Targets Review

Debut features are fascinating things. Mostly, they’re from individuals who have only just gotten their foot in the door, and they’re happy to bend over backwards to stay on good terms with producers, publishers and marketing teams. Peter Bogdanovich’s debut, Targets, is a rare example of everything coming together with real excellence. A superb cast, with Boris Karloff’s final dramatic leading role, alongside a vision from Bogdanovich that never wavers to the demands of studio meddling, this action thriller is an integral piece for action fans everywhere. Made on a micro-budget by today’s standards, Targets’ unexpected success is a testament to both the performers and the director.

It’s a tremendous piece of melodrama, building itself a foundation of multiple angles from Karloff and Tim O’Kelly. They’re never actually on-screen together until the final moments of the film, the connections the stories have with one another are flimsy at best, but it all comes together surprisingly well. Bogdanovich’s direction here is a truly engaging work to behold, with a flashy showcase of exceptional camera angles, smart cuts and innovation in all forms. He manages to elicit thrills surprisingly easily, and the effortless, creeping inevitability of disaster keeps the film going. Pauses that allow for the eerie silences to work their magic, moments of fleeing adrenalin, it all comes together with a convincing conviction.

Bogdanovich’s work builds tension superbly well. The slow-burning introduction to Bobby Thompson (Tim O’Kelly), and how this slowly intertwines with the washed-up horror actor, a personification of Karloff himself called Byron Orlok. Although Karloff never fell from graces as badly as Bela Lugosi did, his disgruntled attitudes and adaptation of his thoughts on the legacy he has are well presented. A man completely disillusioned with the industry, looking for an out, even though it’s a spit in the face to those who kept his head above water. He doesn’t believe that “painted monsters” are scary anymore, and it’s hard to disagree with him as he points out the changing atmosphere in Hollywood, from monsters to murderers.

A criticism of the gun-nut fringes of America, all wrapped around Karloff wondering whether or not he was successful for his abilities as an actor, or as a walking, makeup-caked monster. It’s a film based on happenstance, with our two plots never coming together in a way that feels more than coincidental. It works surprisingly well, and Targets can balance the two tasks with a surprising amount of precision for a debut. Karloff performs well, but you can see the final puffs of steam leaving him by the end, the indirect nature of his scenes and their lack of impact on the other, more intriguing story, is a sore wound on an otherwise strong film.