Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

Impulse Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf February 29, 2024

The early 1970s were a strange time for William Shatner. He was a working actor attempting to manage his “Star Trek” past into a viable professional future, looking for opportunities to break typecasting and perhaps challenge himself. As “Star Trek” slowly evolved into an iconic franchise, Shatner was off doing odd things with scrappy filmmakers. Such experimentation is found in 1974’s “Impulse,” with the actor trying his luck as a villain, portraying a deranged man willing to kill to protect his secrets. “Impulse” is a weird picture, with screenwriter Tony Crechales and director William Grefe (“Stanley,” “Mako: The Jaws of Death”) aiming to find horror and suspense in the study of an unraveling human being, with Shatner in charge of communicating such psychological burning. The feature connects as camp, giving those hunting for prime Shatner-ing a clear view of the performer’s instincts when it comes to interpreting the ways of an imbalanced man.

Matt (William Shatner) is a man with a traumatic past, dealing with his pain through womanizing. When confronted by his partners about his cheating ways, he kills them, turning his attention to a small Florida town, getting cozy with widow Ann (Jennifer Bishop). Matt is falling into lust with the single mother, who’s dealing with her daughter, Tina (Kim Nicholas), and her anger issues, struggling to process the loss of her father. Matt hopes to charm Ann and her friend, Julia (Ruth Roman), pushing himself as an investment advisor capable of handling their money. However, dangerous behavior returns to view, with Matt looking to cover his tracks with additional murders, while Tina suspects her mom’s new boyfriend is not the person he claims to be.

“Impulse” looks to give Matt some motivation, commencing with trouble from his childhood. Forced to deal with his mother’s handsy lover, Matt takes his first life in the moment, setting him on a path of violence, struggling with reality. To help support such disorientation with his maturity, Matt makes a home in Florida, displaying his viciousness early in the picture, getting rid of his older, rich girlfriend after she catches him with a belly dancer. “Impulse” makes an early promise that a serial killer story is about to unfold, but the production redirects to something a little flatter. Instead of Matt going wild with the women of the Sunshine State, he finds his way to Ann, facing a formidable opponent in young Tina, who’s a tough kid basically raising herself after the loss of her dad.

“Impulse” is bizarre, but that seems to be the mood Grefe is hunting for, dealing with a lack of monetary support. He goes for oddness instead, keeping Matt a sex machine who’s absolutely irresistible to the ladies, claiming a few flings along the way. He has trouble with anger, lashing out at a balloon-carrying line-cutter while strolling around a botanical garden with Ann. He also offers an assessment of hot dog ingredients with his date right after buying lunch for the pair – a true sign of a madman in the making. “Impulse” starts to build a story with Tina and her suspicions, while Matt eyeballs Ann and Julia’s savings, but there are kooky asides in the feature. Perhaps most notable is the arrival of Karate Pete (Harold Sakata, Oddjob from “Goldfinger”), a man from Matt’s past who offers hard threats and shows no working knowledge of how to escape an open-air car wash.

Impulse Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

"Impulse" opens with a card explaining that the negative for the feature has been lost, with Grindhouse turning to a "35mm release print" to use as a source for this "mastered in 4K" presentation. The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation works to the best of its ability to deliver the picture's limited visual scope to viewers. Colors are hit with reddishness, especially skin tones. Period style and decoration certainly help to bring out more varied hues, and Floridian greenery is acceptable. Detail runs softer, but a general sense of skin particulars is present. Interiors retain some dimension, along with exteriors as the production visits a cemetery and local life. Delineation struggles at time. Source has some roughness, including scratches and points of damage.

Impulse Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix provides a straightforward listening experience. Dialogue exchanges are clear, preserving Shatner-ian emphasis. Scoring delivers decent instrumentation (including the use of a harp), also offering capable dramatic support.

Impulse Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Disc 1

• Commentary features director William Grefe.

• "The Making of 'Impulse'" (14:27, HD) is a look back at the creation of the feature with director William Grefe, makeup artist Doug Hobart, actor William Shatner, and sound editor Henri Lopez.

• "Shatner Saves Sakata" (1:31, HD) is a brief clip of a stunt mistake, offered with commentary by director William Grefe and actor William Shatner.

• "40th Anniversary Screening" (27:10, SD) is a 2015 event at Tampa Theater, with director William Grefe discussing "Impulse."

• And Theatrical Trailer A (1:18, HD) and Theatrical Trailer B (2:52, HD) are included.

• Bonus Feature #1: "The Devil's Sisters" (84:16, SD) is a 1966 endeavor from director William Grefe.

• Commentary on "The Devil's Sisters" features director William Grefe.

• "Devil's Sisters Revisited" (9:21, SD) is an interview with director William Grefe.

• "Bill Grefe and 'The Devil's Sisters'" (1:20, HD) offers a little more information about the film.

• Radio Spot (:13) provides one commercial.

• Image Gallery (1:20) collects publicity shots, film stills, and poster art.

• Bonus Feature #2: "The Godmothers" (77:39, SD) is a 1973 endeavor from director William Grefe.

• Intro (3:55, HD) is a brief overview of "The Godmothers" with director William Grefe.

Disc 2

• "Between the Treks: Shatner in the 1970s" (26:26, HD) is an appreciation piece from film historian C. Courtney Joyner.

• Additional Interview (5:00, HD) returns to C. Courtney Joyner, who details his time working on a show with star William Shatner.

• "Kingdom of the Shatner" (64:37, HD) is a 2022 event at the Aero Theater with William Shatner, who participates in an interview promoting the reissue of "Impulse," sharing anecdotes and thoughts about his time on the picture.

• "Doug Hobart: The Corpse Speaks!" (33:58, HD) is an interview with the associate producer of "Impulse," conducted by director William Grefe. Topics include Hobart's career origins, filmmaking experiences with Grefe, and his time on "Impulse."

• "Bill Grefe is Furious" (77:46, HD) is a lengthy interview with the Floridian filmmaker, who takes viewers on a tour of his career, sharing anecdotes, creative challenges, and industry experiences.

• "Bill's Miami Stories" (24:45, HD) returns to the filmmaker, who shares tales from the growth of the city and his experiences there.

• "Bill's Sea Stories" (43:17, HD) once again focuses on the filmmaker, who offers more anecdotes from his colorful life.

• "Bill Grefe: 2011 Interview" (12:34, HD) is another chat with the director, who examines his family life, his experience meeting Orson Welles, filmmaking adventures, and his interactions with film critics.

• "'Live and Let Die' News Report" (2:39, SD) is an undated clip that highlights William Grefe's connection to the 1973 James Bond movie, serving as a 2nd unit director.

• "Legend Award" (9:25, SD) is brief overview of William Grefe's professional accomplishments, featuring an introduction from Bruce Campbell.

• "Swamp Man" (18:14, HD) is a discussion of Floridian filmmaking with William Grefe, billed here as the "I Eat Your Skin" 2nd unit director.

• "Bill Grefe's Filmmaking Seminars" (SD) include "Session 1" (125:05), "Session 2" (103:07), and "Session 3" (80:23).

• "Industrials" (SD) include "Bacardi: Shatner" (19:32), "Fame with William Shatner" (12:09), and "Investing in Movies with Lauren Bacall" (23:01).

• Short Films include "Thumbs" (6:09, HD), "Iceman" (4:56, SD), "A Cask of Amontillado" (9:22, HD), and "Underwood" (21:09, HD).

• Image Galleries include "Production Stills," "Press," "Drive-in Delirium Newspaper Ad Gallery," "Video Releases," "Bill Grefe," "Revival," and "Cover Art by Dave Lebow."

Impulse Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Impulse" doesn't win with drama, pawing lightly at Matt's financial desperation and his relationship with Ann. The viewing experience is largely about watching Shatner in motion, handling fashion from the 1970s while projecting ladies' man energy. This confidence gradually erodes over the run time, and entertainment value is found in Matt's unraveling, which permits Shatner to Shatner-ize all over the place, with Grefe basically pointing a camera at his leading man and capturing the thespian explosions. It's highly amusing, but doesn't necessarily make "Impulse" a riveting viewing experience, with the endeavor a little too slack with suspense and not creepy enough to disturb.