The Black Dahlia - Reviews Thread

[Darth Elektra]

I actually found this film pretty good.

8/10.

 

[Joker]

I heard both HOllywood Land and this one sucked.

Hollywoodland has Ben Afflecks best performance to date, and was a great look at the controversy around George Reeves' death, covering all angles and leaving it open to your interpretation. I absolutely loved it, although some of the supporting characters were kind of weak.

Black Dahlia was just a great Film Noir movie, right down to Hartnet's constant hat wearing and hard boiled voice over. The thing about it was, the Black Dahlia murder is a sub-plot till about an hour into the movie, and hardly talked about at all, but that's not really the point of the movie, so it's still cool.

 

[The Shape]

I don't care if this is getting generally bad reviews by critics. I plan to see it anyway.

 

[Cinemaman]

Yeah, critics really hated this movie

 

[JLBats]

Damn, I was really anticipating this.

****.

 

[The Shape]

Damn, I was really anticipating this.

****.

If it's something you really wanted to see, go. That's what I'm doing, despite the reviews. It could be something we'll really like.

 

[The Chairman]

Damn, I was really anticipating this.

****.

It's not as bad as it's been made out to be. It's solidly entertaining, though it could've been a lot better. The scenery is great, Scarlett looks fantastic (her and Eckhart carry the movie despite being a bit underwritten), and it's entertaining for the most part. I mentioned all the bad parts a few posts back.

 

[Orko Is King]

I'm trying to avoid spoilers...but does Scarlett get nekkid?

 

[JLBats]

It's not as bad as it's been made out to be. It's solidly entertaining, though it could've been a lot better. The scenery is great, Scarlett looks fantastic (her and Eckhart carry the movie despite being a bit underwritten), and it's entertaining for the most part. I mentioned all the bad parts a few posts back.

Eh, still.

Personally, I'm still looking forward to The Fountain, The Prestige and The Departed. But we're batting 0 for 2 here. Hollywoodland and The Black Dahlia are both failing critically.

 

[The Chairman]

Eh, still.

Personally, I'm still looking forward to The Fountain, The Prestige and The Departed. But we're batting 0 for 2 here. Hollywoodland and The Black Dahlia are both failing critically.

I thought Hollywoodland was doing well.

 

[The Dark Defender]

One of the worst films of the year.

Boring as hell, barely any time devoted to the actual investigation because they were too busy with pointless love stories with a string of unlikable characters, the conclusion(and the film itself)was much too Hollywood and just plain stupid.

The acting was mediocre to be generous, with the only good performance being Kirshner who was hardly in the movie. Swank was disgracefully over-acting, Hartnett was as wooden as usual. There were maybe 10 minutes where I was interested that were mixed in with about 100 minutes where I couldn't have cared less.

 

[The Shape]

I thought Hollywoodland was doing well.

I thought so too.

 

[The Apatow Crew]

I don't know if this has been mentioned but i just checked BoxOfficeMojo and the budget was list close to 70 million dollars. 68 million to be precise.

 

[cryptic name]

i saw it today with my friend lauren and we both really enjoyed it. it's a great noir, hard boiled detective story. and scarlet was wonderful

 

[kypade]

i luvd it.

 

[Leto Atrides]

I liked it, definitely. 6/10. I knew literally nothing about it walking in other than that it was noir, so that may affect my reception of it. Really, suprisingly gratuitous, and very complicated, but I liked it.

As an aside, I want to stress the gratuitous again. It seemed like other people I've talked to went in thinking it was going to be an old fashioned detective film, with some violence, but not too gory. A guy's head busts open, and you see someone's throat get cut, and they don't cut away at all for either. It's not too bad compared to Saw or something, but just so you know.

 

[Shuley]

I really wanted to see this film till the reviews came out,then chose not to,The critics are usually right when they say a film is great and when a film sucks.I'm not spending my hard earned cash watching garbage...too much I wanna see in place of it.

 

[Joker]

I liked it, definitely. 7/10. I knew literally nothing about it walking in other than that it was noir, so that may affect my reception of it. Really, suprisingly gratuitous, and very complicated, but I liked it.

As an aside, I want to stress the gratuitous again. It seemed like other people I've talked to went in thinking it was going to be an old fashioned detective film, with some violence, but not too gory. A guy's head busts open, and you see someone's throat get cut, and they don't cut away at all for either. It's not too bad compared to Saw or something, but just so you know.

if you're going into a movie that's about one of the most horrificly violent murders in america, and you cant deal with some cinematic violence, then you're f**king crazy

 

[Crooklyn]

Can't believe this film is getting so much flack. Wasn't horrible by any means (it could've been something great though) and I appreciate the fact that it at least differentitates itself from most films this year (I love noir).

I only wish the movie dealt more with the actual murder, by far I was most intrigued in the movie during the investigation scenes. Mia is crazy hot (didn't expect to see her topless, hehe) and the scenes near the end where

Spoiler

she gets her mouth cut open and the hallucination scene where she's outside the lawn

were awesomely gruesome.

 

[Tails]

The current Imdb rating of 7.1 looks good until the voting is examined. It's common now for studio employees and other associated with a film to vote 10 as soon as possible, because people may look at the rating and be encouraged to see the film. Look at the distribution of votes. Does it seem normal? Wait a while and it will change a lot.

 

[Charlie No-One]

Movie sucked like **** baking in a hot desert. Worst movie of the year.

 

[SoulManX]

I like it was not a bad film....saw this one and Hollywoodland. Hmmm I wonder how this will affect De Palma?

 

[Leto Atrides]

if you're going into a movie that's about one of the most horrificly violent murders in america, and you cant deal with some cinematic violence, then you're f**king crazy

The average moviegoer hasn't heard of the real murder before. They just know the movie is a noir mystery. The majority people I know who didn't like said the excessive gore ruined it for them.

Plus, there is a big difference between "cinematic violence" and

Spoiler

the guy's skull splitting open when he drops face-first onto the fountain

 

[GoldenAgeHero]

ehh I'll skip it.

 

[DACrowe]

Meh.

It was mediocre. Aaron Eckhart was the only person properly cast in one of the main roles. Swank seems to be missing something, Harnett has no charisma or presence and Johanson was trying too hard and looked like she was playing make up.

The pacing for the first hour is pretty good though the campy tone is distracting for a film like this and it overall plays a dark comedy and a send-up to film noir than an homage to it. Mia Kirchner is great as the Dahila and you wish you could see more of her story than this convoluted mess of a love sstory and terrible conclusion at the end on who killed her.

LA Confidential IT AIN'T, Ellroy was always full of hot air so if he prefers this version good for him, it is way too voer the top and the ending was really disappointing.

Though neither was a classic, Hollywoodland was MUCH MUCH MUCH better.