Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		2.5
Audio		2.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		2.0

The Last Horror Film Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf January 13, 2016

Obsession cinema hits the hotels and beaches of France in 1982’s “The Last Horror Film,” which boldly takes its inspiration from John Hinckley’s 1981 assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan, with the would-be killer hoping to impress actress Jodie Foster with his display of violence. It’s a provocative starting point for co-writer/director David Winters, but it’s not a plot he approaches with sincerity. Something of a goof, with a broad lead performance from actor Joe Spinell, “The Last Horror Film” is best appreciated as a travelogue for the 1981 Cannes Film Festival and as a showcase of style for actress Caroline Munro. Lowered expectations are perhaps best to approach the feature, which doesn’t care much for suspense, far more interested in mild industry satire and pulled punches.

A taxi driver in New York City, Vinny (Joe Spinell) is obsessed with movie star Jana (Caroline Munro), often lost in a routine fantasy that finds him rewarded for being the finest director in Hollywood. Fed up with waiting for his dreams to come true, Vinny travels to the Cannes Film Festival to entice Jana into starring in his picture. Unable to reach his true love, Vinny elects to stalk the actress around town with a camera, grabbing footage as she meets with the press and dazzles the public, promoting her latest effort. With her own life in upheaval, recently divorcing her longtime producer, Bret (Glen Jacobson), Jana is in a vulnerable place, trying to keep herself together. However, when Vinny’s needs spill over into violence, Jana fears for her life, trying to find a safe haven in the middle of a boisterous celebration.

What gives “The Last Horror Film” (titled “Fanatic” on the Blu-ray) an advantage over its competition is its setting. The feature actually opens in New York City, displaying Vinny’s messy lifestyle of delusion and obsession, along with his blurred lines of behavior, including a masturbation session inside a movie theater while watching a graphic slasher release. He lives with his mother in a tiny apartment, and now Vinny’s had enough, packing up a suitcase, filling it with clothes and dreams, and flying to France, where he’s about to wow the marketplace with his take on an ultimate horror picture, starring his muse, Jana.

Instead of grimy streets and tight spaces, Winters relocates the action to the Cannes Film Festival, taking in the sights before returning to Vinny’s diseased mission. Suddenly, “The Last Horror Film” is all about topless beaches, swarming photographers, and industry salesmanship, with promotional materials hanging from every available space (to access Jana’s hotel, guests must walk through the iconic greased legs from the “For Your Eyes Only” poster). The unusual location gives “The Last Horror Film” needed personality, with Winters working through the festivities guerilla-style to blur the line between artifice and commerce, watching Vinny interact with the power players that ornament Jana’s life, trying to secure a professional commitment from his star. Tourism gives the effort a few verite touches, and it celebrates the business, with one murder occurring inside a screening room, gifting the feature a satiric lean as it figures out a way to make Vinny both a threat and a mystery as bodies begin to pile up and Jana slowly succumbs to panic in the public eye.

The screenplay is mostly filled with ideas, not scenes, and while a few of these moments work, Winters often looks like he’s making “The Last Horror Film” up as he goes, adding elements of gender confusion and public menace to Vinny’s arc to muddy the waters. There’s no distinct thread of antagonism in the movie, which plants radio news reports around the effort as a dose of reality before it returns to the psychological blur of Vinny’s rampage. Not helping terror achievements is a supremely inappropriate soft rock soundtrack, wedged into dark scenes without finesse. Spinell’s performance is also on the awkward side, losing necessary nuance as Vinny shares obvious surges of insanity, making the picture’s bizarre conclusion all the more confusing. While Spinell looks like a maniac, he makes a choice to play the lead as one, sanding down potential dramatic edges the effort could use.

The Last Horror Film Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation suffers from a few unusual problems, including visible edit jumps with every cut in the picture, briefly shaking the frame. Age of the source also reveals itself through faded colors and feeble blacks, missing real punch during evening sequences. Hues are more engaging when dealing with amplification, including blazing neon during club sequences. Skintones are also a bit bloodless. Detail isn't encouraging due to softness, delivering passable close-ups with heavily made-up and meaty faces, while the general hullabaloo around Cannes is open for inspection, including billboards and nudity. Scratches, damage, and debris are a common sight, while reel changes are incredibly rough.

The Last Horror Film Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 Dolby Digital sound mix introduces itself with a full minute of harsh, rhythmic buzzing. The listening experience settles down after that, but it remains mediocre at best, maintaining hiss and pops throughout, and buzzing returns periodically. Dialogue exchanges aren't ideal, battling inherent recording issues, which challenge intelligibility. Music is muddy, lacking instrumentation and presence. Atmospherics are flat, only really adding to mood when artificially amplified.

The Last Horror Film Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Intro (4:07, HD) features Troma founder Lloyd Kaufman looking to celebrate the gender-bending antics of "The Last Horror Film" (turns out, there are none) by taking a "sex change pill," only to realize he's not the trailblazer he imagined himself to be.

• Commentary features Luke Walter, friend of the late Joe Spinell.

• "Mr. Robbie" (8:04, SD) is a violent short film starring Spinell.

• "Tromadance 2015 Highlights" (5:20, HD) showcases the happenings at the company's annual celebration of underground cinema, with interns interviewing attendees and talent, while segments of panel conversations are shared.

• "Return of Dolphin-Man" (4:48, HD) brings back the cult hero from Troma's past screen achievements to help solve a case a theft when a stack of Tromadance DVDs are stolen by Corporate Hollywood villains.

• "Kabukiman's Cocktail Corner" (9:44, HD) is an episode of a Troma web series, hosted by the cult superhero. Guests include the band Twelve A.M. Flowers and tattoo artist Paul Booth, while the gang sucks down green-colored "Gin & Toxies" to loosen up.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:15, SD) is included.

The Last Horror Film Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Instead of encouraging escalation, "The Last Horror Film" actually becomes sillier as it unfolds, leading to a disappointing conclusion that doesn't register with intended shock. In fact, Winters treats the climax as a big joke, which immediately erases any built-up anxiety surrounding Vinny's deadly presence. The production wants to close the effort with a laugh. They encourage a hearty eye-roll instead. "The Last Horror Film" tanks its resolution, but it's not a complete wash-out, with enough feisty moments to entertain, and for any fan of exhibition history, it's a treat to search the frame for advertisements, celebrity cameos, and overall evidence of a bygone movie culture. Perhaps this is not what Winters intended, but when the scares fail to materialize, it's important to savor whatever the picture does right, even if it's by accident.