One of the most interesting and tragic stories I have ever read in Vanity Fair was that of the famed artist Jeremy Blake and his love, Theresa Duncan (article here). Together for many years living a bi coastal bohemian lifestyle, Duncan unexpectedly took her own life in July 2007 and soon thereafter, Blake went missing and was presumed to have committed suicide as well by walking into the ocean. Now comes word that Brett Easton Ellis (American Psycho) will be writing a screenplay on the doomed couple and the film will be produced by Lionsgate. As the writer of the article describes to VF (for which Ellis will base the screenplay off of), "It’s a kind of modern Romeo and Juliet story, set in the East Village, with the addition of anti-Bush conspiracy theories and Scientologists, They continue to be the subject of fascination precisely because no one knows exactly why they did it. We only know that they were deeply in love, which makes their suicides all the more mysterious. Because of their great talent and beauty, they’ve become a sort of cult couple. There couldn't be a more perfect writer for this story than Bret Easton Ellis because he is such a great chronicler of the modern macabre.”
5 comments:
Dear Brunch,
Romeo's Juliet was 13 years old. Theresa Duncan was a middle aged woman who would cross the street to avoid someone who smelled bad.
There's nothing Shakespearian about this story. Couples who are "deeply in love" don't kill themselves. Adult couples who are deeply disturbed however....
That being said I think it is quite ironic that the same Hollywod folks Theresa was so afraid of are now going to make a bunch of money over her dead body.
If she had spent less time as "a lonely wit" obsessing over things she had no power to change (and no business making public), and more time building a happy family - the woman would be alive today.
Theresa was more ignored by Hollywood, and that drove her over the edge, I think. Ellis hasn't had anything produced, so I doubt that this is very serious. And Sales doesn't have the full story or the full power to sell the story, so we'll see what happens in the future. It's always complicated. I feel sorry for Jeremy's family.
http://aconstantineblacklist.blogspot.com/2008
/02/duncan-blake-suicides-solved.html
http://theremy.wordpress.com/
http://theresaduncancentral.blogspot.com/
Whatever the truth, the woman seems to have had a pretty high opinion of herself. Have you watched the "memorial" film on her website? Who has that kind of footage of themselves laying around?
There's already a damn good script available -- WGA Registered - turnkey and ready to shoot.
To Super Robot Monkey Team, regarding Memorial film: Theresa did not have that footage "laying around." It has been in the sole possession of the filmmaker for the past 16 years.
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