A Book Review: Last Night at the Viper Room
To much dismay, this blog isn't entirely dedicated
to fashion. It is, as stated above, a blog about everything and nothing.
Today's post about everything and nothing is directed towards the 90s heart throb River Phoenix, his life, and legacy left behind.
As I was reading an article from
Rolling Stone I got distracted by another article, and then another article and
then so on and so forth (Rolling Stone is really great at driving that
'cost-per-click') until I was led to a book review covering the short life
that River Phoenix had left behind, Last Night at the Viper Room. The
review was so enticing that I called Barnes & Noble right away to make sure they could reserve the book for me.
Not to be confused with Oprah's Book Club, however,
I would highly suggest reading this.
Although I have no recollection of River Phoenix
when he was alive due to the fact that I was just a child, his presence has
always resonated with me. Not sure why or how, his life has always been something of interest to me.
With that being said, lets review; Shall we?
Written by Gavin Edwards, Last Night at the Viper
Room goes in-depth of River and the entire Phoenix Family. Covering the lives
of his parents, his travels, and the family’s beliefs that led River to become
a sort of Martyr for his family and the world. Born August 23rd, 1970 River
Jude Phoenix was highly recognized as an actor and an activist. At a very young
age, River became accustomed to being sort of a "third parent" to his
brothers and sisters. Not that this bothered him, he enjoyed it, it was almost
a natural trait; serving more as paternal figure to his siblings than his
actual parents. River's claim to fame happened in "Stand By Me" based
on the novel by Stephen King. Phoenix also earned an Academy Award
nomination for his role in "Running on Empty" directed by Sydney
Lumet.
River was on the rise to have a promising career in
the acting industry and was considered one of the most talented actors of
his generation. A life cut short. Although he had a true calling for acting he
pursued a career in music as well. Efforts to creating a band and seeking
recognition in the music industry were overshadowed by his demand in
acting.
River used his popularity in acting to voice
another passion of his, activism. At an early age, River was dedicated to
living a meat-free, vegan lifestyle. He proudly showcased this life choice and
took any chance he could to promote the positivity of being
vegan. Whether working with PETA to display the organizations efforts or
purchasing land to prevent it from becoming overcrowded with hotels and strip
malls, River's adoration and admiration for the earth and the creatures on it
were conveyed for the world to see.
Still, through the success of his
career, River faced demons even he couldn't face. Unfortunately, River's drug
addiction and overdose as well as The Viper Room have sort of declared infamy of their own. Despite the way River left us, we must not
forget the true talent he had. After reading Last Night at the Viper Room I
decided to binge on the movies he made through his acting career. Some bad,
some good, some showing the sheer, raw talent River possessed.
In short, it shouldn't matter how someone left this
world. What we need to focus on is the good that was done by a person while
they were on this planet. River did that, and continues to through his work in film and his drive in preserving the planet we live on.
Rest easy, River.
About the Author
0 comments