Impulse

Director: Graham Baker Graham Baker

Overview

Bad behavior turns deadly in this science-fiction drama. Jennifer (Meg Tilly) is a woman who grew up in the small town of Sutcliffe, which much of her family still calls home. One day, Sutcliffe is hit with a minor earthquake, which doesn't appear to do much damage, but a strange and disquieting turn in the city's collective behavior soon becomes apparent. Jennifer receives a phone call from her mother (Lorinne Vozoff), but while they've always had a cordial relationship, her mother loudly and hysterically berates her, and the call comes to a disturbing conclusion when her mother shoots herself. Jennifer and her husband Stuart (Tim Matheson) rush to Sutcliffe to discover that her mother is seriously injured by still alive. However, it seems as if all boundaries of civility and etiquette have broken down, as violence, crime, and rabid anger rule the usually quiet streets of Sutcliffe. It seems that the earthquake caused the town's milk supply to be contaminated by toxic waste which has an unusual psychoactive effect -- it makes it impossible for people to resist the common anti-social impulses that all people have, but most keep closely in check. Hume Cronyn plays the town's doctor; Bill Paxton, Claude Earl Jones, and Amy Stryker also appear.

Product Details

Release Date:	09/18/2018
UPC:	0738329228484
Original Release:	1984
Rating:	R
Source:	Kl Studio Classics

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Tim Matheson	Stuart
Meg Tilly	Jennifer
Hume Cronyn	Dr. Carr
John Karlen	Bob Russell
Bill Paxton	Eddie
Amy Stryker	Margo
Claude Earl Jones	Sheriff
Charles Dorsett	Reverend
Thomas J. Sauber	Band Leader
Robert Wightman	Howard
Lorinne Vozoff	Mrs. Russell
Peter Jason	Man in Truck
Abigail Booraem	Mrs. Ashley
Mary Celio	Mary Woodson
Jack T. Collis	Mr. Anson
Christian Crane	Shawn
Holgie Forrester	Teller
Chris Giannini	Jimmy
Allan Graf	Deputy
Anne Haney	Mrs. Piersall
Gary Kirk	Plant Manager
Bernie Kuby	Mr. Bidemeyer
Sheri Stoner	Young Girl
Hugo L. Stanger	Old Geraer

Technical Credits

Bart Davis

Don Carlos Dunaway

Graham Baker	Director
Beau Marks	Asst. Director
Paul Chihara	Score Composer
Jack T. Collis	Production Designer
Bart Davis	Screenwriter
Jim Duffy	Set Decoration/Design
Don Carlos Dunaway	Screenwriter
Thomas Fisher	Special Effects
David Holden	Editor
Henry M. Lebo	Camera Operator
Deborah Lucchessi	Casting
Thomas del Ruth	Cinematographer
Rick Sharp	Makeup
Tim Zinnemann	Producer

Editorial Reviews

This slow-burning thriller with science-fiction and horror overtones is compelling in its own creepy way. Impulse is effective because it doesn't rush viewers into shock situations or overload them with melodrama. Instead, it allows an underlying madness to slowly creep into the storyline, taking the situation (and the characters) apart from the inside. Even the revelation of what is causing the town's strange incident unfurls in a quiet manner that is all the more haunting for its matter-of-fact approach. Graham Baker's direction gives the story the understated approach it requires but also shows directorial flair when the events require it -- a great example is a setpiece with a car trapped in a flaming garage. He also gets strong performances from his cast: Tim Matheson is sympathetic even when madness is overtaking him, Meg Tilly makes a likeable and appealingly unconventional leading lady and Hume Cronyn is chilling as a doctor who quietly becomes a killer. To sum up, Impulse is an interesting little sleeper that is worthy of rediscovery for anyone who can appreciate a left-of-center approach to the thriller genre.

All Movie Guide