Impulse

2/12/2025

**_Shatner as a “puppy dog left in the middle of the road”_** A troubled man in his early 40s (William Shatner) meets a lovely widow in Tampa (Jennifer Bishop), but her young daughter becomes increasingly suspicious of him. Shot in August, 1972, but not released until 1974, “Impulse” is a psychological drama with bits of romance and crime thrills. The murders are along the lines of any Columbo TV movie, but don’t expect a detective investigation. The focus is on the disturbed protagonist (or is it antagonist?) with the filmmaking being subdued, like “Haunts,” which came out a couple of years later. Some would call the storytelling bland or dull while critics might complain about Shatner’s slightly hammy acting here and there. The slasher “Nightmare” from 1981 was obviously influenced