Impulse

Shatner must be ruing the day he agreed to make this hideous piece of junk. Bad movie aficionados are going to want to get hold of this work of trash. This movie must be seen to be believed. I don't know if I've ever laughed so hard at a movie that takes itself seriously. Shatner over acts like he has never over acted before - he grimaces, he scowls, he looks horrified, he smarmily hits on women.

In almost every scene he wears a different shirt - all of which are made of hideous, ugly, multi-colored, seventies polyester. This has got to be the ugliest collection of shirts ever known to man. In one scene he wears a white suit and matching hat, which make him look like a pimp.

The soundtrack is full of the stereotypical wacka-chicka funk sounds of the seventies. In fact, the whole movie is full of stereotypical seventies hairstyles, clothes, and shoes.

This is a very odd movie, and I highly recommend it to anyone who really wants a good laugh. It is truly unbelievable. There is no way to accurately describe how unintentionally, horribly funny this movie is. If you can find a copy, you'll be glad you did.

Impulse is neither as bad nor as cheesy as other reviewers believe it to be. It's true that William Shatner wears some of the ugliest clothing of all time, but it's also true that his acting is--wait for it--actually pretty good, and not particularly over-the-top. The development of his character's psychosis is well presented in the black and white pre-credits sequence (which features H.G. Lewis regular William Kerwin), and nicely (if obviously) echoed during the film's conclusion. Shatner manages to convey his own fear and disgust with himself even while he continues to kill. The rest of the cast--including Ruth Roman--don't embarrass themselves either.

What faults the film does have are primarily the responsibility of low budget Florida director William Grefe, who consistently fails to display much talent or imagination with poorly established scenes and unimaginative set ups. Lewis Perle's score is naggingly aggressive and lets the film down at every turn. Overall, Impulse is an enjoyable low budget thriller that would be better regarded if people didn't like to obsess about the acting proclivities of a certain Captain James T. Kirk--an actor who has proven, in films ranging from 1961's The Intruder to 1999's Free Enterprise, that he actually can act.

OK, as the other comments for this film indicate, this is a "so bad it's good" type of movie. Shatner obviously wanted to break from his Capt. Kirk persona, and plays a real lady-killer, I mean he actually kills women. But the plot ain't important. This movie is a howler. The chase through the car wash is my favorite scene, but it's really just the tip of the iceberg. You've never seen outfits like the ones on display here. And Shatner's acting has to be seen to be believed. Plus, there are these wonderful moments that you can't find in most films, like a small girl asking a stranger for a ride, or a character flipping out when some balloons get in his way. I could go on and on, but my advice is to see this film should you get the chance. It does exist on video, and the best way to see it would be with a group who understand the joys of bad cinema.

I recently attended "Shatfest" hosted by Oakland, CA's Parkway Theater (http://www.picturepubpizza.com/), an annual tribute to William Shatner. It was a freeking riot. The Parkway is set up like a lounge with couches and tables instead of the usual theater setup. They have a kitchen with a full menu, and serve beer and wine. Anyway, while we were waiting for our food to be served, they showed a black-and-white episode of "The Man from UNCLE" that featured both Shatner and Leonard Nimoy a year before they did "Star Trek". Next, they silently ran a segment of a Star Trek episode while belly dancers danced on the stage in front of the screen. The segment they chose featured an "alien" gal dancing in front to Kirk and Mr. Spock, and it blended perfectly with the live show. Surreal!!! Next they had a Shatner trivia quiz awarding prizes that included a picture of Captain Kirk signed by Shatner. This was followed by a video of Shatner performing Elton John's "Rocket Man", a level of "rank" seldom achieved by mere mortals. But the piece-de-resistance was the screening of "Impulse". Now I pride myself as being an aficionado of horrible, rank films, so I can confidently report that this is the BEST horrible, terrible, rank movie I've ever experienced. "Robot Monsters", "CC and Company", "Nymphoid Barbarian in Dinosaur Hell" are A-Card movies compared to this one. The Shatner ham has never glistened and dripped like this before or since. Adding to the fun is Harold Sakata ("Odd Job" from "Goldfinger") playing an itinerant karate instructor looking for a big score. The entire audience was in continuous hysterics for an hour and a half. Actually, that's not true. A gal at my table who'd immigrated from China five years ago took the movie literally, and was totally bewildered by the reaction of the audience. I tried to explain it to her, but.......how can you explain nonsense like this? Which of course added to the fun. Anyway, a memorable movie!!

"Impulse" is a must see for any fan of B moviedom! During a low point in his career, Shatner gives a stellar performance as Matt a psychotic killer. He begins his killing ways as a child when he sees his mother, in their home, being raped by a soldier (played by William Kerwin) and plunges a Samurai sword into him. The film then flashes forward to 1974 Florida where he kills his current lover, then comes into a small town and wins the heart of a widow, but not her disapproving young daughter. The daughter is wise to his motives after she witnesses Shatner kill Harold Sakata in a car wash, but no one will believe her until the bloody climax of the film. Think Shatner's acting was tacky in his Star Trek hey day? He goes over the top in this cheapy thriller. And yes, dig his groovy duds! Everything from polyester zig zag print shirts to striped tank top and white pimp suit complete with hat! Cheesy scenes, dialogue and plot make this drive in delight a movie to seek out. Hard to find, it is slowly making it's way to DVD. This would have made an excellent MST3K episode! Fun for all!