The Fanatic is a 2019 American psychological thriller film directed and co-written by Fred Durst. It stars John Travolta as Moose, an autistic man who develops an unhealthy obsession with his favorite actor Hunter Dunbar (Devon Sawa) and stalks him. The film was given a limited theatrical and a VOD release, on August 30, 2019 by Quiver Distribution and Redbox Entertainment, and received mainly negative reviews, with some praise towards Travolta's performance.
Moose is a man with autism who works as a street performer on Hollywood Boulevard. He is also an avid film buff, filling his apartment with memorabilia from various movies, including those of cult horror and action film star Hunter Dunbar, with whom he develops an unhealthy obsession. When Moose finally gets an opportunity to meet him and get an autograph for an expensive jacket he purchased at a fan auction, he loses his chance when Dunbar's ex-wife abruptly comes to see him. Moose is friends with a young paparazzi photographer, Leah, who shows Moose an app that publishes the home addresses of famous celebrities, including his hero.
Pretzel Fang produced the film with VMI Worldwide, Wonderfilm Media, Media Finance Capital, Primal Film LLC and Quiver Distribution funded the film.[2] In March 2018, principal photography began in Birmingham, Alabama.[2][3] Redbox Entertainment also funded the film in exchange for release via the Redbox kiosks and streaming services.[4]
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 14% based on 76 reviews, with an average score of 3.6/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "John Travolta gives it his oddly coiffed all, but The Fanatic rings hollow as an examination of the way fan appreciation can curdle into toxic obsession."[7] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 18 out of 100, based on 19 critics, indicating "overwhelming dislike".[8]
NPR's Simon Abrams gave the film a negative review, calling it a noticeable downgrade from director Fred Durst's The Education of Charlie Banks and The Longshots, and labeling the work a "miserable psychodrama." Specific elements attracting criticism included the "cliché-filled voiceover narration" and "a bunch of scenes where Travolta zealously overacts".[9] Glenn Kenny of The New York Times also wrote a negative review of the film, arguing that it "delineates the border that separates the merely stale from the genuinely rancid."[10]
In a positive review, Josh Millican of Dread Central called the film "a riveting indie with genuine suspense", and he praised both Travolta's and Sawa's performances.[11] Another mixed-to-positive review came from Red Letter Media; Jay Bauman praised Durst's direction but criticized Travolta's performance, whereas Mike Stoklasa defended Travolta's performance and argued it elevated the rest of the film.[12]
I have watched and reviewed over 150 martial arts movies, and while I saw Shang-chi in theaters and loved it, I had no strong memory of how it worked as a fighting film. My review here will be focused on the action scenes not the plot.
Brian Tallerico is the Managing Editor of RogerEbert.com, and also covers television, film, Blu-ray, and video games. He is also a writer for Vulture, The Playlist, The New York Times, and GQ, and the President of the Chicago Film Critics Association.
From the creator of the hit "Binging with Babish" YouTube channel, this cookbook for film fans recreates recipes from more than 40 movies including the bourbon french toast sticks from Kramer vs. Kramer, the "I'll Have What She's Having" pastrami from When Harry Met Sally, and Annie Hall's butter-poached lobster.
Or if they're more of a cocktail connoisseur, Will Francis and Stacey Marsh's recipe book includes 72 drinks featured in all-time classic films, including Marilyn's Manhattan in Some Like It Hot and The Dude's White Russian in The Big Lebowski.
The art of Austin, Texas-based gallery Mondo has become a pop culture sensation for their gorgeous modern interpretations of movie posters inspired by famous films like Jaws, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and Dirty Harry. Here, many of their poster designs are collected as a coffee table book, along with stories from behind the scenes of the company's history.
Blindness closely compares to Perfect Sense more than any other film in this list, in the sense that it features an outbreak that attacks sensory perception rather than eating at your flesh until the skin on your legs slides off like salami. Thanks, Cabin Fever.
Possibly one of the more creative films to make the cut, Pontypool is a Canadian horror film starring discount Willem Dafoe and set almost solely in a radio station. Forget infectious bites, airbourne plagues, dead dogs in the woods or, if you are M. Night Shyamalan, the trees, and worry instead about words and language.
What sets this apart from many other virus movies is the fact that it deals with the aftermath of the pandemic. Instead of watching in horror as it all unfolds, the audience is treated to themes of survival following an apocalyptic outbreak. The mission of a small band of survivors led by Chris Pine is to make it to the Southwest coast of America to ride out the rest of the apocalypse.
Nazi art never caught on, its architecture was unbuilt or destroyed, but its films were shot and seen by millions. The German dictator was a keen believer in the power of cinema and used it to spread the ideology of his murderous regime.
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No. To ensure the IMAX Movie Fanatic Annual Pass stays affordable for everyone, it is a flat-rate of $60 +GST per person, regardless of age. But with the pass, you receive a 20% discount on tickets for up to three (3) family members or friends per transaction on documentary IMAX films.
With IMAX Movie Fanatic Annual Pass you receive a 20% discount on up to three (3) tickets per transaction for documentary IMAX films. Tickets are valid only for the same day, and the same film. Please purchase tickets for friends in person at the Box Office or call 780-451-3344. Discounted tickets for friends cannot be purchased online.
Fast-forward to middle school. I became interested in shows on TVLand, The Monkees and 1960s pop culture. I was interested in anything old, and naturally gravitated towards movies, which is probably where it all began.
We did go to the Hollywood Bowl, Warner Brother lot and the Paramount lot which I also really enjoyed. I particularly enjoyed the Paramount lot, because our tour guide was really into classic film and we swapped trivia haha.
Get access to studio tours at Warner Bros. and Universal Studios, where iconic sets, thrilling rides, and magical worlds come to life. Next, visit the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, full of iconic memorabilia and creative exhibits surrounded by stunning Hollywood Hills views.... Show more Are you a film fanatic and eager to learn more about how your favorite movies and shows are made?
This celebratory journey is a love fest between veteran horror journalist Dennis Daniel and all forms of Macabre Cinema. From classics to movies most mainstream audiences have never heard of, you get it all! Daniel covers hundreds of films. And while this book also includes a stellar list of contributors, what makes this opus a must-have purchase, is that you get pure unadulterated DD, ranting and raving about cinema in his own unique style! Daniel lives and breathes ALL cinema, which gives him unique insight into the films he covers here. THE HORROR! THE HORROR! is a crackling, must-read tome.
Levack: Rico and I created an exhaustive visual reference board for the movie, which was so fun to do. Color-palette-wise, I was obsessed with the way that Almodóvar always uses red and teal in his films. Antonio Banderas' kitchen in Pain and Glory became the inspiration for the branded scheme of our fictional video store, Sequels, which bled its way into the set dec and color scheme throughout the movie. We also watched a lot of French New Wave movies by Godard, like La Chinoise, to see how primary colors against neutral backgrounds could really pop.
All the coming-of-age movies that I revered as a teenager and today also played a pivotal role in designing our camera moves and the general vibe and lighting of the film. I think Rico got sick of how many times per day I would reference Lady Bird, but it was really a guiding light for creating an environment of stylized authenticity that remained true to a prickly protagonist's lived experience of the world. We also studied Ghost World, Rushmore and My Night at Maud's.
Moran: It was quite a range of movies we watched together to align ourselves, from Andrea Arnold to Eric Rohmer, with stops at Elephant and Marriage Story. Often there would be a specific reference point in terms of framing style, color treatment or coverage strategy, and other times it was just for a dash of fun. I was also keen on looking to photographers like Paul Graham, Hannah Starkey and Tina Barney for their vivid palettes and inspired framing.
Moran: Panavision was always my first choice for my first feature. To be able to tell the story of our film-obsessed hero with the lenses that were used to shoot some of his favorite movies felt perfectly appropriate. I wanted to give a touch of Hollywood to the not-so-Hollywood Burlington, Ontario.
Levack: We built a solid foundation in preproduction by watching a lot of movies together, speaking with our costume and production-design keys, and refining our shot list. Rico was heavily involved in location scouting, which was extremely useful, and he observed early sessions with the cast to see how we were blocking scenes in rehearsals. After that, it was pretty easy to communicate on the day because we'd already talked through so many aspects of the shoot.