black Dahlia but between Swank and Hartnett I'm 99% sure I'll be skipping it.

[Deleted]

For me it's Scarlett Johannson and Hartnett making me want to skip it. And I like Hillary Swank but she's just horribly miscast.

[huntergrayson]

Okay, thinking about this film's Oscar chances in that thread caused me to want to bump this.

There's a 48 Hour Investigates on the Dahlia this upcoming Tuesday on TV - but it's crazy Hoddell, who thinks his dad did it.

God, I hate Hilary Swank so, so, so much. But I loved the book, love everyone else, love the trailer and am DYING to see this and then go sip a Black Dahlia cocktail at the Biltmore hotel downtown (the last place she was seen, FWIW).And honestly? I think there are about two directors who could do this film/adapatation properly. De Palma, fortunately, is one -- Lynch is the other.

Plus, my friend read the script (without having read the book) a while back ago and said it was flat-out amazing. Her friend works for the production company and praised the dailies they were getting to high heaven. So it's promising.

Has anyone else read the book? Because I can't believe that the trailer gives away the whole thing. But subtly.

[india7]

I'm really looking forward to seeing this. The Black Dahlia case fascinated me when I was in college and got my mitts on the Hollywood Babylon books for the first time.

[esoterica]

I'm kind of "meh" on this one. The real story of the Dahlia is fascinating, but I just finished this book and thought it was just awful. Hartnett and Swank are totally miscast. Mia Kirschner is perfect, though.

[satellite]

I like Scarlett, but I think she's one of those women who gets period roles based way more on her looks and image than acting ability. I watched "A Good Woman" last night, and "eh..." .

Otherwise, I'm really looking forward to this. I just noticed the resemblance between the movie poster and the first season "Six Feet Under" DVD cover.

It'll be good to see Hartnett again, he kind of fell off the radar, but such is the fleeting nature of fame these days.

It's interesting that there's activity in the JonBenet case just before this movie is being released. The Dahlia is like the original Missing white woman syndrome tabloid story.

[kelly9480]

I can't wait to see this one. It looks amazing, and I'll be in the theatre the first week it's out. Swank is horribly miscast, but the story looks amazing enough for me to just blank her every time she's on screen.

[huntergrayson]

So it's me, yet again. But I just found out that this is the Opening Night selection of the Venice Film Festival. Good sign, non?

(FWIW, the other American films are Hollywoodland, The Fountain, Cuaron's Children of Men and Bobby, as a work in progress. Lynch's Inland Empire is screening out of competition. Hmm, can/should we have a general film festival thread?)

Also, I read on a website that Ellroy was shown 3+ hours of unedited footage and can't stop raving about Hartnett. This could be a huge breakthrough for him.

Rose McGowan is in this as well, which is just...perfect. She's so period. Apparently DePalma offered her the part awhile before filming ever started.

IMDB also says that Maggie Gyllenhaal was offered the part of Elizabeth Short/the Black Dahlia but declined. Hmm. Interesting.

I actually like how Betty is almost a side character in the book rather than the focus. Because to me, what the whole murder represents and signifies is more interesting than whodunit.

Those who care and can should pick up a copy of the LA Times today. There's a whole supplementary section with the stories on the Black Dahlia from the paper's archives.

[Deleted]

Rose McGowan is in this as well, which is just...perfect.

ITA. She has a perfect mouth for red lipstick, which just signifies the WWI and WWII era for me.

[huntergrayson]

That's (the not-so-favorable comparisons to LA Confidential) the buzz from Venice. Though I've yet to see an actual review or anything, just a passing summation in Variety. Apparently there is major festival drama going on, but that's neither here nor there.

Eh, it'll be interesting, to say the least.