See Al Pacino as Phil Spector in upcoming HBO biopic [Video]
A film about legendary record producer and convicted murderer Phil Spector will premiere on HBO next month. The network released its first trailer for the anticipated flick, starring Al Pacino as Spector and Helen Mirren as his conflicted attorney.
The story of Spector's downfall is grisly. He pioneered the Wall of Sound recording technique utilized by the Beatles, the Ronettes, and John Lennon. Incredibly wealthy but terribly volatile, Spector was accused of shooting and killing actress Lana Clarkson ("Fast Times at Ridgemont High") in 2003. The first trial ended with a hung jury, but the second resulted in Spector's conviction.
Based on the trailer, the film (written and directed by David Mamet) will take a media-circus type of approach to the material. Pacino is vintage Pacino. He yells and fires a pistol into the air, while Mirren frets over whether her client is guilty of murder. "They let O.J. go. They let Michael Jackson go. They are not gonna let him go," Mirren's character says.
And then there are Spector’s wigs. Fortunately for viewers, Mamet clearly didn't skimp on the hairpiece budget. The first shot we get of Pacino, he's emerging from the shadows wearing a ridiculously curly wig. Later in the trailer, we see him in different hair pieces, none of them remotely subtle.
Check out the trailer below. Please note it contains adult language and violent images. The film will premiere on HBO on March 24.
