Not Karloff’s last film, but the one I consider his swan song that capped off such a remarkable career. I’m so, so happy to see this fantastic work be given the Criterion treatment. A wonderful discussion about this work, Daisuke!
Glad this movie is finally getting the recognition it needs. It was way ahead of its time! Karloff is great in his last major role; I find it sad he got roped into garbage like "Isle of the Snake People" for the last few months of his life. Great review as always!
This film was my top wishlist Criterion. I am thrilled it was reased. I just bought it the other day. I've watched twice once with commentary and without. I was hoping for more supplements, though. Still a pertinent film today. It's creepy in a lot of ways. I've always felt this Bobby was the bad cousin to the show My Three Sons. PB is one of my favorite directors.
What happens when a troubled young man goes on a shooting spree? What happens when an aging horror star questions his own self-worth and place in the world? And how do these two completely different individuals connect to one another? These are some perplexing questions as one watches Peter Bogdanovich's film Targets. It is a movie about two individuals whose lives intertwine with each other in a bizarre turn of events. The motion picture starts off with an old horror star named Byron Orlok (Boris Karloff) who is getting tired of the business and questioning his place in it and is planning on retiring. He is convinced to stay for one more event at a drive-in theater. Meanwhile, a mentally disturbed young man named Bobby Thompson (Tim O'Kelly) who purchases ammo and guns with plans to take out as many people as possible, all leading up to a dramatic finale between two unrelated people. This film borders the line between art and real-life when it comes to how it parallels real events. We have Orlok himself being a caricature of Boris Karloff himself since both are old-time horror actors who made horror movies, though Karloff loved working in cinema and never retired. There's also the scary parallel between Bobby and Charles Whitman who did the University of Texas tower shooting in 196, two years before the film was released (see Tower, 2016). Art imitates life. Another thing to understand in terms of comparisons is the difference between new vs. old in terms of the characters and the style of film itself. Orlok represents the old since he comes from a different time and has a more distinguished feel to him. Bobby on the other hand represents the new and has an unrefined fee to him. This also relates to the film itself with is from the New Hollywood movement as films were changing. It could symbolize the old making way for the new in terms of film making. How this film was marketed was as a commentary on gun violence in the U.S. Although this is a film that could not be made today due to a different world outlook, when taken into context with the 1960s it makes sense. There was a lot of gun violence with the mass shooting that occurred two years earlier along with famous figures being involved in gun attacks such as that. It was fresh in the minds of people at the time, though given that there are still issues with gun violence, it could still hit home even now. Perhaps the most intriguing thing about this movie is how it uses the move The Terror (1963) into the film. The movie itself was just a so-so picture, but it was important in terms of a collaboration between Roger Corman with the actors Boris Karloff and Jack Nicolson themselves. And putting it in the movie seamlessly as if Orlok made it was genius! This once again fits the theme of old. vs. new and adds to how remarkable this film really is. But the thing that gets me is how this really feels like the last film that really covers Boris Karloff's career in retrospective. Although this wasn't the last film he starred in (there were five other ones released after this). it was the last one he was in before he died. It feels impactful due to the fact that it really does feel like Karloff is giving the last performance of his long career as a swan song. Needless to say it made me want to watch more things with the legend himself in it! Targets is one of those out of left field films that could be viewed in quite a few ways. It can viewed as a commentary to gun violence in general back then and even now. It could be an experimental crime thriller at a time when Hollywood was in a new age. But it could even be a fitting tribute to one of the most beloved horror actors of the time. I see it as all of these things and as a film that took chances and wasn't as appreciated in its day but now has more praise as time has gone on as if it aged like a fine wine. And you don't have to be old of new to realize that.
Very good film, I really enjoyed rewatching this film. It’s cool to hear your thoughts on this Daisuke, I hope you’re doing well. Have a great day and take care!
Love the movie. I have fond memories of seeing it at the Monster Bash convention in Pittsburgh back in 1998 with my dad (just down the road from the infamous Monroeville Mall). I also got to meet Sara Karloff there and I was even inteviewed for a documentary about Boris Karloff, but I'm not sure if that was ever actually released (I was only 13 years old at the time)! By the way, are you aware that the BFI is also releasing this film on Blu-ray later this year? It is supposed to have more extra features than the Criterion release so I'm hoping to pick it up.
Not Karloff’s last film, but the one I consider his swan song that capped off such a remarkable career. I’m so, so happy to see this fantastic work be given the Criterion treatment. A wonderful discussion about this work, Daisuke!
Glad this movie is finally getting the recognition it needs. It was way ahead of its time! Karloff is great in his last major role; I find it sad he got roped into garbage like "Isle of the Snake People" for the last few months of his life. Great review as always!
Great movie. The stuff filmed beside the road was very scary.
Looking forward to getting this. Thanks for another well thought and postive review.
Thank you so much my dear friend!!
This film was my top wishlist Criterion. I am thrilled it was reased. I just bought it the other day. I've watched twice once with commentary and without. I was hoping for more supplements, though. Still a pertinent film today. It's creepy in a lot of ways. I've always felt this Bobby was the bad cousin to the show My Three Sons. PB is one of my favorite directors.
What happens when a troubled young man goes on a shooting spree? What
happens when an aging horror star questions his own self-worth and
place in the world? And how do these two completely different individuals
connect to one another? These are some perplexing questions as one
watches Peter Bogdanovich's film Targets. It is a movie about two
individuals whose lives intertwine with each other in a bizarre turn
of events.
The motion picture starts off with an old horror star named Byron Orlok
(Boris Karloff) who is getting tired of the business and questioning
his place in it and is planning on retiring. He is convinced to stay
for one more event at a drive-in theater. Meanwhile, a mentally disturbed
young man named Bobby Thompson (Tim O'Kelly) who purchases ammo and guns
with plans to take out as many people as possible, all leading up to a
dramatic finale between two unrelated people.
This film borders the line between art and real-life when it comes to
how it parallels real events. We have Orlok himself being a caricature
of Boris Karloff himself since both are old-time horror actors who made
horror movies, though Karloff loved working in cinema and never retired.
There's also the scary parallel between Bobby and Charles Whitman who
did the University of Texas tower shooting in 196, two years before the
film was released (see Tower, 2016). Art imitates life.
Another thing to understand in terms of comparisons is the difference
between new vs. old in terms of the characters and the style of film
itself. Orlok represents the old since he comes from a different time
and has a more distinguished feel to him. Bobby on the other hand represents
the new and has an unrefined fee to him. This also relates to the film
itself with is from the New Hollywood movement as films were changing. It
could symbolize the old making way for the new in terms of film making.
How this film was marketed was as a commentary on gun violence in the
U.S. Although this is a film that could not be made today due to a
different world outlook, when taken into context with the 1960s it makes
sense. There was a lot of gun violence with the mass shooting that
occurred two years earlier along with famous figures being involved in
gun attacks such as that. It was fresh in the minds of people at the
time, though given that there are still issues with gun violence, it
could still hit home even now.
Perhaps the most intriguing thing about this movie is how it uses the
move The Terror (1963) into the film. The movie itself was just a so-so
picture, but it was important in terms of a collaboration between Roger
Corman with the actors Boris Karloff and Jack Nicolson themselves. And
putting it in the movie seamlessly as if Orlok made it was genius! This
once again fits the theme of old. vs. new and adds to how remarkable
this film really is.
But the thing that gets me is how this really feels like the last film
that really covers Boris Karloff's career in retrospective. Although
this wasn't the last film he starred in (there were five other ones
released after this). it was the last one he was in before he died.
It feels impactful due to the fact that it really does feel like Karloff
is giving the last performance of his long career as a swan song. Needless
to say it made me want to watch more things with the legend himself in it!
Targets is one of those out of left field films that could be viewed in
quite a few ways. It can viewed as a commentary to gun violence in general
back then and even now. It could be an experimental crime thriller at a
time when Hollywood was in a new age. But it could even be a fitting tribute
to one of the most beloved horror actors of the time. I see it as all of
these things and as a film that took chances and wasn't as appreciated in
its day but now has more praise as time has gone on as if it aged like a
fine wine. And you don't have to be old of new to realize that.
Very good film, I really enjoyed rewatching this film. It’s cool to hear your thoughts on this Daisuke, I hope you’re doing well. Have a great day and take care!
Thank you Jared as always!
Love the movie. I have fond memories of seeing it at the Monster Bash convention in Pittsburgh back in 1998 with my dad (just down the road from the infamous Monroeville Mall). I also got to meet Sara Karloff there and I was even inteviewed for a documentary about Boris Karloff, but I'm not sure if that was ever actually released (I was only 13 years old at the time)! By the way, are you aware that the BFI is also releasing this film on Blu-ray later this year? It is supposed to have more extra features than the Criterion release so I'm hoping to pick it up.
Thank you so much and yes I heard about it, though I am not sure if I will get it or not.
Do you have a video on the best criterion films to watch in your opinion?