Excellent, Without a doubt!!

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

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.

The story is as follows: This movie obsessed kid living with his wheelchair mother slash aunt who drives movie reels around Hollywood for a living gets to meet a Marilyn Monroe look-a-like girl whose name also is Marilyn and who dresses like Marilyn and behaves like Marilyn and whose idol is Marilyn...well, you get the idea. For some reason she finds the boy "somewhat cute" and they have a movie date. Problem is she doesn't show up for the date because she simply forgets it, being distracted with another boy. He don't like that one bit and after his mother slash aunt pushes him over the edge and he pushes her and her wheelchair over the edge the guy goes haywire and he dresses up like movie characters (see poster) to kill various people who he don't like one bit like his boss or young Mickey Rourke who pushes him around and doesn't pay him the money he owes him for losing a "what's Humphrey Bogart's full name in Casablanca" bet.We also get to know a psychiatrist slash cop who's investigating in the case and who gets closer with the female cop he's working with and who has to hold his ground against his "let's just kill all criminals" tough cop boss and which is really boring and unnecessary. As the movie gets into slasher mode and the main character more and more often believes he is James Cagney in 'White Heat' (apparently his favorite movie) the viewer gets permission to stop carrying about anyone because the movie failed to establish enough sympathy for anyone in the first half which was brim full with direct movie references and name dropping but didn't have enough originality to really be engaging. It also doesn't help that the guy's insane laugh after every kill becomes annoyingly repetitive. We get a final in front, inside, and even on top of the Chinese Theater, which partly recreates the 'White Heat' final and incorporates our Marilyn so at least we have something to jerk off to.It isn't an awful film, the movie references (including films only film buffs would know) are an attraction for any film buff and potentially the movie fan viewer easily is able to relate to the psycho killer main character, it just fails to really succeed on any level as a compelling movie. If you want to see a film about a movie fanatic who loses touch with reality and thinks he is a murderous character in a movie seek out 'Finding Interest' (1994) instead.

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.

i love this flick....i got this movie out of a bargain bin in a mall movie store. i love those exotic no one knows about flicks. loved it. it has it's way cheesy bits but hey it's a product of the eighties. what did you honestly expect. but examine the not so obvious. that is a great script. awesome story. almost eerie foretelling our present state with the youth of today. the characters are great and well thought out. direction was good. effects were outstanding. i can not say enough good things about this movie. hey money men out there. i want to re-do this movie so bad. it would be a box office smash.... definitely see the flick over look the cheesy parts appreciate those who were awesome...love the script.... sanechaos