On a recommendation and a
whim I watched;
Targets (1968).
Unusually for this blog
I'm actually going to spoil small parts of this movie, there is simply no
other way to talk about it. I won't ruin the ending, so don't worry
about that.
Targets has two storylines
that merge in the end, but until then, they have nothing to do with
each other, which is a slightly unusual setup.
In Storyline A we meet
aging horror icon Byron Orlok. He is a veteran of countless
old-school Gothic horror movies, but times are changing and he's had
enough. His brand of horror feels so bland and silly compared to the
real life tragedies he reads about in the paper every day. So after
completing his latest movie, he quits. This causes quite a problem,
because he has engagements he won't fulfill and the director of his
latest movie, Sammy Michaels really wants him for his next movie.
The Orlok character is a
clear homage to Boris Karloff, and the kicker is, he's actually
played by Boris Karloff! Orlok is however pretty different than the
real Karloff who never considered quitting. He loved the movie
business. The director, Sammy is played by Peter Bogdanovich, who
also directed the entire movie for real.
In Storyline B we meet
Bobby Thompson (Tim O'Kelly) a normal wholesome young man. He has a
good job in insurance. He's married to a great girl, and they live
with his parents in their nice suburban home. He even
gets along with his parents and likes to go hunting with his dad. The
other side of Bobby is a bit darker. He collects guns and has quite
an arsenal most of which he hides in his trunk. We quickly realize
something is very wrong with him and before you know it, he embarks
on a brutal killing spree, which he himself assumes can end only with
his own death.
Bobby is inspired by
Charles Whitman, who in 1966 committed the University of Texas
shooting. In what was essentially a suicide note, Whitman asked to
have his brain autopsied, and it showed he had a large tumor. This
explained his sudden tendency to violence, his horrible headaches and
the vicious killing spree.
In Targets we get no
actual reason for Bobby's behavior, but at one point he complains
about a headache, so I think we can guess what the reason is.
Targets is produced by the
legendary Roger Corman who was impressed with Bogdanovich and told
him he could make any movie he wanted but with two conditions. First,
the movie had to contain footage from Corman's The Terror (1963) and
he had to use Karloff for two days, since he owed Karloff two days of
work. Turns out Karloff had so much fun he stayed on for five days
for no extra pay.
So, do I recommend this
movie? Yes, I do. Targets is not in my opinion a great movie but it
was interesting and pretty suspenseful at times. I do think the two
separate storylines confuse the tone of the movie, with the Orlok one
being charming and pretty funny, while storyline B is sad and
violent. The two parts don't mix well, but the ending works and
brings the movie to a satisfying conclusion.
That's that and all that.
Join me again next time and until then, have a great week!
