Just this morning, I was thinking to myself, “You know what this day could use? The trailer for a movie where John Travolta plays a celebrity stalker with a terrible haircut, directed by the guy who gave us Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water.” My wish was granted: The Fanatic trailer is here.
Directed by Fred Durst, The Fanatic has been on my must-see list since the first images from the film were released. There’s John Travolta — Oscar nominee and Emmy winner John Travolta! — in a dazzling Hawaiian shirt and bright white shoes, upset that he didn’t score an autograph from an author played by Devon Sawa (!). So, what does he do? Torture the guy, obviously. The Fanatic is loosely based on something that happened to the Limp Bizkit frontman; there are also shades of Misery in the trailer. I have always said that the one thing missing from Misery is John Travolta screaming, “I need to get an autograph!”
Here’s the official plot summary.
Moose is a rabid movie fan who is obsessed with his favorite celebrity action hero, Hunter Dunbar. When he is cheated out of his opportunity to finally meet Hunter, Moose gets a little help from his friend Leah, a well-connected paparazzi photographer, who knows how to find celebrity homes. Moose turns to stalking to get the celebrity interaction he feels he deserves, and while harmless at first, Moose’s actions begin to take a dark turn as his obsession grows stronger. As the visits continue to escalate, Hunter Dunbar finds himself in increasing danger.
The Fanatic is released into theaters and onto VOD and digital on August 30.
