Fade to Black (1980)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Vernon Zimmerman

Writer:

Vernon Zimmerman (written by)

Release Date:

14 October 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | History | Horror | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

Meet Eric Binford, the ultimate movie buff. If you know someone like him... run!

Plot:

A shy, lonely, film geek goes on a killing spree against those who bully and browbeat him, while at the same time, he stalks his idol; a Marilyn Monroe look-alike.

Plot Keywords:

Film Geek | Death | Marilyn Monroe | Movie Fan | Mother Son Relationship

Awards:

1 win & 6 nominations

Cast

Dennis Christopher	...	Eric Binford
Tim Thomerson	...	Jerry Moriarty
Gwynne Gilford	...	Officer Anne Oshenbull
Norman Burton	...	Marty Berger (as Normann Burton)
Linda Kerridge	...	Marilyn O'Connor
Morgan Paull	...	Gary Bially
James Luisi	...	Capt. M.L. Gallagher
Eve Brent	...	Aunt Stella Binford (as Eve Brent Ashe)
John Steadman	...	Sam
Marcie Barkin	...	Stacy
Mickey Rourke	...	Richie
Peter Horton	...	Joey
Hennen Chambers	...	Bart
Melinda O. Fee	...	Talk Show Hostess (as Melinda Fee)
Anita Converse	...	Dee Dee

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | UK:18 | Australia:R | Finland:K-16 | France:-16 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1983) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Grauman's Chinese Theater - 6925 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Leisure Investments

Trivia:

Chris Stein of Blondie was the original choice to compose the soundtrack but his deal was canceled.

Movie Connections:

References End of the World (1977)

Soundtrack:

Heroes

Disturbing, but in a good way

I like to think of myself as a movie buff. I thoroughly enjoy losing myself in a feature for close to two hours forgetting about any troubles that may be on my mind.

Whereas most lose their troubles watching movies, Eric Binford is losing his mind.

Eric has already lost his grip on reality when we first meet him in 1980's `Fade to Black'. Detached from the world, he has no friends, and gets constantly bullied and belittled by co-workers as well as his aunt, whom Eric lives with since his mother died. They lead Eric to believe he is nobody - and at least in the movies, he is safe in his world of fantasy and can be a somebody as he emulates his favorite movie characters. Reality always comes back to taunt him, however.

Eventually, Eric does snap and go off the deep end, but even before he attempts to right who have done him wrong, it's pretty clear from the get-go that this guy is a few sandwiches short of a picnic. Everything, and I mean everything is movies with Binford. He breathes, thinks, eats and sleeps movies. He actually carries on conversations using movie dialogue from his favorite films while interacting with other people. There's no doubt about it - this chap is one poor soul who needs serious help.

Dennis Christopher as Eric, is a very big asset to this movie. Christopher portrays Eric with all the appropriate emotional range needed for such a messed up young man at the appropriate times, wonderfully conveying rage, determination, sadness and the very scared little boy somewhere deep inside, best evidenced after Eric commits his first murder and looks at himself in a mirror. Christopher is excellent in it and I couldn't take my eyes off of him.

Another nice asset is the guises Eric utilizes to get vengeance on the people that wronged him before. Director Vernon Zimmerman knows it's a good gimmick that separates this from the other `insane killer' movies that came out during this time - these sequences are colorful and creative. The best involves Eric donning Dracula make-up, (love the scene with the `split' face! This entire sequence is one of the few parts of `FTB' I remembered first seeing it at 11 years old and it still rocks), but there are other nice sequences too with Eric in costume. Only the `Mummy' sequence fails to really stand out.

But keep in mind, even though Eric does go off the deep end, this is not a stalk and slash movie. It really is more of a character study, and a very deep, dark and disturbing one at that. This is yet another plus and it elevates `Fade to Black' even more so, making it quite a unique movie experience.

Lastly, there are the old movie clips integrated into the movie that parallel with thoughts that Eric is having, pre-dating HBO's `Dream On' series by ten years, and they are amusing.

There are some things that don't work in `FTB'. A subplot involving a police psychologist fits into the story, but doesn't work as well as the rest of it. And some of the characters in this movie are pretty cruel, which detriments the film somewhat. If I lived with Eric's aunt, I'd probably go insane, too.

Seeing this in my pre-pubescent years, I thought it was a very cool movie (because of the Dracula part). After picking this up, I was afraid it wouldn't be as nearly as good as I remembered it. To my surprise, I liked it even better than before and find it a very well made film. I'm pleased that it's added to my collection.

Is it for everyone? Absolutely not. It's best for people who appreciate a pretty decent thriller and who are open minded about trying something a little different.

Also notable for an early Mickey Rourke appearance and Linda Kerridge, a Marilyn Monroe look a like who Eric has his eye on.

One thing I would recommend also - if you haven't seen it, watch the trailer *after* watching the movie (the trailer is the only extra on the DVD).