The Fanatic 2019 * * 1/2 Stars

Director: Fred Durst
Year: 2019
Rated R
Rating: * * 1/2 Stars
Cast: John Travolta, Devon Sawa, Ana Golja

"I just wanted an autograph". So says the sorry character of Moose when it comes to collecting memorabilia from B to C-list celebs. Moose with weirdo hairdo and even weirdo wardrobe in tote, stalks his favorite, brute action hero in 2019's The Fanatic (my latest review).

Anyway, "Fanatic" is brief (at 88 minutes) and somehow holds the viewer back from wanting a little more. It's a Holly-weird, personified thriller littered with over the top acting, over the top shallowness, out of place narration, and under the belt budget constraints.

Fred Durst (lead singer of Limp Bizkit) steps behind the camera for his third feature film. Yes he directs "Fanatic" well (I love the artwork) but his effort at times also feels rushed and kinda pasted together. Fred either based The Fanatic off his own experiences or watched 1996's The Fan and/or Big Fan one too many times. Nevertheless, he knows where to put the camera and knows that an isolated fan portrayal isn't quite playing with a full deck.

In "Fanatic", Durst gets John "I don't show up in movie theaters anymore" Travolta to step in as the lead. As Moose, Johnny boy painfully throws himself into the role only to become a carbonated parody of Gil Renard and Paul Aufiero (played by Robert De Niro and Patton Oswalt respectively).

Travolta is decent as a hit-and-miss actor but he's a little miscast here (the dude is 65 years old, really?). In The Fanatic, he simply tries too hard with his quirky persona being a cross between Dustin Hoffman's Raymond Babbitt and Corey Haim's Lucas Blye. It's a bloated stretch to say the least.

All in all, The Fanatic isn't quite as disastrous as it was perceived via the movie-going public (it only grossed about $3 grand and played in 52 theaters). In the future, I think Fred Durst will helm better flicks if he gets the casting right, the production values magnified, and avoids the notion of borderline, directorial hacking. Rating: 2 and a half stars.

Written by Jesse Burleson