4.4 | / 10 |
Users | 2.5 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Moose (played by John Travolta), a rabid film fan, who gets cheated out of meeting his hero, Hunter Dunbar (Devon Sawa). Moose then hunts down Dunbar to get the celebrity interaction he feels he deserves. Harmless at first, Moose’s actions begin to take a dark turn. Against the advice of his friend Leah (Ana Golja), Moose begins to make frequent visits to his hero’s private home. As the visits continue to escalate, Dunbar find himself in increasing danger.
Starring: John Travolta, Devon Sawa, Ana Golja, Jacob Grodnik, James PaxtonThriller | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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