This is one of my favourite Boris Karloff films. Even though he's playing essentially himself, there is more than a touch of melancholic nostalgia to his character-the aging horror film star who realises that the time of his type of films are being overshadowed by real-life horrors. This was released just before the events of the Manson family murders and this sentiment would be chillingly prescient. Nothing could equal those horrors. This is a great little gem. If I owned a movie theatre I'd love to play these films, in hopes to introduce them to a modern audience. The dual story with the gun obsessed youth and Byron Orlock play off one another so well.
This was also the result of the effect reviewing Hitchcock's "Psycho " had on him. So shocked that a filmmaker could make a film so frightening, when he was given an opportunity he vowed to do the same. At least that's what he told our class at Sherwood Oaks.
i know the bullet grazed him, but actually it did hit him, karloff survived to show that he can never die. and its true, hes been gone for years and hes still kept alive. he is immortal. we all still enjoy his work and talk about him and he wont be forgotten.
What's most transcendent to me about this great picture is the climax, where the killer is confronted by tbe real Karloff even as he is onscreen above them both as the movie plays. Suddenly this killer has tuned into the mindfuck channel and he blows a gasket. It's beautiful, & a testament to both Karloff and the power of motion pictures.
This movie is more relevant today than ever before with its important commentary on mass shootings. It's a timeless masterpiece of film that shows us the disturbing yet true motivations behind school and public shootings, fame from infamy.
I was just 12 watching this film in 79 when my father turned it off at the freeway scene. I’ve always wanted to know the title and finish. Good old google.
So glad you credited Polly Platt in your commentary. She was an essential creative partner on his first four (and best) films. Cheers and long live TFH!
+hegstad9 - You are so right. After getting many roles that were not up to his talents, this was wonderful. Boris was in several scenes. Boris donated an extra 3 days work, because he loved the film. He even got a standing ovation from cast and crew when he did the Sumara scene in one take. And, his daughter Sara Karloff considers this to be one of the greatest films by her father. Although this is not an easy film to find, people who love Boris Karloff should try and check it out. There is a great review by Pop Culture Beast. Check it out. Best wishes, Ted
He was referring to the trailer- which makes sense this is not a Karloff horror picture- if the film had been made today Karloff would have gotten a Best Supporting Acting Oscar nomination
@@johnminehan1148 I enjoy Karloff as Mother Muffin in an episode of Girl From Uncle. He clearly having fun and the shows stars all look away from him during the shoot because they did not want to laugh
One thing that interesting about this film is that AIP was going to release this movie but Peter bondovich gave it to paramount pictures to release it.
he was worried after the Aurora shooting but not after like...the DC sniper shooting or even the clocktower shooting at the college way back then?(that might've been before the film) this seems very on the nose for a movie that would inspire modern shooters yet I've never heard of this. main guy has kind of a young ted kaczynski jawline in some scenes too. whole thing looks crazy
It really doesn't touch on whether he was out in Vietnam or not, but they do show he did serve from the one picture of the character. It seems he was largely based on the sniper in the college tower in Texas. He did serve in the Marines but he never was in combat. I'm not sure what Bogdanovich had in mind with the character, but keep in mind at the time the draft was active especially between Korea and Vietnam, so it was very common for Americans who were draft eligible to so service.
The movie must've been pretty effective right after that Texas Tower shooting. More relevant than ever now yet not nearly as effective due to our becoming inured to the shootings. Great filmmaking
I wonder how many real life 'incidents' this movie inspired or at least contributed to? It showed quite often on local television in the 70's and 80's.
Like Lucas ex wife who helped him to edit his ideas for Star Wars scrips, she wasn't around during the prequel trilogy. That is not to say both man lack talent actually many talented artists need someone next to them to give shape to their craft that's why many fashion designers have a creative director working with them or simply people who have "an eye for it". There's a video on yt about the two creators of South Park, one of them makes almost all the work and the other just selects and edits.
This is one of my favourite Boris Karloff films. Even though he's playing essentially himself, there is more than a touch of melancholic nostalgia to his character-the aging horror film star who realises that the time of his type of films are being overshadowed by real-life horrors. This was released just before the events of the Manson family murders and this sentiment would be chillingly prescient. Nothing could equal those horrors. This is a great little gem. If I owned a movie theatre I'd love to play these films, in hopes to introduce them to a modern audience. The dual story with the gun obsessed youth and Byron Orlock play off one another so well.
Love the juxtaposition of old movie monsters vs the new movie monsters
The irony here, however, while Karloff often played the monster, in this one he's the hero who takes on the monster.
This Movie was way ahead of It's time.
Still as Relevant Today as when It was first shown in Theaters.
This was also the result of the effect reviewing Hitchcock's "Psycho " had on him. So shocked that a filmmaker could make a film so frightening, when he was given an opportunity he vowed to do the same. At least that's what he told our class at Sherwood Oaks.
i know the bullet grazed him, but actually it did hit him, karloff survived to show that he can never die. and its true, hes been gone for years and hes still kept alive. he is immortal. we all still enjoy his work and talk about him and he wont be forgotten.
What's most transcendent to me about this great picture is the climax, where the killer is confronted by tbe real Karloff even as he is onscreen above them both as the movie plays. Suddenly this killer has tuned into the mindfuck channel and he blows a gasket. It's beautiful, & a testament to both Karloff and the power of motion pictures.
This movie is more relevant today than ever before with its important commentary on mass shootings. It's a timeless masterpiece of film that shows us the disturbing yet true motivations behind school and public shootings, fame from infamy.
The trailer had it wrong, the killers name was bobby, not joe.
I was just 12 watching this film in 79 when my father turned it off at the freeway scene. I’ve always wanted to know the title and finish.
Good old google.
So glad you credited Polly Platt in your commentary. She was an essential creative partner on his first four (and best) films. Cheers and long live TFH!
Joe, Joe, Joe .. that's unfair to Boris Karloff ! He was in the plot all through the movie. In fact, this was his greatest work in the 1960s !
+hegstad9 - You are so right. After getting many roles that were not up to his talents, this was wonderful. Boris was in several scenes. Boris donated an extra 3 days work, because he loved the film. He even got a standing ovation from cast and crew when he did the Sumara scene in one take. And, his daughter Sara Karloff considers this to be one of the greatest films by her father. Although this is not an easy film to find, people who love Boris Karloff should try and check it out. There is a great review by Pop Culture Beast. Check it out. Best wishes, Ted
One of his best roles in the 1960s was an episode of I Spy with Karloff as a Spanish Professor with a Don Quijote obsession.
Joe just meant in this trailer, not in the actual film.
He was referring to the trailer- which makes sense this is not a Karloff horror picture- if the film had been made today Karloff would have gotten a Best Supporting Acting Oscar nomination
@@johnminehan1148 I enjoy Karloff as Mother Muffin in an episode of Girl From Uncle.
He clearly having fun and the shows stars all look away from him during the shoot because they did not want to laugh
wow and ur telling me this is the same guy in the sopranos telling melfi to not get so obsessed with violent clients
One thing that interesting about this film is that AIP was going to release this movie but Peter bondovich gave it to paramount pictures to release it.
Long live the movies!
So the main character was a vietnam sniper in 1965, I guess that makes sense
he was worried after the Aurora shooting but not after like...the DC sniper shooting or even the clocktower shooting at the college way back then?(that might've been before the film)
this seems very on the nose for a movie that would inspire modern shooters yet I've never heard of this. main guy has kind of a young ted kaczynski jawline in some scenes too. whole thing looks crazy
Bogdonovich was inspired by the UT clock tower shootings, so I'm not entirely sure why he'd be sickened by a mass shooting now.
There was a time when Vietnam War vets were villifed for having served. Love that the wheel came round and they are not villains but heroes.
It really doesn't touch on whether he was out in Vietnam or not, but they do show he did serve from the one picture of the character. It seems he was largely based on the sniper in the college tower in Texas. He did serve in the Marines but he never was in combat. I'm not sure what Bogdanovich had in mind with the character, but keep in mind at the time the draft was active especially between Korea and Vietnam, so it was very common for Americans who were draft eligible to so service.
@@schizoidboy I believe it's revealed the sniper is a Vietnam War veteran, but of course based on the Texas Tower Sniper too.
They made a TV Movie about that guy. It was called the Deadly Tower and he was played by a very young Kurt Russell.
@@queenglamazona8789 Saw that one. It was a pretty good flick.
Great, profound movie.
Great movie
Someone should review this movie in 2022
James Earl Ray white Mustang...🤔
The movie must've been pretty effective right after that Texas Tower shooting. More relevant than ever now yet not nearly as effective due to our becoming inured to the shootings. Great filmmaking
A great film
Snap zoom the movie.
Cut the bits out with Boris Carloff in, then you'd have a Great film 📼
I wonder how many real life 'incidents' this movie inspired or at least contributed to? It showed quite often on local television in the 70's and 80's.
The irony here is that the plot had it's roots in the Texas tower shooting back in 1965.
Polly Platt was Bogdanovich's uncredited co-director on his first three films. After they divorced, the quality of his films went in the toilet.
Like Lucas ex wife who helped him to edit his ideas for Star Wars scrips, she wasn't around during the prequel trilogy. That is not to say both man lack talent actually many talented artists need someone next to them to give shape to their craft that's why many fashion designers have a creative director working with them or simply people who have "an eye for it". There's a video on yt about the two creators of South Park, one of them makes almost all the work and the other just selects and edits.
There is probably some truth in it. But it’s plain false to say that he didn’t make interesting and even good movies after Platt.
The podcast You Must Remember This did a great series on Polly Platt a couple of years ago. Well worth a listen.
Boris Karloff is RUBBISH in this move, Cut him Out and you've got a Great Movie
I love this flick! Boris Karloff is also awesome in Michael Curtiz’ The Walking Dead. Which is a film I love that I never see people talk about.