Dark Blood (2012)

Dealing with nuclear testing and its long-lasting deadly effects, the story portrays Boy, a young widower living in the desert on a nuclear testing site. Living as a hermit,he waits for the... See full summary »

Director:

George Sluizer

Writer:

Jim Barton

Stars:

River Phoenix, Jonathan Pryce, Judy Davis

Cast

Credited cast:
River Phoenix	...	Boy
Jonathan Pryce	...	Harry Fisher
Judy Davis	...	Buffy
Rhonda Aldrich
T. Dan Hopkins	...	Joe Tapesi
Karen Black	...	Motel Woman
John Trudell	...	Indian #2
Julius Drum
Rodney A. Grant	...	Indian #3
George Aguilar	...	Indian #4
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lorne Miller	...	Mechanic / Motel Woman's Son

Storyline

Dealing with nuclear testing and its long-lasting deadly effects, the story portrays Boy, a young widower living in the desert on a nuclear testing site. Living as a hermit,he waits for the end of the world carving Kachina dolls that he believes have magical powers. While traveling on a "second" honeymoon across the Arizona desert,the car of a Hollywood jet-set couple breaks down. They are rescued by Boy, who holds them prisoners because he desires the woman and wants to create a better world with her.

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Plot Keywords:

nuclear testing | neo western

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Genres:

Thriller

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA UK Netherlands

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 March 2013 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fine Line Features, Scala Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In May 2012 Director George Sluizer decided to crowd-fund his post-production to finish 'Dark Blood' trough www.cinecrowd.nl.

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Quotes

Boy: He died in a mental institution. Melancholia, so I'm told.
Buffy: Your great, great grandfather? So that makes you...?
Boy: One eighth Hopi and prone to depression. (pause) Dark blood in my veins. Got some dark blood yourself. You're familiar with... the dark side of things.

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Connections

Referenced in Midnight Movie Review: George Sluizer on River Phoenix and Dark Blood (2012)

User Reviews

I was at the premiere...

I've been crazy about movies ever since i was eleven (this was in 1985) and at the time of his death really liked Phoenix as an actor in The Mosquito Coast, Running on Empty and (especially) Stand by me. I remember thinking it such a loss when i heard he had died and being really curious about this film. Not only his last film but also made by a fellow Dutchman. A director responsible for making one of the only classics in Dutch cinema (Spoorloos a.k.a The vanishing). So, cut to the present, i was extremely curious to see this unfinished film and very happy to get the chance to attend the premiere. The fact that there were (crucial) scene's missing didn't bother me. I can still love a film for it's great parts (like a lot of Brian DePalma's movies). So i was hoping for a few memorable moments either in acting, writing, plot or in the use of visuals. But, unfortunately, those moments never came! I was bored from the first frame to the last. It never is a badly made film but it also never becomes anything special or interesting. If this film had been finished to completion before River's death, it would (i my estimation) have been forgotten about by now. I never cared about River's last films ("even cowgirls get the blues, the thing called love, silent tongue") and this film, sadly, doesn't change that...