The film (starring Josh Hartnett, Hilary Swank, and the enviably endowed Scarlett Johansson) is slated to premiere later this month at the Venice Film Festival, and then open nationwide on September 15.This won’t be the first time that the Black Dahlia slaying has been brought to the screen. Back in 1975, Efrem Zimbalist Jr. (of The F.B.I. fame) starred as an L.A. homicide detective assigned to the case in a much-better-than-average teleflick called Who Is the Black Dahlia? Nor is Ellroy’s book the only one to do a good job of portraying the Dahlia case in print. Max Allan Collins’ 2001 novel, Angel in Black, starring his series gumshoe, Nate Heller, is certainly on dramatic par with Ellroy’s story. While John Gregory Dunne’s 1997 novel, True Confessions, employed the 1947 murder as a departure point for a noirish yarn.
But The Black Dahlia was the epic that lifted Ellroy out of genre obscurity, and catapulted him to literary star status. So it’s not surprising that it has now become a major Hollywood property. Perhaps the only thing that is surprising, is that this story will be reaching the screen almost a decade after the release of L.A. Confidential--a critically popular 1997 film based on another Ellroy book, which he wrote as the third entry in his “L.A. Quartet” cycle, The Black Dahlia having been the first installment in that quartet.
Can’t wait to see The Black Dahlia? Well, for now, you’ll have to be satisfied with the movie trailer below.
5 comments:
I recently read that LA CONFIDENTIAL, while a big success with the critics, didn't make all that much money. Too bad because it put people (read: Hollywood execs) off making that type of film.
I'm with Anthony on this one. Josh Hartnett? What?
And who's in the title role? Swank or Johansson?
To answer Linda's question: Actually, neither Johansson or Swank plays the title role of Elizabeth Short, aka "The Black Dahlia." That's played, instead, by an actress named Mia Kirshner.
Had to Google Josh Hartnett because I didn't know who the hell he was. Then I saw his picture and remembered he was in that dog "Hollywood Homicide," which I couldn't even sit through.
But The Black Dahlia is Ellroy, so I'll see it. Not to mention I kinda have a thing for Hillary Swank.
Patrick Shawn Bagley said: "Had to Google Josh Hartnett because I didn't know who the hell he was..."
You're right Hollywood Homicide certainly wasn't sterling, but it's not because Hartnett was bad. He's not. He's just got this whole late-90s hearthrob thing going on that most people over the age of--I dunno--16 don't find that interesting. Not that I have an opinion.
And what do I mean by late 90s? I think he has almost a waifishness to him, a certain delicacy that gives him an androgyness (Is that a word? You know what I mean.) that I don't find appealing in a leading man. But maybe that's just me.
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