120+ movies: The Black Dahlia

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120+ Movies of 2011, Annual Movie Challenge

The Black DahliaThe Black Dahlia (17/12/11)

Two policemen see their personal and professional lives fall apart in the wake of the “Black Dahlia” murder investigation.

All the way through this film I felt completely lost. I saw that there was a plot line concerning the Black Dahlia murder case but everything else that was going on felt like a bit of a mess. Some other things were going on that were lost on me.

The film did look brilliant. Captured the 40s era perfectly. Josh Harnett was a good lead, Hilary Swank annoyed, though strangely Scarlett did not.

Very cool looking film but that’s about it for me.
Rating: 2/5

Read on to see the entire list of movies seen this year so far:

98 Movies so far this Year

  1. The Horse Whisperer 3/5 (01/01/11)
  2. The Informant! 3/5 (09/01/11)
  3. The Fighter 4/5 (11/01/11)
  4. 127 Hours 5/5 (14/01/11)
  5. The Wolfman 3/5 (15/01/11)
  6. Believe: The Eddie Izzard Story 4/5 (16/01/11)
  7. The King’s Speech 5/5 (19/01/11)
  8. The Town 4/5 (20/01/11)
  9. Ninja Assassin 2/5 (24/01/11)
  10. He’s Just Not That Into You 1/5 (25/01/11)
  11. Imagine That 1/5 (27/01/11)
  12. Gentlemen Broncos 2/5 (04/02/11)
  13. Hachi: A Dog’s Tale 4/5 (06/02/11)
  14. Daybreakers 3/5 (12/02/11)
  15. The Book of Eli 2/5 (13/02/11)
  16. True Grit 4/5 (15/02/11)
  17. Red 1/5 (19/02/11)
  18. Invictus 3/5 (20/02/11)
  19. Coraline 2/5 (28/02/11)
  20. Juno 3/5 (02/03/11)
  21. Monsters vs. Aliens 1/5 (06/03/11)
  22. Jennifer’s Body 2/5 (06/03/11)
  23. Rango 4/5 (09/03/11)
  24. The Crazies 4/5 (11/03/11)
  25. Lakeview Terrace 1/5 (12/03/11)
  26. Battle: Los Angeles 3/5 (13/03/11)
  27. Submarine 4/5 (14/03/11)
  28. The Adjustment Bureau 2/5 (16/03/11)
  29. Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief 2/5 (18/03/11)
  30. The Happening 1/5 (19/03/11)
  31. Sucker Punch 2/5 (02/04/11)
  32. Carriers 1/5 (03/04/11)
  33. Source Code 4/5 (06/04/11)
  34. 3:10 to Yuma 3/5 (09/04/11)
  35. Walking Tall 1/5 (12/04/11)
  36. Your Highness 3/5 (13/04/11)
  37. El Mariachi 3/5 (14/03/11)
  38. From Paris With Love 3/5 (15/04/11)
  39. Scream 4 3/5 (16/04/11)
  40. Hot Tub Time Machine 2/5 (17/04/11)
  41. Attack the Block 4/5 (20/04/11)
  42. The International 2/5 (23/04/11)
  43. Thor 5/5 (25/04/11)
  44. Fast & Furious 5: Rio Heist 5/5 (28/04/11)
  45. A Beautiful Mind 4/5 (06/05/11)
  46. Extract 2/5 (05/05/11)
  47. Hanna 4/5 (06/05/11)
  48. Catfish 3/5 (07/05/11)
  49. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides 2/5 (20/05/11)
  50. The Hangover Part II 3/5 (27/05/11)
  51. How to Train Your Dragon 4/5 (28/05/11)
  52. Zodiac 4/5 (28/05/11)
  53. Up in the Air 5/5 (30/05/11)
  54. X-Men: First Class 4/5 (01/06/11)
  55. Electra Luxx 3/5 (04/06/11)
  56. The Usual Suspects 5/5 (05/06/11)
  57. Senna 5/5 (10/06/11)
  58. The Human Centipede 1/5 (10/06/11)
  59. Green Lantern 2/5 (17/06/11)
  60. Paul 3/5 (18/06/11)
  61. Transformers: Dark of the Moon 4/5 (29/06/11)
  62. Predators 2/5 (30/07/11)
  63. Captain America: The First Avenger 3/5 (31/07/11)
  64. Super 8 5/5 (11/08/11)
  65. The Secret in Their Eyes 5/5 (13/08/11)
  66. [Rec] 2 3/5 (14/08/11)
  67. Rise of the Planet of the Apes 4/5 (16/08/11)
  68. Cowboys & Aliens 4/5 (18/08/11)
  69. Final Destination 5 4/5 (19/08/11)
  70. Micmacs 3/5 (21/08/11)
  71. Conan the Barbarian 3/5 (27/08/11)
  72. Legion 1/5 (27/08/11)
  73. Limitless 3/5 (29/08/11)
  74. Apollo 18 1/5 (02/09/11)
  75. The Warriors 4/5 (04/09/11)
  76. Ondine 3/5 (07/09/11)
  77. TrollHunter 5/5 (09/09/11)
  78. Burke & Hare 2/5 (16/09/11)
  79. Jackass 3 3/5 (16/09/11)
  80. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 5/5 (23/09/11)
  81. Drive 4/5 (28/09/11)
  82. Don’t be Afraid of the Dark 4/5 (12/10/11)
  83. Paranormal Activity 3 3/5 (21/10/11)
  84. I Am Number Four 3/5 (23/10/11)
  85. Contagion 3/5 (25/10/11)
  86. The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn 4/5 (27/10/11)
  87. The Thing 4/5 (29/10/11)
  88. The Ides of March 5/5 (01/11/11)
  89. In Time 3/5 (02/11/11)
  90. The Rum Diary 2/5 (11/11/11)
  91. Easy A 4/5 (26/11/11)
  92. Winter’s Bone 3/5 (27/11/11)
  93. 50/50 5/5 (30/11/11)
  94. The Thing 3/5 (07/12/11)
  95. 28 Weeks Later 3/5 (09/12/11)
  96. Bridesmaids 3/5 (10/12/11)
  97. Despicable Me 3/5 (11/12/11)
  98. The Black Dahlia 2/5 (17/12/11)

2 Comments

  1. Speaking as someone who dresses in WWII fashion, lives knee deep in late 30s-early40s music, film, etc. and even works in vintage radio – let me just say that this movie did *not* capture the 40s era. They tried way too hard for noir, if you want to see a halfway decent modern representation of noir check out The Good German. Even then the modern cameras kind of screw it up, but it’s better than Dahlia.

    I was so disappointed in that film. I’ve always been so fascinated by Short’s story and felt so bad for her, and hoped the film would chronicle her actual life as much as possible, but instead it focused on some ridiculous rumor then tried to connect the dots and ended up looking like a rejected episode of Tales from the Crypt, only without the cool irony, wit or ability to write a story that makes sense. And am I the only person who doesn’t see how Swank and Kirshner look ‘exactly alike’?

    I love the cast, but not in this. This makes Pearl Harbor look good, and that’s very hard to do.

    But ask me if I liked it, lol.

    • The Good German’s been on my list for a while! Will check it out soon!

      See, I don’t know much about Short’s story so it was all pretty much new to me. It was very much like a rejected Crypt episode! But elongated to well beyond it’s natural life.

      I like the cast, minus Hilary Swank. I don’t know what it is about her, just can’t ever really like her.

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