Susan Markowitz: "Alpha Dog Victim's Mother Attempts Suicide"

[spark19]

The mother of a murder victim whose alleged killer is the subject of new film ALPHA DOG has attempted suicide three times in the wake of the movie's US release.

SUSAN MARKOWITZ and her family are disgusted by the film, which stars JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, SHARON STONE and BRUCE WILLIS, insisting it profits from their son's horrific death.

Fifteen-year-old NICHOLAS MARKOWITZ was kidnapped and killed by a drugs gang in 2000, allegedly over a debt owed by his brother.

The victim's father JEFF MARKOWITZ says of his wife Susan, "She is so tortured by what happened that she has tried to take her own life. The last thing that either of us want is to see this picture.

"How would any loving parent feel about a Hollywood movie that glamourises their son's death and allows celebrities to cash in on a brutal, evil murder?"

Nicholas' alleged killer, JESSE JAMES HOLLYWOOD, 26, is currently in jail and awaiting trial in Los Angeles later this year (07). A US federal court recently declined the accused killer's request to block Alpha Dog's release in America on 12 January (07).

Director NICK CASSAVETES insists his film was not made to cause offence or have any influence over the trial.

He says, "The last thing we would want to do is prejudice a trial or bring unnecessary suffering to anyone. I don't believe this movie does that. Real life is way more important than movies."


.......
Supposedly found on femalefirst.co.uk, but I can't find the exact link now

[Awsi Dooger]

The mother is understandably distraught and troubled but that article doesn't tell the whole story. It implies the movie is solely responsible for the suicide attempts. That is not the case. The mother claims to have attempted suicide 13 times since the murder. That may even be an old figure, since I read it two weeks ago. The article mentioned here is from Sunday.

I don't mean to make light of this, but at least she's not any good at it.

Also conflicting reports on whether she wants to see the movie.

http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/c...,6629395.story

"Cassavetes' dramatic memorial to her son has so far brought no comfort to Susan Markowitz (played by Sharon Stone in the film), who by her own count has attempted suicide 13 times since her son's death. She has scheduled half a dozen private screenings of the movie and canceled every one. Still, she says, she will see the movie."

[LooksLikeCRicci]

Yowza. So sad. I don't blame her for being disgusted by Alpha Dog, although I want to say that I've read a conflicting report which showed that the mother actually APPROVED the film in an advance screening with the film's director. I could have that wrong, but I'm not sure. I'll try to find the article that states that.

In any case, suicide is never a funny thing. I'm sorry for this mother's pain. I cannot imagine losing a child so senselessly. I hope she gets the help she needs to help her cope with her grief.

[dynoguy88]

Yeah, I've heard that the Markowitz family approved of having the movie made so I doubt she would get suicidal because of that. She's been through hell because of what happened to her son and that's understandable. I was hoping that once that little sh*t Hollywood was captured, it would bring her some sort of peace but it seems apparent that she's never going to be the same again. Hopefully her family and friends will watch out for her and take good care of her. Such a tragic case.

[crystaldawn]

Here's an article that mentions her recent suicide attempts:

http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7006222280

[Ireneparalegal]

Hmmmm, I find this very strange for the fact that the family lives in the next county (south of us), their son was murdered in Santa Barbara county (the next county up north) and the only thing our paper talks abt the movie and Susan Markowitz was how she was pleased with the movie and embraced Sharon Stone. I know Susan did attempt suicide, but the rest of the story abt her not liking the movie seems kind of weird in that the movie was written by a Ventura county lawyer (our county) with whom Susan spent much time with. Here is the story from our paper:

Lawyer's 4-year fight for 'Alpha Dog'
By Scott Hadly, shadly@VenturaCountyStar.com
January 12, 2007

Michael "Mic" Mehas said he couldn't have scripted a more perfect moment.

The Ventura-based attorney and writer was standing with the mother of murdered teen Nick Markowitz as she was enveloped in the arms of actress Sharon Stone. Stone plays a role based on Susan Markowitz in the new movie "Alpha Dog," on which Mehas worked as a researcher and executive producer. With that emotional embrace at the Jan. 3 premiere in Los Angeles, Stone thanked Markowitz for helping her prepare for the role.

"It was the greatest scene to see Susan and Jeff (Nick's dad) there," said Mehas, a tall, slim 47-year-old who has been immersed in the film project for the past four years. "Sharon was honoring them that night."

For the length of the movie, at least, the film resurrects their son. Seeing the 15-year-old's mother and father rubbing shoulders with likes of Stone and others in the ensemble cast that includes Bruce Willis and a cadre of young stars like Justin Timberlake, Ben Foster and Emile Hirsch, brought the four-year filmmaking ordeal full circle.

"For me, that was the greatest scene," he said. "It was very powerful and a bit surreal."

Powerful and surreal wouldn't be a bad tagline for the dark film or Mehas' role in making it. Though the names and settings are different, the movie cuts closely to the real-life storyline of Nick Markowitz's last days. Mehas' childhood friend, Nick Cassavetes, directed and wrote the film, and both men have said the film hit close to home.

"Thirty years ago we were those kids," said Mehas, who met Cassavetes when they both were 14 and played on a championship basketball team. "We were in trouble, partying, on the edge," Mehas said. "We could have crossed over."

"Alpha Dog" tells the tale of the drugged-out posse of young men who nabbed Nick Markowitz off the streets near his West Hills home and took him to Santa Barbara. They drank and smoked pot with him for three days in a kind of "party with an edge," which ended with the boy's murder. His body was found in a shallow grave off a Santa Ynez Mountains trail.

"We don't avoid that energy," Mehas said about the bleak inevitability of the film. "But it's more than that. We tightened the resolution. It's more healing, I think."

Four of the young men involved in the crime were quickly captured and prosecuted. All are in prison, and one is on death row. A fifth man, the improbably named one-time pot dealer and Little League star Jesse James Hollywood, was captured two years ago in Brazil just as filming was completed. The 26-year-old remains in a Santa Barbara County Jail cell awaiting trial. If convicted, he faces a possible death sentence.

When Hollywood was captured and returned to Santa Barbara, Cassavetes and Mehas suddenly found themselves "under the microscope."

The ending of the film had to be reshot and the film re-edited. During all this, Hollywood's attorneys were hauling both Cassavetes and Mehas into court.

The two had spent so much time digging into the case that Hollywood's attorney, James Blatt, wanted to know what they knew. He zeroed in on Mehas. Over the years Mehas had established a close relationship with the Santa Barbara prosecutor in the case, who hoped to use the film as a sort of live wanted poster that would lead to the capture of Hollywood, whose tracks went cold soon after the killing. The prosecutor gave Mehas total access to his files.

"No one has ever had that kind of access," Mehas said.

A state appellate court last year threw the prosecutor off the case saying he'd gone too far.

The Santa Barbara District Attorney's Office is asking the state Supreme Court to reconsider the lower court ruling.

Hollywood's attorneys also tried, but failed earlier this week, to stop the release of the film.

For Mehas, a strong opponent of the death penalty and one-time public defender, the film gave Hollywood's attorneys new options to save him from the death penalty.

"Without me, without this movie, Jesse would have already been steamrolled and sitting on death row," Mehas said. "I don't want him to die."

Mehas is putting the final touches on a novel based on the story called "Stolen Boy," which should be out in the spring.

After four years of working on the film and book, Mehas said, he sees the story as a sort of morality play on suburban families.

[LooksLikeCRicci]

Thanks for posting the article. I KNEW that I had seen somewhere that she was pleased with the movie and embraced Sharon Stone.

[Ireneparalegal]

Originally Posted by LooksLikeCRicci

Thanks for posting the article. I KNEW that I had seen somewhere that she was pleased with the movie and embraced Sharon Stone.

You are welcome. Also, I did post somewhere on this board a similar post abt her giving the movie her approval. She was allowed to see it PRIOR to the judge giving his ok for it to be released. She was pleased. Like I said, this so-called article written abt Susan seems totally untrue.

[DarkDante]

Yeah in addition to this I read an article where Jeff Markowitz said he hated the movie but his wife was satisfied with it. Again not to sound cold hearted but I agree with Awsi about Mrs. Markowitz's suicide "attempts"...if she really wanted to kill herself I think she would've suceeded by now.

Then again and not to sound morbid, I hope to god for Mrs. Markowitz's sake that JJH is convicted of the murder of her son because if he isn't it might be just the thing to send her over the edge. I believe even the commentary for the segment on the DVD, Bob Wise mentions she's an unstable individual or was emotionally destroyed by the murder of her son which of course is understandable.

Edit: The article that this thread is based on is outdated according to Susan Markowitz herself - the comments were made years ago. She has since changed her stance on the film which is in accordance with what I posted above ^