The Fan

Rating:
Summary: Not bad, not good
Review: This is a film about an aging actress who has an obsessed fan stalking her. This film keeps your attention throughout. Nothing is wrong with the cast. Nothing is really wrong with the script. It does not meet the level of "better" slasher/suspense films, however. It has a very now-cheesy late 70's/early 80's look and feel to it, which in some ways is nostalgic, but in other ways dates the film quite a bit and makes it seem almost silly in parts. At least the similar "Eyes of Laura Mars" is SOOO over the top late 70's, it's a time caspule. The Fan is just sort of dull and dated. It is never really scary, though never boring. It is a strange combination I cannot quite explain. The musical numbers are of the Valley of the Dolls lounge singing variety. They are so bad they are funny. The Broadway rehearsals and numbers are hysterically funny and worth the price of the tape or DVD alone. If you are not a big fan of Lauren Bacall, rent, do not buy this film. It is great for an afternoon viewing but nothing special. Something just did not come together.

Rating:
Summary: Bacall's Halston Clothes Are The Best Thing About This Movie
Review: When I first saw *The Fan* in 1981, I thought it was a stylish, gripping thriller. Upon viewing it twenty years later, I remain correct - in 1981 it *was* a stylish, gripping thriller, but not any more. It contains several of those "Who would pay money to see that?" performances-within-performances that we have written about before. This time, the perpetrator is Lauren Bacall, playing a Broadway actress (naturally) who talks/sings her way through a few self-important numbers about what it's like to be a famous star. The numbers are simply awful and for people who already have a bad attitude about Broadway, this is the kind of routine that gives them plenty of ammunition for hating it. The best things about Bacall's performance are her Halston clothes. Riding high from his days as the conquering hero of the Seventies, Halston was going through major personal and business problems at this time, but the clothes produced at that time are nothing short of magnificent American classics. In addition to the traditional Halston looks of cashmere twinsets paired with straight-legged slacks with gorgeous trenchcoats draped over the shoulders, Bacall wears a few of Halston's most spectacular creations. Though much of the most interesting details are lost on the screen, Bacall wears Halston's "spiral-cut" caftans created from a single piece of fabric with a single seam that winds around the body. The way they drape and mold to the body is a testament to Halston's incredible creative abilities. The clothes, as beautiful relics of that era, are the best thing about this movie.

Rating:
Summary: Finally, Paramount are releasing this gem on DVD...
Review: Whilst many would argue that Bacall and Garner's talents are wasted in what appears on the face of it to be an average thriller, on closer inspection, you will see that they are perfectly cast. "The Fan", unlike it's successor, is high on suspense and is truly edge of the seat stuff. This is a film that, although very much an 80's piece, has not lost anything in it's power to grip you and keep you entertained, right up to the finale. It is a great shame that Paramount appears to be releasing the DVD format in a shorter 95 minute length, when the UK VHS copy runs to the full theatrical time of 111 minutes approx. This film is definitely worthy of greater acclaim - see it!