Fade to Black is a not-so-good attempt to spoof the demanding society, the influence of the media and a few other nowadays stress factors. Dennis Christopher stars as Eric Binford, an introvert nerd who's addicted to movies (film noir and horror in particular). After a few things gone wrong in his pathetic little life, he snaps and starts to kill his opponents dressed up like his movie role models. More particularly, like James Cagney in 'White Heat', Christopher Lee in 'Dracula' or the rubber suit guy in 'Creature from the Black Lagoon'. Even though it's usually listed as one, I certainly wouldn't call this film horror. It's not bloody (unfortunately) and it doesn't feature any tension, atmosphere or shocking elements. Neither is it funny or even memorable. The acting is below every standard (keep your eyes open for the young Mickey Rourke in a small role) and I didn't like the 'blame it all on society' undertones. Luckily, there still is the trivia! I amused myself by spotting all the horror posters and the references to classic horror and gangster films.
Review of Fade to Black
