River Phoenix died nearly 19 years ago, at the far-too-young age of 23. He left behind a filmography that was promising on its own but seemed to suggest much more to come, with performances in Stand By Me, My Own Private Idaho and Sneakers that had people assuming he would be one of the best actors of his generation. His career was cut tragically short, but as it turns out, we haven't actually seen the last of what Phoenix has to offer onscreen.
Last fall news broke that Dutch director George Sluizer was planning to finally finish Dark Blood, the film Phoenix was shooting just before his death. Phoenix was playing a young man living on a nuclear test site in the desert, awaiting the end of the world when he encounters a couple (Judy Davis and Jonathan Pryce) seeking shelter. Sluizer hid the footage after Phoenix's death, worried that people might try to destroy it, and now that he's done some re-editing with cash form the Neterhlands Film Fund, he's ready to present the film at last. THR reports that Dark Blood will premiere at the Netherlands Film Festival on September 27, in competition for the festival's Golden Calf award.
It's hard to know what to expect from the movie, both because it sounds so strange-- Phoenix's character is named only Boy and crafts dolls that contain magical powers-- and because it's been shaped out of unfinished footage. But the chance to see Phoenix's final performance is not a small thing. so we'll be watching reports from the festival with interest next month.
