"Der Fan" is a bone chilling and thought-provoking film about teenage obsession and the gradual descent into social isolation, despair and slow brooding insanity. Simone is a pretty young girl whose entire universe spins around a pop-singer named "R". She talks to him in her mind, fantasizes about their utopist future together, eagerly awaits letters that never come and completely neglects her school work and social life in favor of dreams about him. Simone eventually takes the initiative abandon everything without notice and hitchhikes to Munich in order to meet him at a concert. She finds her beloved "R" and, for a brief period of time, all her dreams come true as he fancies her, albeit guarding a haughty distance. But, of course, now that she finally found him, Simone isn't prepared to share her lover with the rest of the world anymore
"Der Fan" is an unimaginably slow-paced film and please don't immediately start to question it's cult reputation upon noticing absolutely nothing significant happens during what appears to be the entire film. Believe you me; it's all just patient and awkwardly uncomfortable building up towards one of the most shocking and revolting climaxes ever. This was an incredibly controversial release back in its home country Germany, and it's not too hard to see why. Without revealing too much about the infamous denouement, I can safely say this girl Simone single-handedly gives a whole new dimension to the term "obsessive groupie". Désirée Nosbusch gives away a hugely impressive performance as Simone and undeniably the other biggest strong point of the film apart from the ending of course is Rheingold's prototypic 80's electro pop music. If you're familiar with the oeuvre the relatively known 80's band Kraftwork ("The Model", "Autobahn", "Radioactivity"), you know pretty much what to expect. "Der Fan" isn't a movie for all tastes but certainly a curious collector's item for the more avid and open-minded cult fanatic to seek out.
22 Reviews
Slow paced for sure, but what a pay off
Leofwine_draca22 November 2016
Warning: Spoilers
For the first hour this is a slow, even stately paced movie, utterly mundane and pretty boring for those who expect action scenes every ten minutes and a twist-a-minute plot. It's a West German production that feels very much like other product from that country (I'm thinking in particular of MOSQUITO THE RAPIST here) in that the characters are cold and the film has a clinically detached feel to it, as if we're scientists watching events play out in a laboratory. There's not a great deal of room for emotion here, but there is a high degree of realism – everything we see is matter-of-fact and everyday stuff, from a teenage girl's pop star obsession to the daily life that goes on around her.
Then, at around the hour mark, there is an absolutely massive plot twist and the film suddenly turns into this dark psychological horror yarn that isn't for the squeamish. It's never gory, but the subtle events that play out involving dismemberment and cannibalism are extremely disturbing precisely because they're presented in a mundane, normal way; as if this stuff was expected to happen, and is nothing out of the ordinary. This makes things all the more disturbing. As the young protagonist, Desiree Nosbusch gives an understated performance that works precisely because she hides most of her character's feelings, especially towards the climax of the movie. She's also far from shy, and spends most of the latter half of the film walking around completely naked, which is a little distracting for the viewer.
The supporting cast members vary in quality, but I did like Bodo Steiger as the odd, pale pop performer and it's one annoyingly catchy tune he sings. So, in essence, this is a film where exploitation meets subtlety, where depraved horrors are the stuff of normal existence, and it works precisely because of that reason for viewers who are patient enough to sit it out to the end. As such it's a neat precursor to the kind of modern Japanese shockers like AUDITION, where the surprises are saved for the final reel to blow the reader out of their seat at the film's climax. Just remember that TRANCE got there first.
Then, at around the hour mark, there is an absolutely massive plot twist and the film suddenly turns into this dark psychological horror yarn that isn't for the squeamish. It's never gory, but the subtle events that play out involving dismemberment and cannibalism are extremely disturbing precisely because they're presented in a mundane, normal way; as if this stuff was expected to happen, and is nothing out of the ordinary. This makes things all the more disturbing. As the young protagonist, Desiree Nosbusch gives an understated performance that works precisely because she hides most of her character's feelings, especially towards the climax of the movie. She's also far from shy, and spends most of the latter half of the film walking around completely naked, which is a little distracting for the viewer.
The supporting cast members vary in quality, but I did like Bodo Steiger as the odd, pale pop performer and it's one annoyingly catchy tune he sings. So, in essence, this is a film where exploitation meets subtlety, where depraved horrors are the stuff of normal existence, and it works precisely because of that reason for viewers who are patient enough to sit it out to the end. As such it's a neat precursor to the kind of modern Japanese shockers like AUDITION, where the surprises are saved for the final reel to blow the reader out of their seat at the film's climax. Just remember that TRANCE got there first.
A surprising film
rdoyle298 October 2017
Désirée Nosbusch stars as Simone, a teenager obsessed with pop star R (Bodo Steiger). She writes him professing her love and waits obsessively for his reply. When none comes, she travels to Munich to confront him in person. They meet and seem to hit it off, but things do not exactly go as anyone would have planned them. This is a cold, somewhat alienating film that I have to say I really enjoyed. All the performances are subdued and quietly driven, and the film pulses with a synth score by Rheingold that also stands in for R's music. It all leads to an inevitable, but still somewhat surprising brutal end.
This one will definitely stay with you
lazarillo22 September 2008
A deranged teenage girl played by Desiree Nosbusch (who like many deranged females in movies is improbably hot) is obsessed with a bad German rock star named "R". She is alienated from her parents and seemingly has no friends, so she spends all her free time listening to "R"'s music and following his career. She attends a TV show he is taping at a nearby town. They meet and he decides that she is good for a quick shag. Unfortunately, she wants more from him--MUCH more--and she ends up doing something truly shocking.
This is a downbeat and pretty disturbing movie--it's not, however, especially believable. An incident kind of like this did actually happen in Germany recently (which was made all the more disturbing by the fact that the victim was apparently completely willing). But that bizarre case involved a middle-aged man--it's a little harder to believe a pretty teenage girl could be this warped (It's also kind of an ironic conceit that the stalkers in movies are often the kind of people--i.e. young, attractive, female--that in real life are far more like to be the stalk-ees). Nosbusch does give a pretty convincing performance, and this helps greatly. This first-time German actress would go on to a short career in cinema, including English-language films like "Good Morning, Babylon" (under the name Desiree Becker). She became more famous perhaps though as a singer and a presenter of the Eurovision contest (where she no doubt introduced musical acts even worse than that of the fictional "R").
This was a good movie, but unfortunately I got my copy via Britain where it was subject to some idiotic (even by their standards) censorship. To wit, Nosbusch's impressive butt and boobs are literally on display for about ten minutes here, but the Brit censors decided a brief full-frontal scene was apparently just too harmful to society. This cut reputedly doesn't make that much of a difference though (which is exactly why it is so STUPID). Anyway, I would recommend this, but if you have a choice try to get a version WITHOUT the checkered triangle with an 18 on it (the international symbol of the idiocy of the BBFC). In any case, much like "R" does with his obsessive young fan, this one will definitely stay with you.
This is a downbeat and pretty disturbing movie--it's not, however, especially believable. An incident kind of like this did actually happen in Germany recently (which was made all the more disturbing by the fact that the victim was apparently completely willing). But that bizarre case involved a middle-aged man--it's a little harder to believe a pretty teenage girl could be this warped (It's also kind of an ironic conceit that the stalkers in movies are often the kind of people--i.e. young, attractive, female--that in real life are far more like to be the stalk-ees). Nosbusch does give a pretty convincing performance, and this helps greatly. This first-time German actress would go on to a short career in cinema, including English-language films like "Good Morning, Babylon" (under the name Desiree Becker). She became more famous perhaps though as a singer and a presenter of the Eurovision contest (where she no doubt introduced musical acts even worse than that of the fictional "R").
This was a good movie, but unfortunately I got my copy via Britain where it was subject to some idiotic (even by their standards) censorship. To wit, Nosbusch's impressive butt and boobs are literally on display for about ten minutes here, but the Brit censors decided a brief full-frontal scene was apparently just too harmful to society. This cut reputedly doesn't make that much of a difference though (which is exactly why it is so STUPID). Anyway, I would recommend this, but if you have a choice try to get a version WITHOUT the checkered triangle with an 18 on it (the international symbol of the idiocy of the BBFC). In any case, much like "R" does with his obsessive young fan, this one will definitely stay with you.
WOW.
BandSAboutMovies4 April 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Another movie that I didn't watch for a long time so that I could be ready for it, Der Fan totally paid off. Man, this is one dark journey into the abyss.
Simone (Désirée Nosbusch, who recorded "Kann es Liebe sein?" with Falco) is in love with a new wave singer named R. Love is such an easy word for how she really feels, as her adoration for him replaces eating and sleeping and school. Now, all she wants to do is wait and wait for a letter for him that never comes. She is nothing without him and becomes nothingness.
When she finally meets him in the flesh, she freezes and he takes advantage of her, making love to her and then coldly rejecting her. In any other film, this would be the life lesson, but instead, Simone kills him with a statue, then consumes his flesh before turning his bones to ash and shaving her head.
The movie ends with one last fan letter, as a pregnant Simone claims that R will always be a part of her. Well, in one way or another, right?
This is yet another film that stands on the side of arthouse versus grindhouse, but that only depends on what theater is showing it. Eckhart Schmidt wrote the book that this was based on and directed this film, as well as Alpha City, which will be on our site in a few weeks.
So often, glam stars seemed to come from another planet. In this one, the fan seems as if she does not exist on the same level of existence as us, a ghost that walks among us, ready at any moment to unleash violence. She is an angel of death walking amongst mortals, which rock stars most assuredly are.
Simone (Désirée Nosbusch, who recorded "Kann es Liebe sein?" with Falco) is in love with a new wave singer named R. Love is such an easy word for how she really feels, as her adoration for him replaces eating and sleeping and school. Now, all she wants to do is wait and wait for a letter for him that never comes. She is nothing without him and becomes nothingness.
When she finally meets him in the flesh, she freezes and he takes advantage of her, making love to her and then coldly rejecting her. In any other film, this would be the life lesson, but instead, Simone kills him with a statue, then consumes his flesh before turning his bones to ash and shaving her head.
The movie ends with one last fan letter, as a pregnant Simone claims that R will always be a part of her. Well, in one way or another, right?
This is yet another film that stands on the side of arthouse versus grindhouse, but that only depends on what theater is showing it. Eckhart Schmidt wrote the book that this was based on and directed this film, as well as Alpha City, which will be on our site in a few weeks.
So often, glam stars seemed to come from another planet. In this one, the fan seems as if she does not exist on the same level of existence as us, a ghost that walks among us, ready at any moment to unleash violence. She is an angel of death walking amongst mortals, which rock stars most assuredly are.
If you can find this movie and stick with it to the end
kaefab28 February 2019
Slow build to a shocking climax!
The_Void18 August 2008
Der Fan is a practically unknown horror film; but also a very good one and a film that I would call the definition of a 'sleeper'. The film is halfway between a drama and a horror film with drama taking up the first hour before the horror is unleashed in the final third. Eckhart Schmidt's film draws you into the central character with the slow building opening and successfully lulls his audience into a false sense of security before pulling the rug from under us at the end. The result is very effective and ensures that the horror of the story carries a lot of shock value with it. The film focuses on a schoolgirl named Simone. Simone is a quiet girl, and the reason for that is down her obsession with 'R' - a cheesy eighties pop singer. She's written him a letter in which she declares her undying love and constantly watches the post office for a reply; and is constantly disappointed. She can't concentrate on her schooling and decides to hit the road in order to find her love. She eventually meets him in Munich, but doesn't get the treatment she believes she deserves...
The film is German and the version I saw was dubbed poorly into English - and that's really the only bad word I have to say about it. The first hour of the film focuses solely on the main character and her obsession for the pop singer and while I can't say I can relate to it from a personal point of view; the way that things are portrayed makes things interesting. The loneliness of the central character always shines through and even though she's more than just a little bit odd, the director does actually succeed in making us feel bad for her plight. The film is slow for the first hour and not a great deal happens although it really isn't boring and all credit has to go to the film for giving the audience an amazing pay-off towards the end. All the patience invested in the film is surely rewarded when the big twist hits and Eckhart Schmidt delivers a totally bizarre conclusion and brings with it a change of pace that is really difficult to forget. I'm not too surprised that this film isn't often rated more highly as it will undoubtedly struggle to find a target audience; but if you like your horror dark and shocking and have a bit of patience - this little flick is well worth checking out!
The film is German and the version I saw was dubbed poorly into English - and that's really the only bad word I have to say about it. The first hour of the film focuses solely on the main character and her obsession for the pop singer and while I can't say I can relate to it from a personal point of view; the way that things are portrayed makes things interesting. The loneliness of the central character always shines through and even though she's more than just a little bit odd, the director does actually succeed in making us feel bad for her plight. The film is slow for the first hour and not a great deal happens although it really isn't boring and all credit has to go to the film for giving the audience an amazing pay-off towards the end. All the patience invested in the film is surely rewarded when the big twist hits and Eckhart Schmidt delivers a totally bizarre conclusion and brings with it a change of pace that is really difficult to forget. I'm not too surprised that this film isn't often rated more highly as it will undoubtedly struggle to find a target audience; but if you like your horror dark and shocking and have a bit of patience - this little flick is well worth checking out!
Girl Power!
Karl Self6 December 2008
I knew the music to this film for many years before I finally saw the film itself. I had discovered the hypnotic soundtrack by Rheingold on a second-hand LP and have had it on heavy rotation for many years. It's one of the best albums I know.
The music is certainly one of boons which helped to put this movie into another class and make it a classic. Hypnotically slowly, it follows the development of a teenybopping waif's obsession with a pop star spiraling out of control. It's one of those movies which you kind of have to see in a cinema because on TV you'd zap away after 10 minutes. But it richly rewards your for its slower moments.
Apparently there was a lot of controversy around lead actress Désirée Nosbusch's nudity scenes, which are admittedly surprisingly crass. But they are not exploitative and absolutely gel in with the movie. Kind of ironic that immediately after this scene there is one of extreme violence which went practically unnoticed by the public. A nice society we're living in.
It's very respectable that the director fought to keep these scenes in, as they are essential to the escalation of the story. They are actually a good example of how those scenes should be done realistically but without becoming pornographic or voyeuristic. It's a big fat shame that this controversy tainted the reception and popularity of this great movie.
And by the way, other than is often stated, the affair between star and fan doesn't end with the star "dropping" her after a night of carnality. It's not a case of "find'um, furp'um and flee". R. merely returns to his reality whereas Simone stays locked in her fantasy world.
Some tidbits about this movie: R. is actually played by the singer of the band Rheingold, Bodo Staiger, which furnished the soundtrack. The actress playing the fan, Désirée Nosbusch, was at the time already a popular "VJane" (i. e. hostess of a music show like the one that is shown in the movie). And the host of the TV show which Simone watches with her parents at the beginning of the movie is played by Joachim "Blacky" Fuchsberger, who in real life was the most popular TV host in Germany at the time.
The music is certainly one of boons which helped to put this movie into another class and make it a classic. Hypnotically slowly, it follows the development of a teenybopping waif's obsession with a pop star spiraling out of control. It's one of those movies which you kind of have to see in a cinema because on TV you'd zap away after 10 minutes. But it richly rewards your for its slower moments.
Apparently there was a lot of controversy around lead actress Désirée Nosbusch's nudity scenes, which are admittedly surprisingly crass. But they are not exploitative and absolutely gel in with the movie. Kind of ironic that immediately after this scene there is one of extreme violence which went practically unnoticed by the public. A nice society we're living in.
It's very respectable that the director fought to keep these scenes in, as they are essential to the escalation of the story. They are actually a good example of how those scenes should be done realistically but without becoming pornographic or voyeuristic. It's a big fat shame that this controversy tainted the reception and popularity of this great movie.
And by the way, other than is often stated, the affair between star and fan doesn't end with the star "dropping" her after a night of carnality. It's not a case of "find'um, furp'um and flee". R. merely returns to his reality whereas Simone stays locked in her fantasy world.
Some tidbits about this movie: R. is actually played by the singer of the band Rheingold, Bodo Staiger, which furnished the soundtrack. The actress playing the fan, Désirée Nosbusch, was at the time already a popular "VJane" (i. e. hostess of a music show like the one that is shown in the movie). And the host of the TV show which Simone watches with her parents at the beginning of the movie is played by Joachim "Blacky" Fuchsberger, who in real life was the most popular TV host in Germany at the time.
Der Slow
horizon20089 October 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Slower than a snail in a coma Der Fan tells the tale of an obsessed girl following her pop idol to the point of insanity. I got a good laugh at the fashions of 1982 seeing them all again and our main character dresses (and looks a bit) like Nena of 99 Red Balloons fame. The music within is pretty dire though, even by 1980s standards (believe me, I was there, I know) although some here seem to have enjoyed it.
Our heroine eventually meets her idol and it results in a bit of rumpy pumpy, but shortly after she's basically told to get lost and the fun begins.
After cracking the pop star Richard Burke (known as "R") over the head with a heavy statue she cuts him up with bread knife and dumps him in a freezer. Finally shaving her head as some process of detachment from it all.
I must admit I had to fast forward a bit to get nearer the good stuff in this movie. The first hour is a real drag and pretty much nothing happens. Also during the bread knife scene you can clearly see the pulse in the neck of the "dead" singers body. At one point the tears on the girl look white too, like someone dropped milk on her to fake them. Strange lol.
The pay off is OK in the movie, but barely worth the effort of getting through the first hour. Just watch the first 15mins and then fast forward to the studio scenes. You really wont miss anything.
Our heroine eventually meets her idol and it results in a bit of rumpy pumpy, but shortly after she's basically told to get lost and the fun begins.
After cracking the pop star Richard Burke (known as "R") over the head with a heavy statue she cuts him up with bread knife and dumps him in a freezer. Finally shaving her head as some process of detachment from it all.
I must admit I had to fast forward a bit to get nearer the good stuff in this movie. The first hour is a real drag and pretty much nothing happens. Also during the bread knife scene you can clearly see the pulse in the neck of the "dead" singers body. At one point the tears on the girl look white too, like someone dropped milk on her to fake them. Strange lol.
The pay off is OK in the movie, but barely worth the effort of getting through the first hour. Just watch the first 15mins and then fast forward to the studio scenes. You really wont miss anything.
Deserves a GEN Z renaissance.
anthonycompardo5 April 2021
First, lets get the fact that the electro soundtrack here is one of the best scores ever. Like EVER! And since this centers on a pop star it's pretty important. There's a repetitive style that works well with the leads repetitive obsession with her letters.
The story and performances are splendid and the ending works just fine for me. It's a story about depression and identity -- deserves a Gen Z following.
The story and performances are splendid and the ending works just fine for me. It's a story about depression and identity -- deserves a Gen Z following.
Not much stays memorable, hasn't aged well
Horst_In_Translation15 September 2016
Warning: Spoilers
"Der Fan" or "The Fan" is a West German 85--minute movie from 1982, so next year it will have its 35th anniversary. The writer and director is Eckhart Schmidt and it's probably his most known work and also one of the most known works for actress Désirée Nosbusch who plays the title character, that easily turned her into one of Luxembourg's most successful actresses ever and all this at such a tender age. I must say I am not familiar with any of the other actors in here though except Blacky Fuchsberger who has a small cameo. If you read a bit about this film, you will see that it was a controversial film back then, not only because of the contents, but also because of the argument ensuing between Nosbusch and Schmidt around the time when the film came out and that had to do with Nosbusch's nude scenes.
And with the controversy dying down over the last few decades, very little stays memorable from this movie. I thought Nosbusch gave a good performance, but I also felt that almost all the supporting players were mediocre or bad on most occasions. This also includes male protagonist Bodo Steiger and I am not surprised at all that he has not acted in more films really. The story also has huge problems in my opinion. For example, it was entirely unfitting that Nosbusch's character suddenly starts cutting off body parts from the man. It feels a bit tough already for me to make an argument for her killing the man, but you can somewhat explain it through spur of the moment and affect. There was no indication at all that she was a sociopath or a violent killer earlier and then they let her do stuff like that. Yes she was misguided, but still. And lets be honest, the way he rejects her is not really severe rejection and it's difficult to justify her screaming and her killing in that scene. It was also cringeworthy how they showed it so many times from different angles. Or how did nobody from the crew tell the police who he went away with. I am not sold at all. As a whole, I can only say that by today's standards, I see this film as a blatant case of style over substance that lacks realism entirely and goes for cheap thrills from start to finish instead of delivering a good character study. The bald head at the very end is the perfect example. I cannot recommend the watch. The few topless shots of the (then already) stunning Désirée Nosbusch are not enough to sit through all the mediocre and weak moments. Watch something else instead.
And with the controversy dying down over the last few decades, very little stays memorable from this movie. I thought Nosbusch gave a good performance, but I also felt that almost all the supporting players were mediocre or bad on most occasions. This also includes male protagonist Bodo Steiger and I am not surprised at all that he has not acted in more films really. The story also has huge problems in my opinion. For example, it was entirely unfitting that Nosbusch's character suddenly starts cutting off body parts from the man. It feels a bit tough already for me to make an argument for her killing the man, but you can somewhat explain it through spur of the moment and affect. There was no indication at all that she was a sociopath or a violent killer earlier and then they let her do stuff like that. Yes she was misguided, but still. And lets be honest, the way he rejects her is not really severe rejection and it's difficult to justify her screaming and her killing in that scene. It was also cringeworthy how they showed it so many times from different angles. Or how did nobody from the crew tell the police who he went away with. I am not sold at all. As a whole, I can only say that by today's standards, I see this film as a blatant case of style over substance that lacks realism entirely and goes for cheap thrills from start to finish instead of delivering a good character study. The bald head at the very end is the perfect example. I cannot recommend the watch. The few topless shots of the (then already) stunning Désirée Nosbusch are not enough to sit through all the mediocre and weak moments. Watch something else instead.
An aesthetically extrinsic and jarring psychological disquisition.
EyeAskance5 October 2003
A doleful, onerous portrait of an obsessed fanatic which is entirely encompassing despite its glacial pace. A mildly dissociative schoolgirl grows increasingly entranced by a popular music artist(a very early '80s Kraftwerk-style fellow), and sets forth with determination to become his lover. Through the course of her efforts, she eventually finds herself in his bed...but when she is handed her wham-bam-thank-you papers, her moment of happiness turns to shock and dismay. Things are far from finalized, however, as the closing moments of this film illustrate in a rattling climax which brilliantly rectifies the brooding monotone of its creeping buildup.
A diagnostic rumination on fanaticism which is stylistically rather dated, yet nonetheless quite penetrating and recommendable.
6.5/10
A diagnostic rumination on fanaticism which is stylistically rather dated, yet nonetheless quite penetrating and recommendable.
6.5/10
Slow-moving German horror drama with shocking climax.
HumanoidOfFlesh23 September 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Apparently the favourite film of Japanese cannibal killer Issei Sagawa this unusual German horror drama left me a little bit disturbed.Cute 17-year-old teenager Simone has an intense crush on a dark-haired pop singer "R".The girl believes they are meant to be together,but he doesn't reply on her love letters.As she sees him for the first time she is speechless,unable even to ask for his autograph.He notices her and reaches out to touch her.Overcome with emotion Simone faints;with that first touch R's fate is sealed.When they later make love he is cold and detached.She plans the revenge which erupts into bloody murder and cannibalism..."Trance" is a remarkable horror drama about idol obsession and dysfunctional family living in their own private hell.The climax is gruesome and haunting as Simone kills and dismembers the object of her affection in a fetishistic sequence.The climatic gory mayhem is truly unforgettable.
Slow-Paced But Haunting Horror...
EVOL66624 January 2007
Warning: Spoilers
DER FAN is a slow-building but effective film that touches on common themes of obsession and rejection, but in a slightly more clinical and disturbing manner than most films of it's type. The "resolution" is also a bit more bizarre than your average film about unrequited love, but should prove satisfying to fans of more "dark"-themed horror films.
Simone is your typical disaffected and alienated teenager who has a delusional obsession with a popular music star, known as "R". Through R's droney and monotonous new-wave style music, Simone believes that the two are "connected" and writes him unreturned love-letters on a daily basis. Simone finally decides to run away from home to pursue her "love", and eventually meets R oustide of a television station. Unlikely as it may seem, R takes a personal interest in Simone and the pair spend the night together. But when R treats Simone as a typical groupie, Simone in not happy about it and retaliates in a most extreme fashion...
To be honest, the basic plot of DER FAN is nothing very original, it's how the material is handled and portrayed that makes this film interesting. There is a coldness to the production that is reminiscent of some of Michael Haneke's works and the "shocking" ending is both deranged and satisfying. The mechanical new-wave soundtrack fits perfectly with the atmosphere of the film, and mirrors feeling of Simone's alienation and despair. My only gripes with the film are the ATROCIOUS dubbing of my copy - I would have much preferred a subtitle track. The pacing was also definitely a bit slow until the final act of the film, but I didn't find it to be overly dull. I'm also disappointed that my copy of the film appears to be the shorter, 88 minute version, and there does appear to be a few awkward edits in the sex-scene, and in the finale. I would really like to know what I missed in those two parts. Other than those issues, DER FAN is a very solid and overlooked film that I would recommend to "dark" horror/drama fans that can stand to wait for the pay-off...8.5/10
Simone is your typical disaffected and alienated teenager who has a delusional obsession with a popular music star, known as "R". Through R's droney and monotonous new-wave style music, Simone believes that the two are "connected" and writes him unreturned love-letters on a daily basis. Simone finally decides to run away from home to pursue her "love", and eventually meets R oustide of a television station. Unlikely as it may seem, R takes a personal interest in Simone and the pair spend the night together. But when R treats Simone as a typical groupie, Simone in not happy about it and retaliates in a most extreme fashion...
To be honest, the basic plot of DER FAN is nothing very original, it's how the material is handled and portrayed that makes this film interesting. There is a coldness to the production that is reminiscent of some of Michael Haneke's works and the "shocking" ending is both deranged and satisfying. The mechanical new-wave soundtrack fits perfectly with the atmosphere of the film, and mirrors feeling of Simone's alienation and despair. My only gripes with the film are the ATROCIOUS dubbing of my copy - I would have much preferred a subtitle track. The pacing was also definitely a bit slow until the final act of the film, but I didn't find it to be overly dull. I'm also disappointed that my copy of the film appears to be the shorter, 88 minute version, and there does appear to be a few awkward edits in the sex-scene, and in the finale. I would really like to know what I missed in those two parts. Other than those issues, DER FAN is a very solid and overlooked film that I would recommend to "dark" horror/drama fans that can stand to wait for the pay-off...8.5/10
The Fan Is A Dead And Cold Corpse Of A Movie. 1-2-Miss.
P3n-E-W1s328 May 2022
Greetings And Salutations, and welcome to my review of The Fan; here's the breakdown of my ratings:
Story: 0.25 Direction: 0.75 Pace: 0.75 Acting: 0.75 Enjoyment: 0.50
TOTAL: 3.00 out of 10.00
Okay, so I am flabbergasted. At the time of writing this review, The Fan has a 6.6 IMDb rating when much better films are scoring much lower. WOW!
The story is pretty basic and offers very little insight into the obsessed girl's fixation with the Electronic Music star called R. She keeps writing to him but never receives a reply. She decides to give R a deadline to respond; if he hasn't answered in seven days, she'll take action. I was itching with boredom to turn off the telly by the time day seven came around. All the writer fills the time with is mopy selfishness. If anybody needed a smack, Simone is she. I was hoping that she'd go nuts on the eighth day. Alas, the lass merely runs away from home, heading out to find R. So, we'll get some exciting road trip scenes? Nope, even though a sleazy fat man tries his luck, nowt happens. And, I mean nowt. There's no fight, no real struggle, and the most engaging segment of this scene is the bloke's dog trying to get into the back of the car - evidently, he didn't want to take care of business in the pouring rain; more serious still, the dog possesses more personality than anyone in the story. Most characters are two-dimensional, though a lot possess less than that. I couldn't believe in or relate to them, and it killed The Fan for me. I needed insight into Simone to understand her final actions towards R. That said, the ending is quite chilling if you read between the lines of Simone's narrated diary entry - I'd the impression the writer had scribbled this part first and then added the boring nonsense beforehand to reach his end goal.
At least the direction is slightly better, but not much - which isn't surprising as he penned this wearisome tale. Most of the filmmaking is in the Point and Shoot style, though he does offer up some agreeable compositions. However, due to the dreary story, it required more verve to engage the viewers. Most times, it only adds to the movie's dullness. But the section I hated most was the TV Music Video. It is terrible. But I do have to give some respect to the R's end sequence. Look carefully, and you'll realise no mannequins were harmed; it's all about camera positioning. The principal element in creating the picture's boredom is the tempo. It's too slow, and the director fails to utilise it fully to build the necessary atmosphere.
Then we arrive at the cast. Oh God, the performers are so wooden and unexpressive it was like watching a forest, though exceedingly less intriguing. Their indifference and deadpan delivery hinder the movie even further.
I cannot recommend The Fan to anyone. It was an interesting premise but one hell of a lifeless implementation. What this film needed was life. Life in its characters, life in the filmmaking, and life in the performances.
Please feel free to visit my Killer Thriller Chillers list to see where I ranked The Fan.
Take Care & Stay Well.
Story: 0.25 Direction: 0.75 Pace: 0.75 Acting: 0.75 Enjoyment: 0.50
TOTAL: 3.00 out of 10.00
Okay, so I am flabbergasted. At the time of writing this review, The Fan has a 6.6 IMDb rating when much better films are scoring much lower. WOW!
The story is pretty basic and offers very little insight into the obsessed girl's fixation with the Electronic Music star called R. She keeps writing to him but never receives a reply. She decides to give R a deadline to respond; if he hasn't answered in seven days, she'll take action. I was itching with boredom to turn off the telly by the time day seven came around. All the writer fills the time with is mopy selfishness. If anybody needed a smack, Simone is she. I was hoping that she'd go nuts on the eighth day. Alas, the lass merely runs away from home, heading out to find R. So, we'll get some exciting road trip scenes? Nope, even though a sleazy fat man tries his luck, nowt happens. And, I mean nowt. There's no fight, no real struggle, and the most engaging segment of this scene is the bloke's dog trying to get into the back of the car - evidently, he didn't want to take care of business in the pouring rain; more serious still, the dog possesses more personality than anyone in the story. Most characters are two-dimensional, though a lot possess less than that. I couldn't believe in or relate to them, and it killed The Fan for me. I needed insight into Simone to understand her final actions towards R. That said, the ending is quite chilling if you read between the lines of Simone's narrated diary entry - I'd the impression the writer had scribbled this part first and then added the boring nonsense beforehand to reach his end goal.
At least the direction is slightly better, but not much - which isn't surprising as he penned this wearisome tale. Most of the filmmaking is in the Point and Shoot style, though he does offer up some agreeable compositions. However, due to the dreary story, it required more verve to engage the viewers. Most times, it only adds to the movie's dullness. But the section I hated most was the TV Music Video. It is terrible. But I do have to give some respect to the R's end sequence. Look carefully, and you'll realise no mannequins were harmed; it's all about camera positioning. The principal element in creating the picture's boredom is the tempo. It's too slow, and the director fails to utilise it fully to build the necessary atmosphere.
Then we arrive at the cast. Oh God, the performers are so wooden and unexpressive it was like watching a forest, though exceedingly less intriguing. Their indifference and deadpan delivery hinder the movie even further.
I cannot recommend The Fan to anyone. It was an interesting premise but one hell of a lifeless implementation. What this film needed was life. Life in its characters, life in the filmmaking, and life in the performances.
Please feel free to visit my Killer Thriller Chillers list to see where I ranked The Fan.
Take Care & Stay Well.
Worth it for the final third.
Hey_Sweden12 March 2021
The deeply affecting performance by Desiree Nosbusch is the core of what first seems to be a pretty standard tale of youthful obsession. Teenager Simone (Nosbusch) fantasizes about getting together with "R" (Bodo Staiger), the pop singer whom she idolizes. She chucks it all to go on a journey to Munich to meet up with him. To her great joy, he is very nice to her at first. BUT, when he plans on abandoning her after getting what he wants from her, the already disturbed Simone snaps, and spends a great deal of time devising a way for him to always be with her.
We've all seen stories about unhinged admirers of entertainers who get homicidal when faced with a harsh dose of reality. But whatever "Der Fan" lacks in original premise, it is able to compensate with its sensitive treatment of the memorable title character. It's easy to sympathize with Simone until that final third when she utilizes her alone time with "R" to show just how far she can go. It's a doozy of a third act, largely because writer / director Eckhart Schmidt dares to take his time: he makes things very violent (but not overtly gory) and atmospheric, with the electronic score by Rheingold serving as the perfect accompaniment. A true exploitation-thriller, this features extensive sex and nudity, and yet titillation is not all that Schmidt has on his mind. He gets subtle, nuanced performances out of his main cast, and his film definitely works its way under the viewers' skin.
Eight out of 10.
We've all seen stories about unhinged admirers of entertainers who get homicidal when faced with a harsh dose of reality. But whatever "Der Fan" lacks in original premise, it is able to compensate with its sensitive treatment of the memorable title character. It's easy to sympathize with Simone until that final third when she utilizes her alone time with "R" to show just how far she can go. It's a doozy of a third act, largely because writer / director Eckhart Schmidt dares to take his time: he makes things very violent (but not overtly gory) and atmospheric, with the electronic score by Rheingold serving as the perfect accompaniment. A true exploitation-thriller, this features extensive sex and nudity, and yet titillation is not all that Schmidt has on his mind. He gets subtle, nuanced performances out of his main cast, and his film definitely works its way under the viewers' skin.
Eight out of 10.
Der Fan
Michael_Elliott8 April 2015
Der Fan (1982)
** 1/2 (out of 4)
Teenager Simone (Desiree Nosbusch) fantasizes about having a relationship with her favorite pop singer R (Bodo Steiger). She finally by chance ends up meeting him but their relationship takes a dangerous turn.
I guess the less said about the plot of DER FAN the better it will be for those who haven't seen it. This now cult item was released to a lot of controversy and it remains somewhat shocking today and especially the twist that happens so it's best that you don't know this big spoiler so I'm certainly not going to give it away here. Is the film worthy of all the hype and controversy? I would personally say no as I think there are much better films out there that deals with someone losing their mind but there's no question that there's enough here to recommend it.
I think one of the strongest things going for the film is the wonderful music score by Rheingold who manages to build a lot of dark atmosphere. I thought the score perfectly brought out the mind set of this teenage girl and I loved how it got deeper and darker as her mind began to slip. There's also some nice cinematography and some good editing that helps the film along. Director Eckhart Schmidt does a very nice job at slowly building up the slipping mind of this character. At 93- minutes the film actually feels much longer due to the slow style but for the most part I thought the director did good in making sure that it never got too boring.
The performance of Nosbusch is another reason to check the film out. The actress was probably just 16 or 17-years-old when she made this film so there are going to be some who object to the full nudity that she has throughout the final portion of the film. I think attacking the film for this would be rather narrow-minded even though the actress did stir up controversy when she tried to have the film pulled on its original release, although I wonder how much of this was just hype to sell the picture. Either way, she certainly delivers a convincing performance of someone slowly losing their mind. I thought she perfectly captured the naive nature of this character and when she finally goes off the deep end, you can believe what you're seeing.
i would also say that the biggest problem is that while the actress pulls off the mental state of the character, the direction really doesn't pull the psychological drama out of everything like he should have. This film falls well short of the psychological horrors of something like TAXI DRIVER. THE FAN certainly has plenty of flaws including a not-so-original story but at the end of the day the performances and the overall tone makes it worth watching.
** 1/2 (out of 4)
Teenager Simone (Desiree Nosbusch) fantasizes about having a relationship with her favorite pop singer R (Bodo Steiger). She finally by chance ends up meeting him but their relationship takes a dangerous turn.
I guess the less said about the plot of DER FAN the better it will be for those who haven't seen it. This now cult item was released to a lot of controversy and it remains somewhat shocking today and especially the twist that happens so it's best that you don't know this big spoiler so I'm certainly not going to give it away here. Is the film worthy of all the hype and controversy? I would personally say no as I think there are much better films out there that deals with someone losing their mind but there's no question that there's enough here to recommend it.
I think one of the strongest things going for the film is the wonderful music score by Rheingold who manages to build a lot of dark atmosphere. I thought the score perfectly brought out the mind set of this teenage girl and I loved how it got deeper and darker as her mind began to slip. There's also some nice cinematography and some good editing that helps the film along. Director Eckhart Schmidt does a very nice job at slowly building up the slipping mind of this character. At 93- minutes the film actually feels much longer due to the slow style but for the most part I thought the director did good in making sure that it never got too boring.
The performance of Nosbusch is another reason to check the film out. The actress was probably just 16 or 17-years-old when she made this film so there are going to be some who object to the full nudity that she has throughout the final portion of the film. I think attacking the film for this would be rather narrow-minded even though the actress did stir up controversy when she tried to have the film pulled on its original release, although I wonder how much of this was just hype to sell the picture. Either way, she certainly delivers a convincing performance of someone slowly losing their mind. I thought she perfectly captured the naive nature of this character and when she finally goes off the deep end, you can believe what you're seeing.
i would also say that the biggest problem is that while the actress pulls off the mental state of the character, the direction really doesn't pull the psychological drama out of everything like he should have. This film falls well short of the psychological horrors of something like TAXI DRIVER. THE FAN certainly has plenty of flaws including a not-so-original story but at the end of the day the performances and the overall tone makes it worth watching.
A bleak character study of severe mental illness
darkreignn24 August 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This is a somewhat perplexing film as, on paper, it shouldn't be nearly as entertaining as it ends up being. Because, yes, everything you've read about this film is correct: For a large majority of the running time, nothing much happens. At least, on the surface. Director Eckhart Schmidt manages to pack his film with such intense nuance that even the most surface level encounters become meaningful.
"The Fan" follows a teenaged girl named Simone, portrayed by the beautiful Désirée Nosbusch, who is obsessed with the pop singer "R." She doesn't attend school, or eat, or talk with her parents; she doesn't hang out with friends or date boys. Instead, she finds herself at the post office nearly every day, asking the poor workers if R has answered any one of the hundreds of letters she has sent them. Simone's fixation with R is obviously past anyone's notion of a healthy crush, but Désirée's performance is so tender that you will honestly start to find yourself sympathizing with her unrequited love. Désirée is a woman of few words in this film - instead, she does most of her acting through her facial expressions, and most notably, through her eyes. You can feel her frustration, passion, anger, sadness, lust, and you can feel it all by looking at her face. Her performance is pretty masterful here, as it's not to be underestimated how difficult it is to act without speaking. So, you will begin to almost feel a sense of romance at Simone's innocent preoccupation with R - and once they finally meet, you will certainly hope that love starts to spark between them.
Alas, if you're reading this review, you know that does not happen and, as such, "The Fan" turns into a portrait of severe mental illness. When R has sex with Simone and immediately afterward gives her the cold shoulder, Simone bludgeons him to death, chops him up, licks his blood off the floor, cooks his dismembered body parts, eats him, and grinds his bones into ask to scatter later on. It is a shocking climax, to say the least, but more than that, it is artfully, skillfully done. Director Eckhart Schmidt films everything in such a way to be less gratuitous and more character building - the entire movie has been building to this, and so, during this sequence, the camera stays heavily focused on Simone. You watch her commit these atrocities, but the film still stays restrained; there is not an overabundance on blood or gore at all. And in fact, there is a noticeable lack of blood. Instead, these scenes of violence are used more-so to convey information about Simone and the type of person she is and has become - what started as an innocent crush morphed into full-blown murder when the fantasy she has built up in her head didn't match the cold reality of what occurred.
Toward the beginning of this review I mentioned that nothing much happens in this movie for a large part of the running time, but that isn't necessarily true. As you watch Simone travel from place to place, you see her interactions with men who wrong her, from random strangers who offer her a ride in exchange for sex (and when denied, they attempt to force themselves upon her), to the men at the postoffice who laugh at her and ignore her, to even her own father who may or may not sexually assault her, depending on how you view the specific scene. Men constantly let her down, so much so that when the man she thought she was in love with doesn't meet her expectations, the only solution she could think of was to murder and eat him. And in fact, the only man who seemed semi-decent was her classmate who was obviously interested in her, but instead of reciprocating his feelings, Simone pushed him away. And it's precisely this rejection of reality to cling to an unattainable fantasy that makes "The Fan" so exciting and intriguing to watch. You get to see Simone's downfall and will almost empathize with how she got there, without, of course, condoning her ultimate actions. And all of this character-building and story progression is accompanied by a really cool musical score that pulses a dreamlike quality into the movie.
There's a lot to enjoy about "The Fan" besides its violent conclusion. The slow, deliberate pace enables you to really soak in and bask in the characters, the world, and the story so that by the time the climax occurs, you'll have had an adequate amount of time to digest and understand who you're watching, why they're behaving the way they're behaving, and how their descent occurred. While I imagine many may be bored by the slower pace, I really enjoyed myself with this one, and ever since watching it, it's become all I can think about. If you're into niche, old school horror, give this one a go.
"The Fan" follows a teenaged girl named Simone, portrayed by the beautiful Désirée Nosbusch, who is obsessed with the pop singer "R." She doesn't attend school, or eat, or talk with her parents; she doesn't hang out with friends or date boys. Instead, she finds herself at the post office nearly every day, asking the poor workers if R has answered any one of the hundreds of letters she has sent them. Simone's fixation with R is obviously past anyone's notion of a healthy crush, but Désirée's performance is so tender that you will honestly start to find yourself sympathizing with her unrequited love. Désirée is a woman of few words in this film - instead, she does most of her acting through her facial expressions, and most notably, through her eyes. You can feel her frustration, passion, anger, sadness, lust, and you can feel it all by looking at her face. Her performance is pretty masterful here, as it's not to be underestimated how difficult it is to act without speaking. So, you will begin to almost feel a sense of romance at Simone's innocent preoccupation with R - and once they finally meet, you will certainly hope that love starts to spark between them.
Alas, if you're reading this review, you know that does not happen and, as such, "The Fan" turns into a portrait of severe mental illness. When R has sex with Simone and immediately afterward gives her the cold shoulder, Simone bludgeons him to death, chops him up, licks his blood off the floor, cooks his dismembered body parts, eats him, and grinds his bones into ask to scatter later on. It is a shocking climax, to say the least, but more than that, it is artfully, skillfully done. Director Eckhart Schmidt films everything in such a way to be less gratuitous and more character building - the entire movie has been building to this, and so, during this sequence, the camera stays heavily focused on Simone. You watch her commit these atrocities, but the film still stays restrained; there is not an overabundance on blood or gore at all. And in fact, there is a noticeable lack of blood. Instead, these scenes of violence are used more-so to convey information about Simone and the type of person she is and has become - what started as an innocent crush morphed into full-blown murder when the fantasy she has built up in her head didn't match the cold reality of what occurred.
Toward the beginning of this review I mentioned that nothing much happens in this movie for a large part of the running time, but that isn't necessarily true. As you watch Simone travel from place to place, you see her interactions with men who wrong her, from random strangers who offer her a ride in exchange for sex (and when denied, they attempt to force themselves upon her), to the men at the postoffice who laugh at her and ignore her, to even her own father who may or may not sexually assault her, depending on how you view the specific scene. Men constantly let her down, so much so that when the man she thought she was in love with doesn't meet her expectations, the only solution she could think of was to murder and eat him. And in fact, the only man who seemed semi-decent was her classmate who was obviously interested in her, but instead of reciprocating his feelings, Simone pushed him away. And it's precisely this rejection of reality to cling to an unattainable fantasy that makes "The Fan" so exciting and intriguing to watch. You get to see Simone's downfall and will almost empathize with how she got there, without, of course, condoning her ultimate actions. And all of this character-building and story progression is accompanied by a really cool musical score that pulses a dreamlike quality into the movie.
There's a lot to enjoy about "The Fan" besides its violent conclusion. The slow, deliberate pace enables you to really soak in and bask in the characters, the world, and the story so that by the time the climax occurs, you'll have had an adequate amount of time to digest and understand who you're watching, why they're behaving the way they're behaving, and how their descent occurred. While I imagine many may be bored by the slower pace, I really enjoyed myself with this one, and ever since watching it, it's become all I can think about. If you're into niche, old school horror, give this one a go.
Creepy good
mamet-947139 April 2023
One of the better films in the stalker/obsessed fan genre.
The main actress is very convincing and you can feel her turmoil as she grows more obsessive. The fact that the actress conveys this mostly with her eyes, face and body language without resorting to many words is even more impressive. It fits the mood of the film perfectly.
Another big plus is the music that is at once creepy and driving and the actor playing the rock star is also very convincing.
Very good camera work too.
Unfortunately I saw this film in a theater with idiotic 20 year old that giggled through the whole film but even they couldn't diminish the power of this film.
The main actress is very convincing and you can feel her turmoil as she grows more obsessive. The fact that the actress conveys this mostly with her eyes, face and body language without resorting to many words is even more impressive. It fits the mood of the film perfectly.
Another big plus is the music that is at once creepy and driving and the actor playing the rock star is also very convincing.
Very good camera work too.
Unfortunately I saw this film in a theater with idiotic 20 year old that giggled through the whole film but even they couldn't diminish the power of this film.
unusual pop cannibal film
emrio-19 September 2002
Warning: Spoilers
This is not a bad film.Its the story of hero worship gone wrong.Cool unusual mixture of horror/pop/cannibal film. A bit slow to start but you will never forget the last 30 minutes. For something unusual and thankfully totally unhollywood see it.
See also
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