Targets (1968)

Finally, a real Peter Bogdanovich picture! This episode covers Bogdanovich’s directorial debut, Targets. Roger Corman gave his former assistant about $120k, along with directions to use 20 minutes of footage from The Terror, make 20 new minutes with Boris Karloff, and make 40 new minutes without Karloff. Taking inspiration from a variety of sources, such as the 1966 UT Austin tower shooting, the Vietnam war, the changing horror landscape, and his own love of classic Hollywood cinema, Peter Bogdanovich’s 1968 debut is an unparalleled piece of art born of the most ramshackle of circumstances.

 

In this episode we discuss our mutual dislike of dine-in theaters, our mutual love for drive-in theaters, Bogdanovich essentially playing himself, those nasty Baby Ruth candy bars, and pop versions of classic folk songs!

 

Further “Reading”

• Targets [Criterion Collection Blu-ray] (commentary, bonus features, and booklet on the Criterion release were invaluable to our research on this movie- I would highly recommend renting the disc, checking it out from your local library, or buying your own copy)
• Tower (2016) (free on Kanopy with a library card!)
• By Bogdanovich (2011)
• Picturing Peter Bogdanovich by Peter Tonguette
• Easy Riders, Raging Bulls by Peter Biskind
• “What If Movies Are Part of the Problem?,” by Peter Bogdanovich, Kurt Sutter and others for The Hollywood Reporter (article partially written by Bogdanovich about the relationship between movies and gun violence)
• "Movie Fan's Movie" by Stanley Kaufman for The New Republic (review of Targets)
• You Must Remember This - “Polly Platt, The Invisible Woman, Episode 2 - Peter Bogdanovich and the Woman Behind the Auteur”
• You Must Remember This - “Bela & Boris, Episode 6 - Boris & Roger Corman.”

 

Music by Ryan (twitter.com/molecularlioneI)

Support your local independent cinemas and video stores! Especially now that Netflix is probably going to own Warner Brothers!

 

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