Russian Roulette

Scott Ruffalo, brother to movie star Mark Ruffalo (most recently the star of Blindness with Julianne Moore), died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound during a game of Russian roulette.

This is terribly tragic, but I can't help but think 'people actually play Russian roulette?' Of course he was under the influence of controlled substances, but I just don't see the rationalization that someone could make to actually play the game, which leads me to think that Scott Ruffalo must have suffered from depression or something... Unfortunately, after a little research, I come to find that this isn't the first time someone has died from a "game" of Russian roulette.

The Washington Post reported in February 2007 about a young teen, Timothy Van Buren, who died supposedly from playing a game of Russian roulette. The crazy thing about this young teen is that he was a star football player, applying to colleges and contemplating becoming a firefighter. Doesn't seem he suffered from depression. Weird. Oh, wait, there' s more. In December of 1999 The LA Times ran an article about a 16-year-old boy, Chris Adamakis, who died ... yes, that's right ... by playing Russian roulette. More? Oklahoma City's KOCO news network reported the death of an 18-year-old, Elisio Perez Jr., who died -- again -- from playing a game of Russian roulette. These deaths are not attributed to depression or even drug use. So, I am going to turn to what I first believed to be "far-stretched," but now I'm beginning to think it may not be that out there.

Now, I've actually never seen The Deer Hunter, (I know! I know! It's on my list of movies to watch) but I know the premise of the movie, and I wonder if there's some sort of weird connection between the two. Since the majority of the deaths I've found due to Russian roulette have been teens, it makes me think the impressionable nature of a teenager could have potentially been swayed by -- what I've heard -- is a powerful movie. Scott Ruffalo was not a teen, he was 39 years old, but that doesn't mean that under his influence of controlled substances, he wasn't slightly impressionable and in a fantasy world.

People blamed Columbine on Marilyn Manson, so I suppose it's not a stretch to blame a movie.