Fade to Black

Illustration : Unknown

Vernon Zimmerman | USA | 1980

Writer an director Vernon Zimmerman, in what transpired to be his last feature film to date, presents us with this warped portrait of anti-social reality; focussing upon an alienated obsessive's descent into a distorted un-reality. Zimmerman's commentary surrounding the negative influence of film upon its audience doesn't really amount to anything more than a cleverly contorted slasher movie. Dennis Christopher, an actor with a decidedly varied TV and film career, is outstanding however as the crazed Eric, while Mickey Rourke appears in an early role as the ill-fated Richie.

Orphan Eric Binford (Christopher), lives the life of a dreamer, a young man locked in his own fantasy world of movies and television. His wheelchair-bound Aunt Stella (Eve Brent Ashe; Brainwaves) — a bitter ex-dancer — constantly chides him for not making more of his seemingly wasted existence.

When Eric is stood up on a date, with Monroe look-alike Marilyn O'Connor (Linda Kerridge), the teenage dreamer takes an emotional tumble and cracks in his sanity begin to appear. Impersonating Richard Widmark’s character from Kiss of Death, Eric murders his Aunt by pushing her down a flight of stairs, remaining unmoved at her funeral.

Dressed as Bela Lugosi's Dracula, Eric scares Marilyn whilst in the shower (a nod to Psycho), and later causes the accidental death of a street walker — an unfortunate woman who'd previously mocked him. This incident sparks a series of murders that prompt the would-be psycho into meldown — a killing spree that results in the murder of anyone who irritates him.

G.T.O. Films’ uncut UK theatrical release in the summer of 1981 launched this moderate fan favourite, boosted by a brace of pre-VRA releases: a June 1982 release from U.S. giant Media, and Media/Videoform’s May 1984 version — both of which were adorned with the US one-sheet cinema artwork.

Keeping Media’s video master, but totally re-vamping the artwork, was Paragon’s early 1986 release, as distributed by Polygram. The Welsh label's new radical artwork, featuring air-brushed profiles of both Dracula and Monroe, remains unique for this film in both typeface and imagery.

Intermedia Sales And Distribution of Holborn, London were also involved to some extent in the distribution, hence the catalogue number of INT 088.

aka : —

cast : Dennis Christopher, Tim Thomerson, Gwynne Gilford, Normann Burton, Linda Kerridge, Morgan Paull, James Luisi, Eve Brent Ashe, John Steadman, Marcie Barkin, Mickey Rourke, Peter Horton, Hennen Chambers, Melinda Fee, Anita Converse, Bob Drew, Teffi Siddall, Sharon Schlaerth, Joseph Daniels, Marilyn Staley, Al Tafoya