They didn't need to though. Without a doubt this was the best 'footage' of the con. Rodriguez showed a several minute long test followed by character shots from his take on Miller's "Sin City". The film is undoubtedly one of the most distinctly stylised visual movies I can think of in ages. The black and white noir is in high contrast with glaring use of the odd colour - in effect Rodriguez has set out and achieved a visual style so close to a comic that it's startling - frame comparisons with Miller's work were shown throughout and the preciseness is incredible.
The initial piece is a short vignette based on "The Customer's Always Right" and stars Josh Hartnett and Marley Shelton talking on a balcony. All of the actors in this look SO different from what we're used to seeing them it's astonishing. Hartnett in this finally showed what his Clark Kent would've been like, Clive Owen has shoulder length long hair and a barber's old fashioned razor blade, Rosario Dawson struts around in a fishnet bodysuit, Rourke sports a bandaid covered face, and a heavily made up Nick Stahl does a great Yellow Bastard.
Rodriguez's Q&A revealed some interesting stuff. The just under two hours film is three separate stories 'The Hard Good Bye', 'The Big Fat Kill' and 'That Yellow Bastard' which we will see longer versions of on the DVD. Best comment of all though was that should they make more of these Sin City stories, the aim would be to potentially later issue DVD discs with one separate story per disc which would be included inside trade paperbacks so you could read the comic and then watch the film interpretation of it.
Ratings wise Rodriguez talked of little tricks like showing blood in white silhouette which would allow him to garner the R rating whilst still keeping the intensity of the comic's violence intact. Three character posters featuring three of the girls were also on display and below comes a look:
