Confessing About Sin City

Confessing About Sin City
Monday March 28, 2005 4:00AM PT

Sin City

While movie buzz this year has been lackluster, things are looking up at the box office. Sin City is a flick that has fans sitting up and searching -- a dynamic departure from 2005's box-office fare thus far. While Hitch cracked the magic $100 million barrier, buzz on the Will Smith vehicle was never overpowering, and its money-making prowess can be attributed to lackluster cinematic competition. Thankfully, you don't have to play Hide and Seek at the movies anymore -- Elektra has left the building.

In Elektra's sad stead, Sin City hopes to redeem the good name of comic book film adaptations. Searches on the heavily stylized flick based on a Frank Miller graphic novel are up 36% for the week, and the movie is now holding down a spot in our top 400 search terms. As with any comic book flick, the fanboy force is driving the buzz -- 2/3 of searches are from guys. Those looking for a glimpse of the mayhem soon to hit big screens sent searches on "Sin City Trailer" up 25% this week. The legendary Miller, who shares directing and writing credit with maverick auteur Robert Rodriguez, saw his searches leap 81%.

The cast of Sin City is loaded with Hollywood heavy hitters, and buzz on the celebs is rising. Mickey Rourke is looking to resurrect his career, and searches on the long-forgotten champ of method acting are up 105%. As for the movie's babes, searches on Rosario Dawson (+100%), Carla Gugino (+119%), Alexis Bledel (+16%), and Brittany Murphy (+25%) are all surging.

But the buzz of that fantastic female foursome pales in comparison to the sizzling search volume on top-line star Jessica Alba. The brunette beauty has been a buzz fave since her turn in Dark Angel, but Sin City is lifting her into rarefied search air. Queries on Alba have doubled over the last month, making her one of the top five actress searches. Couple a recent red-hot GQ layout with the publicity surrounding Sin City and Fantastic Four, and we doubt Alba will relinquish her spot as a search favorite any time soon.