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 | Maniac | Violence

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 Stagecoach (1939)

Soundtrack:

Heroes

Creepy fun for movie buffs.

This is a favorite movie of mine. I rushed out and got it on video when I heard it had been released. A lot of people here have given impressions of the story, I won't add to their great comments. What I would like to say is this this movie is a tremendous tribute to Hollywood Classic Movies. You will see snippets of many films here, all will be readily recognized. You will see Dennis Christopher's character slip deep into psychosis and take on the personas (and look..) of many of these characters in order to wreak his revenge. The more you know about old movies, the more you will get out of this film. Yes, it's essentially a slasher movie but this goes beyond the genre to get deep into the head of a killer. I like to think of this movie as a movie-fans version of "Sunset Boulevard", showing a broken mind on the other side of the fence. Worth seeing.