An aging horror star contemplates retirement amid the modern culture of random violence, while a disturbed young gun collector embarks on an unprovoked killing spree.An aging horror star contemplates retirement amid the modern culture of random violence, while a disturbed young gun collector embarks on an unprovoked killing spree.An aging horror star contemplates retirement amid the modern culture of random violence, while a disturbed young gun collector embarks on an unprovoked killing spree.
- Awards
- 1 win
- Marshall Smith
- (as Monty Landis)
- Waiter
- (as Tim Burns)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaRoger Corman told director Peter Bogdanovich that he could make any film that he wanted to, on two conditions: he had to use stock footage from the film The Terror (1963), and he had to hire Boris Karloff for two days (Karloff was under contract to Corman and owed him those two days). Karloff was so impressed with the film's script, however, that he refused any pay for any shooting time over his contracted two days. He worked for a total of five days on it.
- GoofsBobby's check to the gun shop is dated late July, but when Orlok picks up a newspaper story about the supermarket massacre several days later, the paper carries a March date.
- Quotes
Byron Orlok: Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I'd like to leave you with a little story to think about as you drive home - through the darkness. Once upon a time, many years ago - there should be a pin spot on my face as I'm talking - once upon a time, many, many years ago, a rich merchant in Baghdad sent his servant to the marketplace to buy provisions. And after a while, the servant came back, white-faced and trembling, and said, "Master, when I was in the marketplace, I was jostled by a woman in the crowd, and I turned to look, and I saw that it was Death that jostled me. And she looked at me and made a threatening gesture. Oh, Master, please, lend me your horse, that I may ride away from this city and escape my fate. I will ride to Samara, and Death will not find me there." So the merchant loaned him the horse, and the servant mounted it and dug his spurs into its flank, and as fast as the horse could gallop, he rode towards Samara. Then the merchant went to the marketplace, and he saw Death standing in the crowd, and he said to her, "Why did you make a threatening gesture to my servant when you saw him this morning?" And Death said, "I made no threatening gesture. That was only a start of surprise. I was astonished to see him here in Baghdad, for I have an appointment with him tonight in Samara."
- Crazy creditsThe film's original theatrical prints began with a written title card that read, "Why gun control? Why did a lunatic sniper kill or maim 11 innocent victims in Texas on June 3, 1966? Why were over 7,000 Americans slain or wounded by gunfire in 1967? Why in 1968 after assassinations and thousands of more murders has our country no effective gun control law? This motion picture tells a story that sheds a little light on a very dark and a very deep topic." This title card was added by Paramount Pictures only as a result of the then-recent assassinations of both Doctor Martin Luther King and Senator Robert F. Kennedy, but it was not approved by the film's director, Peter Bogdanovich at all and, as a result of this, it was removed from all later releases of the film, including those for home video.
- Alternate versionsThe film was cut for a "GP" rating only once, mainly for a 1971 re-release of it in order to capitalize on the success of Peter Bogdanovich's then-recent hit film, The Last Picture Show (1971). Later releases of it on home video were all uncut.
- ConnectionsFeatured in 100 Years of Horror: Boris Karloff (1996)
- SoundtracksGreen Rocky Road
(uncredited)
Written and performed by The Daily Flash (Don MacAllister, Steve Lalor, Jon Keliehor and Doug Hastings)
Peter Bogdanovich juxtaposes the fictitious horror of old movie monsters with the real horror of gun violence in America, and that seems to be the main thrust of a lean, straightforward plot. It was certainly topical at the time following the University of Texas tower shooting and political assassinations of 1968, and it's grown in relevance, since America has done nothing but take steps backward to control what should be considered a national emergency. The film does not preach in the slightest (as I'm in danger of here, apologies to anyone who reads this), but it comes across as a plea for gun control when we see this guy saunter into a shop and purchase guns and ammunition with ease.
I liked the film's directness, how it shows the suffering of the victims, and how it gives a little glimpse into all those 60's retro aspects - the home décor, slang, street scenes, and drive-in movies. It was nice to see Nancy Hsueh in a good supporting role, and clips from a pretty good old film (The Criminal Code (1930)), as well as a dog (The Terror (1963), which also starred Jack Nicholson). The film isn't majestic by any means, but there is enough here to make me recommend it. Oh, and loved this little tale Karloff tells in that wonderfully eerie voice of his:
"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I'd like to leave you with a little story to think about as you drive home through the darkness. Once upon a time, many, many years ago, a rich merchant in Baghdad sent his servant to the marketplace to buy provisions. And after a while the servant came back, white-faced and trembling, and said, 'Master, when I was in the marketplace, I was jostled by a woman in the crowd, and I turned to look, and I saw that it was Death that jostled me. And she looked at me and made a threatening gesture. Oh, master, please, lend me your horse, that I may ride away from this city and escape my fate. I will ride to Samarra and Death will not find me there.' So the merchant loaned him the horse and the servant mounted it, and dug his spurs into its flank, and as fast as the horse could gallop he rode towards Samarra. Then the merchant went to the marketplace and he saw Death standing in the crowd and he said to her, 'Why did you make a threatening gesture to my servant when you saw him this morning?' And Death said, 'I made no threatening gesture - that was only a start of surprise. I was astonished to see him here in Baghdad, for I have an appointment with him tonight in Samarra.'"
- gbill-74877
- Jun 3, 2020
- Permalink
- How long is Targets?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $130,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 30 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1