Plot: What’s it about?
Byron Orlok (Boris Karloff) has been a horror movie star for decades, known as one of the scariest men in cinema. Now he is headed toward retirement and in truth, he knows his time has come to an end. After all, his movies offer spooks and chills, but when compared to the horrors of real life, his films can’t compete. As such, he wishes to leave the spotlight with dignity and announces his retirement from the film business. He is to make one final personal appearance, to thank his fans and bid them all a fond farewell. This event is to happen at a drive-in theater of course, the place where many of Orlok’s fans have went to see his movies. At the same time, a man named Bobby Thompson (Tim O’Kelly) has collected a large number of guns and plans to soon put them to use. Thompson used to be in the armed forces, seems to have a normal life, and wouldn’t stand out in a crowd, but his dark side is about to be unleashed. After he deals with his loved ones, Thompson heads off into the crowded streets, where he begins to gun down innocent people with his high powered sniper rifle. As both men continue their normal routines, a force seems to bring them closer and closer, as if fate wanted their lives to intersect. But if Orlok is to fall within Thompson’s sights, would he be able to pull the trigger?
This movie marked the directorial debut of Peter Bogdanovich (The Last Picture Show, Paper Moon), but this is not the usual first time effort. The themes explored within Targets are ones torn from real life, both around the time of the production and even in 2003, so the film has a deep texture of realism. I love horror movies, but not often do they focus on the plausible and that means the scares are fleeting at best. But in Targets, you simply cannot deny that the events shown could happen and even twenty-five years later, we all know what the fear of a madman on the loose with a gun feels like. So that fear is deeper and more effective than cheap scares, especially when the characters are so well developed. Even the madman here is well etched out and explored, so these are like real people, not just someone on the screen. I have always loved the presence of horror icon Boris Karloff in Targets, as his role mirrors his own personal life at the time more than a little. I can’t praise Targets enough, so for fans of horror and thrillers, don’t miss this release. Paramount has served up an excellent disc also, with a great new anamorphic widescreen presentation and a couple of terrific supplements. And since the disc is priced at under ten bucks, I have to commend Paramount’s efforts and give Targets my highest recommendation.
As a fan of horror cinema, I hold Boris Karloff in very high regard, since he was one of the genre’s most important figures. His mere presence could hold an audience on a razor’s edge, sending chills down the spines of all his viewers. Even without lines, without cheap scares, Karloff could spook an audience and deliver genuine, eerie experiences. If you’ve seen any of his better films, then you know why he is an icon of not just horror, but cinema on the whole. Yes, most of his memorable work came from the horror genre, but he was such a success in those roles, he was more of a screen icon, not just a horror movie superstar. And you can tell his skills weren’t limited to scaring audiences, as Karloff had a rare screen presence, a most powerful one. So in Targets, we get to see more of his dramatic side, though of course, he plays a retiring horror movie star. His own life at the time of production was similar to that of his character here, which lends even more realism to the movie. I found his turn in Targets to be an excellent one, the kind of performance that shows Karloff could be more than a monster. Other films with Karloff include Frankenstein, Black Sabbath, The Raven, The Devil Commands, and The Old Dark House. The cast also includes Tim O’Kelly (For Pete’s Sake, Schoolgirls in Chains), Arthur Peterson (Rollercoaster, One Man’s Way), and Monte Landis (Candy Stripe Nurses, Real Genius).
Video: How does it look?
Targets is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. This movie was shot in the late 60s on a low, low budget, so I didn’t expect much. But Paramount has stunned me and issued a great visual effort that should thrill fans. The print has some light damage and softness evident, but come on, in this case that has to be expected. The flaws tend to be minor ones, such as nicks, pops, and some light grain in selected scenes. I found contrast to be good, but some scenes have a softer texture, though it never hinders the visuals much. The film’s color scheme is well replicated, which means some sequences have a bold presence, while hues in other scenes come off as more muted, just as intended. The film’s roots and the disc’s low price had me bracing for the worst, but Paramount has delivered the goods and then some with Targets.
Audio: How does it sound?
The audio hasn’t been neglected either, as the included mono option is cleaner than expected, though still mono, no matter how you shake it. Even so, this film doesn’t need bells & whistles to succeed in the audio department and in truth, I found this track to be more than sufficient. A couple small errors surface, but on the whole, the track was free from distortion and hiss, as well as other age related issues. Not a memorable treatment, but it more than gets the job done. This disc also includes English subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes a special introduction with director Peter Bogdanovich, as well as an excellent audio commentary with the director. In the session, he discusses working with Karloff, the circumstances around how Targets was produced, and also various aspects of his own filmmaking techniques.
