Randy Johnston: Life imitates art

screen grab from 'the septemberists'/anthony goicolea

Another twenty-four hours has passed since the news broke of last Saturday's death of 20 year-old American model Randy Johnston and still no official word on the exact circumstances. Frockwriter has contacted Ford Models, with as yet no reply. As Johnston's family gathers in his home town to pay their last respects, here is an excerpt from the short film that I mentioned yesterday, in which Johnston plays a morbid cameo role. In a coffin. Shot two years ago by Brooklyn-based artist Anthony Goicolea and presented in its original 30-minute version at Thom Browne's Spring/Summer 2007 presentation, the film has suddenly reemerged on high rotation as a disquieting eulogy to the tragic young fashion star.

UPDATE 10/12/08: RIVER PHOENIX LOOKALIKE MODEL DIES. EIGHT WEEKS LATER, NOW WE KNOW WHY.

Called The Septemberists, according to Goicolea's website, the film:

"chronicles the preparations and processes associated with traditional religious ceremonies. A group of boys harvests materials in a dream-like landscape in order to construct the clothing and elements necessary to enact a series of semi-sacrificial rites of passage. Taking inspiration from Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf," the musical score becomes a substitute for dialogue.... In the final scenes, a first communion, wedding and funeral blend together and culminate as a make shift wooden coffin is rowed down stream and crosses paths with a baptismal ceremony."

Johnston was cast in the starring role of the funeral scene.

Here's the video.