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Rise of the Phoenix
Wednesday 1st August 2012 | Osh
19 years ago, the hyper-talented Oscar-nominated older brother of Joaquin, Summer, Rain and Liberty, River Phoenix died of heart failure brought on by a heroin overdose outside Johnny Depp’s nightclub The Viper Room. Renowned for appearances in classics such as Stand By Me and My Own Private Idaho, he never fully realised the extent of his potential, passing away at the tender age of 23.
When he died, Phoenix had been in the middle of filming Dark Blood with Dutch director George Sluizer. Worried that the film would be destroyed, Sluizer hid it and it was announced that work has been put in re-editing Dark Blood for premiering at the Netherlands Film Fesitval on 27 September. So far, plotlines circulating the film universe are pretty bizzare. Phoenix plays a character called Boy who is living in the desert on a nuclear testing site as he awaits the end of the world, and has a penchant for making dolls that hold magical powers.
In his death, he left behind a trail of films which he was confirmed to be a part of but would never play, including a part in Interview with a Vampire - arguably one of the greatest vamp films ever made – and Milk, which was shelved for 15 years after which his role was adopted by Emile Hirsh in the Oscar-nominated feature. This was a man who not only displayed serious flair in his credited filmography but, judging by the work he never got to complete, would have continued to astonish film audiences for years to come.
Therefore, even though we can’t be certain what Dark Blood will be like, it’s great news that it has been given a release date and will actually make it to the big screen, not only so that unfamiliar younger viewers will understand why River Phoenix was dubbed one of the greatest actors of his generation, but so those who grew up with his films or avidly watched them anyway can bask in that glow once more.
Look out for news on Dark Blood at Netherlands Film Festival next month and, in the meantime, check out the unofficial trailer put together below.
Angie Moneke (@angiejudeLDN)
