Singer appears with Winona Ryder, Peter Fonda in Asia Argento-directed flick.

Marilyn Manson and actress/director Asia Argento seem to be playing a game of you-stroke-my-oversized-tattoo-and-I'll-stroke-yours. After Manson asked Argento to direct his video for "(s)AINT," the daughter of legendary horror film director Dario Argento cast Manson as a beer-swilling lowlife in the film adaptation of J.T. LeRoy's book, "The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things."

The movie, which was screened at the Cannes Film Festival and opens later this summer, is a dark story about a child, Jeremiah, who was sexually abused by his mother's ex-boyfriend. When the boy turns 6, his mom, Sarah, gets him away from his foster parents and takes him south, where the two hope to start over. In the process, Sarah works as a stripper and a prostitute and abuses her son mentally and physically, thrusting him into a maelstrom of sex, drugs and depravity.

In addition to directing "The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things," Argento plays Sarah. The film also stars Peter Fonda and Winona Ryder.

Manson has previously acted in David Lynch's "Lost Highway" in 1997, Darren Stein's "Jawbreaker" in 1999 and Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato's "Party Monster" in 2003.

The rocker's first best-of collection will come out this fall, and will include a DVD of all of his videos, including Argento's previously unreleased clip for "(s)AINT" (see Marilyn Manson Drop Guitarist, Plan 'Jesus' Cover For Hits LP").

by Jon Wiederhorn