10 Things to Know About Impulse (1984)

10 Things to Know About Impulse

10 Was Intended to Open in May of 1984

Impulse opened in theaters nationwide on September 28th but it had once been viewed as an early summer release. According to L.A Weekly, the film was set for an opening on May 18th, 1984. That would have been just 5 days before Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and while the two films didn’t have the same audience demographic per se, Indy was set to swamp the entire box office and it was probably a good idea for a movie as small as Impulse to get out of the way.

9 The Description of Impulse Caught Some Attention

In a bit of a mocking note in a syndicated movie preview column, the description of the plot of Impulse was the subject of a bit of mockery.

“The descriptive line of the month goes to Warner Bros Pictures for this one: A romantic thriller about a farming community that is unable to restrain its passions or inhibitions.”

8 Hollywood Royalty Behind the Scenes

Two scions of Hollywood legends worked behind the scenes to bring Impulse to the big screen. Nicholas Kazan, son of famed and reviled filmmaker, Elia Kazan, wrote the screenplay for Impulse with Don Carlos Dunaway, no relation to Faye. Meanwhile, Tim Zinneman the son of famed and beloved director Fred Zinneman was credited as Producer for Impulse.

7 A Special Location for Star Hume Cronyn

Hume Cronyn plays a small town doctor turned sinister by the strange evil affecting the small town of Sutcliffe. It was a special shoot for Cronyn who made his film debut forty years earlier Alfred Hitchcock’s Shadow of a Doubt, a film that was shot in the same small town as Impulse, Lincoln, California.

6 Poster Copy

What do you think of this poster copy? Honestly, we find it kind of compelling:

“Imagine what would happen if every desire, every urge, every passion, locked deep inside all of us… suddenly exploded.”

Now add sexy Hume Cronyn and Tim Matheson to that mix. Or don’t. Meg Tilly is there… She's cool.

5 Originally Titled Animals

Nicholas Kazan wrote the screenplay that would become Impulse after seeing Texas Chainsaw Massacre and George Romero’s The Crazies. He claims to have written the screenplay in a burst of creativity and crafted a hard R-Rated horror movie to rival its influence.

Kazan says he was himself, a bit horrified by what he wrote and he shelved the screenplay for several years before reviving and eventually selling the screenplay in the early 80s. The script was then heavily rewritten by Don Carlos Dunaway, dropping the horror elements in favor of a more character driven, atmospheric style of horror.

Kazan reportedly hated the changes and had his name removed from the credits, going under the pseudonym, Bart Davis.

4 Graham Baker Stepped in to Replace Another Director

Director Lewis Teague was set to follow up Cujo by directing Impulse. He was there during the initial development before dropping out of the picture when Stephen King came calling with the chance to do another King adaptation, Cat’s Eye.

3 Graham Baker’s Awful Director’s Commentary

When Kino Lorber released Impulse on Blu Ray, director Graham Baker was drafted in to provide director’s commentary and many who have listened to it, wonder why he bothered. Baker’s boring recollections, broken up by extended bouts of silence, offer little to know insight into the making of Impulse beyond the most surface level observations

2 Real-World Echoes in the Toxic Milk Plot

The central conceit of the film—toxic waste rupturing during an earthquake and seeping into the local dairy supply—strikingly mirrors historical catastrophes. One notable parallel is the 1951 ergot poisoning in Pont-Saint-Esprit, France. In that incident, tainted bread triggered widespread hallucinations and bizarre, uncontrollable behavior across the community. While we can't say for certain if the creative team had this specific French outbreak in mind, the similarities to the sudden, chemical-induced mania in Sutcliffe are hard to ignore.

1 Oh Hey, Look, It’s Bill Paxton

Bill Paxton’s in this movie everybody. Who doesn’t love Bill Paxton. He’s greatly missed. We at Movies of the 80s are just always happy to see him when he pops up. Hence why we saved it for number one. RIP Bill Paxton, we still miss you.