A washed up movie star (Boris Karloff) questions his lot in the days leading up to his final B-picture premier at a local drive-in. Meanwhile, a recently returned and seemingly wel-adjusted Vietnam vet secretly begins planning a Charles Whitman-like shooting spree. Peter Bogdanovich's impactful debut, which he was not only able to talk Roger Corman into letting him direct but also able to procure Karloff's services who owed time, is one of those two unrelated storyline films arriving at the same destination, which quickly becomes apparent. Its commentary on gun violence, here pitted against an outmatched horror movie monster, feels rushed and pretentious. but the picture is competently made, the finale is extremely well edited, and Karloff is quite good.
*** out of ****
