The Terror - Dark Publications

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Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.com
Back when Jack Nicholson was a Hollywood unknown appearing in Roger Corman quickies such as Crybaby Killer and Little Shop of Horrors, it wasn't unusual for Corman to make a movie in just a few days. That was the case with this nifty little thriller, which was filmed in just three days using the same sets that Corman had used in his Boris Karloff thriller The Raven, which Corman had finished ahead of schedule. In fact, the sets were being torn down almost as fast as Corman could film them, but that hasn't stopped this moody little gem from acquiring a modicum of cult status over the years. Karloff plays the alleged baron of an isolated castle on the Baltic coast, where a Napoleonic officer (played by Nicholson!) appears after becoming intrigued by the presence of a mysterious and beautiful woman. Karloff's baron has a dark history, of course, and creepy atmosphere makes up for the minimal plot, which makes The Terror a vintage treat for horror fans. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews: Read 17 more reviews...

4 out of 5 stars

Master Movies offers best quality DVD of The Terror October 26, 1999
12 out of 12 found this review helpful

WARNING: If you are looking for a DVD of the Terror, there are some awful copies available! The disc from Master Movies is by FAR the best available. There are no extras to speak of except for some biographical info (some incorrect) but the film looks surprisingly good, especially if you boost the black level on your player. AVOID THE OTHER VERSIONS. The Master Movies version is the one with the non-descript grey cover with a small picture of Nicholson. No extras, blah cover, excellent picture for a public domain film.

4 out of 5 stars

A cult horror classic with a fascinating history April 20, 2005
10 out of 11 found this review helpful

There is a lot to talk about concerning 1963's The Terror, but the most fascinating thing of all is the fact that Roger Corman actually made a creepy, impressive film for once in his life. Of course, I can't help but think he had a little bit of help by a young associate producer named Francis Coppola. As for the film itself, it definitely deserves its cult horror film status. It features Boris Karloff, it maintains a wonderfully gloomy atmosphere throughout, boasts some pretty decent special effects, and it actually features a good story with some surprising twists and turns at the end. It also stars a young Jack Nicholson, which certainly helps its popularity - unfortunately, though, this is probably Nicholson's worst performance ever, as he sometimes rushes through his lines without immersing himself in the character.

Nicholson plays Andre Duvalier, a French soldier who has become separated from his unit. You can tell he's French because he wears a fancy uniform but doesn't seem inclined to actually engage in any sort of battle, is rather rude to those he meets, and basically expects everyone to do whatever he commands of them. Andre meets a young lady named Helene as he is wandering along some coastline and apparently falls in love with her - despite the fact she keeps disappearing and just possibly tries to lead him to his death. He ends up being cared for by a strange old woman, who tells him there is no girl in that area. Still, he persists in finding Helene, eventually tracking her to a spooky old castle. There, he meets Baron von Leppe (Karloff) and learns that the girl he saw is the spitting image of the Baron's wife, who has been dead for twenty years. He eventually learns the story of the Baroness' violent death, but he just doesn't believe that the woman he met is actually a ghost. The Baroness' death all those years ago does stand at the heart of the story, but the truth is more complicated than you might think. The film sort of plods along for awhile, but the final twenty minutes play out wonderfully. You may think you know what is really going on, but odds are that you will meet with a surprise or two before all is said and done - I know I did. There is one plot point that is a little hard to swallow for reasons that will be obvious to the viewer, but overall I would declare this film an unqualified success.

The story behind this movie has become something of a legend. It seems that Corman wrapped up filming The Raven a few days early, and so he decided to make another film on the spot. The rush job origins of the film explain some of the anachronisms that crop up, but it seems obvious to me that Corman did his best work when he didn't have time to really think about what he was doing. Some critics have referred to The Terror as a movie without a plot. Apparently, only a partial script was written on the spot - specifically, those scenes filmed on the set of The Raven. The movie was actually finished a short time later (several individuals, including Francis Ford Coppola, were tasked with the job of putting the patchwork of filmed scenes together and actually finishing the whole thing). Despite its unusual and rushed origins, though, I found The Terror to be an impressive, strongly plot-driven film. The story, even more than the actors (in my opinion, only Karloff gave an impressive performance), makes The Terror a must-see horror film that, in my estimation, is in no way cheesy.

1 out of 5 stars

A caveat to DVD purchasers June 15, 1999
9 out of 10 found this review helpful

WARNING to anyone thinking of purchasing the D-Vision DVD edition of THE TERROR: It is not the letterbox edition touted in Amazon's writeup (my sole reason for ordering it). REPEAT: It is not widescreen; it is in full-screen format, and appears to have been mastered from an EP VHS source.

4 out of 5 stars

Classic, if not just completely absurd February 12, 2001
7 out of 10 found this review helpful

This is a work of art. I'm sure there was no script for this film, nor any actual plot. Apparently, its Karloff, Nicholson and his wife just reading ambiguously dark lines on a set that was going to be torn down, wearing whatever costumes could be found. Later, Corman pieced them all together and actually made something resembling a good horror film. Spectacular!

A must see. Its the epitomy of Corman and everything that makes his work great. Definitely an accidental piece of commentary for an era where "big-budget" is supposed to mean "good film."

3 out of 5 stars Boris and Roger, you gotta love 'em. December 11, 2000
6 out of 7 found this review helpful

For some reason, I like this film. It had atmosphere, a deserted castle, lightening and thunder, and Boris Karloff. The price of the "Master Movie" edition for this DVD is unbeatable, but then you're not getting wide screen, which is a let down. But as far as I know, there are, at this time, no wide screen editions of "The Terror" on DVD or VHS. However, the picture quality is great, and sound quality is acceptable. I'm really disappointed, though, not to see more of the Poe classic Corman films on DVD, yet, in wide screen, of course. A better buy, though a little more expensive, is "Tales of Terror". Excellent color, wide screen, beautiful sound, and of course, Vincent Price, Basil Rathbone, and Peter Lorre.

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