Nearly two decades after his much publicised death, actor River Phoenix's last movie Dark Blood, which co-stars Australian actress Judy Davis, will premiere at a Dutch film festival.
"Dark Blood by director George Sluizer will premiere
on Thursday evening, September 27 at the Netherlands Film Festival in
Utrecht," a statement on the festival's website announced.
The Dutch director had finished four-fifths of the movie when
Phoenix, playing one of the three main roles, collapsed and died of a
drug-induced heart-failure outside a Hollywood nightclub on October 31,
1993.
The 86-minute film was left unfinished until 80-year-old
Sluizer's deteriorating health prompted him to restart post-production
two years ago, his daughter Anouk Sluizer said.
It was finished in January this year.
"My father is ill and he decided to resume the movie's post-production after almost 20 years," she said, adding "he had shot about 81 per cent and there was enough material to make a suspenseful movie."
Dark Blood tells the story of Boy (played by
Phoenix), a young widower who retreats into the desert to live a
reclusive life after his wife died as a result of nuclear testing.
He saves a stranded couple on their second honeymoon, only to
keep them hostage as he fell in love with the female lead character
(played by Davis), according to a statement published on the Netherlands
Film Festival's website.
Because of Phoenix's death, Anouk said: "My father had to
find a creative solution, about which I cannot say much as there is an
element of surprise."
Phoenix died aged 23 and at the time was regarded as one of
the most promising rising young actors of his generation, together with
his peers including Johnny Depp and Brad Pitt.
His death at the time was compared to that of another silver
screen legend James Dean, who perished in a car crash in 1955 at the age
of 24.
