Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		2.5

The Fanatic Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 14, 2020

Without us, you're nothing.

Writer/Director Fred Durst's (The Education of Charlie Banks, The Longshots) The Fanatic is a curiously engaging film about celebrity and obsession. The film's comedic beats and John Travolta's uncannily unhinged character, Moose, are countered by a dark vision of the merging of fame and fanaticism. "Without us, you're nothing," Moose says in a fit of rage when his attempts to mingle with his favorite movie star don't materialize and certainly don't jive with his fantasy play-by-play thereof. Fandom drives celebrity, certainly, and without eyes on the screens or rear ends in seats, there is no celebrity. It's a give and take proposition that usually exists in mutual harmony, but The Fanatic explores what might happen when unhealthy obsession meets unhealthy -- though understandable -- bounce back against it.

Moose is a Hollywood street performer who doesn't dream of making it big but instead dreams of those who already have. For him, actors are idols to be worshiped. He knows them all, and he knows his favorites by heart. But he's socially awkward. His obsession has robbed him of most social graces. He has a few friends who look out for him, including a photographer who shares with him a phone app that pinpoints celebrity homes and a hobby shop owner who knows Moose as one of his best customers, a dedicated fan, and a good soul. When word comes to Moose that the shop will be hosting an autograph session for none other than his favorite actor, Hunter Dunbar (Devon Sawa), his friend gifts him a one-of-a-kind movie prop that Moose will have the actor autograph. Unfortunately, a social emergency robs Moose of his chance of meeting his idol at the last moment. Moose tracks him down but Dunbar angrily rejects his pleas for a simple autograph. Down and depressed but willing to give the actor a second chance, Moose tracks him down at his home using the app but discovers further barriers and an even angrier actor. With the illusion broken and Moose's world shattered, the fanatic has no choice but to take drastic measures to right perceived wrongs.

Tales of celebrity obsession are hardly of groundbreaking construction. Tony Scott's 1996 Thriller The Fan, for example, is one such (and similarly titled) picture, but The Fanatic explores a more intimate side of the story through the eyes of a man who exists in that gray area of right and wrong. He's smart enough to function in his obsession but perhaps too naive to realize that his laser-like pursuits are not just creepy but also borderline immoral and all but illegal. He has people who care for him and understand how his mind works, but while they offer words of caution they fail to act too strongly as an advocate for what they know to be right, probably to protect Moose's fragile psyche, which is sure to be damaged worse from the outside more than it would be from within his own protective, secure bubble. Moose is a likable fellow, more or less. One can admire his passion. But he's also dangerous, and what makes him more dangerous than many is that he seems all but incapable of distinguishing right and wrong, at least when it comes to his celebrity obsession. He just wants an autograph, after all. No harm intended, no ill will on his end.

No harm and no ill will, that is, until Dunbar proves to be something other than the illusion he sells on the screen. Vulgarities spew from the actor's mouth, perhaps too forcefully at first, understandably later, and all but righteous when it's all said and done. Both parties are in a way right, and both parties are in a way wrong, at least at first. And that's what makes the movie at least mildly intriguing. It asks the audience to walk a fine line between celebrity and privacy and fandom and forcefulness that both characters are ultimately unable to straddle with finesse, leading to a horrible resolution for both individuals involved. And both lead actors spectacularly sell that gray area interaction. Devon Sawa, who favors Viggo Mortensen, plays what in common parlance could be labeled an "@$$#0!&." He's downright rude to Moose, but Moose both gives off a creepy off-kilter vibe and has no respect for Dunbar's privacy. Dunbar's failure to recognize Moose's basic wants and needs certainly aggravates the situation, but Moose is obviously the catalyst who can't let go of his obsession. Travolta, who sports a funky butchered haircut and nerdy glasses while carrying himself with an awkward physical cadence and verbal peculiarities to match, sinks into the character's one dimensional lifestyle remarkably well. He sells the illusion of obsession and social inadequacy extraordinarily well and it's his careful and calculated, and necessarily over the top, performance that more than anything sells the movie's confrontation and the idea that there are no winners, only losers, in the encounter between a man obsessed with fame and an actor obsessed with keeping obsession out of his life.

The Fanatic Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Fanatic was digitally photographed and the 1080p presentation delivers a largely satisfying viewing experience. The picture quality is quite proficient, showcasing a high textural yield. It's crisp and firm, sure of itself, and more than capable of revealing extremely fine facial features, for example, with intricate accessibility. Moose's hair, haphazardly cut short around the crown of his head, is amongst the highlights while skin pores and lines also offer quality intricacy. The picture further explores variously enticing environments, including Hollywood streets, hobby shop interiors, Dunbar's well manicured neighborhood, and his home interior, all with pleasing visual crispness. Colors are dialed into a fine neutral appearance. Natural greens highlight while multitudes of colors in storefronts and homesteads deliver pleasing tonal fullness and faithfulness. Viewers will spot some compression artifacts in the nighttime sequence when Moose is hanging out with a tied-up Dunbar; macroblocking dances around the ceiling. Noise peppers low light shots, too, but there's nothing overtly egregious here in terms of source or encode follies. This is a nice looking Blu-ray image from Quiver Films.

The Fanatic Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Quiver Films apparently isn't much of a stickler for high end sound because the studio has released The Fanatic to Blu-ray with no lossless option, opting instead for a Dolby Digital 5.1 lossy audio presentation. The soundtrack is by no means a sonic misfire, but listeners accustomed to the expanded clarity and realism lossless affords will quite quickly notice the track's downgraded specifications. It is a front-heavy listen without any real spacial awareness to speak of; a decent front end stretch and a couple of noticeably super-wide moments are in play, but back channel support is practically nil, whether considering music, action or ambience. All of those core elements deliver with passable clarity but veteran listeners will simply be left wanting more engagement and fruitful fidelity. Dialogue does play well with solid prioritization and clarity as well as a front-center placement commitment.

The Fanatic Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of The Fanatic includes a single extra, the film's theatrical trailer (1080p, 1:34). No DVD or digital copies are included with purchase. This release ships with a non-embossed slipcover.

The Fanatic Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Fanatic has a few technical shortcomings and not quite enough plot originality to carry it into the cinema stratosphere, but a quality inter-character dynamic and two excellent performances propel the movie above standard. Quiver Films' Blu-ray release is all but devoid of extra content. The video presentation is largely fine but the absence of a lossless soundtrack limits the audio's potential. Recommended.