Impulse

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...

After finally finding a copy, I was afraid I would be disappointed when seeing this, following all the great things I had read about the non-stop unintentional hilarity/stupidity. Luckily, my fear proved baseless. This movie is as stupid and hilarious as described; in fact, in may even be more so. I have never seen a performance as hilarious as Shatner's in this movie - not even in a comedy. We get to see him threaten a park balloon vendor with bodily harm, followed by an informative diatribe about the contents of a commercial hot dog. And that isn't even when Shatner goes really crazy! The only thing we don't see Shatner do is lip-sync a famous song in spoken word; maybe that's just part of some long-lost footage. Every scene with Harold Sakata is hilarious, as well. He just seems to show up randomly in the middle of the movie, as if the director found him wandering around town and then wrote in a part for him on the spot. And Ruth Roman's performance reminded me of an Elizabeth Taylor diamond commercial on acid. If this movie ever does make it to DVD, my greatest wish would be for an informative "making of" featurette, but alas, my wish is for naught, for I know Shatner would just as soon bury this one as talk about it openly. I'd really love to know what went on when filming this, as I have a hunch that the backstory would be highly amusing. As it is, I exhort you to lie, cheat, or steal to find a copy of this. You will not regret it!!

Recent Update: I was right! Shatner mentions the making of the movie in his autobiography by describing how he saved Sakata's life while filming Sakata's hanging sequence. The support underneath Sakata malfunctioned during the scene, so Shatner had to hold Sakata up with his bare hands to keep him from choking - actually breaking one of his thumbs. A true gentleman.

"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!

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.

We begin our lurid tale with Shatner's character a preteen, sword-gutting some airhead bruiser that his slutty alcoholic mother brought home...flash to today(the mid-70s), and grown-up Shatner has a wardrobe of the finest wallpaper-prints and polyester leisure wear in history(you can almost SMELL the Aqua-Velva). His "thing" is swindling widowed women out of their savings and "offing" them(and occasionally going bonkers while biting on his pinky-finger). When the young daughter of one victim-to-be witnesses him grooving on his funky psycho-killer scene, a tense cat-and-mouse game begins.

The unintentional hilarity of this film has become a thing of lore...and justly so. All that's saving it from absolute indignity is the strong performance from Ruth Roman(who brought professionalism to a few other gonzo sub-B films in her later career, like THE BABY, THE KILLING KIND, and DAY OF THE ANIMALS). Also, the juvenile role of little Tina is fairly well played, but her character is poorly written and occasionally quite irritating.

Shatner sails out of orbit in an unforgettable blood-and-thunder performance which could make any Klaus Kinski role look restrained by comparison. This is "must see to believe" cinemania...a minor masterwork of utter disgrace that entertains for(mostly) all the wrong reasons.

6/10