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Movies / On DVD / The Black Dahlia
The Black Dahlia

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The Black Dahlia (2006)

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Reviews Counted:179

Fresh:61

Rotten:118

Average Rating:4.9/10

Consensus: Though this ambitious noir crime-drama captures the atmosphere of its era, it suffers from subpar performances, a convoluted story, and the inevitable comparisons to other, more successful films of its genre.

Rated: R [See Full Rating] for strong violence, some grisly images, sexual content and language.

Runtime: 2 hrs 2 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:Sep 15, 2006 Wide

Box Office: $22,518,325

Synopsis: Based on the novel by James Ellroy, Brian De Palma's THE BLACK DAHLIA stars Josh Hartnett and Aaron Eckhart as a pair of LAPD detectives assigned to the most notorious murder in Hollywood history.... Based on the novel by James Ellroy, Brian De Palma's THE BLACK DAHLIA stars Josh Hartnett and Aaron Eckhart as a pair of LAPD detectives assigned to the most notorious murder in Hollywood history. De Palma takes things slow, spending a good 20 minutes establishing the relationship between Buddy Bleichert, Lee Blanchard, and their mutual love Kay (Scarlett Johanssen), before introducing the 1947 murder after which the film is named. In the haunting screen-tests left behind after her mysterious death, aspiring actress Elizabeth Short appears to want fame so badly she'll do anything to get it. Her pornographic film appearances, and a rumored affair with narcissist heiress Madeleine Linscott (Hillary Swank), provide just two clues in a sea of confusion. THE BLACK DAHLIA crams every subplot from Ellroy's novel into two hours, but only connects them towards the end of the movie. The screen-tests featuring a sadly desperate Elizabeth Short (Mia Kirshner) are captivatingly filmed in gritty black-and-white. These scenes succeed in showing the industry ugliness most likely behind Elizabeth's death, while the rest of the film self-consciously strives to be noir through elaborate set design, dramatic camera angles, and narration taken straight from the book. If De Palma's goal was to make us examine our own voyeuristic fascination with murder, particularly the gruesome murder of a beautiful young woman, then he succeeds, because throughout a film invested in so many different storylines, Short's remains the most interesting one. [More]

Starring: Josh Hartnett, Scarlett Johansson, Hilary Swank, Aaron Eckhart

Starring: Josh Hartnett, Scarlett Johansson, Hilary Swank, Aaron Eckhart, Mia Kirshner, Rose McGowan, Fiona Shaw, Jemima Rooper, John Kavenagh, Pepe Serna, Troy Evans, Gregg Henry

Director: Brian De Palma

Director: Brian De Palma
Story: Josh Friedman
Producer: Rudy Cohen, Art Linson, Moshe Diamont
Composer: Mark Isham
Studio: Universal Pictures

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Jun 21, 2009

[DVD Details]
 
 

DVD Features:

  • Region 1
  • Snap Case
  • Full Frame - 1.33

Audio:

  • Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo - Spanish
  • Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround - English, Frencn
  • Subtitltes - English (SDH), French, Spanish - Optional

Additional Release Material:

  • Trailers: Includes PUBLIC ENEMIES Sneak Peek

Featurette:

  • 1. REALITY AND FICTION: THE STORY OF THE BLACK DAHLIA
  • 2. THE CASE FILE
  • 3. THE DE PALMA TOUCH PRESENTED BY VOLKSWAGEN
 
 
 
 

Reviews for The Black Dahlia

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 >> >|
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Visual marvel after visual marvel

Full Review Source: CinePassion | comment Comment
08/30/09
Fernando F. Croce
Fernando F. Croce
CinePassion
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
04/23/09
Peter Keough
Peter Keough
Boston Phoenix

DePalma is like a magician who dazzles us with a trick only to show us, alas, it really was only a trick, and in the meantime he's stolen our watch.

Full Review Source: Beyond Hollywood | comment Comment
04/26/08
Brian Holcomb
Brian Holcomb
Beyond Hollywood

You've barely time to soak up one revelation before another one is dumped on you from a great height.

Full Review Source: Eye for Film | comment Comment
12/07/07
Amber Wilkinson
Amber Wilkinson
Eye for Film

Won't do much to dissuade the common rap against De Palma as a cold technician who takes projects just for the elaborate set pieces they provide him.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
07/23/07
Rob Gonsalves
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Big Picture Big Sound | comment Comment
07/14/07
Joe Lozito
Joe Lozito
Big Picture Big Sound

With skeletons flying out of the closet at every turn, this overplotted mess unfolds more like a dumb, daytime soap opera than a well-crafted crime thriller.

Full Review Source: EURWeb | comment Comment
04/27/07
Kam Williams
Kam Williams
EURWeb

You have to wonder just how vibrant the film would have been during the Reagan or Clinton administration, when De Palma was in his prime.

Full Review Source: UGO | comment Comment
03/24/07
Brian Tallerico
Brian Tallerico
UGO

A stellar cast of marquee names, coupled with an all-star crew, can't make this entry work.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
03/01/07
Doris Toumarkine
Doris Toumarkine
Film Journal International

... ends up being forgettable enough that someone else in the future may still be able to take another stab at the idea.

Full Review Source: MovieCrypt.com | comment Comment
01/28/07
Kevin A. Ranson
Kevin A. Ranson
MovieCrypt.com

I can’t say anything really stood out in a positive way.

Full Review Source: 3BlackChicks Review | comment Comment
12/30/06
Kamal  'The Diva' Larsuel
Kamal 'The Diva' Larsuel
3BlackChicks Review

Filled with atmosphere and attitude to spare, "The Black Dahlia" is film noir at it's finest.

Full Review Source: Nolan's Pop Culture Review | comment 1 Comment
12/13/06
Michael A. Smith
Michael A. Smith
Nolan's Pop Culture Review

It meticulously resembles a 60 year-old Hollywood artifact, but with a contemporary cynicism.

Full Review Source: Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia) | comment Comment
11/22/06
Mark Palermo
Mark Palermo
Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

The Black Dahlia revels in its stylish noir production, even though it gets lost in the maze of its zigzagging plot lines.

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
11/18/06
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile

Ghost World: Keith Uhlich on The Black Dahlia for Reverse Shot's Brian de Palma symposium.

Full Review Source: Reverse Shot | comment Comment
11/11/06
Keith Uhlich
Keith Uhlich
Reverse Shot

The Black Dahlia turns out to be something of questionable structural integrity, pieced together from old movies.

Full Review Source: Nation | comment Comment
11/11/06
Stuart Klawans
Stuart Klawans
Nation

De Palma ... does little more than retrace his steps ...

Full Review Source: Star-Democrat (Easton, MD) | comment Comment
11/05/06
Greg Maki
Greg Maki
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)

At no time does the film turn into a satisfying mystery where the audience feels compelled to guess along with our racing detectives.

Full Review Source: CBC.ca Arts | comment Comment
11/04/06
Stephen Cole
Stephen Cole
CBC.ca Arts

Frustrating but fascinating, with moments that refuse to be shrugged off

Full Review Source: Film Experience | comment Comment
10/20/06
Nathaniel Rogers
Nathaniel Rogers
Film Experience

De Palma's lamentable decision to reign in his wild directorial flourishes certainly doesn't do the film any favors...

Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews | comment Comment
10/15/06
David Nusair
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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