Black Dahlia

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Does anybody else get the eerie feeling that we are looking at Elizabeth Short's killer?

http://www.bethshort.com/uniphoto.htm

― trappist monkey, Thursday, 7 April 2005 23:12 (twenty years ago)

that is eerie...can we t alk about the movie too

― anthony, Thursday, 7 April 2005 23:58 (twenty years ago)

Woah, there's two scheduled for this year, but I guess you mean the Ellroy/Scarlett Johannsen one right?

― trappist monkey, Friday, 8 April 2005 00:05 (twenty years ago)

and josh hartnett AND BRIAN DE PALMA

― anthony, Friday, 8 April 2005 00:18 (twenty years ago)

An LA detective put out a book recently where he surmises that it was his father (a wealthy dentist or doctor or something) was the murderer.

― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Friday, 8 April 2005 00:22 (twenty years ago)

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0060589957/qid=1112923364/sr=8-1/ref=pd_csp_1/002-2036872-4954447?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Friday, 8 April 2005 00:23 (twenty years ago)

Woah...weird...I am reading that book right now!

― does that make you want to touch yourself? (nordicskilla), Friday, 8 April 2005 03:23 (twenty years ago)

is it any good

― anthony, Friday, 8 April 2005 03:26 (twenty years ago)

As a memoir, it's excellent - George Hodel (the suspect and father to author LA cop Steve Hodel) is a fascinating guy who knew Betty Short and people like John Huston and lead an amazing life. I'll withold comment on its value as a piece of evidence until I've finished it, but Ellroy thinks it has some credibility.

― does that make you want to touch yourself? (nordicskilla), Friday, 8 April 2005 03:28 (twenty years ago)

i should pick it up then

― anthony, Friday, 8 April 2005 03:36 (twenty years ago)

one of the first things i remembered on television was a true crime reenactment of this murder, and remembering the shattering dissoance of a woman who was dead and beautiful...the whole thing was primal.

it took me years before i realised there was a movie

― anthony, Friday, 8 April 2005 03:42 (twenty years ago)

the pictures are still horrible

― does that make you want to touch yourself? (nordicskilla), Friday, 8 April 2005 03:43 (twenty years ago)

i thought the book was ridiculous. he offers literally NO EVIDENCE!!! the dude who was in james ellroy's feast of death was much more convincing.

i can't wait for the de palma black dahlia, though i'm disappointed that the ellroy-fichner collaboration on it never got completed (they were working on that back in 99 or so).

― Jams Murphy (ystrickler), Friday, 8 April 2005 03:46 (twenty years ago)

...it was you, wasn't it?

― does that make you want to touch yourself? (nordicskilla), Friday, 8 April 2005 03:55 (twenty years ago)

Reading about the Black Dahlia before bed is a bad choice.

― Jimmy Mod Knows You Eat Your Own Farts (ModJ), Friday, 8 April 2005 04:15 (twenty years ago)

I read the book that came out four or five years ago which Lynch endorsed at the time (had a one word title.) It was okay. It's an interesting case, but it's kind of gets wearying after a while (I imagine it must be how brits feel about Jack the Ripper.)

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 8 April 2005 15:58 (twenty years ago)

Reading about the Black Dahlia before bed is a bad choice.

OMG so true.

Anyway, I finished the Hodel book. It was compelling, but not quite compelling enough.

― European Samuel Glickstein (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 14:50 (twenty years ago)

What about Orson Welles?

― Eric von H. (Eric H.), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 15:13 (twenty years ago)

I've read lots about the Black Dahlia, and I think that a lot of what is written is outrageous bullshit. A lot of people are keeping it alive just to make money.

― Shatterproof Glass (dymaxia), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 15:18 (twenty years ago)

Orson Welles was Jack the Ripper, shurely?

― Masked Gazza, Wednesday, 20 April 2005 15:25 (twenty years ago)

I've read lots about the Black Dahlia too! LOTS!

― European Samuel Glickstein (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 15:45 (twenty years ago)

Are you writing a script, Mr. Glickstein?

― jocelyn (Jocelyn), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 15:46 (twenty years ago)

He's getting his routine down.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 15:47 (twenty years ago)

I'm always "writing a script"! But not about this!

― European Samuel Glickstein (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 15:48 (twenty years ago)

I just read The Big Nowhere, another Ellroy book and a really good one at that.

― n/a (Nick A.), Wednesday, 20 April 2005 16:48 (twenty years ago)

The site that's linked to in the first post on this thread -- it's really, really fascinating. Mind-blowing. The image one gets from the media's constant retellings of The Black Dahlia Story, it seems as though all of that is just a STORY, a work of fiction. I'm astonished to find out about Elizabeth Short's birth defect, about the seeming purity of her fantasies. I looked at the crime scene and morgue photos and saw not hideous gruesomeness but SADNESS. Sadness for the massive pain this poor young (YOUNG! She was three years younger than I am now when she was killed!) woman must've endured in her final hours here on Earth. I want to read more now, particularly John Gilmore's book. I want to find out more information.

This story reminds me of other unsolved crimes -- The Boy in the Box, "Sharon Marshall", the seemingly endless list of missing children, some missing for well over 60 years. All of these mysteries that haunt and caution, reminding us of how unsafe the world can be, has been, for as long as the world's been here, it seems.

Anyway. I wonder if that man in the photo linked to up on top is that limping man alluded to in the site. Or, if he isn't, who he is and whether he might be the key to solving this case.

― The Spirit of Sam Endicott (Dee the Lurker), Thursday, 21 April 2005 07:15 (twenty years ago)

...though now knowing who the Black Dahlia is might have improved In California by Lisa Marr... ...if that was at all possible...

― Jimmy Mod Knows You Eat Your Own Farts (ModJ), Thursday, 21 April 2005 09:12 (twenty years ago)

eight months pass...

http://mattzollerseitz.blogspot.com/2006/01/f-gorgeous_15.html

At a Court TV dinner, Ellroy said he’d seen three hours of unedited footage from “Dahlia,” a hardboiled thriller loosely based on the infamous 1947 murder case, and starring Scarlett Johansson, Hilary Swank, Aaron Eckhart and Josh Hartnett. While Ellroy wouldn’t hazard a guess as to how it would cut together, he described the footage as “…fucking gorgeous.”

Ellroy said DePalma wasn’t present when he watched the footage a few months back. “One of his people put me in a screening room and showed what they had. The compositions are amazing. I’ve seen enough cop movie squadroom scenes to think I’d never see another scene set in one that didn’t bore me, but the way De Palma shoots a squadroom, it’s like you’re seeing it for the first time…The clarity of the images is unreal.”...

“It’s a reduced version of my book, but a very cohesive one,” Ellroy said. “It’s the first person narration of the young officer who eventually solves the case, the Hartnett character.”

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 19 January 2006 16:44 (twenty years ago)

I hate Josh Hartnett and I don't trust De Palma, but I'm excited to see it.

― adamrl (nordicskilla), Thursday, 19 January 2006 20:25 (twenty years ago)

de palma is awesome precisely because he can't be trusted!!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 19 January 2006 22:55 (twenty years ago)

I suppose!

― adamrl (nordicskilla), Thursday, 19 January 2006 22:55 (twenty years ago)

josh hartnett was good in sin city

― RJG (RJG), Thursday, 19 January 2006 22:56 (twenty years ago)

I wonder if he drives a hummer

― RJG (RJG), Thursday, 19 January 2006 22:56 (twenty years ago)

not very good

― adamrl (nordicskilla), Thursday, 19 January 2006 22:56 (twenty years ago)

I can't remember

― RJG (RJG), Thursday, 19 January 2006 22:58 (twenty years ago)

I am very excited about this.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 20 January 2006 00:52 (twenty years ago)

I'm... wary. the quality of the actors doesn't bode well, and De Palma is mostly a hack well past his prime. But LA Confidential was much better than it had any right to be (pointless blonde bimbo subplot aside).

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 20 January 2006 00:58 (twenty years ago)

Hilary Swank = blech.
Josh Hartnett = okay with the right haircut
Scarlett Johannsen = Laura Prepon for film geeks
Aaron Eckhart = isn't he the evil bastard in "In the Company of Men" and "Nurse Betty"? He's good.

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 20 January 2006 01:01 (twenty years ago)

Eh the ending of LA Confidential is what kills it. And the Kim Bassinger subplot is in the book (which I had actually thought was unfilmable.)

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 20 January 2006 01:02 (twenty years ago)

I know its in the book, I've read all of Ellroy's stuff. But in the movie it just slows things down for no apparent reason... and I forget how it ends, Exley shoots Dudley in the back and gets away with it, right? Which I agree sorta ruins things... there's a number of small details that bothered me in the film, but I remember there being a lot of Oscar banter for Basinger which annoyed me cuz she basically does nothing the entire film besides look cute.

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 20 January 2006 01:05 (twenty years ago)

ellroy originally worked on the script for dahlia with david fincher, which must've ended up extraordinarily dark. i cannot wait for this movie.

― Jams Murphy (ystrickler), Friday, 20 January 2006 01:16 (twenty years ago)

Yeah but it slowed things down in the book too (along with another HUGE subplot which got dropped from the film for time reasons I assume--Elroy's novels aren't exactly tight.)

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 20 January 2006 01:22 (twenty years ago)

I CANNOT WAIT FOR THIS

― Zwan (miccio), Friday, 20 January 2006 01:24 (twenty years ago)

the HUGE subplot (the exley subplot, i'm guessing) is something that works in a book, but in a film would be the nuttiest thing ever.

― gear (gear), Friday, 20 January 2006 01:26 (twenty years ago)

femme fatale proves de palma is not past his prime. his most boring films came out 10-15 years ago.

― gear (gear), Friday, 20 January 2006 01:27 (twenty years ago)

la confidential fucking sucks

― s1ocki (slutsky), Friday, 20 January 2006 04:43 (twenty years ago)

i'll take anything, anything by de palma over that piece of shit. wiseguys. raising cain.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Friday, 20 January 2006 04:45 (twenty years ago)

Scarlett Johannsen = Laura Prepon for film geeks

spot on!!!

― stockholm cindy (winter version) (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 20 January 2006 05:18 (twenty years ago)

la confidential fucking sucks
-- s1ocki (slytus...), January 20th, 2006.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

i'll take anything, anything by de palma over that piece of shit. wiseguys. raising cain.
-- s1ocki (slytus...), January 20th, 2006.

http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/movie/coverv/34/177834.jpg

― Theorry Henry (Enrique), Friday, 20 January 2006 09:29 (twenty years ago)

Elroy claims Hartnett is a revelation in it. I've seen just 8 of De Palma's films (mostly skipped the Hitchcock variations), but Femme Fatale was quite splendid.

I remember there was a Black Dahlia TV film in the '70s starring Lucie Arnaz!

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Friday, 20 January 2006 14:14 (twenty years ago)

so when's this out?

― barbarian cities (jaybob3005), Friday, 20 January 2006 14:24 (twenty years ago)

slocki you are so wrong about la confidential! defend yrself!

― Jams Murphy (ystrickler), Friday, 20 January 2006 14:24 (twenty years ago)

it's an awful movie... tritest '80s-style copy buddy movie dressed up as a prestige picture but that doesn't even succeed on a genre level.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Friday, 20 January 2006 16:56 (twenty years ago)

Hi, I love LA Confidential (while I can't really disagree about the bad guy or the ending).

― adamrl (nordicskilla), Friday, 20 January 2006 16:57 (twenty years ago)

Reading about this case & seeing pictures in a true-crime type book as a kid really fucked me up in the head for a long time. over 20yrs later, I still feel vaguely uneasy when I see the words "black dahlia" somewhere. Ugh.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Friday, 20 January 2006 16:58 (twenty years ago)

i like it!

dante spinotti!

― Theorry Henry (Enrique), Friday, 20 January 2006 16:58 (twenty years ago)

Basically,i think it's beautifully shot and Russell Crowe is great in it. And I'm a sucker for any LA noir things, I can't really get my quality contol to kick in when I see the car driving along Topanga canyon or the starlet half in shadow or the blood-soaked countertop at the diner...I'm excited just typing this!

― adamrl (nordicskilla), Friday, 20 January 2006 17:00 (twenty years ago)

LA confidential is a good movie

― RJG (RJG), Friday, 20 January 2006 17:00 (twenty years ago)

russell crowe's character is so terrible... the maverick cop who hates violence against women!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Friday, 20 January 2006 17:04 (twenty years ago)

curtis hanson sucks

― s1ocki (slutsky), Friday, 20 January 2006 17:04 (twenty years ago)

I liked it.

― Lars and Jagger (Ex Leon), Friday, 20 January 2006 17:07 (twenty years ago)

I remember enjoying the beginning and not giving a shit about the ending.

― Zwan (miccio), Friday, 20 January 2006 17:07 (twenty years ago)

and don't get me started on kim basinger, such a terrible performance (and oscar-winning no less), the most cliched "hooker with a heart of gold," and completely extraneous to the plot besides

― s1ocki (slutsky), Friday, 20 January 2006 17:09 (twenty years ago)

you didn't think it was good

― RJG (RJG), Friday, 20 January 2006 17:10 (twenty years ago)

oscars are given to people who suck or the academy would like to see start sucking.

― Zwan (miccio), Friday, 20 January 2006 17:17 (twenty years ago)

just watched LA Confidential again last night to refresh my memory and y'know, it was actually better than I remembered it. I even sorta retract my ire abotu Kim Basinger's role (she gets some snappy dialogue in - "you say the word fuck a lot" cracked me up - really the only unforgivable scene is the one where Exley comes over to shake her down and instead is, uh, overcome by passion or something and fucks her for no particular reason.) Shooting Dudley in the back at the end does still leave a bad taste in my mouth - so unnecessary, and the movie would have worked either with Exley taking him down in some legit fashion or (even better) Dudley getting away with it like he does in the book (if I recall correctly - Dudley doesn't get killed off until the following book).

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 20 January 2006 17:20 (twenty years ago)

LAC is perhaps the only time K Spacey lived up to his hype.

Romanticizing asshole cops (while you're pretending not to) does suck tho.

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Friday, 20 January 2006 17:43 (twenty years ago)

K Spacey lived up to his hype in The Ref.

― Zwan (miccio), Friday, 20 January 2006 17:44 (twenty years ago)

russell crowe's character is so terrible... the maverick cop who hates violence against women!

curtis hanson sucks

NO! AND NO!

― adamrl (nordicskilla), Friday, 20 January 2006 17:44 (twenty years ago)

Curtis Hanson is good!

― adamrl (nordicskilla), Friday, 20 January 2006 17:45 (twenty years ago)

I agree with Morbs *shockah* - normally I can't stand Kevin Spacey (I hated Seven and the Usual Suspects), but LAC is the one thing he really kinda works in. I don't like Russel Crowe either. Really the only actor in the movie I genuinely like is Pearce. Well, and Danny Devito.

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 20 January 2006 17:48 (twenty years ago)

Russell Crowe is a good actor, but a bastard. A shame.

― adamrl (nordicskilla), Friday, 20 January 2006 17:50 (twenty years ago)

you a big "in her shoes" fan adam?

― s1ocki (slutsky), Friday, 20 January 2006 17:55 (twenty years ago)

As much as I love Farmer Hoggett (he's the one genuinely great actor in the film) I've always thought he slightly off as Dudley. Like the wanted to make his character so pleasant and genial that NO ONE WOULD SUSPECT THE BAD GUY WAS HIM only obv it's him because it's always the guy you aren't s'posed to suspect.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 20 January 2006 17:56 (twenty years ago)

IN HER SHOES was so bad. Everytime I see Toni Collette cast as the "ugly fat girl" it makes me mad.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 20 January 2006 17:57 (twenty years ago)

I have no desire to see In Her Shoes but my wife loved it and so that's good with me.

― adamrl (nordicskilla), Friday, 20 January 2006 17:58 (twenty years ago)

Alex's love for BABE and its cast is always so charming.

― adamrl (nordicskilla), Friday, 20 January 2006 17:59 (twenty years ago)

There's a WHALE in the Thames!

― adamrl (nordicskilla), Friday, 20 January 2006 18:03 (twenty years ago)

Alex I totally agree about Farmer Hoggett (haha) - he's good and serviceable in the role, but I always envisioned Dudley as more of a hulking, civilized by preternaturally sinister figure - like the Judge in "Blood Meridian"

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 20 January 2006 18:09 (twenty years ago)

Babe is a much better movie than LA Confidential (Babe 2 may be better than both.)

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 20 January 2006 18:14 (twenty years ago)

Just to restore yr faith in my reverse barometerness, Shakey, I liked Seven a lot! As I have little patience for 'true crime' (read only the first third of In Cold Blood) -- the more baroque, chilly and stylized the mayhem, the better. Put Gwyneth Paltrow's head in a box, and I'm happy.

The Ref dates from the pre-hype stage of Kevin Spacey's career. (Either K-Pax or his cover of "Mind Games" ushered in the post-hype era.)

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Friday, 20 January 2006 18:26 (twenty years ago)

"the more baroque, chilly and stylized the mayhem, the better"

actually I feel this way too - I just thought Seven was really stupid and obvious. Fincher just rubs me the wrong way.

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 20 January 2006 18:29 (twenty years ago)

six months pass...

Not as excited by the trailer as I hoped. I can't tell if Mia Kirshner's a terrible actress or if Elizabeth Short was, and Josh Hartnett just does not scream '50s noir cop in any way.

― milo z (mlp), Saturday, 29 July 2006 15:55 (nineteen years ago)

The least exciting thing about the trailer is "From the director of Scarface and The Untouchables."

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Saturday, 29 July 2006 16:20 (nineteen years ago)

"From the Director of Mission to Mars (or whatever it was)"

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 29 July 2006 16:24 (nineteen years ago)

No, from the director of Scarface and The Untouchables is pretty much the worst thing I can slap on De Palma. Maybe Bonfire of the Vanities.

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Saturday, 29 July 2006 16:26 (nineteen years ago)

What's with Death In Vegas' 'Dirge' on the trailer? Not exactly what you'd call noirish, is it?

― yer mam! (yer mam!), Sunday, 30 July 2006 12:42 (nineteen years ago)

Saw the trailer yesterday. De Palma, by some mysterious alchemy, makes Josh Hartnett hot. This movie will be a masterpiece.

(as for De Palma movies generally: I like most of the ones Pauline Kael raves about, but Dressed to Kill, Mission: Impossible, and Femme Fatale are my favorites)

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Sunday, 30 July 2006 12:53 (nineteen years ago)

I like most of the ones Pauline Kael raves about

That helps narrow them down a bunch.

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Monday, 31 July 2006 00:51 (nineteen years ago)

Ha! She didn't much like Obsession, Body Double, The Untouchables, or Bonfire of the Vanities. Her lurid review of The Fury summons what De Palma does intermittently better than the film itself.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Monday, 31 July 2006 01:22 (nineteen years ago)

this is gonnna be so good. i loved the ellroy book.

― gothic Buddhist meets Old Hollywood (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 31 July 2006 02:07 (nineteen years ago)

four weeks pass...

without watching a single de palma film in years, i have decided to come round and dig him, and am looking forward to this.

― a rapper singing about hos and bitches and money (Enrique), Wednesday, 30 August 2006 09:44 (nineteen years ago)

I am a morbid caveman, so this should be awesome

― TOMBOT (TOMBOT), Wednesday, 30 August 2006 10:45 (nineteen years ago)

i'm reading the wolfe book on the black dahlia/

the poster looks gothique DIVINE

― Nathalie (stevie nixed), Wednesday, 30 August 2006 11:17 (nineteen years ago)

What happened to Scarlett Johannsson and the cast listed upthread?

― Baaderonixx: the lost ILX years (baaderonixx), Wednesday, 30 August 2006 12:22 (nineteen years ago)

she's in it.

― a rapper singing about hos and bitches and money (Enrique), Wednesday, 30 August 2006 12:29 (nineteen years ago)

two weeks pass...

So, is anyone planning to see it this Friday? Anyone in the Orange Co/Inland Empire area...FAM or FAF? You L.A. lot all live in Hollywood or Silverlake... or Santa Monica, huh?

Maybe I'll get some classmates to watch this at lunch. Our 1-3 lecture is cancelled, so we have some time to idle away between 12 and 3 before our big carcinogen fest, aka a BBQ.

― Melinda Mess-injure (Melinda Mess-injure), Friday, 15 September 2006 02:45 (nineteen years ago)

The trailer makes this thing look fantastic. Definitely psyched to see it.

Gah, why are the Dahlia photos so eerily haunting? I feel like evil is going to shoot out of her face or something. If I look at that web site again I'm not going to fall asleep.

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Friday, 15 September 2006 02:53 (nineteen years ago)

I saw this book at the store tonight. It looked predictably absurd.

― milo z (mlp), Friday, 15 September 2006 03:16 (nineteen years ago)

that's funny hurting, i was sort of psyched about this but the trailer looked awful to me, and the early reviews aren't so great. then again, i never drank the kael-aid.

― timmy tannin (pompous), Friday, 15 September 2006 03:26 (nineteen years ago)

neither of the leads looks right for the part, and Hillary Swank ain't much of a femme fatale.

― milo z (mlp), Friday, 15 September 2006 03:29 (nineteen years ago)

from what i hear, hilary swank is the best thing about this movie acting-wise. i can think of a number of actors who would be better for the lead role than josh hartnett, though of course i haven't seen the film so i could be wrong. and scarlett johannson....whatever.

― gear (gear), Friday, 15 September 2006 03:41 (nineteen years ago)

Anyone besides me have the old Black Dahlia PC game? It has Dennis Hopper in it! (For like five minutes)
http://imgserv.hosted.servetheworld.net/covers/0000000224.jpg http://img.gamespot.com/gamespot/images/screenshots/7/196767/blackdah_thumb001.jpg

― Marmot (marmotwolof), Friday, 15 September 2006 03:43 (nineteen years ago)

SHE LOOKS LIKE THAT DEAD GIRL!

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 15 September 2006 03:51 (nineteen years ago)

A 1988 episode of the TV detective thriller Hunter depicts Rick Hunter and Dee Dee McCall discovering a case similar to the Black Dahlia murder when a skeleton that has been cut in half is found during demolition of a building constructed in 1947. Hunter and McCall are joined by a retired detective who worked on the Elizabeth Short case. The murderer in the recent case turns out to be Short's murderer as well.

― gear (gear), Friday, 15 September 2006 04:42 (nineteen years ago)

why should i see this? it looks terrible.

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Friday, 15 September 2006 04:43 (nineteen years ago)

well, fred dryer has a certain physical presence.

― gear (gear), Friday, 15 September 2006 04:47 (nineteen years ago)

mulholland dr actually did something interesting with the whole doomed-actress/on the margins of the industry/noir archetypes/etc. stuff -- this just looks to be pastiche of pastiche.

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Friday, 15 September 2006 04:52 (nineteen years ago)

also i hate the cast.

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Friday, 15 September 2006 04:52 (nineteen years ago)

i'll see "brick" instead. scarlett jo seems like she should be in some juniors version of noir rather than actual noir, anyway.

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Friday, 15 September 2006 04:53 (nineteen years ago)

also i hate the ~~cast~~ director.

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Friday, 15 September 2006 05:49 (nineteen years ago)

i'm psyched for this but fuck man, hartnett is the last person i'd EVER cast as a private eye.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Friday, 15 September 2006 05:56 (nineteen years ago)

paul walker would have been a great choice for this. dicaprio. anyone else.

― gear (gear), Friday, 15 September 2006 06:03 (nineteen years ago)

except those two.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Friday, 15 September 2006 06:03 (nineteen years ago)

hey did you like 'running scared'?

― gear (gear), Friday, 15 September 2006 06:06 (nineteen years ago)

i so did not like that movie.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Friday, 15 September 2006 06:10 (nineteen years ago)

i sometimes feel very alone on that one

― gear (gear), Friday, 15 September 2006 06:13 (nineteen years ago)

the guy at my local comic book store liked it. i can hook you up with his email if you want.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Friday, 15 September 2006 06:16 (nineteen years ago)

lol ; (

― gear (gear), Friday, 15 September 2006 06:24 (nineteen years ago)

anyway, i wonder how long til that guy makes a film for bruckheimer.

― gear (gear), Friday, 15 September 2006 06:38 (nineteen years ago)

this just looks to be pastiche of pastiche.

-- Amateur(ist) (amateurist@gmail.com), September 15th, 2006.

lol like evey de palma movie ever!

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Friday, 15 September 2006 07:37 (nineteen years ago)

i liked 'running scared'! i dont think paul walker would look good in a suit though.

― Python... No Bite :B (flezaffe), Friday, 15 September 2006 09:41 (nineteen years ago)

i'm currently reading the wolfe book on the black dahlia. he's not as rdiciulous as some - claiming for example that she had a genetic defect - but i really don't buy that norman chandler was involved. somehow it just seems a bit too far-fetched. then again the way she was killed, there probably needed to be someone around like a doctor or someone with medical knowledge.

i like how the poster looks and the trailer is also VERY good. not a big fan of josh (in this film) but what the hell...

― Nathalie (stevie nixed), Friday, 15 September 2006 10:45 (nineteen years ago)

That Armond White rhapsodizes about BdP per usual then turns his review into a pan at the 3/4 mark (blaming Ellroy -- OK, that I can believe) sets off my warning bells. So it'll keep til DVD (where I can at least freezeframe the Eckhart-Hartnett boxing match if need be).

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Friday, 15 September 2006 13:13 (nineteen years ago)

Hartnett looks about as believable as a private dick as Joseph Gordon-Levitt did in Brick.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Friday, 15 September 2006 13:34 (nineteen years ago)

what's the genetic defect thing? did she have some inherited condition that caused her body to spontaneously tear itself in half?

― s1ocki (slutsky), Friday, 15 September 2006 13:52 (nineteen years ago)

There was some sick speculation that she had a shallow vagina which made sex painful if not impossible and that sexual frustration was what caused the killer to mutilate her so badly, etc etc.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 15 September 2006 14:19 (nineteen years ago)

I thought Joseph Gordon-Levitt was supposed to look like a high school kid.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Friday, 15 September 2006 14:27 (nineteen years ago)

HE LOOKS LIKE THAT DEAD GIRL!

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 15 September 2006 14:30 (nineteen years ago)

the ellroy book is incredible, and so i will def see this. originally this was supposed to be a fincher movie, but that got fucked up in the way that all fincher things seem to do. i love eckhart and think he's right; hartnett also works in a weird way altho i don't think the ellroy character had a squinting problem but maybe they'll write that in. the one problem with de palma directing (and i like de palma) is that he will turn this into a genre exercise/pastiche and one of the great things about la confidential (altho you hated it, didn't you slocki?) was how it actually took care not to follow the noir playbook exactly (natural light, no femme fatale, etc) as ellroy actively dislikes the form. hopefully de palma will have fun with it. in any event, i'll be seeing this tonite.

― Jams Murphy (ystrickler), Friday, 15 September 2006 14:34 (nineteen years ago)

mia kirshner is still like the most beautiful woman in films ever. too bad she'll probably be in this for all of five seconds, three of them cut in half

― kyle (akmonday), Friday, 15 September 2006 14:41 (nineteen years ago)

the ellroy book is definitely awesome, and personally the only alarm bells that ring when i read the armond white review are the usual ones: he's fucking nuts and will never, ever admit it if one of his pet directors fucks up (or conversely if one he hates does something remarkable) and any fuck-up will be blamed on a third party.

― gear (gear), Friday, 15 September 2006 16:33 (nineteen years ago)

Ellroy's novel is great, but everything else about this seems kinda off. I'll see it anyway.

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 15 September 2006 16:36 (nineteen years ago)

Is it me or is S-Jo's involvement kind of pushed to the back in the trailer/advertising? I didn't even think about her being in it until it was brought up here.

I'm going to hit a 1:30 matinee, will report back

― milo z (mlp), Friday, 15 September 2006 16:44 (nineteen years ago)

Well, uh, yeah. OK. It was, uh, not exactly a disaster. Josh Hartnett was OK (though still not the mental image I had of that character), but Scarlett Johansson was a complete disaster and Aaron Eckhart was pretty bad. Maybe that was De Palma's style at work, casting a couple of young lightweights (one who mugs non-stop) in the standard noir gruff cop role.

Pastiche OTM for the first third.

― milo z (mlp), Friday, 15 September 2006 19:59 (nineteen years ago)

SHE LOOKS LIKE THAT DEAD GIRL!

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 15 September 2006 20:02 (nineteen years ago)

Mom was fucking awesome.

― milo z (mlp), Friday, 15 September 2006 20:05 (nineteen years ago)

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER

That was a pretty advanced dildo for 1947, wasn't it?

SPOILER

― milo z (mlp), Friday, 15 September 2006 20:07 (nineteen years ago)

Haha

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 15 September 2006 20:08 (nineteen years ago)

The dinner table scene is the best in the movie.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 15 September 2006 20:09 (nineteen years ago)

Podhoretz raves.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 16 September 2006 04:45 (nineteen years ago)

roffles

― Nathalie (stevie nixed), Saturday, 16 September 2006 06:16 (nineteen years ago)

this was a weird, weird movie.

― ryan (ryan), Saturday, 16 September 2006 07:14 (nineteen years ago)

kd lang as the singer in the dyke bar, working thru love for sale, is what convinced me that i had to see this movie

― anthony easton (anthony), Saturday, 16 September 2006 13:07 (nineteen years ago)

and reading the book again, the physical depections of bucky, and of josh hartnett match pretty closely, he was a welter weight boxer, so fairly thin, and hartnett has that all american gone to seed aesthetic that could function, and he was really quite effective in Slevin...

plus who do you hate in the cast Am?
Aaron Eckhart is one of the better charachter actors working today, with excellent performances in erin brokovich, your friends and neighbours, hilary swank deserved at least one of her oscars (though she might be a little too butch for this), fiona shaw is one of those classic anglo stage actresses, and the rest ive seen in almost nothing, the odd tv episode, for example...

i mean mia kushner is kind of odd, but shes in there for 5 minutes or so and lane liked her...

and depalma has gone from strength to strength, his last few movies the strongest, adn most stylised of his career--and considering the black dahlia is this weird place b/w noir, nathianel west cautionary tale, true crime pulp, and morality tale, styled to a high sheen, it requires a master bricolouer, and well palma is one of those...

i dont see how close it is to

― anthony easton (anthony), Saturday, 16 September 2006 13:19 (nineteen years ago)

im talking about snake eyes, femme fatale, mission impossible, and raising cane...i am not defending mission to mars or carlitos way

― anthony easton (anthony), Saturday, 16 September 2006 13:27 (nineteen years ago)

SHE LOOKS LIKE THAT DEAD GIRL!

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Saturday, 16 September 2006 13:52 (nineteen years ago)

Carlito's Way is better then Snake Eyes

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Saturday, 16 September 2006 14:45 (nineteen years ago)

my liking of snake eyes is almost entirely aesthic

― anthony easton (anthony), Saturday, 16 September 2006 16:34 (nineteen years ago)

ok i'm not a de palma guy, so i dont know what to make of a lot of this.

always visually beautiful, but so intentionally artificial--no location shooting as far as i can tell, everything is very obviously a set. bad (stiff) acting all around to the point it seems intentional. sort of saps out all the emotional power of the book in order to focus more on set and costume design. this is NOT like mulholland dr. because that film had a lyrical sadness, for all it's own weirdness, that this one seems to be winking at.

I'm not sure all of this is a bad thing, of course, but as a fan of the book i sad there wont be a "straight" adaptation of it. (oddly the scariest part of the book is left out of the movie!)

― ryan (ryan), Saturday, 16 September 2006 17:17 (nineteen years ago)

Someone posted this on a Jersey City board I read:

We demanded our $$ back and the theater complied
by eghtcorners Sep 15, 2006

We got our money back, not because Black Dullhia is easily the worst movie I've seen in years, but we were forced to flee the theater. The reason: someone at the 7:45pm showing in theater 5 at the Cineplex Odeon multiplex at Newport Mall, Jersey City, NJ pulled a gun and ordered everyone to get down on the floor or he would shoot.

Two thirds of the way through this incredibly awful movie, just after the lead character fell over the banniser and died, someone at the back of the theater shouted "Everyone get down on the ground or I will shoot." I heard someone several rows behind me say, "he has a gun." I figured it was a theater sized robbery.

However, about ten seconds after the gun toting movie fan told us to get down, he ducked out the back, and EVERYONE in the theater began fleeing out the exits at the front of the theater.

A few minutes later, after running down the emergency stairway, we were banging our fists on the ticket window at the front of the theater demanding our money back.

The cops caught the would be mugger after chasing him through Newport Mall. We saw him after the cops had pinned him to a wall near Macy's. He's a punk. But I should thank him, cause his criminal antics enabled me to get my money back after seeing most of the truly awful movie called Black Dullhia.

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Sunday, 17 September 2006 01:40 (nineteen years ago)

I would have enjoyed the movie more if an armed gunman entered the theater. Unfortunately, this did not happen and I had to watch all the "what the fuck?", pulled-out-of-an-ass somewhere stuff at the end that attempted to tie everything together.

Blah.

― joygoat (joygoat), Sunday, 17 September 2006 04:02 (nineteen years ago)

That Multiplex in Jersey City is ghettoooo. People bring their toddlers to R rated flicks while cellphones ring and conversations go on through the entire show. Too bad because their matinee's a bargain.

― Jay Vee's Return (Manon_69), Sunday, 17 September 2006 05:01 (nineteen years ago)

I've heard people say that, although I've never personally had problems there. Maybe it's the movies I've gone to see. There was one really annoying woman "responding" loudly to Talladega nights, but she seemed like the kind of woman you could end up sitting behind at any theatre.

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Sunday, 17 September 2006 05:07 (nineteen years ago)

this was real bad.

― gunther heartymeal (keckles), Sunday, 17 September 2006 15:48 (nineteen years ago)

abort, abort!!! do NOT see this movie!!

― gear (gear), Sunday, 17 September 2006 16:34 (nineteen years ago)

there's nothing wrong with this movie that brian de palma and the cast are NOT responsible for. ellroy's novel is totally ridiculous but like all of his novels, it makes sense in the end to some degree, and it's not laughable. this is a movie made by a director who--if i didn't know it was de palma--i'd think was the most incompetent hack to ever work beyond a camera. the tone is horrible (so many scenes are laughable, doesn't de palma know when people are going to crack up at this shit??) and the picture feels strangely underpopulated and empty and considering it's set in los angeles, i didn't get a sense of l.a. at all (i know it was shot elsewhere, but hey kubrick shot 'eyes wide shut' on a set or something and it felt more like nyc than this does l.a.). hilary swank is pretty good mia kirshner is alright i guess and josh hartnett is a lot better than i thought (i was wrong about him, he's the best actor in the film), but aaron eckhart is just goofy and scarlett johansonn is terrible.

there were two good parts, which are the good parts i'd heard about prior to seeing it: 1) the sort of casual manner in which we see elizabeth short's body being found, as touch of evil-esque tracking shot leading into a shootout. 2) the dinner scene with the linscotts. those bits were better than good, actually.

but de palma didn't know what the fuck he was doing on this one. horrible, horrible movie.

― gear (gear), Sunday, 17 September 2006 16:42 (nineteen years ago)

scarlett johansonn is terrible.

That's kind of a given, isn't it?

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Sunday, 17 September 2006 16:49 (nineteen years ago)

that tracking shot where the body is discovered really IS pretty good. was the body really that close to the sidewalk? i always imagined it way out in the middle of nowhere. but the shot works well because you're so absorbed in what's happening that only towards the end was i think "hey, wow, this is a long tracking shot."

― ryan (ryan), Sunday, 17 September 2006 17:12 (nineteen years ago)

yeah i think in real life it was about that close and it was discovered by a woman who was with her baby.

― gear (gear), Sunday, 17 September 2006 20:58 (nineteen years ago)

This was such a ridiculous movie. I liked it though - and of the current trashy Hollywood murder movies out right now, this was several light years better than Hollywoodland

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Monday, 18 September 2006 13:47 (nineteen years ago)

the thing that really struck me about this was that it felt REALLY long. like, i kept thinking they were going to end (even though nothing'd been resolved yet, it just seemed like it'd be going forever), and it'd keep going. but it was only a 2 hour movie, so why did it have to start dragging so early on? i am by no means a directing expert, but i feel like i could have directed it better. swank was good, but not amazing, and, like gear, hartnett was better than i'd expected he'd be. the whole thing was sooo heavy-handed and didn't flow very well, which almost made me feel like i was watching a high budget student film. it was too awkward to actually feel any intense emotions.

― fellini-esque-lit-rockist (tehresa), Monday, 18 September 2006 14:00 (nineteen years ago)

i don't know maybe that was his intent? i've seen some de palma but i'm not really an expert on his style or whatever.

― fellini-esque-lit-rockist (tehresa), Monday, 18 September 2006 14:01 (nineteen years ago)

three weeks pass...

saw this last night - agree with gear about the two high points of the film, and about the irresistable urge to laugh at some of the worse scenes... still, I have definitely seen BdP movies that bored me way more than this one, and visually I found it really engaging. As a period piece, it felt in many ways like I was watching something actually made in the 40s - the pacing, the color palette, the constant smoking, the soft-focus shots on Scarlett, the bit parts being better cast than the leads, the weirdly underpopulated feel, etc. One thing that definitely bothered me plot-wise *SPOILER ALERT* was Bucky shooting Linscott at the end. This struck me as very antithetical to Ellroy - while his novels are filled with bad men doing horrible things to each other, the characters who kill women are clearly made out to be beneath contempt, its not something he would ever have a protagonist do. (And I went back and checked and this indeed does not happen in the book - she goes to trial, for what exactly I can't remember, but Bucky doesn't kill her, he cuffs her and turns her in). It was a weirdly nihilistic way to end the movie.

Also I totally laughed at the final "corpse flashback" shot. that shit was hilariously clumsy.

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 15:11 (nineteen years ago)

so... this was a total box office failure, yeah? When was the last time BdP had a hit?

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 15:11 (nineteen years ago)

also Mia Kushner doesn't look anything like Hillary Swank, what was that all about... should've just cast a single actress in both roles and made 'em WORK (tho I quite liked Kushner's scenes, probably more than Swank's). Also why was Swank driving a British car for no apparent reason - Dad's scottish and won't drive the American way? wtf.

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 16:30 (nineteen years ago)

I think all you need to look the same as someone else to a psychopath is to have the same hair, but hey.

― Dr. Alicia D. Titsovich (sexyDancer), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 17:54 (nineteen years ago)

oh and also also also LOVED that DePalma cast the Phantom of the Paradise guy as Georgie

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 18:04 (nineteen years ago)

de palma is the worst

― gear (gear), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 18:06 (nineteen years ago)

when he's bad, that is. when he's good, he's pretty damn good.

― gear (gear), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 18:07 (nineteen years ago)

this was better than what I saw of Snake Eyes, Mission To Mars, Raising Cain... shit, it was better than the Untouchables probably

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 18:09 (nineteen years ago)

or maybe I was just really stoned and in the mood for a 40s noir pastiche

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 18:10 (nineteen years ago)

Word. Today's America is just too neurotic to enjoy nihilist camp, I guess.

― Dr. Alicia D. Titsovich (sexyDancer), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 18:13 (nineteen years ago)

Did the stag film resemble your plans for Rachael Ray, Shakey?

― milo z (mlp), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 18:32 (nineteen years ago)

no spoonula no credibility

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 18:38 (nineteen years ago)

this movie sucked. but the crazy snob was awesome.

― a.b. (alanbanana), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 19:02 (nineteen years ago)

This has to be DePalma's worst movie

― Ward Fowler (Ward Fowler), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 19:24 (nineteen years ago)

no way was this worse than Blowout!!

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 19:26 (nineteen years ago)

If this isn't De Palma's worst movie, I don't want to see his worst.

― gear (gear), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 19:29 (nineteen years ago)

Blow Out is awesome.

― milo z (mlp), Wednesday, 11 October 2006 19:36 (nineteen years ago)

two months pass...

i really liked this, well shot, well acted, good solid, almost baroqe noir, i didnt get the hate

― pinkmoose (jacklove), Sunday, 7 January 2007 23:16 (nineteen years ago)

if you thought it was well acted, then you wouldn't

― Zwan (miccio), Sunday, 7 January 2007 23:20 (nineteen years ago)

I probably would have liked the movie ten times more if Mia Kirshner played Hilary Swank's role too.

― Zwan (miccio), Sunday, 7 January 2007 23:22 (nineteen years ago)

jennifer connelly makes for a good mia kirshner doppelganger.

― ‘•’u (gear), Sunday, 7 January 2007 23:26 (nineteen years ago)

Seems like Connelly is a foot taller, though.

― milo z (mlp), Sunday, 7 January 2007 23:31 (nineteen years ago)

"she looks just like that dead girl!" = "she is also 5'4" tall!"

― ‘•’u (gear), Sunday, 7 January 2007 23:53 (nineteen years ago)

connelly would have been hotter at least (but then, who wouldn't)

― Zwan (miccio), Monday, 8 January 2007 01:11 (nineteen years ago)

I still haven't seen this, but I don't understand how Hilary Swank is supposed to look like ANYBODY. Name one other actress she looks like.

― Marmot (marmotwolof), Monday, 8 January 2007 01:18 (nineteen years ago)

matt damon

― ‘•’u (gear), Monday, 8 January 2007 01:22 (nineteen years ago)

exactly

― Marmot (marmotwolof), Monday, 8 January 2007 01:26 (nineteen years ago)

so fucking terrible. partly redeemed by the big reveal ending and the mia kirshner sex scenes, but not quite

― kyle (akmonday), Monday, 8 January 2007 01:46 (nineteen years ago)

The saddest thing about my disappointment with this film is that I still expect it to be way better than Capone Rising.

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Monday, 8 January 2007 06:29 (nineteen years ago)

is that the untouchables preek*? untouchables rules.

*made-up "variety" slang

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 8 January 2007 06:30 (nineteen years ago)

i had another thot or two

1) de palma works better when he doesnt have a studio fucking his shit up, and this thing had like 13 people as producers (!?)
2) i was really looking forward to how this could have been a hyped up, trashed up, rococo genre peice like femme fatale or snake eyes, and there was potential.
3) it still had two or three fantastic shots/scenes, and half a dozen good ones.
4) i mourn for its potential.

― pinkmoose (jacklove), Monday, 8 January 2007 07:46 (nineteen years ago)

untouchables rules.

It does if you don't much like De Palma.

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Monday, 8 January 2007 07:50 (nineteen years ago)

that doesn't make sense.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 8 January 2007 13:53 (nineteen years ago)

it's atypical de palma (if you prioritize certain aspects of de palma).

― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Monday, 8 January 2007 13:56 (nineteen years ago)

uh not really (although i guess it depends what you're "prioritizing")

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 8 January 2007 14:16 (nineteen years ago)

if you prioritize the "remaking hitchcock" aspect of de palma, is it no atypical? with 'scarface' it's my fave of his.

― the original hauntology blogging crew (Enrique), Monday, 8 January 2007 14:19 (nineteen years ago)

i guess if you have a really really narrow view of what depalma should and shouldn't do, sure

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 8 January 2007 14:25 (nineteen years ago)

Seems like Connelly is a foot taller, though.

uh, but at least she LOOKS like her. i mean, ffs, swank looked NOTHING like her.

such a horrible horrible movie.

― Nathalie (stevie nixed), Monday, 8 January 2007 14:26 (nineteen years ago)

One thing I felt DePalma accomplished in the movie was that every time someone got shot, it was loud, ugly, an event. The audience always jumped back a bit. If someone revealed he had little to do with the major casting (like Mission To Mars (yech), he took this project over for another director) I'd be a lot happier.

― Zwan (miccio), Monday, 8 January 2007 14:45 (nineteen years ago)

there were two shootings too few in this movie

― ‘•’u (gear), Monday, 8 January 2007 18:40 (nineteen years ago)

Liking Untouchables/Scarface more than Body Double/Dressed to Kill = DUD!

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Monday, 8 January 2007 18:50 (nineteen years ago)

can i like all of them

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 8 January 2007 18:56 (nineteen years ago)

no, you dud

― cousin larry bundgee (bundgee), Monday, 8 January 2007 18:58 (nineteen years ago)

can i like all of them

Fine with me. I "like" them all as well, even this one.

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Monday, 8 January 2007 19:10 (nineteen years ago)

even The Wedding Party, Mission to Mars and Snake Eyes

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Monday, 8 January 2007 19:11 (nineteen years ago)

Mission to Mars, really? I still feel slightly traumatized just thinking about it.

― N.i.c.o.l.e (Ex Leon), Monday, 8 January 2007 19:16 (nineteen years ago)

BEYOND the pale, Eric, to mention Mission to Mars.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 8 January 2007 19:18 (nineteen years ago)

mission to mars has some good shit in it!! weightless morricone organ scene!!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 8 January 2007 19:29 (nineteen years ago)

Fine with me. I "like" them all as well, even this one.

-- Eric H. (ephende...), January 8th, 2007 7:10 PM. (Eric H.) (later)

why did you put like in quotes?

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 8 January 2007 19:30 (nineteen years ago)

weightless morricone organ scene!!

Okay, I did like the morricone. And Tim Robbins exploding.

― N.i.c.o.l.e (Ex Leon), Monday, 8 January 2007 21:56 (nineteen years ago)

My mom was on an airplane once where they showed Mission To Mars. There was a man sitting in front of her who only spoke Russian and laughed his head off through the whole movie.

― Zwan (miccio), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 00:03 (nineteen years ago)

I don't understand how Hilary Swank is supposed to look like ANYBODY. Name one other actress she looks like.

http://www.cinematk.tv/docs/ficheros/200410270003_91_4_2.jpg

― Frogm@n Henry (Frogm@n Henry), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 05:03 (nineteen years ago)

Okay, I did like the morricone

Even if it was Morricone ripping off his own score to The Thing.

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 05:56 (nineteen years ago)

why did you put like in quotes?

I don't know. Do you like every De Palma movie for real? I was probably lying a little when I wrote that, because I'm more mixed on The Untouchables than actually liking it.

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 06:04 (nineteen years ago)

no of course not!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 06:27 (nineteen years ago)

Then we're back to where we started from; me hating his two dick flicks.

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 07:24 (nineteen years ago)

But liking at least one or two of the others.

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 07:26 (nineteen years ago)

five years pass...

Dreary--even Vilmos Zsigmond gets uglified. Also found it incomprehensible, but I haven't read the book, and didn't care enough to double-back whenever I missed something.

― clemenza, Thursday, 15 November 2012 03:57 (thirteen years ago)

SHE LOOKS LIKE THAT DEAD GIRL!

― One bad call from barely losing to (Alex in SF), Thursday, 15 November 2012 04:14 (thirteen years ago)

six years pass...

Did anyone watch "I Am the Night"?

I have not, but I've been listening to the accompanying podcast "Root of Evil," about the Hodels.

I've never known quite what to make of the George Hodel theory (and find the idea that he was the Zodiac completely ridiculous) but the Man Ray / Surrealism connection does seem to gesture towards an answer that bothers me even more than Who -- which is Why?

― ryan, Thursday, 7 March 2019 17:29 (seven years ago)

just read about that. I totally missed this series but I'll try to catch it. Intriguing.

― akm, Thursday, 7 March 2019 18:55 (seven years ago)

I watched it, it was good enough for me to stick with it but I wouldn't call it "good."

― nickn, Thursday, 7 March 2019 22:27 (seven years ago)

three months pass...

watching again and its great fun

― godfellaz (darraghmac), Sunday, 30 June 2019 21:18 (six years ago)

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