Opening this Friday, August 28, at the Metrograph theater in NYC is Fun City Editions’ 4K restoration of cult shocker Der Fan, aka Trance.
Bloody Disgusting has been provided with exclusive images from the new restoration, teasing one of the genre’s most shocking and underseen films.
In the film, “Teen runaway Simone loves the Neue Deutsche Welle pop singer known only as “R” (Bodo Staiger)… loves him so much, in fact, that she could just about eat him alive. And when she finally meets her idol—only to be callously treated by him as a disposable sex object—well, Simone gets the chance to really become one with her beloved forever. ”
The Metrograph describes the film as, “A hard, cool-to-the-touch, and utterly riveting slow-burn psychological thriller that, newly restored for its first ever US theatrical release, speaks to our age of parasocial obsession, featuring a sinister synth-pop soundtrack by Staiger’s own band, Rheingold, and a last act that’s finger-lickin’ good.“
Der Fan, written and directed by Eckhart Schmidt, stars Désirée Nosbusch as Simone and Bodo Staiger as “R”, the object of Simone’s desire.
Staiger, as frontman for new wave group Rheingold, also provided the film’s score.
Fun City Editions has restored Der Fan in 4K from its original 35mm camera negative. The film is presented with its original stereo soundtrack for the first time since its initial German theatrical release in 1982.
Without giving anything away, it’s the shocking third act that sets Der Fan apart and earned its cult status. Much like Takashi Miike’s Audition, it’s an unassuming feature that hides its visceral horror side until a jaw-dropping finale.
The film is also not without controversy, due to Nosbusch’s age at the time of filming, further catapulting Der Fan into cult shocker territory.
