Targets (1968)
Genre: Crime / Thriller
Duration: 90 minuten
Country:
United States
Directed by: Peter Bogdanovich
Stars: Tim O'Kelly, Boris Karloff and Nancy Hsueh
IMDb score:
7,3 (13.640)
Releasedate: 15 August 1968
Targets plot
""I just killed my wife and my mother. I know they'll get me. But before that, many more will die...""
An aging horror star is gloomy about today's world that seems scarier than his old-fashioned-looking movies. Meanwhile, a young man with a shotgun embarks on a murder spree on a highway that continues until the screening of the horror star's last film. The innocent visitors are eliminated one by one.
Actors and actresses
Bobby Thompson
Byron Orlok
Ed Loughlin
Marshall Smith
Jenny
Sammy Michaels
Chauffeur
Salesman - 1st Gunshop
Robert Thompson Sr.
Charlotte Thompson
Reviews & comments
Leland Palmer
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- 23792 messages
- 4924 votes
A fairly daring film by Bogdanovich at the time. A man who grabs a gun out of nowhere and decides to shoot a whole lot of people. Well, out of nowhere. His brain probably thinks otherwise. Anyway. A fine film, atmospheric and exciting right from the highway shoot-out. There is a hilarious scene in it, by the way; where Karloff looks in the mirror and gets the shock of his life after getting out of bed with that guy. The two storylines come together well and the climax is successful. An easy pass.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Insignificance
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- 3220 messages
- 5589 votes
On paper, it is a slightly brilliant idea to have Karloff slip into his own skin with a touch of bitterness. His character, Orlok, wants to quit acting because of a new kind of horror. It’s in the newspaper, too. There is little wrong with that, but in the film, it does get in the way of the other plot thread a bit. There isn't much scarier than just someone who decides to start killing one day. Like the seemingly normal Bobby. The calmness he displays, the text on the poster, the snack, and the randomness; it makes him far more terrifying than many a horror figure. It delivers three chilling segments that Karloff can't match. When it comes to the final words of the old and new horror phenomenon, Bobby wins. Orlok was right.
Translated from Dutch · View original
El Loco
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- 1207 messages
- 2465 votes
Peter Bogdanovich really charmed me with The Last Picture Show and Paper Moon also went down easily, but this has turned out to be a bit of an uneven film.
Despite the film's short running time, it takes quite a while before things really get interesting regarding the sniper. The storyline surrounding the old movie star Byron Orlok is rather mediocre and also very predictable as to where it is all ultimately heading. You can see it coming from miles away that he would eventually agree to make an appearance at the drive-in cinema and face a confrontation with the shooter there.
The storyline surrounding the shooter is, however, certainly worth watching. We see his actions in a very chilling manner, and the motivation or trigger for his killing spree remains unknown. This creates an even more chilling and gruesome effect on the shooter's deeds. The shooting of his wife and mother could hardly be depicted in a more chilling way.
The scene on the highway where he opens fire on several cars, is incredibly well filmed. The final scene in the drive-in also starts off strong, but is drawn out a bit too long and ends with a very unbelievable ending where Orlok, with his old bones, briefly overpowers the shooter.
Actually a strange film with quite a few plus points, but also some significant minus points. Normally I would give it just a 2.5*, but certain scenes are memorable enough to give it a 3*.
3*
Translated from Dutch · View original
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