Impulse (1984)

Good movie but grossly overrated

A Disappointing Continuation

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

IMPULSE is an under-appreciated and little-seen US horror flick of the early 1980s. It's no masterpiece - the budget is a little too cheap and the pace is a little too slow for that - but it works a treat as a story in the Stephen King mould, with a small town being assailed by a mysterious virus which forces people to give into their worst impulses. It also reminded me of James Herbert's THE FOG a little. The capture of small town behaviour is well realised, while the various set-piece sequences really stand out, with the berserk sheriff being a highlight. The strong cast includes Tim Matheson, the great Bill Paxton, and Meg Tilly, who as anyone who has seen PSYCHO II will know, is a fine actress.

Im not a big Tim Matheson fan but i have to admit i liked this film.It was dark and a small bit disturbing with some scenes a bit edgy,i don't know were to classify this film its a bit SF and a bit horror slash thriller.I saw this at about 2.00am or so on my local channel there was nothing else on so i decided to watch it.If you have not seen this film id recommend it its not really that bad,the characters are interesting enough but not really explored to their full potential which could have made this film even more better.I don,t know if this film went to the cinema but it felt like it was made for TV or went straight to video,i for one would buy this if it,s on DVD it fits well with my type of film and has a small bit of the X-FILES story attached to it.Government undertakings or shifty corporations involved in dodgy shadowy dealings.Overall a good film.

OK, first of all, ignore the last person' review. They admit to falling asleep through it so it's no wonder they didn't understand what was going on!!! As thriller/horrors go, this film ain't too bad, it is certainly very watchable. Right from the opening scenes you get a general idea exactly what is going to be the cause of all the craziness that follows, and come the end you are proved right with everything being made clear.I enjoyed this movie, it was quite eerie at times and as old films go it was passable. Great to watch late at night! I give it a generous 7 out of 10.

The idea of a town going slowly mad is not an original one, but it's cleverly handled in this disturbing little film, which eschews gruesome horror in favour of an accumulation of telling detail. Well worth viewing.