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List Price: $19.99 | | Label: Paramount
Salesrank: 35527
Released: September 24, 2002 |
| Our Price: $31.98 |
| Used Price: $10.93 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Lauren Bacall brings poise, dignity, and steely defiance to this entry into the 1980s slasher film genre. Her aging silver-screen and Broadway star is so stressed by her musical theater debut and jealous of her ex-husband's (James Garner) marriage to a lovely young thing that she misses all the stalker warning signs. Before she knows it, one obsessive fan (Michael Biehn) lets his fantasies spill over into psychosis. "We will become lovers very soon, my darling. And I assure you I have all the equipment," he writes before slicing up her friends. It calls for the elegance of Brian De Palma, which dutiful but dull first-timer Edward Bianchi can't provide. The pleasures come from sassy gal Friday Maureen Stapleton and Ms. Bacall, whose grace under pressure and cinematic confidence lend dignity to the proceedings. Pino Donnaggio's ominous score recalls Bernard Hermann's work with Hitchcock. Marvin Hamlisch and Tim Rice provide the show tunes. --Sean Axmaker
The Fan Reviews:
Bacall's Slasher Musical THE FAN is nothing short of a Bad Movie We Love Triumph 
2008-03-24 - With her patented haughty glare, overconfident Lauren Bacall transparently thinks that she's outclassing this formulac slasher flick, and single-handedly she turns it into a prime slice of "Trash Yourself Cinema." An aging Hollywood glamour queen better known for her former show biz husbands and her digs in a landmark apartment building than for any of her creaky, Broadway musical "star vehicles," Bacall here is playing --- how did you know? -- precisely that. When sevants sing "Happy Birthday," Bacall snaps, "As of today, I'm going to be forty-five forever." Secretary Maureen Stapleton mutters, "Forty-nine," and Bacall admits to "Fifty," but since none of these figures seem remotely plausible, it's all the stranger that young, hunky Michael Biehn sends mash notes that blather, "We'll be lovers soon and I have all the necessary equiptment to make you very happy."
Stapleton writes back, admonishing Biehn's "tasteless pornography," making Biehn worry -- in voice-over, to us -- about Stapleton's "possessiveness," asking, "Has it ever occurred to you that she might have lesbian tendencies?" Bacall snarls at Stapleton, "We've had lots of weirdos. What about the guy who kept trying to jump into the taxi with me? DOn't upset my fans." Stapleton (who has the upper hand because she can act) replies, "Did it ever occur to you that my job isn't exactly heaven? [meaning, presumably, costarring with Bacall] I'm a Secret Service escort, a butler, a nurse, a letter-writing machine, a floor mop . . . ten, twelve hours a day!" While we're mulling that one over -- "a floor mop"? -- Bacall simpers, "What would I do without you?"
Cue Biehn to start rampaging around with a razor, slicing up Stapleton, Bacall's maid, and even the choreographer of Bacall's new show. The loss of the latter certainly helps explain opening night of the musical: Your jaw will drop as one tough-to-top, insane routine follows another, with sparkling chorus boys praising -- in "you've never heard of 'em before, you've never heard of 'em since" tunes by Marvin Hamlisch and Tim Rice -- the charms of the ageless Bacall. (The show is, of course, a triumph.)
Later, Biehn chases Bacall -- swathed in an evening gown -- through the empty theater. Finally he stands over her, razor in hand and Bacall snaps, "You're pathetic. Here's your chance to be like one of those hoodlums who kill their victims for nothing, a thief who murders little old ladies for a quarter. Don't you think the world's had enough of people like you? I've had it," and -- having apparently monologued him into submission -- she grabs the razor and kills Biehn, then exits the theater, heading for her opening night celebration.
The movie warns, "Think twice before sending fan mail to Lauren Bacall," but after seeing her hammy self parody here, who'd want to?
Not the original 
2007-05-20 - I will add another complaint about the editing of this film. The "meat cleaver" line was a genuine shocker at the time, but is certainly mild compared to what is seen and heard in films today, or heard in music, for that matter. Shame on Paramount for editing this movie in both the VHS and DVD versions.
Bacall, Broadway & A Straight Razor
2007-03-09 - The Fan"
If you're looking for over the top gore you wont find it here what you will find is a well acted movie with
Good Broadway numbers by Bacall and a sophisticated slasher with few but good kills.
The straight razor scene being the best. Bacall as Sally Ross plays the diva to the hilt and is superb as is Michael Biehn as the obsessed fan ala "Fatal Attraction".
I might be in the minority but I loved this movie. Bacall's solo number "Hearts Not Diamonds" is wonderful.This is another movie I watch over and over.
READ THE BOOK if you can find a copy....
2006-08-05 - I originally watched this movie as a kid because I was in love with Michael Biehn. And there is almost nothing hotter than Michael Biehn playing a freakin' lunatic in a movie (The Abyss, Tombstone, Deadly Intentions, you know what I mean).
Anyway, the movie is okay at best. The acting is good, and the film LOOKS good but it's just a bit on the slow and boring side. Either way I still watch it from time to time. About four or five years ago I decided to hunt down a copy of the book The Fan, by Bob Randall, upon which this movie was based and my god was I glad I did. The book is just flat out creepy; it makes my skin crawl just thinking about it. I so wish the movie had gone more that way especially with the ending but I can see why it didn't given what audiences typically want. Some of the stuff in this book I wouldn't even WANT to see on film! And I am a fan of horrible, scary, disturbing stuff. :-/
At any rate I am not here to rate the book, I am here to rate the movie. And since I am here I would like to say....find a copy of the book and read it, you will enjoy it much more than the film!
Nothing to write home about
2005-01-24 - "The Fan" fits into a category reserved for films such as "The Sentinel," "Ghost Story," "Burnt Offerings," and any other big budget studio film that tried to cash in on the exploding popularity of the horror genre in the 1970s and early 1980s. Loaded with big name stars and stylish set pieces, these movies largely failed to earn critical or audience praise because they couldn't compete with the down and dirty gorefests like "Friday the 13th" let alone other slasher, demon possession, or ghost flicks. A precious few--"The Exorcist" and "The Omen" come immediately to mind--did succeed at the box office and went on to attain wider pop culture status. Sadly, "The Fan" is not one of these films. No one raves about a horror movie starring Lauren Becall and James Garner. No one, except for "Terminator" enthusiasts, seems to know that Michael Biehn co-starred in "The Fan" three years before "The Terminator" opened to everlasting cult status. In a way, obscurity is perhaps the best place for "The Fan." But in other aspects, it's a shame this film hasn't received greater attention from horror aficionados. Surprisingly, the movie does have a few interesting things going for it.
"The Fan" tells us the story of aging actress and all around screen siren Sally Ross (Lauren Becall). Although her best days seem far behind her, she still manages to draw a crowd from time to time. Sometimes a fan even steals her pens! Oh, the trials and travails of celebrity! She also must keep a secretary, in this case the mouthy Belle Goldman (Maureen Stapleton), on the payroll to answer fan mail. Then there's Jake Berman (James Garner), Sally's ex-husband and a noted film director, to deal with as well. Ross still keeps a flame burning for her former beau, going so far as to occasionally call him and leave long messages on his answering machine. Berman seems to recognize that he and Sally had something special too, and whenever he pops in for a visit the two banter back and forth like cranky little lovers. Fans, Goldman, and Berman form the backdrop to Sally's latest venture, a stage production in which the actress must sing and dance in front of a live audience for the first time in her career. It's going to be a real challenge for this grand old dame, but she's a real trooper who doesn't mind putting in time training to be a hoofer. Alas, circumstances beyond Sally Ross's control will soon threaten those she loves as well as her budding career as a song and dance diva.
Enter Douglas Breen (Michael Biehn), a young man with an unhealthy interest in everything Sally Ross. He spends most of his time tapping out lengthy letters to her on a decrepit typewriter in his dingy apartment, letters full of fawning adoration for her talent and looks. Predictably, Belle Goldman intercepts these letters and fires off a standard pre-printed response. Breen, offended that Sally doesn't share his feelings, begins sending letters seething with threats. Ross is too caught up in her feelings for Berman and the rehearsals for the stage show to know anything about Douglas Breen, but Belle Goldman recognizes a nut when she sees one and tries to get Sally's attention. Nothing happens until Breen makes a move, viciously attacking Belle in the subway one evening as she heads home from Sally's apartment. Finally, Ross pays attention. She begins consulting with a concerned cop, Inspector Andrews (Hector Elizondo), but the attacks continue. A young man Sally dates falls prey to Breen's razorblade in a public swimming pool, and she arrives home one day to find her apartment ransacked. Breen appears unstoppable and invisible, yet his apparent death seemed to put a stop to the reign of terror before it reached its bloody apogee. But is Douglas Breen truly dead? And is Sally Ross safe?
"The Fan" is a failure for a number of reasons. First, it's boring for a slasher film. Nothing much happens for most of the film, and even the conclusion left me wanting more. Second, while it's always enjoyable to see Lauren Becall on the big screen, this film is beneath her talents. Most people seem to find her song and dance routine hilarious, but I actually sort of liked it. I'm not saying it isn't cheesy--it is the early 1980s, after all--but her performance on stage at the end of the film is probably the most interesting thing in the film. Third, and finally, I can't stand how this film wasted James Garner. I'm a big fan of this actor, especially his television show "The Rockford Files," and to see him thrown into what is essentially a cameo role really disappoints. He shows up to say hello whenever Ross needs him and then disappears for large parts of the film. I kept thinking how much better the film would have been if Garner played the cop. Heck, how much better if Garner had played the fan! Anything that would have put him in a bigger role! The one saving grace of "The Fan," other than Becall, is the scene where Douglas Breen fakes his own demise. It's an amazingly sordid scene, and up until this incident I wondered how the movie earned its 'R' rating.
Unfortunately, the DVD contains no extras, but the movie does contain all of the aforementioned activities plus Dana Delaney, Griffin Dunne, and a few other well-known faces in very small roles. The musical score from Pino Donaggio, the same guy who did the music for "Tourist Trap," gives the movie a nice edgy feel. I recommend "The Fan" for horror buffs who simply must see as many horror films as possible and Lauren Becall fans, but all others should stay away.
