Brad was an exceptionally talented young actor and our time spent with him was thoroughly enjoyable. I think brad had lived a great deal by the time he was 10 and had. A film version of the book has been produced from a script by ellis and nicholas jarecki and was screened at the 2009 sundance film festival. Bret easton ellis adaptation the informers loses entire. So when the late brad renfro discovers his felonious relative mickey rourke on his doorstep one day, the decision to not call the cops results in his eventual collaboration in an unspeakable crime. Brad renfro is the latest young heartthrob to pass away before his time. Brad renfro, who once played huck finn, died of a heroin overdose on jan. It was the last feature film for actor brad renfro before his death on january 15, 2008, at the age of 25.
Informers another lifeless bret ellis tale the denver post. Winona ryder appears to have taken this job as a form of extended community. When the two clapped eyes on each other for the first time in a decade, what altschul saw shocked him. Billy bob thornton, winona ryder, kim basinger, mickey rourke, brad renfro, amber heard. The informers is about dread, despair and doom, and its characters are almost all about to be hit with more reasons for dread and despair, and a shared doom. I was enjoying the funny, boyish conversation brad, aged about 11, was having with his 8yearold brother, when suddenly the drama kicks off. While the novels supernatural underpinnings were largely panned by book critics, others. Brad renfro back in the brad renfro was named one of people magazines top 30 under unfortunately his substance abuse and sub. All star cast for bret easton elliss story about 1980s excess follow us on twitter at test.
The client by john grisham visual 43 editions published between 1994 and 2017 in 3 languages and held by 1,161 worldcat member libraries worldwide. Brandon routh as the books main vampire, jamie, has either been. In the book, jack goes into the bathroom and haltingly stabs the boy. Informers another lifeless bret ellis tale share this. This is brad renfros last film appearance, and it premiers at the 2009 sundance film festival. The two had first met on the 1998 psychological thriller apt pupil, renfro as the films star along with ian mckellen, altschul as its 34yearold first assistant director, working with director bryan singer. I knew the name brad renfro, so i thought that he must be grown up now, seeing that the film is from 1994, so i looked to see if he had a page and, if so, how tall he has grown to. The two had first met on the 1998 psychological thriller apt pupil, renfro as the films star along with ian mckellen, altschul as its 34yearold first assistant director, working with director bryan singer despite the fact that renfro had a knack for. He had just finished filming the informers, an adaptation of the bret easton ellis novel, with winona ryder and billy bob thornton.
He made his film debut at the age of 11 in the lead role in the client, and went on to star in 21 feature films. Jan 26, 2009 the latest ellis adaptation, the informers based on his book from 1994, premiered at sundance and will be released by new distributor senator films this spring. Informers offers less than zero insights bill gibron. Find video, photos, forums, blogs and shop for some of. Find video, photos, forums, blogs and shop for some of the best movies ever made only at tcm.
Jul 18, 2009 all star cast for bret easton elliss story about 1980s excess follow us on twitter at test. I felt obligated to post this after the academy awards so blatantly dismissed his acting contributions in their memorial montage. Bret easton ellis schreef in 1994 het boek the informers. Also billy bob thornton as her husband, a moviestudio bigwig, winona ryder as his mistress, a television newscaster, chris isaak and. Brad renfro full list of movies and tv shows in theaters, in production and upcoming films. So when the late brad renfro discovers his felonious relative mickey. He was discovered at age 10 by director joel schumacher and was cast in the motion picture the client 1994, which starred susan. Also, the title refers to a band that is seen throughout the movie, but the movie has very little to do with any of the band members after about the first third of the movie.
But renfro was also wellknown for his personal problems. Turner classic movies presents the greatest motion pictures of all time from one of the largest film libraries in the world. Billy bob, basinger, rourke, renfo, ryder i could have sworn i created a thread about this film, but nothing came up. Apr 24, 2009 kim basinger is in it, playing grahams mom. Pineapple express amber heard and brad renfros last theatrical role. Also starring chris isaak, brad renfro, amber heard pineapple express and austin.
Also billy bob thornton as her husband, a moviestudio bigwig, winona ryder as his mistress, a television newscaster, chris isaak and, alarmingly. Jul 26, 1994 the book begins and ends with an apologetic and hopeful tone which is odd because there is very little done with regret or a cause for optimism after experiencing the narratives of the many characters that amount to a part of a whole in the informers by brett easton ellis. Renfro was an adult, playing a supporting role in the dark ensemble drama the informers, and altschul was again the first ad. Nov 17, 2017 an indepth look inside the career and untimely death of actor brad renfro. After i wrote my blog entry on the contact i had with anna nicole smith after her death, i started getting contacted by the families of other high profile deceased people. The books original violence, together with its constant references to drug. Bret easton elliss the informers is all the more repulsive in 2009. Much like sal mineo, james dean, and river phoenix, renfro possessed a genuine and understated talent and had accumulated a dedicated fan base despite his recent retreat from the spotlight. Billy bob thornton looks like hes acting under the influence of prozac. The most important book totv adaptations coming in 2020. Theres no point to these characters, their perversions or their suffering. The mickie rourke storyline just seemed unnecessary and shoehorned in although not really attached to anything else.
Graphic novel big black is a stunning depiction of the attica prison uprising. It was directed by gregor jordan and featured an ensemble cast, such as winona ryder, billy bob thornton, mickey rourke, amber heard and kim basinger. The informers is directed by gregor jordan buffalo soldiers and stars billy bob thornton, kim basinger, mickey rourke, winona ryder, rhys ifans and brad renfro. Bret easton ellis adaptation the informers loses entire vampire subplot with. The collection was first published as a whole in 1994. I wasnt expecting that, but i helped where i could. Film adaptation of the informers nixes vampires paste.
The informers is a 2008 american ensemble hollywood drama film written by bret easton ellis. In 2012, actor james franco had the name brad tattooed on his right shoulder in memory of renfro. Mickey rourke in the informers 2008 gregor jordan in the informers 2008 jon foster and amber. Bret easton ellis adaptation the informers loses entire vampire. Now comes the informers, a planned satire that was sidetracked by a. Prior to being cast in the client, renfro had no acting background and was living with his grandmother in a trailer park. In a film filled with drug addicts and selfabsorbed hypocrites, renfros jack is the closest anyone gets to being normal or sympathetic. It is partly based on the jack london novel of the same name. It demonstrates the eerie ways that music and movies connect people from vastly different. The informers is dedicated to him, which could at best be considered a dubious memorial.
Beyond that, and some good work in a bad role by the late brad renfro, the rest of the informers is pedantic rubbish. Mar 04, 2008 i shot and edited this back in october 2007. Mark foster of foster the people was renfros roommate and wrote a song about his death called downtown. This graph shows brad renfros score on our annual analysis of leading stars at the box office. Massy tadjedin wrote the screenplay based on a story by tom bleecker and marc rocco.
Now, adapting his own acclaimed novel for the screen, he returns to the. Winona ryder, amber heard, rhys ifans, brad renfro, jon foster. His only tie to the other characters is that his nephew played by brad renfro in the last role before his death worked in the building where amber heards character lived. Renfro made his film debut at the age of 11 with a starring role in the client 1994, and went on to appear in 21 feature films. The informers is a collection of short stories, linked by the same continuity, written by american author bret easton ellis. Kim basinger and billy bob thornton star in an adaptation of. The book begins and ends with an apologetic and hopeful tone which is odd because there is very little done with regret or a cause for optimism after experiencing the narratives of the many characters that amount to a part of a whole in the informers by brett easton ellis. Brad barron renfro july 25, 1982 january 15, 2008 was an american actor. Jan 16, 2008 he had just finished filming the informers, an adaptation of the bret easton ellis novel, with winona ryder and billy bob thornton. Most widely held works about brad renfro buraddo renfuro book the thing by james franco visual most widely held works by brad renfro. Brad renfro nude 19 images and 6 videos including scenes from bully happy campers apt pupil. Brad renfro was born on july 25, 1982 in knoxville, tennessee, to angela denise mccrory and mark renfro, a factory worker. Unfortunately the word on the grapevine is that the filmmakers have decided to omit the supernatural elements of the book from the film version.
Jan 15, 2008 brad renfro full list of movies and tv shows in theaters, in production and upcoming films. This is also the final movie appearance for brad renfro, who o. I knew the name brad renfro, so i thought that he must be grown up now, seeing that the film is from 1994, so i looked to see if. Brad renfro looked different, but fernando altschul expected that they hadnt seen each other in 10 years, when renfro was 14 years old. In deuces wild, he, the wise age of seventeen, had. The informers, a film showing at sundance that was adapted from a book of bret. The latest ellis adaptation, the informers based on his book from 1994, premiered at sundance and will be released by new distributor senator films this spring. Winona ryder, billy bob thornton, amber heard and the late brad renfro.
I was one of the last people to edit something brad had done. Kim basinger and billy bob thornton star in an adaptation. Reviewing the book for the new york times, michiko kakutani wrote that ellis had. An indepth look inside the career and untimely death of actor brad renfro.
Chapters 6 and 7, water from the sun and discovering japan, were published separately in the uk by picador in 2007. Billy bob thornton william sloan, kim basinger laura sloan, winona ryder cheryl moore, mickey rourke peter, brad renfro jack, amber heard christie a collection of brett easton ellis short stories is brought to the screen in a compendium which is closer to southland tales than it is to short cuts. The star score represents points assigned to each of the leading stars of the top 100 movies based on box office in the current year and two preceding years. Billy bob thornton, chris isaak and brad renfro, in his final role. Already premiered at film festivals around the globe, the informers will be released later this summer. Apr 22, 2009 the informers is about dread, despair and doom, and its characters are almost all about to be hit with more reasons for dread and despair, and a shared doom. I like that the writer of the book also did the screenplay.
Nov 30, 2016 the mickie rourke storyline just seemed unnecessary and shoehorned in although not really attached to anything else. In a film filled with drug addicts and selfabsorbed hypocrites, renfro s jack is the closest anyone gets to being normal or sympathetic. Similarly, when party boy martin is marked as a bisexual prostitute selling his favors for whatever he can get. The informers, a film of bret easton ellis stories, swims against the tide. Mark foster of foster the people was renfro s roommate and wrote a song about his death called downtown. He was discovered at age 10 by director joel schumacher and was cast in the motion picture the client 1994, which starred susan sarandon and tommy lee jones. Prior to being cast in the client, renfro had no acting. Some viewers of the informers criticize it for lacking a third act, but these lives are all twoact plays. Communicating with deceased actor brad renfro after i wrote my blog entry on the contact i had with anna nicole smith after her death, i started getting contacted by the families of other high profile deceased people. Informers offers less than zero insights popmatters. The last picture to see brad in front of the camera will be this years the informers.