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Impulse

  • 19741974
  • PGPG
  • 1h 22m
IMDb RATING
4.8/10
547
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
65,618
15,725
Impulse (1974)
HorrorThriller
A paranoid, leisure-suit-wearing conman/gigolo named Matt Stone seduces lonely women, bilks them of their savings via an investment scam, then kills them. When he begins seeing an attractive... Read allA paranoid, leisure-suit-wearing conman/gigolo named Matt Stone seduces lonely women, bilks them of their savings via an investment scam, then kills them. When he begins seeing an attractive widow, her daughter Tina becomes suspicious of his motives.A paranoid, leisure-suit-wearing conman/gigolo named Matt Stone seduces lonely women, bilks them of their savings via an investment scam, then kills them. When he begins seeing an attractive widow, her daughter Tina becomes suspicious of his motives.
IMDb RATING
4.8/10
547
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
65,618
15,725
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • William Grefé
    • Writer
      • Tony Crechales
    • Stars
      • William Shatner
      • Ruth Roman
      • Jennifer Bishop
    Top credits
    • Director
      • William Grefé
    • Writer
      • Tony Crechales
    • Stars
      • William Shatner
      • Ruth Roman
      • Jennifer Bishop
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 37User reviews
    • 26Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • Photos

    Impulse (1974)
    Impulse (1974)
    Impulse (1974)
    Impulse (1974)

    Top cast

    Edit
    William Shatner
    William Shatner
    • Matt Stone
    Ruth Roman
    Ruth Roman
    • Julia Marstow
    Jennifer Bishop
    Jennifer Bishop
    • Ann Moy
    Kim Nicholas
    • Tina Moy
    James Dobson
    James Dobson
    • Clarence
    Harold Sakata
    Harold Sakata
    • Karate Pete
    Marcia Knight
    Marcia Knight
    • Helen
    • (as Marcie Knight)
    Vivian Lester
    • Matt's Mother
    William Kerwin
    William Kerwin
    • Soldier
    Marcy Lafferty
    Marcy Lafferty
    • Hotel Clerk
    Chad Walker
    • Matt, as a Boy
    Paula Dimitrouleas
    • Belly Dancer
    Doug Hobart
    • Dead Man in Coffin at Mortuary
    • (uncredited)
    Lewis Perles
    • Car Accident Victim on Road
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • William Grefé
    • Writer
      • Tony Crechales
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      William Shatner broke one of his fingers during the shooting of the scene in which he hangs Harold Sakata on a rope at the car wash. Moreover, Sakata was almost hanged for real when the rig that was supposed to support him broke.
    • Quotes

      Matt Stone: You fat!... People like you should be ground into dog meat!

    • Connections
      Featured in The Cinema Snob: Impulse, Starring William Shatner! (2007)

    User reviews37

    Review
    Top review
    William Shatner's Masterpiece
    William Shatner is most famous for his television work (and his ill-advised singing career), but he has actually done his best work in movies. In his pre-"Star Trek" days he starred as a klansman/provocateur in "Intruder", one of Roger Corman's most interesting films (and the only one to lose money). He was also in "Incubus", the first (and last) film done entirely in the "international" language of Esperanto. In "The Devil's Rain" he faced off against a cult of obsessed weirdos (and, no, it wasn't set at a Star Trek convention). Then there is this film, perhaps, his masterpiece where he plays a psycho in a polyester leisure suit who marries vulnerable women and knocks them off--kind of a 70's version of "The Stepfather".

    Naturally, the only person who suspects him is the young daughter of his latest would-be victim, thus the misleading alternate title "Do You Want a Ride, Little Girl?" "Impulse" is not a great title either since it's one shared by about ten other movies. If this movie had a decent title, it probably would have been more successful and it would probably be released on DVD today, because it is really a hoot. Is it a great movie? No, but neither is "Star Trek" and at least no one takes it seriously. You don't see thousands of people dressing up in leisure suits and gold chains and attending conventions devoted to it. Nor has anyone made "Impulse--the Next Generation" or half a dozen other sequels and spin-offs. The movie also perfectly fits Shatner's overly dramatic acting style. It really is the part he was born to play. I wouldn't recommend it to your more serious "Star Trek" fans who don't really grasp the sublime campiness of Shatner, but for everybody else...
    helpful•20
    5
    • lazarillo
    • May 22, 2005

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 31, 1974 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Secret Pulsion
    • Filming locations
      • Tampa, Florida, USA
    • Production company
      • Conquerer Films Inc.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Gross US & Canada
      • $75,000
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 22 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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