Customer Reviews

The Last Horror Film (Uncut Special Edition)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Insane guerilla filmmaking at its finest!

I'm still not over the last Troma release I reviewed, "Getting Lucky", but that's an ENTIRELY different review which I encourage you to check out for your self. In terms of "The Last Horror Film" I must give it 4 stars only because the print and transfer are relatively poor (the rarity of this film should be considered, however). That said, if you want to enjoy this film--which IS highly enjoyable--I suggest you purchase this DVD as it is unlikely that an improved version will be available for quite some time.

In terms of the film proper, it may even outshine "Maniac" as a vehicle for Joe Spinnel's acting prowess and its representation of maniacle obsessiveness. The suspence is coupled with a film-within-a-film playfulness that may have provided inspiration for films such as Wes Craven's "Scream." Stylistically, this film shines as it plays on the conventions of the traditional slasher films while adding its own iconography (you must see Spinnel dressed in drag or touching himself with the starlet's image projected on his bare chest to understand) ...

Those who enjoy finding that hidden gem should flock to this title. It's very difficult not to have fun watching this film. It's also nice to have the option of skipping Llyod Kaufman's introduction, which provides nothing more than boring fluff. The extras are sufficient with an introducing "conversation" with one of Spinnel's closest friends, trailers, and a director's commentary.

Fans of 70s/80s cult films should add this film to their collections, just remember that the DVD transfer/print is below average.

i am a huge fan of horror and this film did not dissappoint. at first this film appears to be nothing more than a generic slasher flick, but it turns out to be so much more. joe spinell provides an amazing performace as the psychopathic taxi driver that longs to be a director. and the film is only enhanced by the gorey deaths brought to those that cross him. not to mention the amazing ending. a must see for any horror fan.

"The Last Horror Film" aka "Fanatic", is about a taxi driver from New York named Vinny who's obsessed with the famous actress, Jana Bates. He leaves his mother after getting up money to go to the Cannes Film Festival to try and get her into a moie that he wrote, the only problem is he can't get to her. Now what do you do in a situation where you're obsessed with an actress but you can't get close because of heavy security? Go to anyone associated with her. He comes in contact with many people around her including her ex-husband, agent, producer, and others. And wadya know, they all turn up dead, starting with Jana's ex and director, but no one does much about the deaths because they think they're all just part of a joke. Now that everyone around her is dead Jana is free for Vinny's taking and it all comes down to the superior ending!

This film is great! It's definantly not your typical independent film. It's more! Alot more! You see the main character Vinny start to slowly crack and descend into complete madness. He calls his mother from time to time and breaks down. This film has less gore but more story than "Maniac". Definantly worth checking out, I recomend it to anyone.

This is a great slasher movie that I'd recommend to any fans of the genre. A creepy cab driver stalks an actress who he has an obsession with. Continually unsuccessful in meeting her, he "meets" those close to her instead.

The Tromasterpiece release has some nice interviews, footage and extras that makes it worth the buy.

I am a huge fan of classic cult films, and The Last Horror Film is a must for anyone else that is a fan of such films as well. A guy named Vinny basically is obsessed with an actress that he desires to be a part of his own film. This crazed fan doesn't exactly win her over, and people around her start to dying, one after another. Definately not your borring, let alone average, indie flick from the 80's!

joe spinell yet again makes the film with his acting. gory at times highly entertaining. recommend

Holy S#!t this movie was fantastic! Everything about it was top notch great directing, brilliant performances, and fantastic score! There's nudity, gore, and an epic story about a stalker/ fanatic!!
And something I have to mention is that THANK YOU TROMA for finally figuring out how to release a DVD! Features are amazing! I can cream on and on but it won't make any good, buy this film now and experience it for yourself! You won't regret it, seriously.

This is classic cult horror at it's finest! Bloody, twisted, it's a low budget ride through the demented mind of the main character Vinny, who throughout the film gradually loses his grip on reality and his sanity. This is a definite must for indie horror fans and anyone planning a kickass horror marathon with their friends.

I initially went into this movie thinking it was a serious, hardcore, balls-to-the-wall horror flick-- something along the lines of the original "Halloween," or even "The Evil Dead," but much to my surprise, it's actually a subtle comedy.

Joe Spinelli (from "The Godfather") is a New York City cabbie with delusions of grandeur hoping to make it big and become a movie director. He has saved up all his pennies and takes a trip to the Cannes Film Festival overseas (interesting fact: the movie was actually shot during the 1981 or 1982 Cannes Film Festival) and begins looking to cast a movie. But while he's there, people begin to start being murdered in gruesome and fairly odd ways. Joe's delusions seem to spin out of control and he falls deeper and deeper into madness...

Now, I know that sounds like the premise for a David Cronenberg movie, but it's actually a David Winters movie-- David "Space Mutiny" Winters (yes, Space Mutiny, from Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode 820), and despite having directed that abortion of a science fiction movie, he actually holds his own in trying to be fairly suspenseful for the better part of "The Last Horror Film," until the ending, which comes totally out of left field and ruins the entire film. Be that as it may, I did enjoy the movie and am glad I bought it, however I do not think it was worth the 15.99 that I spent on it at Video Horizon.

The movie is shot very well, and with this Tromasterpiece Edition, certain "lost scenes" have been weaved back into the film. There's a note at the beginning of the film that says something like "We have edited in scenes that were previously lost until now, they may not have the same quality as the rest of the film. We hope this does not interfere with your viewing pleasure." Which, it really didn't, I hardly noticed. In fact, I'd say it gives the movie more of a 70s Grindhouse feel, despite being past the prime of the Grindhouse era. Either way, it's a fairly ridiculous movie about ridiculous things, trying to be funny and suspenseful at the same time and is completely botched by a terrible ending.

I'd recommend it for hardcore Troma fans or Joe Spinelli fans only, thankfully I'm both.

My girlfriend knew I liked cult horror films and picked this film up for me as a Christmas gift. I had seen previews of it and read many positive reviews, but hadn't gotten around to seeing it. I watched it recently and found it to be good, but feel it could have been better.

Joe Spinell is amazing in this movie. I don't think anybody can pull of the creepy loner quite like he can. The way Spinell gestures, speaks and moans...a true master at his character. At times you think he really is this person and not playing a part. The gore effects are really good in this as well, classic 80's style. A lot of the "deaths" are shots of films being shown at the Cannes Film Festival which is a cool effect.

Joe plays Vinny, a man obsessed with a horror film actress named Jenna Bates (played by Caroline Munro) that he wants to put in his movie. He feels that she is being misused and believes he has the perfect part for her to play. He tries to get through to her, but is continually shunned by everyone. The only other person Vinny seems to care about is his mother (who is in fact, played by Joe's real life mother) who he calls often. She tells him to give up on his crazy dreams, but he is determined to show her and everyone else his genius.

As the film progresses, it begs the question as to who is the killer. Is it Vinny, who keeps stalking the actress and everyone associated with her, or is it someone else? There are a lot of creepy shots of Vinny stalking her (shown in black and white and accompanied by very sinister heavy breathing) as well as some extremely disturbing shots of Vinny having nervous psychotic breakdowns.

There are however, some flaws with this film. The acting (aside from Spinell) is poor even by horror movie standards. Quite a few shots seem to have very little purpose besides making the film a few minutes longer. There are many places where the films slows down and it can get pretty boring. It picks up around the 45 minutes mark and from then on the film really gets exciting. Some of the footage is also very dark, making it hard to see what exactly is going on. I know some of this footage is restored and of poor quality, so I can forgive it since it makes the film complete. I might be nitpicking this, but I really did NOT enjoy the "twist" ending.

All in all, this is a good cult film that I think many will enjoy this and true horror fans should check out. It's not the best, but it certainly is worth a look.