The Fan

Hollywood legends in their twilight-years are what lifts this rather sub-standard, but callous thriller out the ho-hum mould. Refined performances by Lauren Bacall (which could be seen as a star vehicle for her), James Garner and Maureen Stapleton go along way and the chemistry they share is a pleasure to behold. That's not taking away from the rest of the cast, because everyone does an outstanding job… more so than the actual gaudy material deserves. A perfectly pitched Michael Biehn convincingly portrays a young lad who's a persistent admirer of an illustrious movie actress Sally Ross (Bacall). He constantly writes to her with each letter getting even more personal and disturbing, in which her long-serving secretary (Stapleton) at first hides from her. Soon enough it's gotten to the point that this fan would do anything to make his fantasy come true. Also showing up is commendable support by Hector Elizondo and Anna Maria Horsford. Watch out for the recognizable faces of Griffin Dunne and Dana Delany in minor parts. The problem mainly lies in its attempts for suspense and drama building, as it's too predictable and dry to be exhaustively effective. The shocks are nasty, but again lacking creditability and the lasting punch due to what characters are attacked or put under threat. The plot progression isn't as riveting. However Biehn's transformation from simple idol obsession to a possessively troubled mind is unnervingly intimate, especially when the narration has him reading out his letters before posting it. Ed Bianchi's black and white direction is technically sound, if mundanely slow-grinding which is bumped up by Pino Donaggio's vividly spiralling instrumental music score and grounded location work. Accessible, but unmemorable thriller.

Douglas Breen (Michael Biehn) is a disturbed young man who incessantly writes fan letters to actress Sally Ross (Lauren Bacall). As Douglas's obsession over Sally becomes more and more extreme with threats of escalation, Sally takes on the lead role in a musical as she deals with insecurities about her age as well as the added stress of her stalker and his effects on her life.

The Fan is a 1981 adaptation of Bob Randall's 1977 novel of the same name which was acquired producer Robert Stigwood who centered the film as a vehicle for Lauren Bacall after other actresses were considered. The movie went through a number of different re-writes, a director switch with Waris Hussein dropping out and being replaced with Edward Bianchi, the initial studio Filmways going bankrupt leading to pickup by Paramount, and even a reshot ending and an uncomfortable parallel to the real life murder of John Lennon. Upon release, the film received negative reviews and was often lumped in with the slasher films of the early 80s "slasher glut" (despite the film being more of a thriller) and the film only made about $3 million against a $10 million budget. Bacall herself was not a fan of the film saying the producers upped the level of violence from when she first signed on, but did state some of her best work was done as Sally Ross. In the end, The Fan is very C-level material giving A-level treatment.

To start off on the positive, Lauren Bacall is right to compliment her work in the film because it is a really solid performance from her. Bacall's Sally Ross is a multi-layered character who's in a stage of uncertainty in her career while also dealing with the baggage of having an ex-husband (wonderfully played by James Garner) who is now marrying a younger woman and the backstage drama involving Sally undertaking a new venture into musical theater leads to some impressive sequences which are pretty indicative this is a Stigwood production because of their strong production design and catchy soundtrack. The movie is very stylishly shot with lots of impressive camera work on display and set design that's undeniably eye catching. What doesn't work as well is the actual thriller plot which honestly just feels kind of standard and workman like.

While Michael Biehn is a good actor and does the best he can with the material, I personally feel it was a mistake to show the film from both Sally and Douglas' point of view and feel that through most of the movie Douglas' presence should've been solely through his letters (maybe read in voice over) and his actions committed off camera. The time where Biehn's performance is most intense is during the opening credits where the camera pans over his desk and typewriter as he writes a letter to Sally and because we don't see him it makes the scene more intense. There's nothing wrong with Biehn's performance per se, but there's just not all that much in terms of commentary or intensity. For comparison Martin Scorcese would do the movie The King of Comedy two years later that focused on this story from the POV of Rupert Pupkin and if you compare it to the 1968 film Targets which had a similar but more detached plot, the movie was allowed to be more intense because it didn't dive into the killer.

The Fan I feel is worth seeing for Bacall's performance alone and it is stylish movie even if the material isn't at the level of the style. With how underwhelming the thriller side of this story is, you almost wish they'd just done away with the stalker fan aspect of the story and solely made it a drama about Sally Ross at a certain point in her career. It's perfectly serviceable for what it is, but it's also got clear signs of interference to make something less bold and more exploitative (including a very apparent reshot ending).

Some thrillers, even though less than perfect, are worth seeing at least once. This adaptation of the Randal novel, made up of written correspondence between characters, is not perfect but it's worth a watch. The makers faced a difficult situation when it came to the film's ending, as it was wrapping up production when NYC resident (and Lauren Bacall's neighbor) John Lennon was slain by a psychotic fan. I give them credit for what they did, even if it didn't best serve the movie. They deserved a better script, but the talented leads are very natural together. They make it believable and it's not overtly, senselessly gory in the Michael Myers/Jason/Freddy tradition. The young Michael Biehn makes a convincing and pathetic psycho. To the naysayers who like to take potshots at Lauren Bacall's casting, remember that for decades, Broadway has featured many big acting names-not known for their singing talents-in successful shows. Ms Bacall, for example. I saw her in 'Woman of the Year' and she earned her Tony. So in the film, Sally Ross' foray into her first musical really isn't that hard to buy. (Oh, and the snobs out there can stop the sniping about 'Hearts, Not Diamonds' too. It's a sweet, intimate little number.) The Fan' isn't at the top of the thriller heap, but there are enough pluses to make it worth a watch.

Lauren Bacall, playing a star very much like Lauren Bacall, has one hugely obsessed fan out there in Michael Biehn. He'll do just about anything to gratify his obsession to be near here and that includes killing just about everyone else he views as a threat.

Even with the presence of a couple of really huge movie legends like Lauren Bacall and James Garner playing her ex-husband and better friend, the film is about The Fan. Michael Biehn is a truly terrifying human being and all the more so because at first glance he looks so incredibly normal and even hunky. Not someone you think would be obsessing over a middle-aged movie queen.

Bacall is really playing herself her. Her Sally Ross just like Lauren in that decade had transplanted herself from Hollywood to Broadway and was scoring great success. The scenes showing the rehearsal for her Broadway show is something I can easily imagine her doing when she was preparing for her role in Company. Bacall is a most famous tenant of that famous building the Dakota on Central Park West and with the angles of the shot we can't tell if it was in fact the Dakota, but it was on the park as there are shots of Biehn watching it from across the street.

The whole film was done on location in New York and one brief scene in the gay bar where Biehn picks up a victim to kill in order to make the police and Bacall believe he committed suicide was the legendary and notorious Haymarket. Back in the days before the AIDS plague hit, it was a legendary spot world wide for rent boys. It closed in the early Eighties as did many such establishments. I'd be curious to know how they got permission to shoot there. Still folks from the New York gay scene will recognize it.

Maureen Stapleton does a nice job as Bacall's secretary who answers her fan letters and who becomes Biehn's first victim as in his twisted mind she's keeping him from his obsession.

When all's said and done The Fan is a slasher flick, but it's a slasher flick with style.

The opening credit indicates that this is a Robert Stigwood production. So from then on, you have been warned. What is a guy known for The Bee Gees and the Grease movies doing getting involved in a slasher film? Well, it isn't all bad. The casting is very good on all fronts. Lauren Bacall stars as an aging actress trying her hand at Broadway late in her career. Michael Biehn, an upcoming talent who would make his mark mostly in James Cameron action movies, plays Douglas Breen who is an odd young man stalking her. James Garner offers fine support as Bacall's supportive ex husband. Maureen Stapleton is on hand as the put-upon secretary who first tries to warn her boss about this weirdo sending her letters. She is the first victim as Biehn begins to lash out violently after his advances are ignored. Several others also face his wrath before the finale.

The fine cast, good cinematography, and Pino Donaggio score do a decent job of window dressing this routine plot. They are just enough to make this watchable. The script cannot support the premise as the plot moves along, however. First of all, once the secretary is brutally slashed in a subway attack, Biehn stops using his last name and address on the letters he writes Bacall. And conveniently all his others with that in formation have been thrown out. Sure. There is a particularly brutal attack on Bacall's young new boyfriend in a YMCA swimming pool where he is basically gutted by Biehn in plain sight of several witnesses. No way he would have gotten out of there without being caught. No way. Several other scenes ring false as Biehn clearly stands out in the crowd while stalking Bacall. And just how exactly did he get into her secured building to kill the maid and trash the place??? Never explained. They didn't even try.

But still, it keeps you watching. The performances are better than the material deserves. Bacall plays her character honestly, and you can see the talent she still has in many phases. She was aging here, but gracefully and honestly. It didn't look like she'd had much surgery back then, and Botox may have not even been invented. If nothing else is on, you will probably find yourself watching this all the way through. 6 of 10 stars.

The Hound.