Targets (1968)

Elderly horror-film star who, while making a personal appearance at a drive-in theater, confronts a psychotic Vietnam veteran who's turned into a mass-murdering sniper.

Director:

Peter Bogdanovich

Writers:

Peter Bogdanovich (screenplay), Polly Platt (story),

Stars:

Tim O'Kelly, Boris Karloff, Arthur Peterson

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tim O'Kelly	...	Bobby Thompson
Boris Karloff	...	Byron Orlok
Arthur Peterson	...	Ed Loughlin
Monte Landis	...	Marshall Smith (as Monty Landis)
Nancy Hsueh	...	Jenny
Peter Bogdanovich	...	Sammy Michaels
Daniel Ades	...	Chauffeur
Stafford Morgan	...	Salesman - 1st Gunshop
James Brown	...	Robert Thompson Sr.
Mary Jackson	...	Charlotte Thompson
Tanya Morgan	...	Ilene Thompson
Timothy Burns	...	Waiter (as Tim Burns)
Warren White	...	Grocery Boy
Mark Dennis	...	Salesman - 2nd Gunshop
Sandy Baron	...	Kip Larkin

Storyline

Byron Orlok is an old horror-movie star who feels that he is an anachronism. Compared to real-life violence, his films are tame. Meanwhile, Bobby Thompson goes on a killing spree...

---

Plot Keywords:

drive in | sniper | dead woman on ground | written and directed by cast member | woman shot | 

---

Taglines:

"I just killed my wife and my mother. I know they'll get me. But before that, many more will die..."

---

Genres:

Horror | Thriller

---

Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 August 1968 (USA)

Also Known As:

Before I Die

Filming Locations:

Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$130,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Saticoy Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Pathécolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Aside from background music played on a car radio, there is no musical soundtrack for the movie.

---

Goofs

When Bobby is picking up his guns when running from the tower (after shooting the workman) he fumbles and hit with one of his feet his Smith & Wesson Model 29 caliber .44 Magnum revolver (this is clearly readable by stop-frame and zooming the scene) making it fall from the edge. The revolver is the at rest, that is, with his hammer down. In the next shot the weapon appears, when it falls and splashes into a pool of muddy water at the base of the tower, it can be seen it is now cocked (the hammer fully rear, ready to shoot) a mechanical change that is impossible to happen by any chance due to the fall.

---

Quotes

Byron Orlok: Order some breakfast, would you Jenny?
Sammy Michaels: [Hungover after a night of drinking with Orlok] Oh, I couldn't eat on an empty stomach.

---

Connections

References Nosferatu (1922)

User Reviews

Blew me away...no pun intended.

I had been reading about this movie for thirty years and after renting it from the incomparable MOVIE MADNESS I can only say I wish I had seen it sooner. It really stands out as an exceptional example of low-budget exploitation cinema. Peter Bogdanavich shows an amazing sense of pace and control in his first film. I will be buying this excellent DVD with the hilarious and fascinating commentary by the director; he is an amusingly droll fellow and if any of his other films contain commentaries as lively and enjoyable as TARGETS then i am going to be the first in line to rent DAISY MILLER. Just kidding. But that doesn't make me any less impressed with TARGETS. It truly is a first rate thriller that still has a remarkable power. This is one of the very first "modern" psycho films. Bravo to Bogdanovich and company for this one. Very well done.