Talhotblond
| Talhotblond | |
|---|---|
 Poster | |
| Directed by | Barbara Schroeder |
| Produced by | Answers Productions |
| Written by | Barbara Schroeder |
| Edited by | Barbara Schroeder |
Running time | 83 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Talhotblond is a 2009 movie, detailing an Internet love triangle which resulted in a real life murder.
Thomas Montgomery (screen name: marinesniper), a 47-year-old married man, pleaded guilty to murdering his 22-year-old co-worker Brian Barrett (screen name: beefcake). The two men were involved in a love triangle with "Jessi," who they thought to be an 18-year-old girl with the screen name 'talhotblond'. While both men knew each other from work, neither had ever met "Jessi" in person.
In the beginning of their online relationship, Thomas presented himself as an 18-year-old man named "Tommy" who was in basic training and later deployed. His wife ended the deception when she discovered Thomas' online relationship and wrote "Jessi," letting her know that there was no "Tommy." The two continued to chat, even after this.
It ultimately turned out however, that Thomas was not the only one that wasn't being truthful about his identity. "Jessi" was a real person, but it was actually her mother, Mary Shieler, who was posing as her daughter, online. Jessi was unaware of her mother's actions until after Barrett had been murdered and her mother's role in the case became widely known.
Production
The film's TV rights were sold to MSNBC. Paramount Studios bought all remaining rights.[1][2] Directed and written by Emmy award winning journalist Barbara Schroeder, the film features appearances by convicted murderer Thomas Montgomery, clinical psychologist and attorney Dr. Rex Julian Beaber, Erie County prosecutor Ken Case, Erie County Sheriff Ron Kenyon; Oak Hill, West Virginia Sgt. Lee Kirk; the parents of Brian Barrett, and Tim Shieler. Dr. Beaber serves throughout the film as a commentator on the social-psychological dimensions of the case.
Awards
Winner of the Seattle International Film Festival's 2009 Best Documentary Grand Jury Award[3][4][5] and a finalist at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam.[6]
Lifetime movie
| TalhotBlond (TV Movie) | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Courtney Cox |
| Produced by |
Kyle Clark Courteney Cox Lina Wong Alexandre Coscas Francisco Gonzalez Brad Krevoy |
| Written by | Trent Haaga |
| Based on | A documentary by Barbara Schroeder |
| Starring |
Garret Dillahunt Brando Eaton Laura San Giacomo Molly Hagan |
| Music by | Erran Baron Cohen |
| Cinematography | Doug Emmett |
| Edited by | Robert Komatsu |
On June 23, 2012, Lifetime aired a TV movie based on the story, Tall Hot Blonde (also known as TalhotBlond[7]), directed by Courteney Cox, with Garret Dillahunt as Thomas and Laura San Giacomo as Carol (this character's name is different from that of the real-life wife),[8] the busy wife and mother who slowly starts feeling disconnected from her husband. Brian Barrett, Montgomery's young coworker, was portrayed by Brando Eaton.
Cox appeared in the film as well, as Carol's friend, coworker, and confidante. The names of Jessi and Mary Shieler were changed to Katie (played by Ashley Hinshaw) and Beth (played by Molly Hagan) Brooks, respectively. The Shielers' location was moved from West Virginia to Indiana.
References
- ↑ Kay, Jeremy (12 December 2009). "Paramount Digital Entertainment takes worldwide rights to talhotblond". Screen Daily. Retrieved 20 January 2010.
- ↑ "Paramount Finalizes Worldwide Acquisition of Award-Winning Documentary talhotblond". Paramount press release. December 11, 2009. Retrieved 20 January 2010.
- ↑ "talhotblond". Seattle International Film Festival. Retrieved 20 January 2010.
- ↑ Kilday, Gregg (June 14, 2009). "Seattle fest announces winners". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 18, 2009. Retrieved 20 January 2010.
- ↑ Kay, Jeremy (15 June 2009). "The Other Bank awarded Grand Jury prize in Seattle". Screen Daily. Retrieved 20 January 2010.
- ↑ "IDFA Competition for First Appearance". International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam. Retrieved 20 January 2010.
- ↑ IMDB link
- ↑ Gomstyn, Alice (22 June 2012). "'TalHotBlond' Love Triangle Inspires TV Movie". ABC News. Retrieved 25 June 2012.