User Reviews

THE FAN was made and released during the massive glut of slashers in the early 1980s. The critics trashed it because they thought it was repellent and a vehicle that was beneath its main star, Lauren Bacall. Of course, the film flopped because it didn't please anyone: fans of slashers (musical numbers in a slasher?) or fans of respectable Hitchcock-like thrillers, or fans of musicals.

Because of this, THE FAN is one of those movies that has fallen into the crack of cinematic oblivion. Personally speaking, the film itself is not great. There are several major problems with it but I, for one, like it for what it is: it's pure camp! The screenplay was based on a novel many say is better than the film. I haven't read the book yet but the film itself is filled with many memorable moments that stick with you long after you watched it. Most of those scenes are unintentionally hilarious ones, like all of the musical numbers, which are priceless. Seeing Lauren being wooed by a throng of dancing studs in bed is too much for words. But the (infamous) musical numbers are not the only campy thing about it. The acting from everyone is set on melodramatic. Well, except for James Garner, who's as dull as can be. Garner's presence is one of the film's many weaknesses. Every time he's on screen the film slows to a crawl. He literally sucks the life out of the film. The other weakness is Michael Biehn's voice-overs. Though a very good actor, I thought his voice-overs weren't menacing enough. A little too flat.

But the (crazy) idea that a closet-case like Michael Biehn is infatuated by Lauren Bacall is one of the movie's many beautifully illogical aspects which makes this forgotten film much more fun than its reputation. The script is totally illogical. Bacall pines for ex husband Garner but halfway into the movie, Bacall starts a relationship with a cop, played by Hector Elizondo, which oddly enough doesn't go anywhere and by the end of the film she still pines for Garner. The screenplay is very muddled over this plot point.

The Fan (Biehn) is very protective of Sally Ross. He even kills one of Bacall's "dates" (David, during the swimming pool scene) and yet he never ever goes after Garner's character or even the flirtatious cop. Had the film actually dealt with this in a logical fashion, the killer should have went after Garner, and quite frankly, should have killed him. This would have added much needed gravitas to the lightweight TV movie-like feel of the film. The subtext of the illogical story is clearly about repressed homosexuality (a crazed fan of a Broadway star) but the handling of it (intentional or not) is not too subtle and almost veers the film in the homophobic category.

The only people The Fan kills are blue-collar or working class folks, which makes it unique: is this the first working-class slasher? The Fan kills a stagehand known as Pops; not one but TWO maids; David, who's one of the dancers; a gay man he meets at a bar, etc. Working for Sally comes at a price (if you're a maid, just don't work for her!). When the end credits roll, all of the main characters are still alive, including Bacall's personal secretary, Belle, played by Maureen Stapleton. Belle handles Sally's fan mail and because of this, she directly experiences The Fan's wrath, who slices her face with his favorite weapon, a razor. Belle survives the attack (because she's an important character) but her face was cut up severely. Without knowing about it, The Fan basically gave her a spontaneous face-lift of sorts but when the bandages come off, Maureen looks exactly the same as before. She should have asked for a refund. This detail makes me giggle nonstop.

Because The Fan only kills secondary characters and few of the main ones are in any direct threat, there's very little tension or suspense going on, which is not good for a horror/slasher flick. The only real tension occurs at the very end and even then, it's never overwhelming. This moment happens right after a successful opening night of the musical, after we see every cast and character of the film personally congratulate Sally in her dressing room, hugging and kissing her for a job well done. Again, this scene is hilarious and reminds me of musicals of the past. One has to be continuously reminded that this is supposed to be a slasher, not a Fred & Ginger musical.

Even with all its weaknesses, THE FAN is excellent camp. The dialogue is often quotable, there's an ultra flowery & shrieking score by Pino Donaggio (which echoes those he made for Brian De Palma) and Bacall is fun to watch. Like I said before, it's not a great film but if you enjoy trashy melodramatic films, THE FAN won't disappoint.

A stalker (Michael Biehn) turns violent when a Broadway actress (Lauren Bacall) spurns him.

Based on a very good novel this is basically another slice'n'dice horror film. It's better acted then most--Biehn, Bacall and Maureen Stapleton give in very good performances (especially Biehn) and the film was originally supposed to just concentrate on Biehn's obsession and the killings were supposed to be bloodless. But (according to magazine articles at the time) "Friday the 13th" came out at the time "The Fan" started production and "Friday..." was a HUGE hit. So, they added blood and violence to the film figuring that was what made "Friday..." such a big hit. Bacall was shocked by the violence and refused to promote the film. Biehn (in an interview) said everybody hated each other and he was forced to promote the movie and perform in the gore scenes. Because of that, he didn't work for 2 years. Just another example of what might have been a very good psychological thriller turned into a gore movie.

To be totally truthful, the murders and attacks aren't THAT bad and the good acting helped keep interest, but I totally gave up on the film with a VERY homophobic scene where a gay man is brutally murdered while...um..."pleasuring" Biehn (although in defense of the movie it was much worse in the book).

It all ends up in a horrible sequence in which Bacall goes one-on-one with Biehn. Seeing such a wonderful actress as Bacall being attacked by Biehn is trully appalling. Also they changed the ending of the book (which had a MUCH better ending). And James Garner is shamefully wasted.

All in all, the good acting and a few good sequences ALMOST make this worth watching. ALMOST.

The Fan is horror psychological thriller film talks about a young fan who is obsessed with an old movie star, so he only thinks about her and writes to her in anytime (morning, afternoon even after midnight), and step by step his obsession grew more and more in a dangerous way that leads him to harm and even murder people who thinks are trying to separate them.



This was First directing debut for Ed Bianchi with two big star of the golden age of Hollywood :

Lauren Bacall who plays the aging movie star and James Garner, it also include Michael Biehn (who plays the fan) who plays his first dramatic role on the big screen .



The film is arguably one of the most underrated horror films of the 80s (a lot of people will argue with me), but comparing this one with silly films that gained a lot of money in the box-office without any reason makes this film a classic.



First of all the idea ( a fan's obsession with his movie star ) was never introduce before to the big screen in this kind of way, and we saw it years later in Misery 1990 but in a different way



Second Ed Bianchi gave us a great intro to the film that no other horror film did before, showing us the two characters at the same time what they are doing and thinking about.



Third the music score which was made by Pino Donaggio ( Who also composed Dressed to kill a year before) was so great, powerful and exceptional and it hunts you from the beginning till the end.



Without a doubt the only one who shines in this film was Michael Biehn he really was the perfect choice to perform a psycho fan : his face expression, body language were both at the top and it was so surprising to see him in this role because a year before he totally did a different kind of character in

Hog Wild ( Which was a silly but amusing at the same time).



As For Lauren Bacall she had her moments, but she wasn't at her best and she was old for the character, there were scenes that she wasn't convincing as the scary actress who is afraid of her life

( Her reaction to the telephone call from her stalker was so cold, and they way she acted in the final chasing scene at the theater was also unbelievable, Michael biehn was sweating all over his body and she who has been chased and attacked was so dry !!!) And no Comment about her voice singing.



James Garner ( Who i love so much ) appearance here is a big question mark i still wounder why he accepted this role there was nothing special about this supporting character any other unknown actor could play it, but to bring a big star to play this role it was a silly thing to do ( I guess the producers chose him along side Lauren Bacall to promote the film, because both of them had a big audience).



There was a nice moment to see the unknown actress (Back then) Dana Delany as saleswomen working with Biehn at the same store (who both appeared together again years later in Tombstone 1993).



At the end this is a must see for horror fans it isn't perfect and had a lot of mistakes, but still have many things that will work for you, and if you liked Misery you will certainly like this film too.



Final rate :



6 out of 10

The plot = A renowned Broadway actress Sally Ross (Lauren Bacall) becomes the object of an obsessed fan played brilliantly by Michael Biehn affections when his countless letters goes un-noticed he feels rejected by her, and starts to terrorise the people in her life until the big moment when he finally gets to confront her.

The Fan (1981), not to be confused with the 1996 thriller which starred Wesley Snipes and Robert De Niro, which also had a similar storyline and was absolutely rubbish. This version is much much better. This is a tense psychological thriller which has slight nods to early giallo thrillers. But at times this movie does get a little boring, but it was saved by stand out performances by both Lauren Bacall and Michael Biehn. THE FAN is one confused movie. Obviously aiming for a more adult audience, but in a year that the 'teenie-kill' epic had come to a crescendo the makers couldn't resist throwing in an exploitative angle- but unfortunately not exploitative enough.

Some of the scenes are effective though, like where Biehn slices open a man's stomach while he's in the swimming pool and also Michael Biehn's seemingly unhinged performance, as he furthers descends into madness, which was a real highlight, so glad he went to bigger and better things. And Lauren Bacall playing the spoilt Broadway actress was a real hoot, obviously following the likes of Joan Crawford and Bette Davis into the ageing actresses in horror's genres, but sadly Lauren Bacall got a lot of flack for starring in this, because of the sleazy elements that this film has. Although I did enjoy her musical numbers, even though they were cringe worthy and embarrassing, I found them a real hoot, and the romance angle with James Garner, which showed some real chemistry. And the final confrontation between the two leads was rewarding in my opinion and well executed.

All in all The Fan is a rewarding viewing experience, a little dull at times but saved by Michael Biehn's outstanding obsessive performance.

When the book this was based on was published in 1977 it was a compulsively readable page turner told in the form of letters and notes drawing you in to a slowly escalating situation. At that time before the John Lennon and Rebecca Schaeffer stalking tragedies made the scenario all too real it was a good suspenseful read. Of course now it would be tinged with the memories of those and other similar events that at the time seemed unimaginable but it's still a solid book. So it's a real pity what they did to it while translating it from page to screen. They hired a top flight cast and then squandered their gifts on a flatfooted, directionless and needlessly violent pseudo slasher flick. Betty Bacall, Michael Biehn and Maureen Stapleton all try to make something out of this but their efforts are in vain. A wasted opportunity.

Released by Paramount, this late entry in Grand Dame Guingol was Lauren Bacall's last lead role in a feature film. Her character's name is Sally Ross, but she's basically playing herself;she smokes, she drinks, she croaks. Bacall does a good job of playing herself and Michael Beihn is effectively cast as the fan. The Fan is an efficiently directed slasher film sprinkled with nastiness and musical numbers featuring music and lyrics by Marvin Hamlisch and Tim Rice. Based on Bob Randal's novel, which was written in the form of letters, the film uses extensive voice over to good effect. Something of an oddity, The Fan mixes camp, songs, and horror. The slasher scenes seem inspired by DePalma and Dario Argentio. The worst aspect of the film is a dull James Garner as Bacall's ex; his character has no bearing on the plot, and no business being in this film. The film makes for an so-so thriller in which an individual in peril makes not all the wrong decisions and the concluding scenes are noticeably contrived. The film is distinguished by it's celebrity stalker theme, and gets a boost from Maureen Stapleton as Bacall's quick-witted assistant, NYC locations, a genre-appropriate score, and good photography.

Several comments made regarding the film's perceived homophobia seem to miss the point of the scene in the gay bar; Douglas clearly planned to fake his suicide, and needed his victim's corpse for that purpose. Douglas is portrayed as delusional, so his sexuality, whatever it may be, would seem to be repressed. Whether Douglas is gay or not isn't the issue here. The Paramount DVD release omits the line heard in the theatrical release, "How'd you like to get f#*ked by a meat cleaver b*tch!?" It was heard in Douglas' voice-over when the maid's body is discovered. See The Fan for what it is:competent, glossy trash, and you'll wind up enjoying it.

Lauren Bacall was rocking Broadway in 1981 as "Woman of the Year" when this last ditched effort of the "hags in horror" series, referring to the abundance of aging actresses who kept their career going in fright fests, usually in fright wigs or carrying some sort of cutting device. Bacall still looked gloriously gorgeous at this point (as she would through the remainder of her long life), so it is unfortunate that while still popular, she would be tied in with something that at the time was as reviled in the gay community as "Cruising" and "Windows".

You can't tick off a show queen and expect to get away with it. That is the point of this whole movie. Bacall is a legendary star who is unfortunately the idol of the obsessed Michael Biehn, a handsome young man who has built a shrine to the diva he worships. He writes letters to her and she always politely responds. But something for her isn't right after the letters keep coming, and she politely ends the continuing correspondence. Biehn blames this on her secretary (the always wonderful Maureen Stapleton) and takes it out on her in a bloody sequence that is very graphic. This makes him the target of an investigation, and that means Biehn must go into hiding which results in one of the most horrific murder sequences where unfortunately an innocent gay man is the victim. Bacall's lover (James Garner) is determined to protect her, but obsessively crazy knows no reality, and as we know from history over the years, innocent stars can't stop them no matter how much security they have.

Still offensive today, it doesn't resonate the deep hatred that gay audiences had for this back in the 1980's. It is actually extremely camp, with its Marvin Hamlish musical numbers so rapidly written and so hastily staged that they resemble something from a notorious 80's flop more than something that became a major hit. Of course, tastes have changed since Bacall was "one of the girls whose one of the boys", and that is why so very few of these late 70's/early 80's musicals (the major hits not included) are never revived. Had the film been done a bit more sensitively and not bitten at the gay community, it might have had less animosity towards it. But in reflection, if you simply look at it as a product of its time and dismiss the "psychotic show queen" as simply an error of its time, you may have a good time, either fighting off the chills of the slasher sequences or the giggles over the campy musical numbers.

Today, Ed Bianchi is famous for his work on TV series like Deadwood and Boardwalk Empire, but he also has two movies to his credit. This one and the bizarre 1991 movie Off and Running, where Cyndi Lauper plays a mermaid-themed lounge singer whose boyfriend is murdered in front of her before she hooks up with a professional golfer.

It's produced by Robert Stigwood, who in addition to managing the Bee Gees and Cream, produced the films Jesus Christ Superstar, Grease, Tommy, Saturday Night Fever, Bugsy Malone, Moment by Moment, Grease 2 and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. As you can tell, the success of these films gradually declined as time moved on.

The Fan received plenty of negative media attention, due to being released a few months after the murder of John Lennon, who lived in The Dakota, the same building where legendary actress and star of this film Lauren Bacall had been living for many years. She wasn't pleased with the final film, however.

"The Fan is much more graphic and violent than when I read the script. The movie I wanted to make had more to do with what happens to the life of the woman-and less blood and gore."

You have to admire the audacity of people who will take a legend like Lauren Becall - someone who had only made one Robert Altman movie since last appearing in the Duke's last movie, The Shootist - and put her in a slasher.

Douglas Breen (Michael Biehn!) is obsessed - and that's putting it mildly - with star of stage and film Sally Ross (Bacall). No matter how many autographs he gets or curt replies or even outright silence, it's never enough. He must have her, he must own her, he must consume her.

Sally doesn't even know he exists. She's acting in a Bob Fosse-like musical and reconnecting with her ex-husband Jake Berman (James Garner!). But after the letters become more carnal - yes, this is how we sexted in the 1980's, I was 9 when this was made, so I know - her assistant Belle (Maureen Stapleton!) starts to worry. She should - Douglas is stalking her every single move. And when he figures out that Belle is the reason why his letter didn't get through, he slices her up with a straight razor.

She survives, but Elsa the maid doesn't. Soon, Sally is under protection courtesy of Inspector Raphael Andrews (Hector Elizondo) and being asked if she's like to have conjugal relations with a meat cleaver. Of note, the 2002 Paramount DVD release of this film re-edited this line to be much less profane.

Our heroine leaves town but that's when Douglas gets smart. He gets cruised in a gay bar and when in the midst of some oral delight, murders the man and sets him ablaze, faking that the body was his. Oh, the 1980's, when DNA didn't exist and these things happened all the time.

Finally, Sally comes back for opening night, but despite how amazing her performance is and even getting to reconcile with her ex, Douglas is waiting. He kills her costume designer and a guard before coming after her. But finally, he offers her an embrace and she responds by stabbing him in the neck before presumably leaving for the cast party at Sardi's.

Look for Anna Maria Horsford from the Friday films as a female cop, Reed Jones (the original Skimbleshanks in Cats), a young Dana Delaney working in the record store alongside Douglas, Dwight Schultz as the director, Griffin Dunne as his production assistant and Liz Smith as herself.

The Golden Raspberry Awards nominated the song "Hearts, Not Diamonds" for Worst Song the year this came out. My ire for these awards and the wonderful films that they deride knows no bounds. Who are they to scoff at the abilities of Marvin Hamlisch and Tim Rice How dare you insult Ms. Bacall! Why, why, why - I should write a letter just like Douglas did! That turned out alright!

There's a rumor that this film was originally intended to be a straightforward thriller starring Elizabeth Taylor and directed by Jeff Lieberman. Yes, America's favorite actress in the twilight of her career, being directed by the maker of Blue Sunshine. How did this not happen? How can we get to the parallel Earth where it did?

Much respect to Shout! Factory for finally releasing this insane blast of end of the last century star power-driven slasher on blu ray. It's going to sit in a place of honor, right next to the other movies that I'm so happy they finally released, like The Lonely Lady.