bombersflyup Targets is a pointless but engaging thriller, that is a mixed mess.So the film started off in another film and I had no idea what film I was watching or what it was about, so that was pretty cool. Every review raves about Karloff, I'm suppose to care who that is am I? I know he was in "Frankenstein". Anyway, he was fine, though the bit at the end where he walks up to the killer and slaps him is laughable. So Bobby says to his wife "You don't think I can do anything do you" and that is all we learn about why he goes off killing people. Byron says "Nobody cares about a painted monster anymore" and points to his newspaper about a shooting, when there is real horror out there. There are two separate stories and then the two come together in a silly conclusion. One with depth that is uneventful and the other eventful without any depth, you put the two together and you get? I don't know, an unwritten character that takes up half the screen-time. It's not a great film nor is it a bad film, it was fine.

bkoganbing Peter Bogdanovich scored his first critical success with Targets that starred an elderly Boris Karloff playing an elderly star of Gothic horror films hardly a stretch for the man's talents. In fact a whole lot like William Henry Pratt in real life. Karloff is telling the producer of his next film that this is it, despite verbal commitments he wants to retire. He's not reaching the newer generation he fears and his films are called camp. Time to just quit.Peter Bogdanovich who also plays the writer of that project that he's turning his back on urges Karloff to reconsider as does Nancy Hsueh Karloff's girl Friday and Bogdanovich's girl friend. He does however have a personal appearance at a drive-in showing one of his films.But while Karloff is musing about retiring, a very disturbed young man has built himself quite an arsenal. One fine day Tim O'Kelly a veteran of Vietnam who has built himself quite an arsenal decides just matter of factly to go on a human shooting spree. He kills his wife and then mows down a few more on the Freeway and then sets himself up at the drive-in to await the night's events.O'Kelly is a frightening young man and this film sadly set a trend for making Vietnam veterans psychotic villains on screen. It lasted for over a decade. No doubt O'Kelly learned his weapon skill for combat, but lots more veterans came home without going psychotic. In any event O'Kelly's baby face and All American looks are what makes his performance all the more frightening.As for Karloff this was ironically his last film away from the horror genre. When he died the following year he had about four posthumous films awaiting release. Talk about dying with your boots on. In real life the farthest thing from his mind was retiring. The film is set up for the inevitable meeting between the old master of the horror film genre and a purveyor of some true life horror. It's worth the wait to see what happens.

Boba_Fett1138 One of the things I truly like and admire about Boris Karloff was that he pretty much kept on playing in the same sort of movies and played the same sort of roles, throughout his entire career. Seems to me he looked for movies and parts that suited him and more let movies adapt to him, rather than the other way around.It's also a well kept secret Karloff actually was a pretty good actor! In this movie he definitely gets to show some of his skills and I really enjoyed him in, what later turned out to be, one of his final roles.But really, it's not a Karloff movie and I also most certainly don't see him as the lead role in this. It's actually best to know as little as possible about this movie, since that way you shall definitely enjoy it most, just as I pretty much did. It's a movie that constantly throws you off. The one moment you think the movie is going to be about one thing but it then later turns out it's being about something totally different and unrelated!You could see this movie as one that has two simultaneous story lines in it. Both of them are seemingly unrelated to each other but they of course come together toward its end. Not in the most convincing way and it seems a bit random all but I don't know, the randomness of it seemed to sort of suit the movie.It's because it also has some other very random things going on in it. I'm referring to the sniper, who truly randomly picks his victims and goes on a terrible killing spree. There is something very uncomfortable and horrendous about it and I'm not even kidding when I say that this is one of the most violent movies I have ever seen, purely due to the randomness and pointlessness of all the killings! And I really mean and say this all in a positive way.It besides all gets shot and buildup in a very effective and also realistic way. Director Peter Bogdanovich certainly did a great job handling its tension and it will put you on the edge of your seat and let you hold your breath for a few seconds.It's really surprising how great and original this movie is! I say surprising, since this isn't exactly being a movie that is well known anywhere. It makes this a criminal underrated movie, that most definitely deserves to be seen by more!8/10 http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Michael_Elliott Targets (1968) **** (out of 4)The history behind the film is known by just about everyone as Roger Corman owned two more days worth of shooting with Boris Karloff so he told director Bogdanovich to make a movie with these two days as well as footage from THE TERROR. You'd expect a young director would just turn out another piece of junk but instead Bogdanovich decided to do something different and the end result is one of the best movies of its kind.The story has a veteran horror movie star (Boris Karloff) wanting to retire because in the current times people aren't afraid of fake monsters any more but a young writer (Bogdanovich) tries to talk him into one more picture. While this is going on a young man (Tim O'Kelly) from a normal family suffers a break down, packs up his guns and goes on a shooting spree. TARGETS has been called a love story to Karloff, a propaganda piece about gun control and various other things but there's no question that the film contains a terrific jolt that certainly grabs one by the throat and doesn't let go. The first two-thirds of the film are pretty much separate films as we bounce back and forth between the stories before the two finally meet at the end. Both sections of the story are terrific because they're so well made, raw and honest. If you're a fan of Karloff it's great fun seeing him playing someone who is basically himself. You can imagine him being unhappy with films like THE TERROR so seeing him react to a screening of it was fun as was another sequence where he's watching THE CRIMINAL CODE on television. There are several shots at low-budget horror films, which are pretty funny and one certainly feels like they're in the business because of all the behind the scenes stuff. The stuff dealing with the killer is also very strong stuff and intense as well. When he goes on the three killing sprees you can't help but hold your breath and even though the film is tame by today's standards you still get thrown for quite a jolt. The shootings are very raw, realistic and they come off extremely disturbing to watch. Bogdanovich does a masterful job with not only his direction of the material but the screenplay itself is quite good. It's certainly nothing ground breaking but it's the simple nature of it that makes it work so well made. The film really does have a documentary feel to it and this just adds to the creepiness of the material. Karloff's performance certainly ranks as one of the greatest of his career and it was the perfect way for him to end his career and one could only wish that this was his final picture but he went onto do some truly horrible Mexican films before his death. He has no problem playing himself but many actors say playing yourself is the hardest thing you could do. Karloff certainly fits the role perfectly and showed that he could still act when given the right material. O'Kelly gets very few lines but his quietness perfectly captures the killer mental state. The supporting cast fit their roles just fine as well. TARGETS might have meant to have been a cheap horror flick but thankfully the director decided to do something else instead. This is certainly a Roger Corman picture like no other and a film that contains a certain rawness that is hard to forget.