The Fanatic Movie – A B-Movie About A Real Fan

I used to be a fan of Eminem songs. Well, when I say used to, I mean I don’t listen to The Real Slim Shady as much as I used to. But let me tell you, I know a lot of the lyrics to many of his songs by heart. When I watched John Travolta’s Moose in the Razzie nominated movie, The Fanatic, I couldn’t help but draw a massive comparison between the lyrics to Stan and the story here. And yes, I probably look a bit silly singing rap songs but that’s beside the point. The Fanatic movie is not a bad film though, let me tell you why.

Moose’s best friend is Leah (Ana Golja) a photographer to the stars who somehow acts as the voice of reason for this very odd collection of tics and swaying. The film itself is drawing loads of negativity. From being compared to The Room by Tommy Wiseau to cracks at Travolta’s performance itself, The Fanatic is an easy movie to bypass given that all signs point to it lacking the demeanor of a good quality flick.

Let’s get back to Eminem though. If you’re unfamiliar with the lyrics of Stan, the story is about his number one fan, Stan. Just like Moose, he proclaims this sentiment throughout the entire lyrical tale. Stan writes to Slim about his experience in trying to get the attention of the famous rap star. He talks about his life, his pregnant wife, and his daughter Bonnie. Stan also talks about having a lot in common with his idol and flippantly expresses how the post office must have messed up since he didn’t hear back from him.

I’m Not a Stalker, I’m a Fan!

The Fanatic works under much of the same pretense only it’s set up against a star with a little more aggression toward his fans and a lot less empathy. That’s not to say, that Hunter Dunbar, who is the star in question, isn’t at times justified in his anger towards this strange man. He might be slightly arrogant, but he’s still a human being.

Coincidentally, Devon Sawa who plays Hunter was in the music video for ‘Stan’ in 2000, as Stan. Despite The Fanatic movie director Fred Durst stating that he took inspiration from his stalking incident, I’m sure this is one story many people in the spotlight can relate to. Even Travolta said he has had his own overeager fans but he appreciates it’s a small price to pay for his lot in life.

In the lyrics for the song, Stan, Slim’s number one fan writes again and explains how terrible the famous man is at addressing his fans and that his little brother was also shunned by the star. By this stage, he is increasingly irritated. He thinks the two are soul mates, that he’s been quite patient, and that there is no chance Slim didn’t receive at least his most recent letter because the address was correct.

Now in a state of flux, he decides to make a tape instead and it’s here we learn of Stan’s fate, his wife’s terrible fate, and the catastrophic ending he has enacted of his own volition all in the name of seeking revenge on someone who wasn’t even aware of the situation. If you want to see how the story ends, scroll down for the Stan video.

Dear Stan, I Meant to Write to You Sooner

The setup in The Fanatic movie is astonishingly similar, more to the lyrics of Stan than any other example I can find. A lifelong number-one fan with some mental health issues has created a demi-god out of a well-known celebrity figure. He means well. Until, of course, the feelings are not reciprocated.

Although Travolta’s performance in The Fanatic movie is heavily criticized by many and indeed extremely awkward and generic at times, there is certainly enough substance for a belief in the motivation behind his character. It’s a simple case of unrequited love. In that instance, the tale becomes less unfeasible and more probable. In addition to that, at least no one can say Travolta didn’t put in 110%, because he certainly did.

Where to Watch The Fanatic

The Fanatic is streaming on: