Last Night at the Viper Room: River Phoenix and the Hollywood He Left Behind (30 page)

72. YOUNG HOLLYWOOD 1993

Van Sant on River’s cameo in
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues:
Lawrence. “the breakthrough performance of the decade”: Thompson. “I knew it was awful”: Thompson. “Johnny was pretty unhappy”: Thompson. “spelled u-r-i-n-e”: Meikle. “career-making”: Turan. “I can’t do this anymore,” “I don’t know if it was a combination”: Kiedis.

73. TONIGHT’S THE NIGHT

“I’m here because my manager”: Glatt. “was wearing those flared-out hippie pants”: Schindehette et al. “Earl Grey”: Schindehette et al., password confirmed by Snyder. “Hey, is anyone there?”: Schindehette et al. “When you do blow”: Ritz and Ritz. “That’s what they’ll take you out in”: Schindehette et al. “People say it’s an amino acid”: Hubler and Hochman. “I tried it once”: Hubler and Hochman. “The real drug of choice”: Schindehette et al. “a really cute boy”: interview segment in the “River Phoenix” episode of the
Final 24
television show, first broadcast in 2006. “I’d rather you just point a gun,” “That’s the end of the drugs”: Glatt. “When my next two films are released”: Snyder. “a bizarre, meandering and finally, maddening mystical oater”: McCarthy. (
Oater
is
Variety
argot for “western.”) “You’ve had that script for a month,” “Samantha said it was great,” “I think Samantha wants”: Snyder. “Do you have any idea,” “I don’t want to work,” and subsequent conversation: Snyder. “You know, Bill, I’m working”: author interview with William Richert (2103). “He was sweating, drunk, tired, very beautiful”: Cowie.
Safe Passage:
Snyder.
Noah:
author interview with William Richert (2013).
By Way of Fontana:
Friend. “River didn’t ask the waiter”: author interview with George Sluizer (2013). “I told the director”: Snyder.

74. I’M IN A TRANSITIONAL PERIOD, SO I DON’T WANT TO KILL YOU

“Basically, that whole Touchstone formula”: Udovitch (1996).

75. IF I HAD A HI-FI

“I don’t think their relationship”: Glatt (quoting William Richert). “started crying and trying”: Glatt, quoting Rachel Guinan. “River was in charge”: Glatt. “It’s brilliant”: Glatt. “We were in overdrive”: Lawrence. “He was being so creative”: Glatt.

76. FIRST NIGHT AT THE VIPER ROOM

Early Viper Room history: Meikle. “On nights when a hired band”: Rogan. That bartender, James E. Rogan, later became a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives for two terms and. as of 2013, is serving as a judge on the Superior Court of California. “It was a dive”: Ebner. “When the Central was closing down”: Ebner. “a group of musicians,” “The place became a scene”: Meikle. “Just tell Stan,” “God, it would have been cool”: from
Runnin’ Down a Dream,
the 2007 documentary on Tom Petty directed by Peter Bogdanovich. “People who had never walked”: Ebner. “There used to be graffiti”: Rollins. “We just walked in”: Ebner. “a very bizarre night”: Ebner. “Johnny lost interest”: author interview with anonymous Viper Room employee (2012).

77. GIVE BLOOD

“The idea was for them”: Glatt. “I’ll see you after”: Glatt. “Well, he did”: Glatt. “I knew of his drug habit”: author interview with George Sluizer (2013). “That’s the only time”: Glatt. “Maybe twenty miles”: author interview with George Sluizer (2013). “Since David Lean”: Lawrence. “We were not the best of friends”: Sluizer. “What is this, Frat Boy’s question time?”: Glatt. “I thought he was doing”: Abramowitz et al. “He did not use anything”: Abramowitz et al. “He had difficulty with certain lines”: author interview with George Sluizer (2013). “In my opinion, that was made”: Abramowitz et al. Artichokes and corn: author interview with William Richert (2013). “Thanks be to UFO Godmother,” “Take me”: Friend. “You’re in this picture”: Glatt. “I had to sometimes say”: author interview with George Sluizer (2013). “We were on this kind of inexorable journey,” “Somebody’s going to die”: Abramowitz et al. “Iris, they’re killing snakes,” “I’m not a pet coroner”: Snyder. “I’m having a hard time”: author interview with William Richert (2013). “I’m going back”: Glatt.

PART SIX

78. THE BAD, BAD TOWN

“He looked like a corpse”: Snyder. “Chris . . . I can’t”: Snyder. “This can’t go on”: Snyder. “He was not one hundred percent”: Glatt. All
Dark Blood
dialogue is quoted from shooting script by James Barton (“Fifth Draft B,” dated September 16, 1993). “He came up to the camera”: Lawrence.

79. VIPER HEROIN X

“Can someone help me,” “I came to help you,” and following dialogue: Abramowitz et al. “I’m coming”: author interview with William Richert (2013). “It was dark”: Thompson. “When I was eighteen”: Fussman (2010). “I wanted to reach out”: Thompson. “He was beyond pale”: Fussman (2010). “I’ll sing at the table”: author interview with William Richert (2013). Vodka and bourbon: Lawrence, quoting Pleasant Gehman. “Hey, Riv, drink this”: author interview with William Richert (2013). “What did you give me?”: Glatt. “Sam called and said”: Glatt. “figured some guys,” “Hey, Sam, what’s up?” : Abramowitz et al. “No one was doing anything”: Lawrence. “Oh, God. Gross”: Glatt. “You need to call,” “He’s fine”: Lawrence. “It looked like a normal occurrence”: Levitt. “Michael Stipe” appeared two years later on P’s eponymous album. “It’s my brother” and other 911 conversation: public record transcribed by multiple sources, including Weinraub. “Outside there was a crowd”: Abramowitz et al. “We found him pulseless”: Lawrence. “speedballing”: Glatt. “However, his heart”: Lawrence. “It was a terrifying shock”: interview segment in the “River Phoenix” episode of the
Final 24
television show, first broadcast in 2006. “It was the classic cocaine overreaction”: Lawrence. “If there’s anything we can do”: Van Buskirk. “Come on, River”: Lawrence. Time of death: River’s autopsy report. Some times are precise in this chapter; for example, the ones logged by medical professionals. Some of them are the best approximations available, especially given the chaos at the Viper Room that night. The people closest to River that night have never spoken publicly about what happened on the evening of his death, but in the immediate aftermath, William Richert discussed it with Samantha Mathis, and his information proved invaluable when sorting through conflicting versions of events.

80. R.I.P. RJP

Events at the emergency room: Snyder. “The bottom line was”: Glatt. “I didn’t want to hold hands”: Lawrence. “When the sun shines”: Friend. “He was my brother”: Friend. “River’s in heaven, blah blah blah”: Friend. “River didn’t have to”: Friend. “You would have thought”: Friend. “Peter and I adopted”: Snyder. “Is there anybody,” “River was a sensitive”: Friend.

81. BROKEN DREAMS

“For me, the most respectful thing”: Brunner. “taking illegal drugs”: Shedden. “I call it saving”: Gettell.

82. NEVER GONNA WITHER

“When I finally worked”: Rinzler. “His heart went a little more to music”: author interview with George Sluizer (2013). Two lesser-known but moving musical tributes to River are “River” by Versus and “River Phoenix” by Japanther.

83. ECHO #5: MONTGOMERY CLIFT

Part of the reason for Clift’s enduring mythic power may be his friendship with Taylor; after he died, she kept talking about him in interviews (in striking contrast to River’s family and friends). “hyperenergetic, hyper-sincere”: Hoskyns. “Nobody ever lies about being lonely”: frequently misquoted as “lied.” “The Right Profile”: found on the Clash’s album
London Calling
(1979 [UK]/ 1980 ([USA]). The song’s chorus features the line “That’s Montgomery Clift, honey,” and the lyrics are rife with biographical details, including a verse on his car crash. The “roll of pills” lyrics appears to come from Patricia Bosworth’s biography and refers to a thousand Seconals. The title refers to the undamaged side of Clift’s face.

84. CLOSING TIME AT THE VIPER ROOM

“I’m grateful to be able”: Lawrence. “ultimately not a joyous experience”: Ebner. “the hillside manor”: Ebner. “We were all just twenty-three”: Ebner. “It was kind of a given”: Ebner. “a real hot, heavy kiss”: Andersen. “Maybe it’s the curse”: Meikle. “The facts establish”: Meikle. “bad memories”: Meikle.

85. BLOOD ON THE TRACKS

“I had the
Dark Blood
material”: author interview with George Sluizer (2013). “Normally, within five minutes”: Brunner. “He had contrasts”: author interview with George Sluizer (2013).

EPILOGUE

“I don’t know of a movie”: Junod. “Shit, man,” “Theater is not a stepping- stone”: author interview with Ethan Hawke (2004). “I’ve always held on to the idea”: Mohan. “I love everything that I felt on drugs”: author interview with John Frusciante (2000). “It’s a crazy thing”: Harris. “Nah, it’s not about that now”: Vernon. “Of course there is a sadness”: Corner. “I think it’s total, utter bullshit”: Mitchell. “I don’t need to pull from my experience”: Smith. “I don’t think anybody’s necessarily ready”: Fussman (2008).

PHOTOGRAPHIC INSERT

River Phoenix in 1987, at age sixteen.

© by Steve Schapiro/Corbis

The Phoenix children in a backyard pyramid in 1985, with River and Rain serving as the foundation.

Dianna Whitley_Shooting Star™

The Phoenix family in 1986 (from left): Summer, River, Rain (aka Rainbow), John, Liberty, Joaquin (aka Leaf), and Arlyn (aka Heart).

Stephen Ellison_Shooting Star™

The young stars of
Stand by Me
in 1985 (from left): Jerry O’Connell, River, Wil Wheaton, and Corey Feldman.

© by Columbia Pictures/courtesy of Everett Collection

Martha Plimpton with River in 1987: “He was just a boy, a very good-hearted boy who was very fucked up and had no idea how to implement his good intentions.”

© by Warner Bros./courtesy of Everett Collection

River in 1986, in Belize, on the set of
The Mosquito Coast.

Nancy Ellison/Polaris

Making
Running on Empty
in 1987 with director Sidney Lumet.

Photofest

Walking the red carpet at the 1989 Academy Awards with Martha Plimpton (who had recently shaved her head for a role).

Ron Galella/Getty Images

On the set of
Dogfight
with Lili Taylor in 1990. “He was such a hippie, and here he was playing this marine,” Taylor said of River. “It actually caused him a lot of discomfort.”

Photograph by Moviestore Collection/Rex/Rex USA

River in the arms of Keanu Reeves in
My Own Private Idaho
(filmed in 1990), simulating a narcoleptic episode and reenacting the Pietà.

Photograph by Moviestore Collection/Rex/Rex USA

River in 1991: onstage at Wetlands in New York City, playing guitar with Aleka’s Attic.

Steve Eichner/WireImage

River in
The Thing Called Love
with Samantha Mathis. They met during the 1992 shoot; a year later, she was with him at the Viper Room when he died.

© by Paramount/courtesy of Everett Collection