The Fan [VHS]
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VHS Movie Reviews of The Fan [VHS]
Movie Review: another psychopath
Summary: 2 Stars
I don't like Wesley Snipes, it is one of that many american actors that couldn't transmit emotions, in every movie you think he performs the same character. Trying to be cool is not acting!The other protagonist played by Robert de Niro is very similar to Travis Bickle (Taxi Driver). It's very sad to see that Mr de Niro, one of the best actors ever, accepted all scripts he became in the last years, without considering the quality of the movie.
Tony Scott made some of the most interesting films of the last two decades and like his brother I think he can still surprise us in the future.
The soundtrack inlcudes Nine Inch Nails, one of the most influential rock band of the nineties!
"The Fan" is not a bad movie (at least it's not boring), but perhaps prescindible and personally I expected much more, considering the cast and the direction.
Movie Review: A baseball thriller than does not go the whole nine innings
Summary: 4 Stars
Robert De Niro playing a character out of his mind is still something to see, as this 1996 film amply proves. This time around he plays Gil Renard, who sells just about every type of knife under the sun in the San Francisco Bay area, but not as well as he did in former days. Divorced, his wife is giving him one last chance with his son, Richie (Andrew J. Ferchland). Gil wants to take the boy to opening day at Candlestick Park, but he has also been given an ultimatum by his boss and he has a key appointment that same afternoon. Of course, Gil blows both opportunities and all he has left in the world is his love of baseball in general and the Giants new $40 million centerfielder, Bobby Rayburn (Wesley Snipes). Gil even calls up the radio sports talk show of the emasculating Jewel Stern (Ellen Barkin) to talk to Bobby and praise him to high heavens.However, Bobby gets off to a very bad start with the Giants. As the new big gun in town he has displaced the teams centerfielder Juan Primo (Benicio Del Toro). In the first game neither backs off on a fly ball and they collide. Bobby is hurt, but refuses to leave the game. To add insult to injury, Juan wears number 11, which has always been Bobby's number, and Primo refuses to give it up. Freaked by a visit to a young boy in a hospital who is not only dying but has the same name as his son, Bobby had promised to hit a home run and is feeling the pressure of that obligation. The result is that while Primo plays like an All-Star, Bobby's average dips below the Mendoza line and becomes the constant target of the local media. The only friend he has town might just be Gil.
Without a job and under a restraining order to stay away from his son, Gil has nothing else to do but go to the ballpark and follow Bobby around town. When he learns that Bobby wants to wear number 11, Gil decides that maybe there is something he can do about that. Actually, nobody wears 11 for the Giants because the number was retired for the Hall of Fame screwball pitcher Carl Hubbell, but this movie has less to do with the real world as it goes merrily along. What matters is that Gil feels that he has helped Bobby, who is back to his All-Star form, and is rather upset that his efforts have gone without notice. As he says, "A simple thank you would have been nice." At that point we know that something very, very bad is going to happen to Bobby.
The film's climax, of course, takes place at a baseball game with Bobby having to hit a home run in an at bat under more pressure than anybody else in the history of the game. Casey at the bat? Meaningless. Bobby Thompson in the 1951 National League Playoffs? Nothing. Roy Hobbs trying to hit one out for his son in "The Natural" is close to the mark, but Roy did not have to do it in the pouring rain and if he struck out his son was only going to be disappointed and not killed. Besides the complete downpour he also has to hit off the pitcher while the jumbo-tron shows the pitcher pitching. Now, major league baseball stadiums do not show live pictures while there is any action on the field, but that is why the end of "The Fan" is where the story is abandoned in favor of a big cinematic finish.
The early part of the film, as Gil descends into madness and Bobby's batting average takes a nosedive, is the most interesting part of "The Fan," because at that point it is primarily a case of parallel character studies. There is a sense in which the character played by Snipes is actually more interesting than De Niro's because we get some insights into the peculiar psychoses of a major league baseball player. At the end of the film we are surprised to learn that what distinguishes the two men most of all is their very different explanations for why Bobby has started hitting.
However, in the end the psychology gives way to the action in a scene that scene that uncomfortably reminds us of the climax of "The Naked Gun." It is impossible to accuse either star of going over the top in this film because "The Fan" does that all by itself at the end. Given the character foundations that were established in the first parts of the film, this is one instance where less at the end would have been more.
Movie Review: Great role for De Niro
Summary: 4 Stars
I haven't heard too much about The Fan. I don't think that it hit it as big with the box office as it should have. Director Tony Scott (True Romance, Spy Game) did an excellent job of getting the viewer to identify with De Niro's character at the beginning. But as the film progressed, there are one-by-one actions that build up for you to finally realize that he is nuts! Robert De Niro delivered a very real and believable performance as always. Wesley Snipes also did a good job as a cocky first rate baseball player in a slump, and under complete stress. This is not something for the kids, though. Its R rating reflects pervasive strong language and some intense violence. It's a good suspense movie though with great character development.Movie Review: "The Fan"..Steps Up To The Plate
Summary: 3 Stars
This review refers to the TRI STAR DVD edition of "The Fan"
Baseball was never so thrilling as it is in this film. In "The Fan" there's more at stake then the pennant for $40 million dollar centerfielder Bobby Rayburn(Wesley Snipes).One swing of the bat could cost him everything that is precious to him.
When did baseball become more than a game to Rayburn? When his number one fan, Gil Renard(Robert DeNiro), steps up to the plate to help Bobby out of his slump.Gil is a three time looser. He is a poor role model to his young son, he has a major problem with his people skills, and he is about to lose his job at the company that was founded by his own father. His psychotic obsession with the game of baseball, takes him further out of bounds than any Little League Coach ever went.When his idol seems to be having trouble getting into the swing of things,and another player is getting all the glory, Renard takes matters into his own hands. How far will he go to make sure Rayburn has his day in the sun? Will he even murder for him?
DeNiro is absolutley this deranged and very scary character. He plays him so well you may forget that he is Robert Deniro for a while! Snipes also is excellent as the unwitting victim, Rounding off the cast in fine performances are Ellen Barkin, Benecio Del Toro and John Leguizamo. It is directed by Tony Scott who keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end and as always perfect mood scoring by Hans Zimmer adds to the tense situations.
The DVD has a nice clear and sharp picture.You have the choice of Widescreen or Standard Formats. The sound is very good and you can choose between 5.1 Dolby or 2- channel surround sound.It may be viewed in French and Spanish and has subtitles in English and Spanish if needed. There are no other special features included.
I thought it was a great thriller, and it kept me involved through the whole story, but I'm going with the three stars because I just don't think it's one of those that will be watched over and over. Once you know the ending, you may need to wait awhile before viewing again.If you have seen it already and know it's one that will be a good edition to your collection, you'll be happy with the quality of the DVD. If not, maybe renting it first will help you decide.
You'll want to get the popcorn, peanuts and crackerjacks ready for this one....enjoy...Laurie
more thrillers recommended;
Just Cause
L.A. Confidential - Special Edition / The Usual Suspects (Special Edition) (2 Pack)
Alfred Hitchcock Collection: Sabotage, The 39 Steps, Man Who Knew Too Much, Murder!, Jamaica Inn [VHS]
Movie Review: Fear Strikes Out?
Summary: 4 Stars
This movie is greatly played, and they picked the exact actors for this. Gil (Robert DeNiro) is an obsessed Giants fan, and is having trouble with the knife business. His favorite player, Bobby Rayburn (Wesley Snipes) goes into a terrible slump, and Gil, the crazed fan, feels it's up to him to get him out of it. DeNiro plays a great lunatic, and Snipes is just the athletic kind. While it's slightly predictable, it still keeps you on the edge of your seat, and begging for more! Great movie