De Palma's Black Dahlia was dismissed on release and has been quietly reappraised since as the most committed piece of Hollywood-gothic excess of its decade — crane shots, doubled women, a murder treated as an aesthetic problem. The Roxy's basement theater is plush, small and exactly the wrong-in-the-right-way room for it. If you like arguing about films graded wrong on release, come make the case.
What to expect
The Roxy is a compact underground cinema below the Roxy Hotel, with deep seats and a cocktail bar directly upstairs. The 35mm print carries its own texture, which suits the film's saturated period look. Repertory nights draw a Tribeca crowd that stays to talk afterward, and the film runs well over two hours.
Good to know
- Roxy Cinema is at 2 Avenue of the Americas beneath the Roxy Hotel in Tribeca
- Take the A/C/E to Canal Street or the 1 to Franklin Street
- The cinema is small, so book online rather than relying on the door
- The hotel bar upstairs is a natural pre- or post-film stop
- The film is long — well over two hours — so plan the evening around it
- The theater is below ground; contact the venue about elevator and accessible seating
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Common questions
What is the 2006 series?
It is a Roxy repertory strand revisiting films released in 2006, screened where possible from prints.
Is this the James Ellroy novel?
Yes — De Palma adapted Ellroy's novel, itself built on the real 1947 Elizabeth Short murder case.
Is it on film?
This screening is listed as 35mm, so it is a projected print.
More film this weekend
