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David looks back at Brian de Palma's wildest film, ten years on from its release.
The Black Dahlia is a curious artefact. It is likely to be remembered simply by virtue of being in the catalogue of Brian de Palma, even if the film’s quality is negligible compared to his biggest hitters Carrie and The Untouchables. When compared to the other famous James Ellroy adaptation, the Oscar-winning L.A. Confidential (which celebrates its own birthday, its 19th, in just a few days), de Palma’s effort certainly pales. In the career of cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond (the film’s sole Oscar nominee), it’s likely to be a footnote in the late man’s incredible career, coming after his work with Spielberg, Cimino and Altman. The film’s stars probably took a year at most to write it off as a failure on all their parts.
Yet the film continues to fascinate - to lure you back into its craven web...
We're spoiling you with two podcasts this week. We'll talk Ant-Man and Southpaw tomorrow night but here's an extra bonus episode in which Nathaniel, Nick, and Joe each recommend a 1995 film they remember loving that they'd like to revisit or wish that more people would talk about. The conversation wanders, as it does, to the Best Actress race, Scorned 2 ??? "Meryl's third Oscar!" talk (duh), and the films of Michael Mann ???
Contents (45 minutes) 00:01 Mia Kirshner in Atom Egoyan's Exotica 04:30 Kathy Bates as Stephen King's Delores Claiborne 07:45 Lili Taylor of The Addiction 10:55 Random loved titles: Babe, Nixon, etcetera 14:10 Actresses of 1995 outside the Best Actress nominees: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Toni Collette, Holly Hunter, Parker Posey, Rene Russo, Ashley Judd, and more... 31:11 Get Shorty 34:30 Michael Mann films and Heat
Ashley Judd in "Heat"
You can listen to the podcast here at the bottom of the post or download from iTunes. Continue the conversation in the comments...
Canada's Genie Awards were held this week and Incendies, which you'll remember was up for the Foreign Film Oscar, was the big winner. The "runner up" as it were, the movie that did very well for itself that didn't win the big one, was Barney's Version which was just Rosamund Pike short of sweeping all the acting trophies. Curiously, if you trust photos from the big event the Barney's Version team was curiously absent. That's so uncool when you win that many awards!
Melissa Etheridge performed (anyone know what song?) and here's a photo of presenters Mia Kirshner(more on her in a bit) and Rossif Sutherland. Yes, he's another spawn of Donald Sutherland -- I didn't know there was a post Kiefer! -- he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for a film called High Life. Perhaps he can co-star with Armie Hammer at some point since he appears to be the only other 6'5" actor in their age bracket.
Xavier Dolan's Heartbeats went home empty-handed but at least it won nominations for Pic/Director, Cinematography and Supporting Actress.
Best Picture INCENDIES Best Director Denis Villeneuve for INCENDIES Best Actor Paul Giamatti in BARNEY'S VERSION Best Actress Lubna Azabal for INCENDIES Best Supporting Actor Dustin Hoffman in BARNEY'S VERSION Best Supporting Actress Minnie Driver in BARNEY'S VERSION Original Screenplay Jacob Tierney for THE TROTSKY Adapated Screenplay Denis Villeneuve for INCENDIES Editing INCENDIES Cinematography INCENDIES Art Direction: BARNEY'S VERSION Costume Design: BARNEY'S VERSION Make Up: BARNEY'S VERSION Original Score: BARNEY'S VERSION Original Song: "Already Gone" from THE TROTSKY (below. I liked this movie. Did any of you see it?)
Sound: INCENDIES Sound Editing: INCENDIES Documentary: LAST TRAIN HOME Live Action Short: SAVAGE Animated Short: LIPSETT DIARIES
Special Prizes The Claude Jutra (this is a debut film prize) Jephte Bastien for SORTIE 67 (Honorable Mention: Peter Stebbings for DEFENDOR) Golden Reel: (this is a prize for the highest grossing Canadian film) RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE
RED CARPET LINEUP
Mia Kirschner is a dark beauty but I can never ever decide what I think of her acting. I loved the Atom Egoyan film Exotica (the first thing I saw of hers) but I didn't feel fannish until I caught her as a dominatrix in Love and Human Remains. So I thought I was "yes!" on Mia until The "L" Word (hated her on that) so I was blown away by her inchoate despair and haunting of The Black Dahlia (film bitch supporting actress nomination). It seems that my reaction to her is completely dependent on the role/movie which is not something that usually affects me to that degree... i.e. I usually know whether or not I like an actor's work independent of which projects house them. Anyone have any strong feelings one way or the other on Mia?
I can't be the only one who gets freaked out when creepy child stars grew up. Look at Cameron Bright (Birth), now 18, and Jodelle Ferland (Tideland), 16. Yikers. (No, they're not together. I just enjoy my photoshop.) Yes, I know Cameron Bright is in the Twilight movies but I haven't seen them since the first one bored me to tears so to me he's still that creepy boy who tried to seduce Nicole Kidman.
"You're a little liar aren't you?"
I would die to see Sassy Gay Friend take on Birth (2004) but it's too obscure to get that treatment.
Finally there's Best Actress winner Lubna Azabal(who I keep hearing great things about but who is evaded my eyeballs up till now) from Incendies wielding her Genie. The Genie looks like the most dangerous prize this side of Emmy's 'careful or you'll lose an eye' winged she-demon. Oh and Rachel LeFevre she of the booted from Twilight fame.
Thursday, September 15, 2016 at 4:12PM 
The Black Dahlia is a curious artefact. It is likely to be remembered simply by virtue of being in the catalogue of Brian de Palma, even if the film’s quality is negligible compared to his biggest hitters Carrie and The Untouchables. When compared to the other famous James Ellroy adaptation, the Oscar-winning L.A. Confidential (which celebrates its own birthday, its 19th, in just a few days), de Palma’s effort certainly pales. In the career of cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond (the film’s sole Oscar nominee), it’s likely to be a footnote in the late man’s incredible career, coming after his work with Spielberg, Cimino and Altman. The film’s stars probably took a year at most to write it off as a failure on all their parts. 
