Coventry Review of The Last Horror Film

The Last Horror Film (1982)

I Warned You Not To Go To Cannes This Year!?!

[4/10 · 20 December 2009]

Early on, there's a number of indicators making you think that "Fanatic" might actually become a really worthwhile and sadly overlooked early 80's horror gem, like the downright awesome opening sequences with a delightfully tongue-in-cheek film in film structure, the catchy opening credits tune and a glimpse at a fairly ingenious horror/exploitation plot. "The Last Horror Film", or "Fanatic" as it got released under the Troma label, reunites Joe Spinell and Caroline Munro, mostly known as the stars of the infamous video nasty "Maniac". The main difference between the two films, apart from the fact that "Maniac" is much more famous, is that "Fanatic" actually attempts to tell an interesting story. Joe Spinell, the embodiment of sleaze, stars as a slightly deranged New York taxi driver Vinny Durand (cinema history already proved that this can be a very dangerous profession if you have mental issues) who obsessively dreams about a career in the film industry. He has written a script especially for his muse actress Jana Bates (played by Munro) and travels to the French cinema city of Cannes to inflict his big breakthrough. Obviously, nobody in Cannes takes Vinny seriously and it doesn't even come to a face-to-face meeting with Mrs. Bates. In the end, Vinny sees no other alternative than to fanatically stalk his idol even into her bathroom. Meanwhile, the people standing in the way of Vinny Durand's oh-so-promising film career are mysteriously getting killed. The script of "The Last Horror Film" is quite contemporary accurate with news reports and film posters from around the time of release. It's also a horror film suggesting that watching violent and sleazy horror films is likely to turn you into a mad-raving psychopathic serial killer. That's great, really helping our case there, guys! This is exactly the taboo that myself, and probably a couple of thousand fellow horror fans, wishes to discredit and than this film cheerfully comes along. Some nicely gross make-up effects and gratuitous sleaze make this a worthwhile early 80's exploitation effort. Most effective element is the parodying of the supposedly glamorous industry of film festivals, where people think everything is a publicity stunt (even when persons go missing and top actresses hysterically run through the hotel lobby only dressed in a towel). Caroline Munro surely looked better already, since her haircut makes her look like a badger. Joe Spinell's character is a sick and perverted momma's boy who peeps at girls skinny- dipping and jumps on strip dancers during the middle of their act. The topic of crazy lunatics stalking their media idols is disturbingly up- to-date but the elaboration is too often tedious and overwrought. There's a pretty stupid and totally unnecessary plot twist near the end that nearly ruined the entire film for me .Admittedly the twist is ambitious and unexpected, but there was absolutely no need for that to happen.