Director: Vernon Zimmerman
Screenplay: Vernon Zimmerman
Starring: Dennis Christopher, Linda Kerridge Eve Brent, Mickey Rourke
Country: USA
Running Time: 102 mins
Year: 1980
BBFC Certificate: 18
As a cinephile who adores classic Hollywood movies, Fade to Black (1980) was unsettlingly relatable and an absolute treat as an exploitation horror.
Although, that description, exploitation horror, falls short of summarising the strengths of the movie, which plays out more like a character study and a dark comedy than outright horror. The film stars Dennis Christopher as Eric Binford, a lonely crazed film fanatic, beaten down by those around him, who goes on a killing spree.
It serves as a homage of old Hollywood, juxtaposing clips from Eric’s favourite movies and sees him dressing up as his classic film villains to exact his revenge. It’s a love letter to Old Hollywood, while also serving as a critique of the media obsession of the modern era. The film becomes more of a lament for the past while honing in on the social anxieties of the modern era. It takes place in the backdrop of a shabby and thoroughly past its best 1970s Los Angeles, run-down by crime and deprivation.
The film’s premise comes from the mind of Halloween producer Irwin Yablans and was helmed by writer-director Vernon Zimmerman. The director had worked on a range of low budget 70s and 80s darkly comical crime and horror flicks, the most noteworthy of which seems to be Unholy Rollers (1972) which was produced by Roger Corman.
As mentioned, Christopher stars as Eric. The actor had just come off his breakout role in award winning Breaking Away (1979) and eventually went onto appear in Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained (2012). Eric works in a film lab, and is driven to insanity by the perceived wrongs and torments of those around him. The final straw comes when Marilyn Monroe lookalike Marilyn O’Connor, played by Ozzy actress Linda Kerridge, forgets to turn up to their date. Eric then goes on his killing spree, targeting his oppressors, dressed up as his favourite film characters.
The film’s premise may seem kind of cheap on paper, but the film takes its time to gradually show Eric’s descent into madness as his misery and alienation from society become more and more pointed. His psyche is mirrored by clips of old Hollywood movies juxtaposed into the film’s sequences.
There are also so many references to classic movies and Christopher’s impressions of famous film stars are increasingly delightful and amusing. As the vast majority of supporting characters are so horrible, Binford remains a sympathetic character throughout and I was on the edge of my seat anticipating the next famous persona he would embody.
Kerridge brings weight to her role as Marilyn, exuding a sense of earnestness and authenticity to the character. A young Mickey Rourke appears in a fairly minor role as a bully, before he hit mega-stardom.
Hardcore cinephiles will delight at the classic characters features, such as James Cagney’s Cody Jarrett from White Heat (1949) who remains a focal point throughout the movie, showing Eric’s increasing madness. And as Eric snaps past the point of no return, there’s a glorious sequence mirroring Richard Widmark’s performance as Tommy Udo in Kiss of Death (1947). There are more madcap impressions in Christopher’s arsenal, but I will not spoil them.
Film: 
Picture and Sound
I am fairly ambivalent towards the 4K transfer which was taken from the original 35mm camera negative. To begin with, I was slightly disappointed with the grainy washed out look of the movie. As the film progressed, however, I’m going to put this down to a creative decision by cinematographer Álex Phillips Jr. looking to highlight the grim and bleak atmosphere of 1970s LA.
There are some moments where the grain gets a little much, there’s notably a shot of Marilyn’s pink sweater which looks like the texture is dancing off the screen. Instances like this are quite jarring. Whereas, there are a range of shots later on in the movie, particularly in the final act, that look crystal clear and this really accentuates Christopher’s marvellous, if ultimately tragic, performance. The colours absolutely pop during various dream sequences and night-time shots of Grauman’s Chinese Theater. The final set piece was utterly transfixing. I’d say it’s well worth investing in the 4K upgrade if you purchase this package.
The score is utterly sublime, and practically sings from the transfer. Craig Safan uses an electronic score to punctuate the movie. To begin with, the soulful mesmerising notes of the piano and synth enlivened the forlorn nature of Eric’s life. Then, as his psyche becomes more disturbed, Safan unleashes a frenzied orchestral score which embolden the more frenzied nature of the movie and serve as an apt reflection of the classic movie scores.
There’s a noteworthy male masturbation scene that plays out in tandem with a decidedly over-wrought score which gives the scene an air of menace and frenzy. The sound and imagery really come alive in communicating the film’s themes of social alienation, making Eric’s transformation into a killer even more convincing. As he becomes more unhinged, the music becomes more frenetic showing the thrill behind Eric’s actions.
LIMITED EDITION FEATURES:
- O-RING FEATURING ORIGINAL VHS ARTWORK
- BOOKLET WITH NOTES BY JAMES ROSE
SPECIAL FEATURES:
- 4K restoration in 1.85:1 aspect ratio from the Original 35mm Camera Negative
- Presented in Dolby Vision High Dynamic Range (HDR10 Compatible)
- 4K (2160p) UHD presentation
- High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray disc also included
- Uncompressed 2.0 English Mono
- Commentary track with lead actor Dennis Christopher
- Commentary track with The Hysteria Continues!
- Historical commentary track with film historians Amanda Reyes and Bill Ackerman
- Optional English SDH
- Music Fading: A Brand New interview with Craig Safan
- Fade In, Fade Out – A video essay by Heather Wixson
- Living & Dying for the Movies – an interview with lead actor Dennis Christopher
- Celluloid Heroes – an interview with executive producer Irwin Yablans
- Taking the Hits – an interview with special effects artist Wayne Beauchamp
- A Shiny Quality – an interview with actress Marcie Barkin
- Experimenting with Sound – an interview with composer Craig Safan
- Finishing the Story – an interview with editor Barbara Pokras
- A Brush with Darkness – an interview with stylist Patricia Bunch
- Audio interview with lead actress Linda Kerridge
- Original theatrical trailer
The collection of audio commentaries on the movie are phenomenal. Dennis Christopher’s commentary provides so much insight into the movie, and particularly on the massive contribution he claims to have made to integral parts of the movie. I’d argue this was required listening for fans of the movie. ‘The Hysteria Continues!’ commentary was a really nice touch. I enjoyed the relaxed vibe of podcasters just sitting back and discussing all facets of the movie. This went by surprisingly quickly. The historical commentary track with film historians Amanda Reyes and Bill Ackerman also added yet another layer of understanding to the movie, however, some of it did seem repetitious of Christopher’s firsthand accounts of making the movie.
Heather Wixson’s Fade In, Fade Out was utterly fantastic, meticulously dissecting the themes of the movie and contextualising the shift from the golden age to the blockbuster 1980s era.
There are a hell of a lot of interviews in this package, and they’re all quite lengthy each about 25 minutes long. The new interview with composer Craig Safan was great, he has such passion for his craft and so clear at articulating his musical choices in the movie. The Dennis Christopher interview was fantastic, although, repetitious of his commentary track as he speaks about many of the same behind the scenes stories. Boasting similar interviews with the producer, special effects artist, editor, stylist and actresses, including Kerridge, there’s more than enough for Fade to Black fan to sink their teeth into. A fantastic all-around package.
That’s said, there’s much said about director-writer Vernon Zimmerman – but not much of it positive. It’s a shame we couldn’t get a feature on him, so we could learn his perspective.
Disc/package: 
Fade to Black (1980) releases on 4K UHD as part of 88 Film’s Slasher Classics Collection on 16 March 2026.