Major Film About Scientology?
October 15, 2009 by XENU TV
Filed under Latest News
Jeremy Blake and Theresa Duncan
The Guardian is reporting that art house powerhouses Gus van Sant and Bret Easton Ellis are writing a film about the lives and deaths of artists Theresa Duncan and Jeremy Blake.
It is a tale of intrigue, paranoia and harassment by unseen forces, one which takes in the rock star Beck, the Church of Scientology and 9/11 conspiracies. It ends with the deaths of two wildly successful and popular artists who may have killed themselves to escape the demons – real or imagined – that were pursuing them.
Variety reports that director Gus van Sant and Bret Easton Ellis, writer of American Psycho and The Rules of Attraction, are to work on the screenplay for a new film about the lives and deaths of Theresa Duncan and Jeremy Blake, a couple who became darlings of the downtown New York and Venice, California art scenes. Their script will be based on a Vanity Fair article, The Golden Suicides, by Nancy Jo Sales, which was published in January last year.
Duncan was 40 when she overdosed on prescription drugs on 10 July 2007. Blake, 35, followed a week later, walking into the Atlantic ocean off Rockaway Beach to end his life.
In her article, Sales detailed a boho lifestyle of shared creativity, glamour and ambition, underpinned by a powerful emotional bond. Duncan had been a successful producer of videogames for girls, whose work was credited with opening up a new market for the industry, while he was the celebrated creator of a new type of “digital painting” – kaleidoscopic images shown on plasma screens. At the time of her death, Duncan also reportedly had a two-movie deal with studio Fox Searchlight.
Sales suggests that the lovers may have felt they were being targeted by agents from the Church of Scientology, stemming from their ties with Beck. Duncan had planned to involve the singer in her abandoned film project, Alice Underground, in 2004, while Blake supplied the artwork for his Sea Change album. But the relationship soured and Duncan started to blog, alleging harassment by Scientologists.
That was the start of their downward spiral. By their final months, they were also reportedly interested in a number of CIA plots and leftwing 9/11 conspiracy theories and had alienated many of their former friends with their obsession.
Van Sant is co-writing the screenplay with Easton Ellis, but has not yet decided whether to direct, Variety reports. The Oscar-nominated film-maker most recently brought Milk, his biopic of the assassinated gay politican Harvey Milk, to the big screen.
It would be fascinating to see what a smart filmmaker would do with Scientology as at least a tangential subject. For more about Jeremy Blake and Theresa Duncan, read this terrific L.A. Times article.
Welcome back WBM! Good to see the problems were technical and not something else (hint hint).
After reading some of the article containing content from “The Golden Suicides” I believe these two stopped researching conspiracies and started living them.
Whether it was Scientology, 911 or something else conspiratorial beliefs can and do have merit provided people thoroughly investigate such beliefs and balance them with proven facts.
There is sufficient proven facts that Scientology has and continues to engage in conspiracies involving slander, financial ruin and in some cases physical and emotional stress towards former members, current members and anyone viewed as critical of its’ peculiar organization. Whether it did this in part or in whole with these two remains to be seen. If so, it wouldn’t be the first time suicides have been connected with this lovely cult.
Imagine a movie about the conspiracy theories scientology upholds.
This is truly an exciting time we live in.
Any news on where slappy the dwarf is hanging out.
Or is he still missing ?
I smell an Oscar…
I really hope they explore every angle here.
Too bad anonymous wasn’t around before this couple died.
I get a feeling that if Scientology is mentioned at all it will be under a pseudonym or a euphamism (“the Church”, “the Organization”.) Look at how many movies (usually biopics) have actors made up as famous people, but they never name the person for fear of a lawsuit. A good example would be the crud film “Factory Girl” (which is about the life of Edie Sedgewick); Bob Dylan is a character in the picture, but he is never named. Hollywood fears lawyers that aren’t on their payroll. On top of the Co$ there’s also Beck to deal with, and it’s my understanding that the guy hides his Scientological background as best he can. Maybe he’ll get an un-named look-alike as well.
Even if they don’t call it Scientology, everyone will know it’s Scientology. I hope this gets made. Aside from it being a GVS flick, which I generally like, just dealing with Scientology tangentially opens the door up a little wider.
A major Hollywood flick about the cult is inevitable. There’s just too much juicy material there to ignore, from Paulette Cooper to Marc Headley (BFG’s story even has a climactic motorcycle chase!), and their power is dwindling. People are no longer afraid of them.
Lights.Camera. And….Action!