On F List of Movie Reviews

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The Fan (1981)

Rate: 7
Viewed: 10/20

Fan81
10/20: Slightly marred by run-of-the-mill direction, The Fan offers an insight into what it's like to be a celebrity who's being stalked by a wacko.

Although the cast is terrific, it's Lauren Bacall who gives possibly the best performance of her career since To Have and Have Not. She's truly a star in every sense of the word. It's nice to see her and James Garner in many scenes together; for a bit while, they brought back the good part of classic Hollywood.

The very young-looking Michael Biehn has a breakthrough role as the Fan. Within five years, he'll achieve stardom by playing heroes in The Terminator and Aliens. I never thought Biehn would play a baddie at this time. Ultimately, many critics were disappointed with his character for having no depth, but some killers could be just that. At least, his letters are interesting to listen to.

Sometimes, the direction looks average, but it's not bad for a slasher picture. Star power is the biggest reason for its success. Additionally, there's relevance derived from the story as celebrity stalking and violence was rampant for many like Jodie Foster, John Lennon, Ronald Reagan, and Sharon Tate during the two decades prior.

All in all, The Fan wasn't well-received after the initial release, but it's honestly a good, if straightforward, slasher movie with a magnificent performance by Lauren Bacall.