Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #33255 in DVD
• Released on: 2002-09-24
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 95 minutes

Amazon.com
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

Customer Reviews

Classy horror flick
I was hoping to get a video of this movie but it's not available. It was wonderful watching Bacall as a highly successful middle aged Broadway singer/dancer. Michael Biehn as her stalker is great and he's been in lots of action movies since this first movie. I've seen "The Fan" several times since it came out and I've never been disappointed. James Garner as her former husband does a fine job too. All in all, I think it's well done and superior to most first run scary movies I've seen in the last decade.

Finally, Paramount are releasing this gem on DVD...
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!

Bacall, Broadway & A Straight Razor
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.