Saturday, January 27, 2018

Blind Item #1 - The Dancing Boy - Extra Clues

When posting The Dancing Boy blind item yesterday I didn't include his first sentence or last paragraph because I wasn't sure if he wanted them included. They add a few more clues and might identify him. Last night he agreed to include them.


In telling this story, I have to remain anonymous for now because of the project in development, and because a part of me is still fearful about what certain men might do when it all comes out.

There is, as I suggested at the outset, a feature in the works that incorporates this story in the form of a taxi cab confession. The broader story happens a few years later. Set in suburban LA, three local boys  - all of whom had alleged abuse by members of a breakaway ultra-orthodox Catholic church and its affiliated reform school for boys - turn up dead, and the town falls under the spell of a satanic panic. According to the rumor, spread like wildfire, the first death was "a Christian," the second a "virgin," and the third a "betrayer." All are said to have been murders, and part of a satanic initiation rite. Even the sheriff believes it. Before long, I'm no longer reading or hearing about it, but a part of it, suspected along with my closeted boyfriend (from a conservative Catholic family), and an out gay teacher from the high school (who doubles as a facilitator for the local lgbt youth group), of the killings (for little more reason, a la the West Memphis Three, of being a little unusual in this straight laced town). I am forced to make a final sacrifice, to choose between the mad love I feel for this other young man, and losing him, but telling the truth. You'll know it when it comes out because it shares a title with a certain classic Christmas song about a boy percussionist. 

98 comments:

Tricia13 said...

The Little Drummer Boy..

Tricia13 said...

But not sure if the connection...

overit122 said...

There’s a little drummer girl coming out in 2019...
Michael Shannon?

Krab said...

But the Little Drummer Girl adaption is based on the John le Carré novel (which is good by the way). It's nothing whatsover like this plot.

filmfanb said...

Ya that was the first thing to come into my head but the story/plot are totally different

overit122 said...

You’re right.. he or the film don’t work. Hmmm

Alexandria said...

This helps a looooot. Can't find "The little drummer boy" movie so far.
Maybe the information about the movie wasn't released yet, and it will be published later, like around 2020?

Anonymous said...

Worst viral marketing campaign EVER

CourtD said...

Michael Shannon was born in 1974 and judging by his current looks, he resembles absolutely nothing of Rick Schroeder. Plus he’s still working. I actually just watched The Iceman the other night....it’s pretty good.

pkelly491 said...

Ugh, this just makes the original blind more confusing

Anonymous said...

One thing to consider is that this could be an independent film, with a currently different working title. Look for films with this plot in production.

Sal Salington said...

Drummer Boy might clue back to the canceled project, otherwise I'm not sure this helps that much. For me, anyway.

Mr. Bond said...

Little baby
Pa rum pum pum pum
I am a poor boy too
Pa rum pum pum pum

Poor Boy 2018

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt7335008/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl

Just a guess

Land Manatee said...

Michael Shannon is one of my fav people...not perfect but def not him

Sal Salington said...

What about the semi-related The Tin Drum? It's got underage boys and sexuality in it. Was there a cancelled American remake?

Anonymous said...

S here's what we got:

He was 13 when this happened. He met the agent that got him into this 6 years earlier, so age 7. He was mistaken for Ricky Schroder one year earlier, age 6, at a time close enough to The Champ's release to make people go crazy. So, 1979-1982/3 at most. That puts the birth year around 1973-1977.

May have no credits prior to tweendom, may only have bit parts ("Boy #2" type stuff.) Was cast in a film at 13, so a film being made around 1986-1990. Lead, or significant role. Enough to get Teen Beat type press. The film collapsed. Was in the trades, so it should be easy to find stories of projects that stopped production, and paired with at least one tabloid story of a teen actor who's big break was destroyed "due to drugs or mental illness" according to the official story spun.

Actor disappeared. Either he has no credits until this year, or had some time off and could only go back to bit part credits ("Man #3" as he got older.)

It should not be this hard to figure out. He gave us plenty of info.

Either this is fake, or he's just so unknown that there is no info on him, or they scrubbed the internet of his story THAT good.

Countervail said...

In reading the last paragraph, it seems like the feature has several parts to it but with the same characters - "that incorporates this story in the form of a taxi cab confession." Maybe "drummer boy" refers to the part of the feature, but not the title of the feature itself?

Also, he doesn't say "movie," but rather "feature." Maybe it's a limited series, like for Netflix or Amazon or something. The "feature" is the series, and this is an episode in the series?

Your vs. You're said...

@ Melvin The Reanimated...

That's exactly how I read it as well, and came up with the same dates and ages. Thanks for breaking it down. :)

hula hoop said...

Wow this is so fucked up ''/

Green Tea said...

Only way I can read this to make sense is that it is some sort of documentary, maybe?

How does the "I" in the abuse story become the "I" who is a suspect in the murder of 3 boys?

Very hard to follow.

filmfanb said...

Ya . This is a weird one. As someone who is pretty good at tracking down odd stuff this one has confused me. It sounds like a plot of true detective. Looking at plots etc I can't figure it out . No cancelled movies turn up . I know I'm beating a dead horse but Howard Deutch has something called the miller boys in development .

lulubelge said...

brian svuris maybe

lulubelge said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Beth said...

@Green Tea, that confused me as well. I think "I" refers to his character in the production.

Gator said...

Didn't Mel Gibson have an ultra-conservative Catholic Church somewhere near Malibu?

346NYC said...

"Broader story?"
I am so confused.
Is the Satanic Ritual Murder REAL LIFE or just part of the plot in the movie?
Is the "taxicab confession" the only REAL element?

Can anyone help explain?



Beyond EMF said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Cheez Whiz said...

Most of the last graf is a summary of the movie he's working on.

Green Tea said...

@Beth, thank you.

So confusing, why not just say..."this happened to me when I was 13 and give clues as to who the scumbags were and maybe mention it will be in an upcoming project, so I can't say more at this time".

Why explain the plot and characters in such detail? And only give a real hint about the title.

@Donald, you may be on to something.

Beyond EMF said...

~~~~~~~~~

He refers to the West Memphis Three, and there have been several films about those boys. Paradise Lost captures the storyline he's telling without the personal love story between the characters. Just sharing it for storyline reference as this is a convoluted collection of clues.

Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradise_Lost:_The_Child_Murders_at_Robin_Hood_Hills

~~~~~~~~~

I've looked extensively thru movies in development, but haven't found any narrative that is similar to what he's describing.

https://www.movieinsider.com/production-status/development/

Sal Salington said...

The problem with finding this is it's all pre-internet. If it happened just 5 or 6 years later, there would be traces online for sure. As it is, whatever was written about it probably only lives in print, not online.

Jeweled Skye said...

Okay.. going on the 'an episode of' theory... The next American Crime Story after Gianni Versace is based upon the book "A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Story of the Sex Scandal That Nearly Brought Down a President" - and googling "Clinton Sex Scandals" and "satanic initiation rite" brings up all kinds of Hillary crap... but, that's as far as I got and there hasn't been any cast names associated with it and it's not coming out until 2019. Anything?

Anonymous said...

Trust an actor to incorporate the upcoming project they're working on into their traumatic story

dummypants said...

Hi, I almost never post but are we sure this isn't Chad Allen? If you look at his Wikipedia page, the first line is "Chad Allen (born June 5, 1974) is an American retired actor." Plus he's gay. He just seems to fit.

The_Myth said...

The last paragraph is about a movie our survivor is involved in - as an actor (the star?) and possibly writer. Because he suggests his real life trauma is being recounted as part of the script (the "taxi cab confession). The " project" (whether film, TV, series, or anthology) features 3 gay male characters, and, as of now seems to have the working title of "Little Drummer Boy."

Suffice today, if the wrong people catch wind of this, it will never leave "development.". Unless the now-aging predators are neutered.

The_Myth said...

Also,"suburban LA"??

Los Angeles? Or Louisiana??? I am betting Louisiana because of the Catholic ting and small town thing. The survivor might be from Louisiana.

Guesser said...

Does the author want us to guess him? I assume there are some red herrings but the pictures of Chad Allen do resemble Ricky Schroeder. I also believe he wants the story out,so I would guess it will be soon,perhaps with a big name attached.

TriciaJr said...

This has to be Chad Allen. Read his Wikipedia page, began his career at age 7 and had "strict" Catholic upbringing.

LisaHunt said...

I stand corrected re: Chad Allen in the related blind. It was a different Chad living with MCR.

https://www.datalounge.com/thread/5960987-den-hollywood-boy-sex-parties-seann-william-scott-starring-in-a-gay-pedophile-version-of-silver-spoons-

LisaHunt said...

The Internet has discussions regarding rampant pedophilia back to (at least) 1998. It seems this shit gets some traction then disappears, ad nauseum.

Another registered sex offender (pedo) is Brian Peck who is friends with none other than Charlie Sheen.

Drumstixx said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Nonya Bidness said...

Then why don't you go delete the post where you said that on a hunch, instead of leaving that false accusation out there?

Nonya Bidness said...

Maybe the best bet is going back to sniff out the "up and coming genre director."

Horror is the 1st genre I think of, as others have mentioned. What others warrant qualifying the director that way: action, fantasy/sci-fi? Musical is a thought, going back to those who mentioned Kenny Ortega. Per imdb he wasn't doing enough mid-80's to be considered up and coming though, just a few musuc videos.

Amy said...

Chad Allen has that look at around 13, if you look at old pics, that reminds me of a few teen actors who ended up dead of an overdose/suicide. It may be jumping to conclusions but there is a very significant 'look' that was in then, around that time period. I wouldn't be suprised if he had a few stories....seems too vague to be him though.

BeautifulLiesUglyTruth said...

Hi all! Been reading for several months now and decided to join in.

I noticed that the person said he "fetched" his mother. Do you think he's from outside of the US?

Anonymous said...

Could this be Alexander Skarsgaard? Born in 1976, starring in The Little Drummer Girl, had a popular tv movie role at 13, then quit acting for a decade. Maybe the reason we can find info is because this didn't happen in America.

Check out this paragraph from his Wiki:

A friend of his father, who was a director, gave Skarsgård his first film role when he was seven years old. He played Kalle Nubb in Åke och hans värld (Åke and His World). In 1989, the lead role in the Swedish television production Hunden som log (The Dog That Smiled) made him famous in Sweden at the age of thirteen. Uncomfortable with being recognized, he quit acting for the next seven years.[5][6][7]

"Uncomfortable with being recognized"

Mary Lamb said...

"Fetched" also stood out to me. I'm getting a Harry Potter vibe but it doesn't fit, not yet, anyway.

beebopcowboy said...

you guys....I am really neurotic about constantly checking the upcoming films. I just dont even bother with anything unless its just wikipedia 'film in blank' - often ill skip around month after month to see who has vandalized the page with their movie (their non-big random movie) and then see when somebody discovers it and take it down). With that said, over the past year at least, I often look at the lists for fun.

I REMEMBER this plot. The murders, the ordthodox church, the satanic panic mention. I went back just now and wherever it is...its completely gone. It was called The Little Drummer Boy. or maybe no The at the beginning. It reminded me a lot

Its not there anymore. Somebody scrubbed. I'm not smart enough to figure it out, but every wikipedia page has an editing history.....

Bitters said...

Holy crap did Chad Allen ever look like RS! It's uncanny. As far as those tiger beat posters he was the one I was thinking of that reminded me of Ricky back in the day

beebopcowboy said...

cant be Chad Allen, his partner Jeremy Glazer comes from a Jewish family (mentioned in his bio)

"Before long, I'm no longer reading or hearing about it, but a part of it, suspected along with my closeted boyfriend (from a conservative Catholic family)" - the excerpt from the blind revealing whoever the author's boyfriend is, he is closeted/from a conservative Catholic family

beebopcowboy said...

sounds a lot like a retelling of the west memphis three murders, and maybe the whole taxi cab confession is the stepfather John Mark Byers....

"During the course of filming, John Mark Byers, the stepfather of one of the victims (Christopher Byers), gives the filmmakers a knife which has blood in the hinge. The filmmakers turn the knife over to police, who examine it; the DNA is similar to that of Mark Byers and Christopher, but the evidence is nonetheless inconclusive since the DNA evidence produced was fragmented and can not provide concrete links."

this is during filming of -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradise_Lost:_The_Child_Murders_at_Robin_Hood_Hills

also relevant:

"Three eight-year-old boys—Steve Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers—were reported missing on May 5, 1993. THE FIRST REPORT WAS MADE to the police was made BY Byers' adoptive father, John Mark Byers, around 7:00 pm." same guy that handed over knife with his and adoptive (dead) son's blood.

The crime:

The clothing was mostly turned inside-out [BYERS LIKELY TOLD THEM TO STRIP, THUS INSIDE OUT CLOTHING; two pairs of the boys' underwear were never recovered (EVERYONE BUT BYERS) Christopher Byers had lacerations to various parts of his body, and mutilation of his scrotum and penis [JOHN MARK BYERS SEEMED TO ONLY MUTILATE HIS STEPSON NOT THE OTHER BOYS]

The autopsies, by the forensic pathologist Frank J. Peretti, indicated that Byers died of "multiple injuries" [BYER TOOK OUT MOST ON STEPSON, KILLED FIRST MAYBE] while Moore and Branch died of "multiple injuries with drowning" [LESS EFFORT, JUST DROWNED THEM AFTER INJURING THEM SINCE HE DIDNT CARE AS MUCH]

Police initially suspected the boys had been raped;[11] however, later expert testimony disputed this finding despite trace amounts of sperm DNA found on a pair of pants recovered from the scene. Prosecution experts claim Byers' wounds were the results of a knife attack [KNIFE TURNED OVER FROM STEPFATHER...] and that he had been purposely castrated by the murderer; defense experts claim the injuries were more probably the result of post-mortem animal predation [YEA SURE, THEY WERE FROM THE THE STEPFATHER]. Police believed the boys were assaulted and killed at the location where they were found; critics argued that the assault, at least, was unlikely to have occurred at the creek [DUH - THATS WHERE THE 2 BOYS WERE DROWNED]

Byers was the only victim with drugs in his system; he was prescribed Ritalin (methylphenidate) in January 1993, as part of an attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder treatment.[10] The initial autopsy report describes the drug as Carbamazepine, and that dosage was found to be at sub-therapeutic level. John Mark Byers said that Christopher Byers may not have taken his prescription on May 5, 1993 [O'RLY STEPFATHER? ITS ALMOST LIKE YOU MADE HIM TAKE LESS THAT DAY]

Anyway, the movie I remember on wikipedia, before it disappeared, had mention of being inspired by the west memphis three and the satanic panic of the 1980s.

Man oh man, the world is f/cked up....I need a joint, stat.

beebopcowboy said...

"Before long, I'm no longer reading or hearing about it, but a part of it, suspected along with my closeted boyfriend (from a conservative Catholic family), and an out gay teacher from the high school (who doubles as a facilitator for the local lgbt youth group), of the killings (for little more reason, a la the West Memphis Three, of being a little unusual in this straight laced town)."

this run-on sentence is giving me a migraine. somebody decipher it, pls. wtf does it even say??

"I am forced to make a final sacrifice, to choose between the mad love I feel for this other young man, and losing him, but telling the truth. You'll know it when it comes out because it shares a title with a certain classic Christmas song about a boy percussionist. "

these run-on sentences are hurting my brain no offense author of this email

Beyond EMF said...

~~~~~~~~~

Going back to the first blind. Who would have been considered up and coming genre director at that time? Please add your suggestions. Maybe if we approach it from this angle. Clearly, it was someone who was familiar working with teens.

John Hughes
Richard Donner
Clive Barker
David Cronenberg
Randal Kleiser
John Landis
Alan Parker
Lawrence Kasden
Tim Burton
Robert Zemeckis

~~~~~~~~~

Jean said...

This one is so odd. The guy describes his role in this supposed new project and states that, "I am forced to make a final sacrifice, to choose between the mad love I feel for this other young man, and losing him, but telling the truth". Other young man? Implying he himself plays a young man too? By the account, this guy should be in his 40's. Not what I would term a "young man".

aseay said...

That’s a clever thought!

Anonymous said...

@Jean: I surmised his role in this project is not (at least not totally) as an actor ... that he’s shared his story with the creative end of this project and they wrote in a scene (taxicab confession) where a character based on him (may or may not be played by him) talks about the ‘Danciing Boy’ incident. Maybe the lede character has this in his background and it explains some of his actions/choices/etc.

I’d have to read it again, but I didn’t get the impression it was portraying him in the present tense.

Mary Lamb said...

John le Carré wrote "Little Drummer Girl" and back when I saw it, I wondered if it were a true story, to some degree.
While John le Carré was a writer of fiction, he also had worked for both the Security Service and the Secret Intelligence Service.

Maybe the taxi-cab confession is an impending broadcast or film.
I can't imagine those involved keeping it a secret and yet announcing it on CDaN beforehand.
We shall see.


Anonymous said...

OK, now I’ve got a guess (one of those IMDB ‘might fit the bill’) guesses — the director Richard Franklin.

Checks several boxes:

Genre director (horror), he did Psycho II and some other lower-rent horror movies, was probably considered a possible rising star with some of his earlier horror B-movie successes.

Looking at his resume, did some soft porn and “raunchy’ comedy sex-themed films and also did a good bit of children-themed movies.

Check a little further under the hood and you’ll find he was a co-producer, in 1980, of a underage-in-the-nude film everyone knows about, Blue Lagoon.

Hmmm.

Check out this link — http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002207/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm — and you’ll find if you scroll down under trivia that he at one time (doesn’t say when) “started out to do” a remake of The Window, which was abandoned (doesn’t say why ... although some of the ideas from the writers was later used in a later film of his) ... and guess what, the original movie features a young male lead.

Says the Australian-born director elected to move back home (to continue his career) because he got tired of “Hollywood politics.” Have to wonder if maybe there wasn’t another reason.

Nothing substational to say “this is him,” but there’s a lot of suspicious stuff there.

Mary Lamb said...

And, the sick answer is likely 'all of the above'.

Drumstixx said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
MichelleJ817 said...

This is beyond confusing. If this is about The Child Murders then it may be hinting to 1 of the men who were teens at the time convicted of the crimes also had horrible things happen to them? I'm confused cause I thought after they were released. They actually found that the 1 boys stepfather and friend committed the murders, dental impression matched. This blind is so confusing

Drumstixx said...

I deleted my last answer but I am going to go with my original instinct. I think the "boy" Enty is referring to is producer, Todd Phillips, born in 1970. He was a producer and driver for two episodes of "Taxi Cab Confessions" as well as the drummer for The Lemonheads, hence the name "the Little Drummer boy". I wonder if he is the one working on the feature.

Colonel Blake said...

Drumstixx has it!!!

Beyond EMF said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Beyond EMF said...

Very interesting connection @Drumstixx. Doesn't seem to be his personal story, but maybe he's producing it. Could our story teller have appeared in one of the episodes?

Taxicab Confessions
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114639/fullcredits?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm

RockSword said...

I do think this is the joker origin story...a taxi cab spin to the story. I wonder if the movie will be named The Carol of the Drums or Little Drummer Boy. And wonder who will now play the joker, as that is the "I" in this blind. Will the movie frame the joker story as a taxi cab confession? And will the joker be blamed for the murder of the boys. Is the joker gay? All just speculation from a first time commenter.

RockSword said...

"There is, as I suggested at the outset, a feature in the works that incorporates this story in the form of a taxi cab confession. The broader story happens a few years later."

The broader story of Batman happens a few years later.

RockSword said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
RockSword said...

Note that I got this by researching drumstixx clue on Todd Phillips, who will direct the joker movie.

Unknown said...

The only person I can think of that resembles Ricky Schroeder is Jake Lloyd.

Unknown said...

**As a child of course

Drumstixx said...

@beyond not appeared but produced look at Producer credits and Todd Phillips comes up

Drumstixx said...

About The Joker "Scott Silver will join Phillips as a co-writer on the film, which will delve into what it took for the Joker to become to be a mastermind criminal. Sources say the story will take place in the ’80s and have more of the look of a gritty crime drama than comic book movie, which had a lot to do with getting Scorsese’s commitment to the project"

Story will take place in the 80's that could be The Story line Enty was describing. I think this might be the right direction but could be wrong.

Drumstixx said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
RockSword said...

They are talking Leonardo di caprio as the joker... may be the dancing kid who looked like Ricky Schroeder. He first had acting credits in 1989 and didn't become well known until joining family ties in 1991.

Drumstixx said...

describing the Joker Origin " with it having more of a Taxi Driver and Raging Bull feel compared to other DC movies." It's got to be it!

Beyond EMF said...

@Drumstixx I saw that. I'm suggesting that the blind doesn't feel like Todd's personal story, but that he's friends with "the Boy" (who may have appeared in one of these episodes), and is possibly working with him on the development.

Taxicab Confessions
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114639/fullcredits?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm

~~~~~~~~

As an aside, Todd and Robert look like they could be brothers.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0680846/mediaviewer/rm3050342144

Drumstixx said...

@beyond I was trying to fiquire out the "looks like Ricky Schrode" so you are probably right. Good one.

Drumstixx said...

I am such a egit different Todd Philips who plays drums for lemon heads , but Todd Phillips did produce taxi cab confessions and is doing The movie the Joker Origin so I don't know which way to go now. Lmao

RockSword said...

Just a note that I don't think the scrapped remake of The Window fits exactly because the film that later was made inspired by it (at least one film) was made in 1984. So that is too early for the scrapped movie.

Countervail said...

Re Richard Franklin

I was reading that he was supposed to do The Lost Boys. Did they actually start it with him and then scrap it?

RockSword said...

Oops...I meant Growimg Pains.

Spike Ghost said...

i think Saintpat might have gotten it.

RockSword said...

Lost Boys came out in 1987. Unless they filmed the new one right away, this wouldn't fit the timeline, and it would be a very tight timeline since the earliest the dancing boy would have been 13 is 1986.

Unknown said...

Franklin was also a professional drummer before pursuing directing.

Zeroh Tollrants said...

Franklin is an interesting guess...so is Phillips.

More Cowbell said...

Remember, in the original "Dancing Boy" blind, the young actor had only did commercials and bit parts. He had his big break with the movie he was involved with in the mid to late-80s. During the filming of that movie, he was sexually abused, ran off the set. The production shut down and wasn't released. Most importantly, he said he left the business after that.
So people guessing child actors who were in big movies or known in a TV role are off track.

RockSword said...

So this may mean that the writer is putting himself in the place of the chatacter... and philips would be the dancing boy. However, I can't imagine Phillips looking like Ricky.

Countervail said...

@rocksword

Do you think there are old trade magazines that might have articles about it in case?

More Cowbell said...

The Joker origin movie plot takes place in NYC, I think, not LA.

Unknown said...

The plot of the movie is based on a real murder and the subsequent satanic panic that took place in Missoula, Montana in April of 1974. Donna Pounds, murdered April 14th, 1974, was thought to be "The Christian", and 5 year old Siobhan McGuinness,who was murdered February 5th of that year was considered to be "The Virgin".

Hi, I'm new. Just thought you guys would find this helpful.

Unknown said...

Christopher Adkins?

Hunny Bunny said...

Now THAT makes sense!!! Christopher Adkins HAD to have looked just like Ricky back then... where is he now?? After Blue Lagoon??

Unknown said...

Parts of it don't make sense because he has worked since... not in any kind of a hit, but he has worked. Also, it seems he started around 12. BUT he has the look and his WIKI page says he was discovered by a local agent.

Anonymous said...

@More Cowbell - not Gotham?

jeol said...

suzanne steiger did a very good find.The sentence christian virgin and a betrayer can be found in a book called Satanism scare.
I do not get the teacher and young man being involved in the blind....
Anyway the killer was wayne nance called the missoula mauler from montana.He was never convicted he was shot in the head in 1986.
Could it be something like "making of a murderer" being made referencing this case.

More Cowbell said...

@Stpat -- Lol, of course I mean Gotham. :)

Anonymous said...

@More Cowbell: I’d be disappointed if it was New York. Or Metropolis for that matter.

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