Overview: A New York taxi driver stalks a beautiful actress attending the Cannes Film Festival, which coincides with a series of violent killings of the lady’s friends.

Blu-ray Verdict: Fanatic aka The Last Horror Film (1982) is actually sometimes labeled Maniac 2, which cane merely be interpreted as an attempt to cash in on William Lustig’s ultra-nasty 1980 shocker Maniac, which weirdly featured the same cast.

The incredibly creepy-looking Joe Spinell played the eponymous girl-butchering maniac in Lustig’s film, and he once again plays a rather demented role for Troma.

However, as opposed to Maniac - which is easily one of the most disturbing American Horror films of the early 80’s - Fanatic is rather a dark comedy, or a darkly but strongly satirical horror film, in and unto its very self, to say the least.

Spinell plays Vinny Durand, a New York taxi driver mama’s boy, total psycho and fanatical film fan, who plans to make his own horror movie starring the star he worships, horror beauty Jana Bates (played by Caroline Munro, who also played the female lead in Maniac).

He follows her to the film festival in Cannes, where he tries to stalk her, but never manages to come close to her. In the meanwhile, more and more of Jana’s associates in the film business end up in gory massacres.

The Last Horror Film satirizes the 80’s controversy about whether watching violent and gory Horror films will turn viewers into violent psychopaths. That is for another day though, for as much as it is age old, it still has not been successfully argued either way. Back on track and Joe Spinell is always great for extremely sleazy, perverted and creepy roles, and his performance here is doubtlessly the main reason to watch The Last Horror Film.

The always beautiful Caroline Munro is a cinematic vision, as are most of the other female cast members, all of whom are eager to expose their breasts at any given moment! Sadly, Fanatic features no suspense at all and whilst there is some gore it is not comparable to the disturbing nature of Maniac.

In closing, the film has its very funny moments though, mainly provided by Spinell’s character’s extreme eccentricities and whereas the film is certainly no must-see, it nonetheless provides a good laugh and is a definitive mid-80’s cinematic gem to still behold, of that you an be very sure.

Bonus Features:
Introduction by Lloyd Kaufman
Audio Commentaries
Interviews
Mr. Robbie - A Short Film By Buddy Giovinazzo
Highlights From The Tromadance Film Festival
A Full Episode Of Kabukiman’s Cocktail Corner

Official Theatrical Trailer/

Official Purchase Link