Impulse

Since there has been a few editions of this, please note that I'm reviewing "The William Grefe Collection" copy of "IMPULSE" that Amazon is selling MOD DVD-Rs of. The print that Grefe's people have provided here may not please the "Blu-Ray Gourmets" of the world (possibly due to the film stock it was shot on), but probably is the best we'll see of this low-budget piece of celluloid. There are some Special Features, too, so if you are planning on investing in any copy, let this edition be the one.I just want to state outright that I am not a fan of Mr. Shatner's screen presence, so when he wins me over in a role, it's a special occasion under this roof. Of course it helps that I have an intense love of what-were-they-thinking scripts such as the one that he is slinging cold scoops of dialogue from in this film.I should also confess that I will watch any film that William Grefe had any involvement in. He is the Director that first stirred up my interest in low-budget Florida filmmakers and still stands at the forefront of the little shrine that sits in the bowl of gelatinous goo that is what is left of my brain."Mako, The Jaws of Death"? (*reviewer falls to his knees*) Are you kidding? It may be the single greatest movie I've ever seen, let alone Mr. Grefe's Masterpiece. It is Schlock so pure, so powerfully concentrated, that it can wash away all damage done by any of those mega-budget embarrassments we have been subjected to in our past. Make sure that you watch it under a Doctor's supervision though, as it may be harmful to those with any semblance of good taste.So, should you see "Impulse"? I highly recommend it if any of the above made any sense to you. This film is worth seeing for the dialogue alone. Add in the combination of an unbelievably predictable but still somehow jaw-droppingly surprising plot, and you have a guaranteed, uh, William Grefe movie. The man defied any expectations that filmgoers normally brought to the theatre and he still has that power in his believers.To sum it up, if not taking a movie (or your afternoon) too seriously sounds like a good time to you, slam-dunk this thing into your Amazon shopping cart.

The early 70's were lean times for Bill Shatner and now just a distant memory for the award-winning actor who has now trumped another success as Danny Crane on the popular series "Boston Legal." With "Star Trek" cancelled in 1969, it's five year voyage conveniently trimmed to only three courtesy of NBC, Shatner was out of work, his (first) marriage was on the rocks, and clearly, the actor who is now so identified with the role of Captain Kirk, needed to expand his acting chops.This film, and perhaps the obscure and eerie "Incubus" (1966), and filmed in the language of Esperanto, are the two oddest films Shatner had ever acted in.Outside of infrequent guest starring roles on popular TV dramas like "Columbo" and the "Six Million Dollar Man," "Impulse" is a textbook example to all would-be actors that although your aspirations may climb to O'Neill on the Broadway stage, we all have to eat, and sometimes, we have to take what we can get.This brings us to this Florida-made cheapie about a emotionally disturbed, leisure-suited conman/gigolo named Matt Stone who, posing as an "investment broker" seduces lonely women, bilks them for their savings, and then kills them. When he begins to date an attractive widow, her daughter, Tina, begins to suspect Matt's motives.Fans of Shatner will find the film a howl--his overacting and facial expressions notwithstanding, much less the hilarious 70's fashions Shatner finds himself wearing--acres of polyester and and shirts with collars that entertain the proportions of a wing on a Boeing 747! Directed by William Grefe, it has all the makings of a lackluster made-for-tv melodrama. The director should get some points, however, for the ironic twist effectively linking together the "accidental" murder at beginning of the movie (shot in sepia) and Matt's demise at the end of the film.Be warned: the transfer to DVD is very poor especially when viewed on anything more than a 40 inch plasma or LCD television. Ruth Roman, a popular b-actress from the 40's and 50's, (She was Farley Granger's love lover in Hitchcock's "Strangers on a Train") also stars in the film as well as Harold Sakata (Oddjob from 007's "Goldfinger") and Shatner's second wife to be, Marcy Lafferty, in a minor role as a hotel desk clerk Matt has an affair with.

... que certains acteurs aimeraient voir disparaitre de leur filmographie. Je pense que ce doit être la cas pour William Shatner pour Impulse tant le film est croquignolet à souhait avec des dialogues limite hilarants, une histoire assez improbables et des acteur jouant sur un registre proche de l'hystérie du début à la fin du film... Le tout reste malgré tout une vraie curiosité et un must pour tous les fans du capitaine Kirk... La copie n'est pas très bonne, au mieux un transfert VHS.

Fantastic film, shatner threatening fat people, and the legendary karate pete! oh my this was one hell of a watch!!

This is a truly appalling film! Low budget nonsense! The sound quality is quite atrocious and most dismaying is the shallow script and predictable plot. To top that are the one dimensional performances from two of my childhood heroes - William Shatner and Harold 'Oddjob' Sakata. I would seriously deter anyone from wasting money on this film. If you like William Shatner stick with the original Star Trek series and even T.J. Hooker. For Harold Sakata's best performance (even though he was a mute with no dialogue to deliver) watch 'Goldfinger'.This must have been an all time low for William Shatner - at least he's had a mini comeback with Boston Legal and cameos in 'Miss Congeniality'.

Made a great gift for a William Shatner fan and the condition was good

William Shatner is fantastic in all he does years ago and now.