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Fade to Black (1980 movie)
Encyclopedia
Fade to Black is a 1980 slasher film
starring Golden Globe-nominee Dennis Christopher
, Eve Brent Ashe, and Linda Kerridge. Mickey Rourke
also appears in a small role as a bully and one of the killer's victims. The film was nominated for many Saturn Awards, and Eve Brent Ashe won one for Best Supporting Actress for her short ill-fated role as the antagonist's bullying aunt and very first victim. The film now retains a cult following.
young man who is also an obsessed film addict whose love of old films extends far beyond his job at a Los Angeles film distributor's warehouse and endless late night film screenings in his bedroom. For his vast knowledge, he's been bullied by his friends and family. His singular obsession eventually rounds the bend into psychosis after he crosses paths with Marilyn O'Connor (Linda Kerridge), an Australian model and a Marilyn Monroe look-alike who becomes the physical embodiment of his cinematic desires.
When (unintentionally) stood up by Marilyn on what he believed would be their first date, Eric becomes homicidally unbalanced, transforming himself into a gallery of classic film characters - including Dracula
, The Mummy
, Hopalong Cassidy
, and Norman Bates - and sets out to destroy his oppressors, starting with his crotchety wheelchair-using, ex-dancer Aunt Stella whom he pushes her wheelchair down a staircase to her death while reenacting a scene from the 1947 film Kiss of Death
and makes it look like an accident.
A few weeks later, Eric, dresses up as Dracula to attend a midnight screening of Night of the Living Dead
at a local cinema, and afterwords targets a hooker who had earlier snubed him.
A few more nights later, Eric dresses up as the cowboy Hopalong Cassidy where he shoots and kills a boorish co-worker (Mickey Rourke
), whom taunted him on a regular basis.
Another few nights later, Eric dresses up as the Mummy where he drives his mean and vindictive boss, Mr. Berger (Norman Burton), into suffering a fatal heart attack whom is working late night at the distribution warehouse.
Finally, Eric dresses up as a gangster and kills a sleazy filmmaker, named Gary Bially, who stole his idea as his own for an upcoming feature film at a barber shop in broad daylight which finally gives away his identity. Eric then eventually works his way toward Marilyn hoping to lure her to his side.
Investigating the murders is a criminal psychologist, named Dr. Jerry Moriarty (Tim Thomerson
), who tries to find a pattern to the murders and find Eric, to help or stop him, with the assistance of a friendly policewoman. But Moriarty's investigation is hampered by his own mean-spirited and nasty boss Captain Gallagher, who tries to stop Moriarty's investigation because Gallagher wants to take all the credit of finding the killer for himself.
It all leads to Eric luring Marilyn to a photography studio where he drugs her to reenact a scene from another film which is interrupted when Dr. Moriarty arrives and Eric is forced to run with Marilyn at his side. It leads to the Grauman's Chinese Theatre
where the insane Eric is shot dead by the police on the roof of the building while reenacting Cody Jarrett's death scene in White Heat
.
, Mark of the Vampire
, Kiss of Death (1947)
, White Heat
, Creature from the Black Lagoon
, Dracula (1958)
, Night of the Living Dead
and Halloween (1978)
.
by Craig Safan
was released on a promotional CD through Perseverance Records
September 3, 2009.
Slasher film
A slasher film is a type of horror film typically involving a psychopathic killer stalking and killing a sequence of victims in a graphically violent manner, often with a cutting tool such as a knife or axe...
starring Golden Globe-nominee Dennis Christopher
Dennis Christopher
Dennis Christopher is an American actor. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is known for playing Dave Stoller in Breaking Away and tragic film buff psychopath Eric Binford in Fade to Black....
, Eve Brent Ashe, and Linda Kerridge. Mickey Rourke
Mickey Rourke
Philip Andre "Mickey" Rourke, Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter and retired boxer, who has appeared primarily as a leading man in action, drama, and thriller films....
also appears in a small role as a bully and one of the killer's victims. The film was nominated for many Saturn Awards, and Eve Brent Ashe won one for Best Supporting Actress for her short ill-fated role as the antagonist's bullying aunt and very first victim. The film now retains a cult following.
Plot summary
Eric Binford is a hollow, chain smokingChain smoking
Chain smoking is the practice of lighting a new cigarette for personal consumption immediately after one that is finished, sometimes using the finished cigarette to light the next one. It is a common form of addiction.-Causes:...
young man who is also an obsessed film addict whose love of old films extends far beyond his job at a Los Angeles film distributor's warehouse and endless late night film screenings in his bedroom. For his vast knowledge, he's been bullied by his friends and family. His singular obsession eventually rounds the bend into psychosis after he crosses paths with Marilyn O'Connor (Linda Kerridge), an Australian model and a Marilyn Monroe look-alike who becomes the physical embodiment of his cinematic desires.
When (unintentionally) stood up by Marilyn on what he believed would be their first date, Eric becomes homicidally unbalanced, transforming himself into a gallery of classic film characters - including Dracula
Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
, The Mummy
The Mummy (franchise)
The Mummy is any one of three series of adventure films about an ancient Egyptian priest accidentally resurrected, who brings with him a powerful curse, and the efforts of heroic archeologists to stop him.-Universal Horror Films:...
, Hopalong Cassidy
Hopalong Cassidy
Hopalong Cassidy is a fictional cowboy hero created in 1904 by the author Clarence E. Mulford, who wrote a series of popular short stories and twenty-eight novels based on the character....
, and Norman Bates - and sets out to destroy his oppressors, starting with his crotchety wheelchair-using, ex-dancer Aunt Stella whom he pushes her wheelchair down a staircase to her death while reenacting a scene from the 1947 film Kiss of Death
Kiss of Death (1947 film)
Kiss of Death is a 1947 film noir movie directed by Henry Hathaway and written by Ben Hecht and Charles Lederer from a story by Eleazar Lipsky. The story revolves around the film's protagonist, a former robber, and the antagonist, the ruthless, violent Tommy Udo...
and makes it look like an accident.
A few weeks later, Eric, dresses up as Dracula to attend a midnight screening of Night of the Living Dead
Night of the Living Dead
Night of the Living Dead is a 1968 American independent black-and-white zombie film and cult film directed by George A. Romero, starring Duane Jones, Judith O'Dea and Karl Hardman. It premiered on October 1, 1968, and was completed on a USD$114,000 budget. After decades of cinematic re-releases, it...
at a local cinema, and afterwords targets a hooker who had earlier snubed him.
A few more nights later, Eric dresses up as the cowboy Hopalong Cassidy where he shoots and kills a boorish co-worker (Mickey Rourke
Mickey Rourke
Philip Andre "Mickey" Rourke, Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter and retired boxer, who has appeared primarily as a leading man in action, drama, and thriller films....
), whom taunted him on a regular basis.
Another few nights later, Eric dresses up as the Mummy where he drives his mean and vindictive boss, Mr. Berger (Norman Burton), into suffering a fatal heart attack whom is working late night at the distribution warehouse.
Finally, Eric dresses up as a gangster and kills a sleazy filmmaker, named Gary Bially, who stole his idea as his own for an upcoming feature film at a barber shop in broad daylight which finally gives away his identity. Eric then eventually works his way toward Marilyn hoping to lure her to his side.
Investigating the murders is a criminal psychologist, named Dr. Jerry Moriarty (Tim Thomerson
Tim Thomerson
Joseph Timothy “Tim” Thomerson is an American actor and comedian.Thomerson is most famous for his role as Jack Deth in the Trancers film series and is renowned for his work in numerous low-budget movies and his comedic television roles.-Early life:Tim Thomerson was born in Coronado, California. He...
), who tries to find a pattern to the murders and find Eric, to help or stop him, with the assistance of a friendly policewoman. But Moriarty's investigation is hampered by his own mean-spirited and nasty boss Captain Gallagher, who tries to stop Moriarty's investigation because Gallagher wants to take all the credit of finding the killer for himself.
It all leads to Eric luring Marilyn to a photography studio where he drugs her to reenact a scene from another film which is interrupted when Dr. Moriarty arrives and Eric is forced to run with Marilyn at his side. It leads to the Grauman's Chinese Theatre
Grauman's Chinese Theatre
Grauman's Chinese Theatre is a movie theater at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood. It is on the historic Hollywood Walk of Fame.The Chinese Theatre was commissioned following the success of the nearby Grauman's Egyptian Theatre which opened in 1922...
where the insane Eric is shot dead by the police on the roof of the building while reenacting Cody Jarrett's death scene in White Heat
White Heat
White Heat may refer to:In film:* White Heat , a British film directed by Thomas Bentley* White Heat , an American film* White Heat, a 1949 film starring James CagneyIn music:...
.
Main cast
- Dennis ChristopherDennis ChristopherDennis Christopher is an American actor. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is known for playing Dave Stoller in Breaking Away and tragic film buff psychopath Eric Binford in Fade to Black....
as Eric Binford - Tim ThomersonTim ThomersonJoseph Timothy “Tim” Thomerson is an American actor and comedian.Thomerson is most famous for his role as Jack Deth in the Trancers film series and is renowned for his work in numerous low-budget movies and his comedic television roles.-Early life:Tim Thomerson was born in Coronado, California. He...
as Dr. Jerry Moriarty - Gwynne GilfordGwynne GilfordGloria Gwynne Gilford is an American actress. She appeared in several television series in the 1970s and 1980s, including A New Kind of Family, The Young Lawyers and The Waverly Wonders, and had a role in the 1987 film version of Masters of the Universe.Gilford was born in Los Angeles, California,...
as Off. Anne Oshenbull - Norman Burton as Marty Berger
- Linda Kerridge as Marilyn O'Connor
- Morgan PaullMorgan PaullMorgan Paull is an American actor probably most notable for playing Holden in the Ridley Scott film Blade Runner. He made his acting debut in the 1970 film Patton playing Captain Richard N. Jenson...
as Gary Bially - James LuisiJames LuisiJames A. Luisi was an American professional basketball player and actor. Luisi is perhaps best known for his role as Lt. Doug Chapman during Seasons 3 through 6 of the television series The Rockford Files.-Career:...
as Capt. M. L. Gallagher - Eve Brent Ashe as Aunt Stella Binford
- John SteadmanJohn Steadman (actor)John Steadman was an American actor.-Career:Steadman was a former radio personality who became a character actor when he retired after 30 years in radio....
as Sam - Marcie Barkin as Stacy
- Mickey RourkeMickey RourkePhilip Andre "Mickey" Rourke, Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter and retired boxer, who has appeared primarily as a leading man in action, drama, and thriller films....
as Richie - Peter HortonPeter HortonPeter Horton is an American actor and director. He played the role of Prof. Gary Shepherd on the popular television series Thirtysomething until 1991.-Early life:...
as Joey - Melinda O. FeeMelinda O. FeeMelinda O. Fee is an American actress who has starred in films and on television. Her first starring role was in the 1950s TV series Love of Life....
as Talk Show Hostess
Film references
The film features clips from classic films and makes reference to others as Eric takes on the personas of several of the characters featured in the films, some of the films featured include: The Public EnemyThe Public Enemy
The Public Enemy is a 1931 American Pre-Code crime film starring James Cagney and directed by William A. Wellman. The film relates the story of a young man's rise in the criminal underworld in prohibition-era urban America...
, Mark of the Vampire
Mark of the Vampire
Mark of the Vampire is a 1935 horror film, starring Lionel Barrymore, Elizabeth Allan, Bela Lugosi, Lionel Atwill, and Jean Hersholt and directed by Tod Browning...
, Kiss of Death (1947)
Kiss of Death (1947 film)
Kiss of Death is a 1947 film noir movie directed by Henry Hathaway and written by Ben Hecht and Charles Lederer from a story by Eleazar Lipsky. The story revolves around the film's protagonist, a former robber, and the antagonist, the ruthless, violent Tommy Udo...
, White Heat
White Heat
White Heat may refer to:In film:* White Heat , a British film directed by Thomas Bentley* White Heat , an American film* White Heat, a 1949 film starring James CagneyIn music:...
, Creature from the Black Lagoon
Creature from the Black Lagoon
Creature from the Black Lagoon is a 1954 monster horror film directed by Jack Arnold, and starring Richard Carlson, Julia Adams, Richard Denning, Antonio Moreno, and Whit Bissell. The eponymous creature was played by Ben Chapman on land and Ricou Browning in underwater scenes...
, Dracula (1958)
Dracula (1958 film)
Dracula, also known as Horror of Dracula in the United States, is a 1958 British horror film. It is the first in the series of Hammer Horror films inspired by the Bram Stoker novel Dracula. It was directed by Terence Fisher, and stars Peter Cushing, Michael Gough, Carol Marsh, Melissa Stribling and...
, Night of the Living Dead
Night of the Living Dead
Night of the Living Dead is a 1968 American independent black-and-white zombie film and cult film directed by George A. Romero, starring Duane Jones, Judith O'Dea and Karl Hardman. It premiered on October 1, 1968, and was completed on a USD$114,000 budget. After decades of cinematic re-releases, it...
and Halloween (1978)
Halloween (1978 film)
Halloween is a 1978 American independent horror film directed, produced, and scored by John Carpenter, co-written with Debra Hill, and starring Donald Pleasence and Jamie Lee Curtis in her film debut and the first installment in the Halloween franchise. The film is set in the fictional midwestern...
.
Merchandise
A novelization (ISBN 0-523-41409-9), written by Ron Renauld was released by Pinnacle Books in 1980.Soundtrack
The film scoreFilm score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
by Craig Safan
Craig Safan
Craig Safan is a Hollywood film composer whose biggest scores include The Last Starfighter, Angel, Fade to Black, Major Payne, Remo Williams, and music to the TV series Cheers, for which he won numerous ASCAP awards.After getting his start in theater, Safan moved to film composing in the 1980s,...
was released on a promotional CD through Perseverance Records
Perseverance Records
Perseverance Records is a record label which releases film scores on CD and online. Releases are usually accompanied by extensive, well-researched booklets...
September 3, 2009.