August 10 2006
Trailer Alert: The Black Dahlia
posted by Steven Shaw at 1:25 pm
Based on a true Hollywood murder case from the 1940s, The Black Dahlia is adapted from a 1987 novel by James Ellroy.
It’s about the murder of Elizabeth Short, an aspiring Hollywood actress who disappeared around in 1947. Her mutilated corpse was found in an empty lot in South Central Los Angeles, but the murder remains unsolved.
Ellroy’s novel concerns the police investigation and two boxing cops named Bucky Bleichert and Lee Blanchard.
It’s the perfect blend of genres for director Brian De Palma, who thrives on crime stories like The Untouchables, Scarface and Carlito’s Way. But he also loves his suspense thrillers – for example Body Double and Dressed To Kill.
His career’s not spotless and he’s had some epic disasters (The Bonfire of the Vanities , Raising Cain ), but with the right elements in place, the guy’s a true master who loves a chance to nod to Hitchcock.
Josh Hartnett and Aaron Eckhart star as the sparring detectives. Hilary Swank and Scarlett Johansson also star. It looks set for release sometime in September, view the trailer here.