Fade to Black

Synopsis: Eric Binford is a bit of a cinephile. In fact, he lives and breathes movies even having a job sort of in the industry. He is verbally abused by his wheelchair-bound, former dancing star Aunt and picked on by people at work. He thinks his life has changed when he meets an Australian dead ringer for Marilyn Monroe but when she accidentally stands him up he spirals out of control and can't discern fact from fiction. He goes on a killing spree dressed up and acting as characters from his favorite films. Cocaine using hip doctor working for the police is studying the effects of violent images on tv and movies so he's sort of hot on Eric's trail.

Review: Fade to Black is clearly made by a movie-obsessed cinephile for movie-obsessed cinephiles. I'm not sure what the message was because I'm pretty sure writer-director Vernon Zimmerman was probably living out a fantasy through his script. what sets this apart from other slashers of the late '70s early '80s is a very strong lead performance. Dennis Christopher delivers a powerhouse character that has a tough time telling what's real and what's a movie and the audience is there for the entire ride. He starts out a bit cooky but by the end, he is completely insane and it was intriguing to watch that journey. This almost has a Taxi Driver feel but with a slasher twist. Maybe if Travis Bickell had used a knife instead of guns and racked up the body count Taxi Driver would have been the best slasher of all time?

Carnage Count…

It's a bit long winded but a decent portrayal of a movie nerd's descent into madness

Such a good flick. . . cult classic for sure. The way the story plays out was truly something else.

Fun Hollywood classic with a plethora of homages. Great story. Top notch special features. Highly recommend.

Movie:

There are some neat costumes and a few great moments that utilize them, but overall I didn't find the story compelling, in large part because the protagonist doesn't seem justified. People may not be nice to him, but he's also kind of a jerk himself who doesn't know how to socialize. The movie kind of low-key makes the claim that yes, watching too many violent movies will in fact make you violent too. Also, it sets up a trivia question about Casablanca and then has the nerve not to give us the answer.

Extras:

Very solid line up of interviews, each adding some interesting information and none going on too long. Checks the box for having the trailer as well.

Packaging:

Bonus points for reversible cover, and both designs look great.