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...

"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!

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.

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!!

Who remembers the Star Trek episode when the transporter malfunctioned, and another Captain Kirk appeared? Well, in this movie, it's all about it. Only this time, he's traumatized by an act of defense trying to protect his mother from an abusive boyfriend. He stabbed him to death with a sword. Years later, he strangled his mother. He spends time in jail. Meets a karate expert. Then he later killed him. His character is a killer conman. Finds a lonely, wealthy woman, kills her, then find another one.

Only this time, she has a daughter who really dislike him. So she goes all the way to stop him by any means.

It's very silly, and William Shatner play it well. A rainy day romp.

2 out of 5 stars.