What’s that…It’s October 1st you say? Now you know what that means don’t you? It’s the start of my favorite season of the year and time for the annual return of 31 Days of Horror. To change things up a little, this year I will be selecting from films that I have yet to experience. It could be new, it could be decades old or it could lie somewhere in between but one way or another it will be a strange little scary fun time. Without further ado, let’s dive into the month’s first offering, Fade to Black!
Synopsis: Lonely film fanatic Eric Binford exists only to immerse himself in cinematic fantasies. Frequently bullied and betrayed, Eric is gripped by escalating homicidal rage, launching a series of grotesque murders, all inspired by his favorite movies.
What better way to start a months-long dive into genre films than a story that involves a gentleman on the fringes of society completely obsessed with film. So obsessed in fact, that when pushed to his limits he decides to dispatch several people who have wronged him in the past with stylized versions of on-screen deaths from his favorite flicks. I mean, which one of us hasn’t fantasized about that at one point or another, albeit not to a homicidal degree?
Dennis Christopher plays the eccentric yet meek Binford extremely well. At times causing the viewers to cringe on his behalf. The first 30 minutes are spent introducing us to his world. From the overbearing Aunt he lives with, to the bullies he works with you really begin to sympathize with a man who loves film and just wants to be left to his own devices. Once you venture beyond the first act though, things begin to take a turn into the fantastical. Kill scenes interspersed with clips from the homaged films pull you into a world where the lines between reality and fiction blur culminating in an epic final act…”I finally made it Ma, top of the world!” I really got American Psycho vibes at times even though this flick predates that by a couple decades.
I’m really not sure why I never took the time to visit this one earlier. It’s been sitting in my Shudder queue for about a year and a half before I’m finally taking the time to get around to it but I sure am glad I did. There are some recognizable names for genre fans in this fun little flick. Along with Dennis Christopher you have Tim Thomerson playing the hippy psychiatrist and even an appearance from a young Mickey Rourke so keep an eye out for that. The cast is definitely full of pure 80’s over-acting but that’s what you come to expect from this era of film.
Being released in 1980, this flick takes elements from 1970’s horror and updates them to the semi-schlocky 1980’s slashers. It’s one that definitely will make its way into my regular rotation and deserves a watch from any genre fan. You can currently catch this one streaming on Shudder or on Blu-Ray from Vinegar Syndrome.
See you all tomorrow with another selection from the holes in my collection.
