Verdict
Summary
A true grindhouse treat, Impulse has aged remarkably well and should garner new fans for those willing to grab themselves a copy.
Plot:
A psychotic ladies man is on the prowl …
Review:
When he was just a boy, Matt Stone killed a man in his living room with a sword because he was trying to protect his mother, a floozy who brought the man home for sex. The incident deeply scarred Matt, and as a man still in his prime (played by William Shatner), he coasts through life as a gigolo and a ladies man who cons his marks for thousands of dollars at a time. He’s also still killing people: We see him murder a woman while on a date when the impulse becomes overwhelming … he blacks out and comes to, shocked at what he’s done, but he takes no responsibility for his actions. He is cherry picked by a rich older widow who invites him to her mansion to meet her friends, and she connects him to an attractive mother named Ann (Jennifer Bishop) whose teenage daughter Tina (Kim Nicholas) immediately takes a deep dislike to Matt because she still loves her father, who died recently. Tina snoops around and witnesses Matt brutally killing a man (played by Harold “Oddjob” Sakata) who poses a threat to his lifestyle, but nobody believes Tina when she tells on him. Now Matt has this teenager to deal with, but if he’s going to kill her then he might also have to try killing Ann … and anyone else who Tina told her secret to.
From exploitation stalwart filmmaker William Grefe (who did the fantastic film Whiskey Mountain), Impulse is a great showcase for Shatner who goes completely over the edge with an unhinged performance as the handsome psycho who becomes uncontrollable. The movie is very much worth watching for his wild performance, and the movie has some pretty gnarly kill scenes where he chokes, stabs, or hangs his victims in a vivid fashion. A true grindhouse treat, Impulse has aged remarkably well and should garner new fans for those willing to grab themselves a copy.
Grindhouse Releasing has recently released a premium Blu-ray edition of Impulse in a really gorgeous 4K restoration, packing the two-disc set with lots of choice special features. This is a good one! Keep your eye out for it.
Bonus Materials
- Spectacular new 4K restoration created from rare archival film elements
- Provocative, in-depth interviews with director William Grefé
- KINGDOM OF THE SHATNER – William Shatner Live in Santa Monica – Oct. 9, 2022
- Additional interviews with producer and make-up artist Doug Hobart (FLESH FEAST, SCREAM BABY SCREAM) and art director Roger Carlton Sherman
- Audio commentary by William Grefé
- Haunting alternate French soundtrack
- Hours of rare cinematic treasures from the vaults of William Grefé
- Two bonus features! – THE DEVIL’S SISTERS and THE GODMOTHERS
- Glossy illustrated booklet with liner notes by acclaimed underground filmmaker Jacques Boyreau
- Beautiful embossed slipcover with new art by esteemed painter Dave Lebow
- Still galleries, trailers AND OTHER SURPRISES!
