A shy, lonely film buff embarks on a killing spree against those who browbeat and betray him, all the while stalking his idol, a Marilyn Monroe lookalike.A shy, lonely film buff embarks on a killing spree against those who browbeat and betray him, all the while stalking his idol, a Marilyn Monroe lookalike.A shy, lonely film buff embarks on a killing spree against those who browbeat and betray him, all the while stalking his idol, a Marilyn Monroe lookalike.
- Awards
- 2 wins & 8 nominations
- Marty Berger
- (as Normann Burton)
- Aunt Stella Binford
- (as Eve Brent Ashe)
- Talk Show Hostess
- (as Melinda Fee)
- Mail Girl
- (as Sharon Schlaerth)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaGwynne Gilford was pregnant during filming and the production team had to hide her stomach in most of the shots. That baby is now actor Chris Pine.
- GoofsAs Moriarty and Officer Oshenbull are racing to stop Eric near the film's ending, their police car changes briefly from a 1975-78 Plymouth Fury to a 71-76 Chevrolet Impala, only to change back once they arrive to the scene.
- Quotes
[first lines]
Aunt Stella Binford: [cynical tone] Eric! Get up! Well, lookie here. Mister Smart Mouth fell asleep with his nose buried in the screen again! Your one-eyed monster is gonna soften your eyes, much less rot your brain! You spend all your time daydreaming and watching those silly movies on the TV and on your projector.
- Alternate versionsVernon Zimmerman's original cut of this film was much closer to a two hour running time. Word came down from the offices of American Cinema Releasing that he was to shorten the running time of the film to about 90 minutes in order to save on lab, printing, and shipping costs for the physical release prints. He and ACR compromised and met in the middle, with a final running time of around 1hour and 42minutes for the release prints. This means that approximately 20 minutes of the film was cut out, making for a couple choppy transitions. - A scene in which more of the character "Marilyn O'Connor" (Linda Kerridge) has her backstory explained.
- A scene in which "Marilyn O'Connor" (Linda Kerridge) and "Joey" (a sleazy photographer played by Peter Horton) go on a very awkward date that does not end well.
- A scene in which Eric Binford (Dennis Christopher) dressed as Count Dracula enters and lurks around in a Punk music club as the band SID TERROR'S UNDEAD performs the song "I Was A Teenage Vampire" on stage.
- A scene after (SPOILER AHEAD) Eric Binford (Dennis Christopher) is shot on the roof of the famous Graumann's Chinese Theater on Hollywood Blvd. and falls to the ground, landing on the hand-prints of Marilyn Monroe in the cement of the Chinese Theater forecourt. Marilyn O'Connor (Linda Kerridge) rushes down from the roof and Eric's final image of her is as Marilyn Monroe in Angel form, taking him to Heaven. He dies in her arms. FADE TO BLACK. Cut to: Early the next morning, workers have a high pressure hose aimed at the ground, spraying water to wash away Eric's blood and chalk crime scene body outline. One worker complains about the mess not washing away, the other answers "Turn up the pressure on the hose, the blood will wash away, it always does", hinting that this has happened many times before.
Not that Fade To Black has anything to do with vampires, its about a lost and lonely nobody whose film life takes over from his mundane, put-upon reality to the point where he takes revenge on the world dressed as his fave film figures. Its a cute conceit for a film so obsessed with film references. Dennis Christopher is such a distinctive figure and his sexual scene in this film is just... quaint + oddly saucy. I think this is a cult film ready to be resurrected. Its camp, violent and Mickey Rourke is in it in a bit part. Think "Taxi Driver" cross-bred with "Henry Portrait of a Serial Killer" and "Polyester"
- Mattydee74
- May 23, 2001
- Permalink
- How long is Fade to Black?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Fundido a negro
- Filming locations
- 302 Market Street, Venice, California, USA(Interios and exteriors. As Eric and Stella Binford's House. Home is still intact as of 2023.)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $2,300,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 42 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1