Review of Targets

Todays audiences are often over-fed on the shocking tragedies which typically explodes directly from the newspapers. That is pretty much what one gets from life and then having to compare it with real life misery. In this combined effort, called " Targets ", Director Peter Bagdonovich and writer Polly Platt team with a legend of horror, Boris Karloff who plays Byron Orlok an aging film actor who up and decides to retire from movies. While he is shocking his entourage who depend on him for continued employment, Bobby Thompson (Tim O'Kelly) an insecure mentally troubled, young man explodes by killing his family and then goes on a shooting rampage. The movie is vastly underrated as Karloff gives a surprising performance. With the Classic Jack Nickelson horror film, 'The Terror' playing at the Drive-In background, Thompson imitates real life horror with a murderous killing spree. The film and the director's tale interact well and with the addition of the several cast members including Nancy Hsueh as Jenny, James Brown, Arthur Peterson and even Bogdanovich as Sammy Michaels, they allow audiences a final offering of a bygone actor. ****