Just perfect...

Good movie but grossly overrated

Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

I'd agree that "Fade to Black" works better in theory than in this actual execution. It should have been more fun, and admittedly the hook IS quite delicious: what if an unstable film geek murdered those who mocked him, while dressed up as his favourite cinematic characters?The main problem is that our antihero, Eric Binford (Dennis Christopher), an employee for a film advertising firm, is not sympathetic in the slightest. This isn't a character whom you feel sorry for and root for so much as you want to smack him around. He's an ill-tempered, whiny wimp who attaches way too much importance to his knowledge of movie trivia.Then again, this may well have been the intention of writer / director Vernon Zimmerman. One of my Internet acquaintances once described "Fade to Black" as "showing the dark side of being a film geek". Eric seemingly can't relate to anybody on a normal level, instead thinking entirely in cinematic terms. As unlikable as Eric may be, however, it's hard to say whether the problem is in the character as written or any ineptitude on Christophers' part.Another thing that doesn't help are the scenes with the normally entertaining Tim Thomerson as a liberal minded police shrink. The character is a dolt and one doesn't want to root for HIM, either, even if he is sympathetic to Erics' plight.It's still a fairly enjoyable experience, at least for any cinephile. Amid all the movie references, clips from classics such as "White Heat" and "Creature from the Black Lagoon" are edited in with ease. And it's cool to see Eric dress up as Dracula, The Mummy, and Hopalong Cassidy, etc. while in the act of doing away with his nemeses.The good supporting cast includes Norman Burton, Morgan Paull, James Luisi, Eve Brent, John Steadman, Marcie Barkin, Peter Horton, and a swaggering young Mickey Rourke. The major bright spot is Australian beauty Linda Kerridge, a Marilyn Monroe lookalike who actually gets named Marilyn in the movie. As Erics' would be girlfriend, she shines.A nice music score by Craig Safan and a rousing face off on top of Manns' Chinese Theatre are also highlights.Six out of 10.

Dennis Christopher plays Eric Binford, an awkward and isolated film geek who is obsessed with the movies. He spends his free time obsessively watching the classics of Hollywood's bygone era, chain-smoking and ignoring the nagging of his abusive aunt. After meeting an aspiring actress/Marilyn Monroe lookalike, Eric falls deeper into his delusions of cinematic grandeur, and begins executing his enemies just like he sees in the movies.Confused social commentary or perhaps just a cleverly written meta-narrative for modern horror cinema, "Fade to Black" is an all around treat that caters to anyone who considers themselves a cinephile. Part horror film and part psychological drama, the film oscillates between Eric's day-to-day life struggles and the grim re-enactments he begins making of his favorite film scenes. Although a low budget picture, the cinematography here is classy and the camera picks up on the glamorous facade of Los Angeles and juxtaposes it with its underbelly of working class citizens, which parallels with Eric's internal struggle. Dennis Christopher's neurotic performance is key here, as he exemplifies the role of the excessive dreamer. Part of the film's success in connecting to the audience is the ways in which Eric reminds us of ourselves— we are all dreamers, some more than others, but his internal struggle as it manifests into real life theatrical performance reveals a bit about our own dreams and how they square up with our realities— hopefully with not quite as horrific of consequences. An innocent and plucky performance by Linda Kerridge as the Marilyn Monroe lookalike/object of affection is a memorable counterpart to Christopher, and unfolds as a postmodern Marilyn phantasm of Eric's delusions. The understated and downbeat conclusion does not lend the film a "feel good" tag by any means, but is there any other way for it to end? "Fade to Black" is a film made by dreamers, for dreamers, but its protagonist's plight is universal—we all have the makings of the perpetual underdog. Although the vast majority of us have the better sense and dignity to not act upon our destructive fantasies, there is a cathartic and appropriately voyeuristic element to watching someone live out that which is internalized in a free society. After all, we are not the owners of our fantasies or our desires; they are the owners of us—and there's a little Eric Binford in all of us, too, whether we want to admit it or or not. 9/10.

Film nut Dennis Christopher fuses Hollywood fantasy into his mental framework and can not distinguish what is real as he kills an assortment of people who fracture his ego. Whether it be his boss or punk-bully Mickey Rourke, each die by one of his villain alter-egos(such as Dracula, The Mummy, or Richard Windmark's lunatic gangster Tommy Udo from "Kiss of Death")until Christopher's Eric Binford is completely taken over by fantasy. Tim Thomerson is a police psychologist who wishes to help Eric before he gets himself or others killed.The Eric Binford character is overwhelmed with this passion for a Marilyn Monroe lookalike(Linda Kerridge, who stunningly favors her quite a bit)he believes is the real woman. He'll do whatever it takes to have his paramour.Terrible film had potential. The clips from classic old films selected and spliced within certain scenarios featuring Eric would've been a great idea if a better actor with greater depth played him. Christopher, following his success in "Breaking Away", isn't up to the task and shows his character as erratic and unfocused. It's hard to watch him for one hour and 45 minutes as he overdoes his maniac scenes. He just doesn't have what it takes to draw you into his pathetic existence. Thomerson and Gwynne Gilford(as Officer Anne Oshenbull)have very underwritten roles as the ones trying to figure out how to get to Eric..who is so far hidden within the madness of character personalities. James Luisi is Capt. Gallagher, a cop who sees Thomerson's type as a quack who merely gets in the way of real detectives..although he's right about Eric.The film rather pursues the kind of possession Hollywood holds over those who love film too deeply. To partake in the experience of film to the point that it engulfs you separating you from the reality around you. If only a better actor could've been chosen as the lead(and the film stayed on one course instead of going all over the place at times and not focusing enough on the police trying to stop Eric and his murderous ways)the film might've had some potential.

This movie bills itself as a "nerve-wracking, suspense filled film [that will] leave you clinging to the edge of your seat until the screen turns black". Although it fails entirely to do this, when I watched it recently I became more interested in young Eric himself. He's a lovely character, and I think Dennis Christopher plays him very well. (I love his camp Cody Jarret). Don't go looking for horror here, the real interest in this film is seeing Eric slowly and tragically break down. In the end I found myself just wanting to give him a hug. If I had a friend who knew loads of trivia about films, I'd love it! I'd talk to him all the time about really obscure, cool films. one for the B-movie lovers. Also, does anyone know if there's any significance in the words that stand out of nearly every scene? e.g. in the first scene two workmen walk past holding a sign which says "HEAVEN". Another obvious one is in a low angled shot of the hooker, when her head and the crop obscure certain letters of a sign in the background to make the words "NEVER LOSE". Just wondering if I'm going crazy, or there really is a hidden message, it is a film about someone who knows every tiny detail from films, maybe its an inside joke or something?