Fade to Black (1980)

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.

Director:

Vernon Zimmerman

Writer:

Vernon Zimmerman

Stars:

Dennis Christopher, Tim Thomerson, Gwynne Gilford

2 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dennis Christopher	...	Eric Binford
Tim Thomerson	...	Dr. 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	...	Captain 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

Storyline

Shy, lonely Eric Binford delivers film cassettes and film-related supplies in Los Angeles for a living. But he really exists only to watch movies and immense himself in fantasies about cinematic characters and stars. Frequently bullied and betrayed, Eric comforts himself by pretending to be one of the many tough heroes and villains who have captivated him from the silver screen. However, his sanity takes a turn for the worse and he launches grotesque murders all patterned after characters and incidents from his beloved movies. He becomes known as the Celluloid Killer, one of the most horrifying murderers the city has ever known.

---

Plot Keywords:

obsession | psychopath | psychopathic killer | blonde | loner | 

---

Taglines:

Twinkle twinkle movie star. Eric goes just where you are. Try to run, try to hide. You won't get out of this alive.

---

Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Horror | Thriller

---

Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 October 1980 (USA)

Also Known As:

Fade to Black

Filming Locations:

302 Market Street, Venice, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Leisure Investment Company, Movie Ventures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Final feature film to date for director Vernon Zimmerman.

---

Goofs

As 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.

---

Connections

References Mary Poppins (1964)

---

Soundtracks

Heroes
Lyrics by Carol Connors
Music by Craig Safan
Performed by Marsha A. Hunt

User Reviews

Think "Taxi Driver" cross-bred with "Henry Portrait of a Serial Killer" and "Polyester". Somehow.

There is something about the look and feel of this film I love. It reminds me in some ways of "Martin" - my favorite urban vampire flick.

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"