August 31, 2006


The Bulgarian Dahlia

An interesting stylistic choice for a new film trailer. But if the movie is about LA, then why did they shoot it in Bulgaria?

comments

3 Responses to “The Bulgarian Dahlia”

  1. Sheila Ryan on September 1st, 2006 at 10:13 am

    Mmmmm . . . I would have guessed economics — IATSE scale vs. the going rate for a Bulgarian craft worker.

    Or am I reading your question too literally?

    With respect to the trailer . . . hmmmmm. (I seem to be mumbling a lot these days.) It doesn’t bode too well for the film (but then I’ve never much cared for De Palma, and I wasn’t impressed by Ellroy’s book.) As period pastiche, it hits just enough wrong notes to set my teeth on edge.

    Not that a trailer serves as indicator of a film’s merit.

  2. Mark Jones on September 1st, 2006 at 12:56 pm

    I suppose I shouldn’t have said why, but how in regards to my question.

    As for the trailer I was intrigued only in that it doesn’t follow the required 3 act structure for film trailers where it takes you right up the crucial part of the 3rd act. As for the film, who knows?

  3. Sheila Ryan on September 1st, 2006 at 3:15 pm

    Gotcha.

    I find this pretty interesting. I’ve viewed and thought about a hell of a lot of films. So have you (obviously), and you know a hell of a lot more about how they’re made and how they’re presented to audiences (and potential audiences).

    Your evaluation of the trailer in the context of a standard structure does interest me — largely because that aspect of the thing went by me altogether. That I viewed and judged the trailer from a thoroughly different perspective and (almost!) included that judgment in my premature assessment of the film surely says something about me as a film viewer.

    That I should be forever barred from focus groups and preview screenings, to name just a few things.