''Fade to Black'' is a 1980 American

psychological Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries between t ...

horror comedy Comedy horror, also known as horror comedy, is a literary, television, and film genre that combines elements of comedy and horror fiction. Comedy horror has been described as able to be categorized under three types: "black comedy, parody and sp ...

film written and directed by

Vernon Zimmerman Vernon Zimmerman is an American writer and director who made his debut as director with the 1962 short ''Lemon Hearts'' starring Taylor Mead. He collaborated with Terrence Malick on the script to his directorial debut, the road movie, ''Deadhead ...

, and starring

Dennis Christopher Dennis Christopher (born Dennis Carrelli; December 2, 1955) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in ''Breaking Away'' (1979), '' Fade to Black'' (1980), ''Chariots of Fire'' (1981), '' It'' (1990) and ''Django Unchained'' (2012) ...

Eve Brent Jean Ann Ewers (September 11, 1929 – August 27, 2011), known professionally as Eve Brent and Jean Lewis, was an American actress known for her role as Jane in '' Tarzan's Fight for Life''. Biography Early years Born as Jean Ann Ewers in Hou ...

and Linda Kerridge. It also features

Mickey Rourke Philip Andre "Mickey" Rourke Jr. (; born September 16, 1952) is an American actor and former boxer who has appeared primarily as a leading man in drama, action, and thriller films. During the star of the 1980s, Rourke played supporting roles i ...

and

Peter Horton Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...

in minor roles. The plot follows a shy and lonely cinephile who embarks on a killing spree against his oppressors while impersonating classic film characters.

Plot

Eric Binford is a hollow,

chain smoking Chain smoking is the practice of smoking several cigarettes in succession, sometimes using the ember of a finished cigarette to light the next. The term chain smoker often also refers to a person who smokes relatively constantly, though not nece ...

, socially awkward and unlikeable young man who is also an obsessed film addict whose love of old films extends far beyond his job at a

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

film distributor's warehouse and endless late-night film screenings in his bedroom. For his vast knowledge, he has been bullied by his friends and family. His singular obsession eventually turns into

psychosis Psychosis is a condition of the mind that results in difficulties determining what is real and what is not real. Symptoms may include delusions and hallucinations, among other features. Additional symptoms are incoherent speech and behavior ...

after he crosses paths with Marilyn O'Connor, an

Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal A ...

model and

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...

lookalike who becomes the physical embodiment of his cinematic desires. After Marilyn unintentionally stands up Eric on their first date, Eric becomes homicidally unbalanced, transforming himself into a gallery of classic film characters—including

Dracula ''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taking ...

The Mummy A mummy is an unusually well preserved corpse. Mummy or The Mummy may also refer to: Places *Mummy Range, a mountain range in the Rocky Mountains of northern Colorado in the United States *Mummy Cave, a rock shelter and archeological site in Par ...

and

Hopalong Cassidy Hopalong Cassidy is a fictional cowboy hero created in 1904 by the author Clarence E. Mulford, who wrote a series of short stories and novels based on the character. Mulford portrayed the character as rude, dangerous, and rough-talking. He was ...

—and sets out to destroy his oppressors, starting with his abusive and crotchety, wheelchair-using, ex-dancer, Aunt Stella, pushing her wheelchair down a staircase to her death (reenacting a scene from '' Kiss of Death'' (1947)) and making this look like an accident. Eric attends her funeral dressed as Tommy Udo (

Richard Widmark Richard Weedt Widmark (December 26, 1914March 24, 2008) was an American film, stage, and television actor and producer. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as the villainous Tommy Udo in his debut film, '' Kiss of Death'' (1947) ...

's role from the aforementioned film). Eric then dresses up as Count Dracula to attend a midnight screening of ''

Night of the Living Dead ''Night of the Living Dead'' is a 1968 American independent horror film directed, photographed, and edited by George A. Romero, with a screenplay by John Russo and Romero, and starring Duane Jones and Judith O'Dea. The story follows seven peop ...

'' (1968) at a local

cinema Cinema may refer to: Film * Cinematography, the art of motion-picture photography * Film or movie, a series of still images that create the illusion of a moving image ** Film industry, the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking ...

. Afterwards, he bursts in on Marilyn in the shower while looking for an autograph in a scene straight out of '' Psycho'' (1960); he escapes and targets a

sex worker A sex worker is a person who provides sex work, either on a regular or occasional basis. The term is used in reference to those who work in all areas of the sex industry.Oxford English Dictionary, "sex worker" According to one view, sex work is d ...

who had insulted him earlier. She trips, falling to her death, and Eric licks her blood off his fingers. Eric becomes more and more unhinged from reality as the film progresses and his antisocial behavior in public becomes more erratic and violent. A few nights later, Eric dresses up as the cowboy

, when he shoots and kills Richie, a boorish co-worker who taunted him on a regular basis and beat him up after welching on a bet that Eric won. Not long after, Eric dresses up as

and drives his mean and vindictive boss, Mr. Berger, into suffering a deadly

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

while he is working late at night at his distribution warehouse. Finally, Eric dresses up as gangster Cody Jarrett (from ''

White Heat ''White Heat'' is a 1949 American film noir directed by Raoul Walsh and starring James Cagney, Virginia Mayo, Edmond O'Brien, Margaret Wycherly and Steve Cochran. Written by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts, ''White Heat'' is based on a story by Vi ...

'' (1949)) and kills a sleazy filmmaker named Gary Bially, who stole his idea as his own for an upcoming feature film inspired by ''

Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" ( ar, علي بابا والأربعون لصا) is a folk tale from the ''One Thousand and One Nights''. It was added to the collection in the 18th century by its French translator Antoine Galland, who heard ...

'' (to be called "Alabama and the Forty Thieves") at a barber shop in broad daylight, which finally gives away his identity. Eric then eventually works his way toward Marilyn, hoping to lure her to his side. Investigating the murders is a criminal psychologist named Dr. Jerry Moriarty, who tries to find a pattern to the murders and find Eric, to help or stop him, with the assistance of a friendly policewoman who has discovered that Eric's Aunt Stella is actually his mother. Moriarty's investigation is hampered by his own mean-spirited and nasty boss, Captain Gallagher, who tries to stop Moriarty's investigation because Gallagher wants to take all the credit of finding the killer for himself. This all leads to Eric luring Marilyn to a photography studio where he drugs her to reenact a scene from ''

The Prince and the Showgirl ''The Prince and the Showgirl'' (originally titled '' The Sleeping Prince'') is a 1957 British romantic comedy film starring Marilyn Monroe and Laurence Olivier, who also served as director and producer. The screenplay written by Terence Rattig ...

'' (1957) which is interrupted when Dr. Moriarty arrives, and Eric is forced to run with Marilyn at his side. This leads to the

Mann's Chinese Theatre Grauman's Chinese Theatre (branded as TCL Chinese Theatre for naming rights reasons) is a movie palace on the historic Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States. The original Chinese ...

where the insane Eric is shot by the police on the roof of the building while reenacting Cody Jarrett's death scene in ''White Heat''. Eric then falls off the roof to his apparent death on the pavement below.

Cast

Production

A labor of love for the director (who stated that it wasn't a horror film in an interview after its release), it starred Dennis Christopher whose previous credits included the 1979

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

-winning ''

Breaking Away ''Breaking Away'' is a 1979 American coming of age comedy-drama film produced and directed by Peter Yates and written by Steve Tesich. It follows a group of four male teenagers in Bloomington, Indiana, who have recently graduated from high sc ...

'' and

Robert Altman Robert Bernard Altman ( ; February 20, 1925 – November 20, 2006) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He was a five-time nominee of the Academy Award for Best Director and is considered an enduring figure from the New H ...

's 1978 ensemble piece '' A Wedding''. The film also co-starred Australian actress Linda Kerridge (whom Yablans rewrote the screenplay after meeting her at a party one year prior) due to her likeness to Monroe yet fell into obscurity afterwards. Many problems during production included a grueling shooting schedule and tension from the cast. Actress Gwynne Gilford was pregnant during production, and gave birth after it ended to future movie star

Chris Pine Chris Pine (born August 26, 1980) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' reboot film series (2009–present), Steve Trevor in the DC Extended Universe films ''Wonder Woman'' (2017) and ''Won ...

. The novelization of the film was written by Ron Renauld.

Release

Box office

Released in the United States on October 17, 1980, ''Fade to Black'' commercially unsuccessful in its home country yet was more popular in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. It grossed approximately $15 million worldwide.

Lawsuits

In late December 1980, the U.S. Film Office of

Northbrook, Illinois Northbrook is a suburb of Chicago, located at the northern edge of Cook County, Illinois, United States, on the border of Lake County, Illinois, Lake County. Per the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 35,222. When incorpo ...

, and William Boyd Enterprises of

Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. B ...

filed

copyright infringement Copyright infringement (at times referred to as piracy) is the use of works protected by copyright without permission for a usage where such permission is required, thereby infringing certain exclusive rights granted to the copyright holder, s ...

lawsuits against ''Fade to Black'', alleging that the filmmakers did not properly authorize usage of film clips from ''

''. The lawsuit alleged that the portrayal of Cassidy in the film portrayed Boyd and his titular character with "contempt and ridicule," and sought an injunction to remove the film from theaters.

Critical response

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

, the film holds an approval rating of 42% based on , with a

weighted average The weighted arithmetic mean is similar to an ordinary arithmetic mean (the most common type of average), except that instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others. The ...

rating of 4.9/10.

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...

from ''

Chicago Sun Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the ''Chicago T ...

'' awarded the film 3/4 stars, calling it "a weird, uneven, generally intriguing thriller" while '' Time Out'' wrote, "The film aspires to hommage, it's true, but its references are altogether too obvious." Author and film critic

Leonard Maltin Leonard Michael Maltin (born December 18, 1950) is an American film critic and film historian, as well as an author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives. He is perhaps best known for his book of fil ...

awarded the film 1.5 out of 4 stars, writing that the film was " ninteresting idea ruined by excessive violence, nda poor performance by Christopher." The film was nominated for multiple

Saturn Awards The Saturn Awards are American awards presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. The awards were created to honor science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, but have since grown to reward other films be ...

(Christopher for Best Actor, Zimmerman for Best Director and Best Horror Film), with Eve Brent winning for Best Supporting Actress. It also won the Bronze Mask at the

Taormina Film Fest Taormina Film Fest (TFF) is a film festival that began in 1955 under the name Rassegna Cinematografica Internazionale di Messina e Taormina. The exhibition, which moved permanently to Taormina in 1971, has hosted over the years many stars of inter ...

Home media

It was released on VHS home video on September 26, 1996 by

Media Home Entertainment Media Home Entertainment Inc. was a home video company headquartered in Culver City, California, originally established in 1978 by filmmaker Charles Band. Media Home Entertainment also distributed video product under three additional labels — ...

. It was first released on DVD on August 24, 1999 by

Anchor Bay Entertainment Anchor Bay Entertainment (formerly Video Treasures and Starmaker Entertainment) was an American home entertainment and production company. It was a subsidiary of Starz Inc. Anchor Bay Entertainment marketed and sold feature films, television ser ...

. It was released on Blu-ray for the first time on November 27, 2020 by

Vinegar Syndrome Cellulose acetate film, or safety film, is used in photography as a base material for photographic emulsions. It was introduced in the early 20th century by film manufacturers and intended as a safe film base replacement for unstable and highly ...

References

Sources

External links

* * * *
Fade to Black (1980)
' at

BFI The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery (United Kingdom), National Lot ...

*
Fade to Black
' on

MUBI Mubi (; stylized as MUBI; The Auteurs before 2010) is a global curated film streaming platform, production company and film distributor. Mubi produces and theatrically distributes films by emerging and established filmmakers, which are exclusivel ...

Trailer on TRAILERS FROM HELL with commentary by director Gillian Horvat on YouTube
{{Vernon Zimmerman 1980 films 1980 horror films 1980 independent films 1980s American films 1980s comedy horror films 1980s English-language films 1980s horror thriller films 1980s mystery thriller films 1980s serial killer films 1980s slasher films American comedy horror films American horror thriller films American independent films American mystery thriller films American serial killer films American slasher films Films about filmmaking Films about Hollywood, Los Angeles Films about mental health Films directed by Vernon Zimmerman Films scored by Craig Safan Films set in a movie theatre Films set in Los Angeles Films shot in Venice, Los Angeles