Starring - Joe Spinell (Maniac, The Undertaker), Caroline Munro (Slaughter High, The Golden Voyage of Sinbad), and Judd Hamilton (Starcrash, A Talent for Living)
Release Date - 1982
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "The Cannes Film Festival a cast of thousands...but only one killer!"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)
Rating (out of 5):
Horror has a lot of underrated icons. I hear names getting tossed around all the time with underrated attached to them. Many of them are actors that I truly feel are underrated but one that I never hear mentioned is the late Joe Spinell. Many know him from Maniac and Maniac II but his career from the early 70s to late 80s is absolutely brilliant appearing in the films The Godfather, Rocky, sequels to both, Taxi Driver, Vigilante, Rapid Fire, The Undertaker which is my personal favorite. One of his more popular films is the 1982 film The Last Horror Film which was also released under the title Fanatic. This Troma released film has been seen my many over the years after finding releases on VHS and DVD. Recently, Troma put the film out on blu and was kind enough to send it over for review. It had been years since my last viewing of this early 80s classic and this was a great reason to revisit it.
The film follows a taxi driver from New York (Spinell) who travels Cannes to attend the film festival in hopes of convincing horror starlet Jana Bates (Munro) to star in his film. However, as he tries to get close to her, he finds himself blocked by different members of her entourage and staff. Soon after his arrival, members of her group are brutally murdered. As he struggles to get close to her, more and more people are missing or found murdered leaving many to suspect who the killer really is.
The Last Horror Film is a great flick. I truly is. In fact, it's one of the better films that Troma has released over the years. However, it's not my favorite Spinell flick. Hell, it probably doesn't even break in the top 5 if I'm being honest but it's still a solid film especially if you are looking for something from the early 80s with some blood. The acting in this one is great. Caroline Munro does a fantastic job as a rising star known for horror films. She really embodies the role and makes her scenes a lot of fun. The same can be said for the supporting cast. They all really get into their roles and deliver great dialogue and grounded interactions. With that being said, the star is Spinell and he does not disappoint. He delivers an unforgettable performance and several scenes that always gives me goosebumps no matter how many times I've seen this one. His career may have spanned almost 20 years but I wish he would have lived a little longer just so see how many memorable performances he had left in him. The story for this one is basically a slasher set against the backdrop of the Cannes Film Festival. The movie was shot guerilla style with no permits as guests and tourists flocked around the streets and locations. That makes the film feel raw as fuck if you ask me. This makes the story with the obsessed fan wanting to direct his obsession in a movie while her entourage is getting murdered feel even more tense. I also liked the news footage and audio playing at random times about the Jodie Foster stalker that tried to assassinate Ronald Reagan. I don't know if this was the inspiration for the film or added to give the story layers but I really liked that bit of American history added to the story where it was relevant. Finally, the film has several deaths. They feature a lot of blood along with some solid make-up effects and props but isn't the most gruesome especially for what was coming out at the time. Overall, The Last Horror Film is one of the better slashers in the Troma catalogue. While I would recommend Blood Hook before this one, this is still a must see for genre fans, fans of 80s cinema, and anyone looking for films featuring the late Joe Spinell. I highly recommend it.
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