squirmy_monkey, you obviously have no clue what the term "torture porn" even means, SMH. This classy, elegant, beautiful film that had NO gore was the furtherest thing you could get from torture porn, and in my estimation all these years later is what I think hurt it in the eyes of filmgoers back in 2006 who were flooded with nothing but movies filled with extreme gore and torture. Honestly, that's one of the many reasons I love this movie so much, is that De Palma refused to go that route, even though it was the popular trend at the time.

The phrase "Torture Porn" is just stupid. When the movie "Hostel" came out, people started throwing this phrase around. It was stupid then and stupid now.

"squirmy_monkey Mon Aug 25 2008 16:29:04
This movie bored me to sleep for the most part and the last half-hour was just disgusting. The only good scenes were the ones with Elizabeth/Black Dahlia (played by Mia Kirshner) and they were too few. The acting was awful, Josh Hartnett is flat and robotic and unfortunately the camera is on him most of the time. I just did not care what happened to him. Even Scarlett Johanson and Hillary Swank who have turned really good roles in other films, were so-so in this one. The acting was so bad and the plot was incomprehensible most of the time. Then the directors went for blood and gore hoping that that would carry the ending. It was so gross, I wanted to take a shower after it was over. yeccchwhat a total waste of 2 hours of my life."
It's incomprehensible if YOU'RE STUPID. Clearly you are.
Go back to Star Wars and leave the grown-up movies to the grown-ups.

The only thing I saw that I'd consider 'torture' was the
cutting of Elizabeth's face.
As far as the case goes, too much evidence has been lost in the nearly seventy years since the murder, that it will probably never be solved.
And that's a pity.

Torture porn? You obviously haven't seen Hostel.
There were barely any scenes of anyone being tortured.

Dont recall any abundant graphic violence in this one. No torture. No porn. What gives?
"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan

BartlebyScrivner, im with you on this one.

I mean the film is REALLY horrible but your reaction reminds me of a conservative 80yo virgin that lives in a monastery. Seriously? And you are on the INTERNET?
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SEUL CONTRE TOUS
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watched it on film4
Had no idea what was going on
Josh Hartnett is no leading man
no even on same planet as chinatown

Its getting its UK Premiere at 1.35am on a Friday night. Which tells its own story.

Isn't torture porn just a new word for gore/splatter?
It has nothing to do with sex from what I understand.
Anyway, it's a silly concept and I didn't find anything like that in this film.
This film was very bad though. It felt like a parody of noir at times with the over acting and the voiceover. And why was it called The Black Dahlia when it was about two boring cops?

Just saw it and I didn't think there was any "torture porn" in it at all. As far as gore I thought the movie was fairly tame. You have to expect some grisly scenes seeing as how the story is based on a real life case of a woman who was chopped in half.
When I think of "torture porn" movies such as Hostel, Saw 3, and Texas Chainsaw Massacre come to mind. De Palma has always been fairly good with the violence in his movies. The murders in Dressed to Kill and Body Double were done quite well. Unfortunately he falters with his actual storytelling and his films can at times be quite a mess.

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I also found this film boring. It could have been a great film but was absolute rubbish instead.

L.A Confidential this film most certainly ain't but 'torture porn'? Seriously? Methinks you have absolutely no clue what 'torture porn' means.

I've just finished watching the first 15 minutes of this "thing", and had to come to imdb to check that it wasn't the burger I had today that was making my stomach turn. What an awful directing! These actors behave like their director suffered from what Woody Allen's character was struk with in the Hollywood Ending. This is bizzarly bad.

This was rubbish. The acting was bloody awful (Fiona Shaw what were you thinking!?). Josh and Scarlet are wooden actors anyway but they surpass their crapness in this film-they are a woodpeckers wet dream! Stupid pointless plot. Nasty crap. Hilary Swank femme fatale? She's too ugly to tempt anyone. AVOID (especially if bad scottish accents make your hair stand on end)

This movie was positively wonderful!
Sure, it got a little boring at times, but it's so suspenseful and is filled with delightful surprises everywhere you turn.
The acting was fabulous, everything else was magnificent!
Cream cheese

I wasted my time 3 times until now,i din`t think it was a waste of time at all enjoyed every minute of it.
Chill out,it was like that when i got there.

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Scarlett Johanson how does one go about asking her out on a date?
in the film, paying for her college studies, irl for her clothes and cosmetics. Prolly, Josh Hartnett kicked himself for having asked her out. She humped and dumped him. He was gonna change her, but Scarlett couldn't be trusted.

Scarlett Johanson how does one go about asking her out on a date? I'll take her to Ireland. She smells so good on film. Say I'm sitting down and she stands very close so my nose was level with her crispy mound I'd sniff her coconut and lemon. I am a washed-up man, American, older fellow no money. We'll swim to Ireland I'll ride her back. Scarlett come unto me and give my thy succor.

You're saying it doesn't make sense.. and yet.. for me it made perfect sense..
My conclusion:
"Think harder" and don't judge something you don't understand.