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
Bob Drew	...	Reverend Shick
Teddi Siddall	...	Jill
Sharon Schlarth	...	Mail Girl (as Sharon Schlaerth)
David Daniels	...	Waiter at Food Stand (as Joseph Daniels)
Marilyn Staley	...	Starlet
Al Tafoya	...	Newscaster
Clyde Primm	...	Bookstore Owner
Gilbert Lawrence Kaan	...	Counterman
Sharon McCreedy	...	Frightened Spectator
Bill Stack	...	SWAT Leader
Gregory Sage	...	Peter
J.K. Wiley	...	Gofer
Peggy Kaye	...	Midway Operator
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
James Cagney	...	(archive footage) (uncredited)
Christopher Lee	...	(uncredited) (archive footage)
Virginia Mayo	...	(archive footage) (uncredited)
Gary Howe Scott	...	SWAT team member (uncredited)
Mews Small	...	Doreen (uncredited)
Robert Stahoviak	...	SWAT Sniper (uncredited)
Richard Widmark	...	(archive footage) (uncredited)

Directed by
Vernon Zimmerman

Writing credits
Vernon Zimmerman		(written by)

Produced by
George G. Braunstein	....	producer
Ron Hamady	....	producer
Sylvio Tabet	....	executive producer
Joseph Wolf	....	associate producer
Irwin Yablans	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Craig Safan

Cinematography by
Álex Phillips Jr.		(as Alex Phillips Jr.)

Film Editing by
James Mitchell
Barbara Pokras

Casting by
Pamela Basker
Fern Champion

Set Decoration by
Rob Lowy		(as Robert E. Lowy)

Costume Design by
Doris Lynn

Makeup Department
Colin Booker	....	hair stylist
Colin Booker	....	makeup artist
Patricia Bunch	....	additional hairdresser (as Patty Bunch)
Patricia Bunch	....	additional makeup artist (as Patty Bunch)
Justin Chart	....	additional hairdresser
Justin Chart	....	additional makeup artist
Karen Faye	....	additional hairdresser
Karen Faye	....	additional makeup artist

Production Management
Tikki Goldberg	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Paul Chavez	....	second assistant director
Ron Fury	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Loma Lee Brookbank	....	property master
Lee Lazarow	....	leadman
Jeff Staggs	....	set construction coordinator

Sound Department
Gary Alexander	....	sound re-recording mixer
Douglas B. Arnold	....	boom operator (as Doug Arnold)
Jan Brodin	....	sound mixer
Michael Minkler	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jonathon 'Earl' Stein	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
James Wayne	....	special effects

Stunts
Bruce Paul Barbour	....	stunt coordinator
Michael Cassidy	....	stunts (as Mike Cassidy)
Ann Chatterton	....	stunts
Kerrie Cullen	....	stunts
Hill Farnsworth	....	stunts
Mike H. McGaughy	....	stunts (as Mike McGaughy)
Conrad E. Palmisano	....	stunt coordinator
Nick Palmisano	....	stunts
Rick Seaman	....	stunts
John Cenatiempo	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Ed Barger	....	additional photographer
Donne Daniels	....	best boy grip
Greg Gorman	....	special photography
Robert Harmon	....	still photographer
Irv Katz	....	gaffer
George Mooradian	....	second assistant camera
John Arthur Morrill	....	extra camera assistant (as John Morrill)
Mark Simon	....	second assistant camera
David Wisnievitz	....	additional camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Mark de Paola	....	wardrobe assistant
Doris Lynn	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Vicki Hiatt	....	assistant editor
Howard Kunin	....	supervising editor
Florent Retz	....	first assistant editor
James Ruxin	....	additional editor (as Jim Ruxin)

Music Department
Bob Badami	....	music editor (as Robert Badami)
Trevor Veitch	....	music coordinator
Randall Wixen	....	music consultant

Other crew
Michael Fottrell	....	location coordinator
Jim Gerwig	....	caterer
Allen Jones	....	creative consultant
Mark Lyon	....	production assistant (as Mark Robert Lyon)
Peter Michas	....	caterer
John Panzarella	....	production assistant
Brandon Pender	....	distribution executive
Sharron Reynolds	....	production coordinator
Sylvio Tabet	....	presenter
Irwin Yablans	....	presenter
Kathryn Zatarga	....	script supervisor (as Kathryn A. Zatarga)

Production Companies

• Leisure Investments
• Movie Ventures

Distributors

• American Cinema Releasing (1980) (USA) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• Astral Films (Canada)
• Media Home Entertainment (1981) (USA) (VHS)

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:

Fade to Black contains film clips from: a) Kiss of Death b) White Heat c) Public Enemy d) Horror of Dracula e) Creature from the Black Lagoon f) Night of the Living Dead

Movie Connections:

References Hide in Plain Sight (1980)

Soundtrack:

Heroes

A victim of the movies?

The low-budget production had the premise (innovative and creepy), but the execution of it seemed a little off when it had to count. I wouldn't call it just a horror film, as it had a bit of everything in it. For old-school Hollywood film-buffs it was ripe with numerous knowing film references (inter-cutting snippets of features), where our smugly weedy protagonist (a multi-layered, skin-crawling performance by Dennis Christopher) begins to confuse fictional with reality after everything in his life begins to crumble as his realises there's only one way to escape it. He begins role-playing characters and scenes with nothing but conviction. While these sequences were creative, it just seems to take away from the underlining horror.

The dark humour seems to fit, but the script is sorely underwritten due to some stringy sub-plots (mainly that of Thomason's character) that are poorly thought out. Not that they couldn't added anything, but they could've if a little more exposition was spent on them. Instead they feel trivial. The backdrop is interestingly displayed with the director Vernon Zimmerman using genuine locations where it cooked up some gritty atmospherics. Some moments were kind of overdone (when the unstable homicidal nature and identity crises kicks in, when the torment gets out of hand), but it keeps you highly involved. I didn't find it particularly suspenseful (other than the climax), but the way it's organised shows enough drive and originality.

Other than Christopher, the rest of the cast (featuring the likes of Norman Burton, Tim Thomason, Eve Brent, Morgan Paull, and John Steadman) are mildly okay. A perky Linda Kerridge (the Marilyn Monroe look-alike) has a good screen presence and there's a small role for Mickey Rourke. Craig Safan's smoking, uncanny score works a treat.