Fade to Black (1980) UK Quad Poster #New

Written and directed by Vernon Zimmerman, whose only other major directing credits were the odd trucker road movie Deadhead Miles (1972) with Alan Arkin, co-written with Terrence Malick and The Unholy Rollers (1972), a roller derby comedy drama with the great Claudia Jennings (it was also the first film Martin Scorsese edited). In Fade to Black Eric, a troubled and lonely film buff becomes The Celluloid Killer, slaughtering those who bully and belittle him, by adopting the look of the screen characters he loves. All the while he pursues his one great love, a Marilyn Monroe lookalike.

Numerous classic film clips punctuate the action, as Eric dons the guises of Dracula, Hopalong Cassidy, The Mummy and Cody Jarrett from White Heat. He even recreates the Kiss of Death wheelchair scene, as he pushes his Aunt to her death, then attends her funeral as Tommy Udo, (Richard Widmark's killer character) but of course, no one gets the reference...

Condition: GOOD - Picture area clear, but severe bottom edge folds and dinks, and similar but lesser effect top right

Cast: Dennis Christopher, Tim Thomerson, Gwynne Gilford, Linda Kerridge, Mickey Rourke (an early role)