Fade to Black

Christopher's teenage angst-ridden movie addict with the nervous pre-murder giggle is a darker cousin of Billy Liar. But what promises to be sublime turns gradually to ridiculous as the young antihero's banes - wheelchaired ma, teasing workmates, boss - are obliterated in a mess of gore and nostalgia as he turns Dracula (marvellous), Mummy, Hopalong Cassidy etc. The film aspires to hommage, it's true, but its references are altogether too obvious. That said, there's a Psycho bathroom pastiche that's almost worth the price of a ticket all by itself; and no collector of movie mush will want to miss it for its good bits, which are more than a few.