Targets

What a freaky and cool movie. It manages to make a point about the relationship between horror movies and "real" horror by juxtaposing a showing of a campy horror movie and a crazy man going on a killing spree. Boris Karloff plays a very thinly veiled alternate version of himself, and his performance adds a touch of both humor and melancholy. However the movie is very obviously limited by a shoestring budget, and some sections are severely lacking in cohesion.

Its only real problem is that occasionally it's obviously low-budget. Otherwise, it's a clever, self-reflexive mini-masterpiece that juxtaposes the hugely outdated Byron Orlok with the horrifying subplot of Bobby Thompson's sudden, completely unemotional decision to shoot anyone he can. The victims are often kept at arm's length, and are reduced, yes, to targets. It's fascinating.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching old Karloff in this juxtaposition of two seperate plot strands, his being the most interesting. The other, focusing on a shooter, is okay - standard thriller material. The strenous coupling, supposed to draw parallels between the monsters in the films by Karloff's director character and the shooter (with whom he deals as coldly as he treats his incompetent successors in the movie industry), seems a little forced but there's plenty of individual scenes to appreciate.

Fucked how relevant this will always be, thanks idiots we live in a nightmare.

Somewhat disjointed but on the whole satisfying thriller which manages both to haunt and bemuse with its dark sense of humor. Karloff is given one final curtain call which garners a much deserved standing ovation.

Completely awe-inspiring, one of the best thrillers i've ever seen. The story behind its production is fascinating, and for any obvious flaws that may be apparent because of this it is more then made up for by the sheer loopy power of how the story unfolds.

Meta horror decades before Scream, and no less effective, with Bogdanovich pitting the old guard against the new and seeing what narrative comes out on top. Chilling in the way it offers no explanations, heartwarming in the way it lets Karloff go out on one of the best performances of his entire career.

Very low-budget / very cool ideas.

I was expecting a 'crazy young dude flips his shit and goes on a rampage' kind of film and I ended up satisfied enough by that (along with all that ambiguity). What I wasn't expecting was how much Targets refers to horror filmmaking and reflects upon how a new era of more realistic, news-inspired horror films that comment on the horror in real-life would take over from the more traditional supernatural kind of horror -- I found this interesting as hell and was conveyed in a subtly clever way.

What a wonderful surprise this was. Bogdanovich shows his love of movies in interweaving a tribute to Boris Karloff and a contemporary horror/thriller. It's both fun and terrifying and really well paced.

Gripping. Never lets go. The climatic scene is at once stripped down and really, really tense.

Bogo's debut is pretty remarkable when you properly consider the context of its production; it's amazing that it hangs together as well as it does. His inexperience is occasionally evident, as are its financial constraints, but the mass shooting on a crowded freeway is chillingly realistic and superbly executed, and he manages to sneak in a commentary on violence that's still relevant today. Old violence vs new violence reflecting changing tastes, sensibilities and social-economic realities.

A good first directorial effort by Bogdanovich, marred by lack of money. Karloff gives a sweet, melancholy performance, playing a man a lot like himself.

Compelling, shocking, and still relevant.

The film ends with Karloff slapping the serial killer into a state of disillusion. The synopsis of the film pretty much covered everything else up to that point.

A thoughtful (though not overly brainy) thriller, Targets hits right on the mark.

Peter Bogdanovich's damned impressive debut: the stories of a weary horror film star (Boris Karloff) who wants to retire and a quintessential middle-class WASP (Tim O'Kelly) who goes on a killing spree are deftly intertwined, and elevated by the script and acting. Karloff is marvelous; suave, commanding, and poignant, it's one of his last and best roles. O'Kelly is likewise spot-on. Smooth cinematography by Laszlo Kovacs. A few dry spots, but constantly compelling--and truly thought-provoking.

Love the way this plays these two very different stories off of each other--two people, one seeing and wants to be seen, the other seen and wants to be invisible. The deep discontent in both unites the stories thematically. And while the final sequence does feel a bit pat in bringing them together, I do appreciate the chaotic tension that Bogdanovich wrings out of it.

Effectively combines an old-school horror icon with a more modern type of terror.

Fantastically written [if you consider every detail of the film].

Suspenseful film; Karloff is excellent (an Oscar going begging); Tim O'Kelly equally good as deranged sniper. Freeway scene with random cars being shot at particularly creepy.

Niepozbawiony wad, ale przyjemny w odbiorze thriller. Kilka scen swietnych po dzis dzien. Warto obejrzec.

Really makes you wish Bogdanovich had stayed this hungry and restrained rather than becoming too enamored with himself by the mid-70's to ever make a decent film again. Karloff is surprisingly good.

Viewed September 25, 2012. Bogdanovich's brilliant directorial debut simultaneously tells the story of an aging horror icon and a well-to-do, aw shucks kind of a guy who decides to go on a killing spree.

Pretty slick. Very entertaining and unsettling. The fact that no motives are presented, possibly because there are none, make it all the more unnerving. The scene between Karloff and Bogdanovich, drunk, in the hotel room is a pretty fascinating and entertaining bit.

Hugely effective portrait of an industry - and a society - in a period of transition, as cartoon villains and monsters became replaced with sick, sad, scarily human killers and New Hollywood was about to take over. Cannot believe this was Bogdanovich’s DEBUT, good lord, what a talent

The passing of classical Hollywood to the renegade freewheeling 60's Hollywood. How America and it's peoples are interacting with the new found "freedoms" in the post WW2 boom. How it's starting to experience a generation of bored people with nothing but an unlimited access to guns and vapid pop culture. The scene where the shooter kills his mother and wife has to be one of the best sequences I've seen. Tarantino cribbed a lot of this for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Bogdanovich's first film is a tautly paced thriller using the Charles Whitman saga as the basis for its narrative. You can see the seeds of a crafted director being sown in the framing and pacing of the film. For a first film, Bogdanovich also shows restraint and good editing technique to keep the film moving forward without any hiccups.

For a cut-and-paste job this is very good. Both the mad-killer story and the other story where Karloff and Bogdanovich basically play themselves work very well

As much a swan song meta take on Boris Karloff's legendary career as it is an insight into the mind of a psychopath. Feels a bit too relevant even today.

my dude never misses it seems. this certainly drags in places despite its short runtime but it's one of the few films from this decade that elicits genuine shock; a troubled, trembling old man movie that's very much a precursor to NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, an elegy for the days when horror was boris karloff hamming it up on the screen at cozy drive-ins, not terrorists and school shooters.

Good "big idea, small budget" thriller comments on the nature of film horror in a world too cynical for the likes of Boris Karloff. Tarantino, who (word has it) wrote a lengthy review of Targets at "New Beverly Cinema", was obviously influenced by it in his similarly themed and structured Hollywood movie - lots of moments in Targets seem blatantly referenced in OUATIH. And a hand holding a lit cigarette has never been so chillingly shot. And Nancy Hsueh was insanely gorgeous.

This film is made of two contrary halves, and they don't really fit flush. They are like dovetails meeting and separating as the film progresses. Targets works in spite of its restraints; the inclusion of Karloff, and because of it, it is a very obtuse and irregular film, but that's also part of its charm and makes it memorable. Having Karloff smack around O'Kelly at the end is a nice wrap-up; Karlof is a monster, O'Kelly is just a sick kid with a gun.

Very, very tense. It still resonates today.

I've always thought Targets had one of the best trailers ever youtu.be/rwlTB8836xM and the movie certainly lives up to it

Experiencing "Targets" was akin to drifting along a lazy river ride. The journey unfolds at a gentle, meandering pace with a couple of little drops, culminating in a thrilling drop at the conclusion, exhilarating the entire experience. It's a testament to the power of skilled storytelling in film, illustrating how a masterful director can elevate the cinematic experience of even a low-budget movie.

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An impressive B-movie that compares the "horror" of creepy movies and the real reality of mass killings (and from a time when they weren't an every-day occurrence). The ending doesn't quite hold up with the rest of the film. Even with the low budget trappings, this still makes a strong movie today.

Em honra de Peter Bogdanovich (1939 - 2022). Isso é uma prequel espiritual de A Última Sessão de Cinema, o cinema da old Hollywood encarando a violência do cinema contemporâneo, ou seja, a própria Nova Hollywood que Bognadovich faz parte. É um embate geracional quase fordiano, mesmo tendo como pai físico o Roger Corman que navegou entre esses dosi mundo como um elo de ligação. BlurayRip no MakingOff.

Undeniably contrived (the ending feels especially forced), but still quite effective.

Realistic, disturbing violence elevates the half-baked concept. Shocked it isn't more well-known.

Bogdanovich's debut deftly explores the differences between classic and contemporary horror, providing a uniquely compelling experience with its intercutting of violent sniper murders with witty, laid-back conversation between director and star. Both threads eventually come together for a fanciful but nevertheless satisfying ending, giving screen legend Boris Karloff a superb career send-off in the process.

A nice warmhearted tribute to a film legend juxtaposed with a dark Vietnam era reflection of the state of the world at the time. The premise is great, and given the budget restraints, Bogdanovich worked a miracle, but a majority of the movie is quite bland, and unfortunately those are all from the Boris Karloff side of the story. The killer parts are quite excellent in how sharply brutal they are in comparison to anything else put out at the time, and even today they still sting with cruelty.

Bold and strange mix of plots, deftly handled by the auteur.

A bit over-rated on Critiker in my view. It's an interesting retro 60's feel, but failed to create any suspense for me. I'm more interested in the cute Chinese-Irish supporting actress Nancy Hsueh who, according to the Internets died aged only 39 in the 1980's. Sad.

Not surprisingly the plot was pieced together from Roger Corman's leftover footage of Karloff, some new stuff and a completely independant plot from Bogdonovich. Therefore by the time you're done you feel like you watched three movies in one sitting, none of which was any good.

Interesting clash of generations here as Karloff's aging horror star (himself) bumps up against a smiley boy scout-type who loses his shit and starts picking off random people on a California freeway with a sniper rifle. Plenty hoaky in parts (and unfortunately, the worst is saved for the climax), but I was shocked at the level of violence for 1968, especially the snipings themselves, coming so closely after MLK, JFK and RFK's assassinations. Doesn't always work, but pretty adventurous in parts.

Targets has a quirky charm all its own. Karloff is mordantly marvelous as the movie actor and Bogdanovich has some nice scenes with him as the burgeoning director who boozily tries to convince him to stick around for one more picture. Bogdanovich is especially strong as he alternates between sequences that exhibit very different tones. It would be easy for the film to feel problematically off-balance, but Bogdanovich turns it into a virtue, charging the film with grand unpredictability.