The Next Reel Film Podcast

How effective is Peter Bogdanovich’s first try at directing a film? Does Boris Karloff still provide the scares he once did? Is the film still relevant today? Tune in to this week’s show to hear our answers to these questions and more!

Show Notes

"My kind of horror isn’t horror anymore."

One of Roger Corman’s claims to fame is that he’s never lost money on a movie, and one of the reasons that holds true is because he never spends much money on any of them. For beginning filmmakers looking to learn their craft and hopefully make it big, this is something they work with. Like many great filmmakers who got their start with Corman (another of his claims to fame), Peter Bogdanovich worked as a writer before being given a chance to write and direct his own feature for Corman, and right out of the gate, he proved himself a director worth discussing. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we kick off our 1968 crime film series with Bogdanovich’s film Targets.

We talk about how effective and affecting this film still is 50 years after its release, and how shocking it is that it actually (and sadly) feels more relevant today. We look at the crazy way the film came to be – including Boris Karloff’s role in it. We chat about the powerful performance by Tim O’Kelly and look at why it’s so off-putting. We discuss the way the two stories are intercut and why it worked for us. And we look at some of the key crew members, including cinematographer László Kovács and the woman wearing many hats, Polly Platt.

It’s a powerful film that does a good job of disguising its low budget, and certainly provides for a great conversation on the show this week. So check it out then tune in! The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins.

Film Sundries

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What is The Next Reel Film Podcast?

The Next Reel team has been dedicated to reviews, news, and commentary on world film for a decade. This podcast is The Next Reel master feed including all the episodes of The Next Reel, Trailer Rewind, The Film Board, The Speakeasy, and the other shorts, interviews, and specials we've produced over the years.