The Terror (1963)

People are voting emotionally.

The acting in this movie is really good.

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

In 1806 Andre Duvalier, a French army officer finds himself separated from his regiment. As he travels along the coast he meets a mysterious young woman named Helena. Suddenly she seems to vanish. He is later looked after by an old woman who claims he must have imaging Helena. He tries to find out more about her and ends up staying at the castle belonging to Baron von Leppe; it turns out Helena looks just like the Baron's late wife, who had died twenty years previously. The only people living in the castle are the Baron and his servant; they are adamant that there are no women in the castle. Eventually Andre learns the truth about how the Baron's wife died and a supernatural revenge plot.The main interest here is an early appearance from Jack Nicholson as Andre and Boris Karloff's performance as the Baron. The plot is a bit messy; especially the ending, the low budget is fairly obvious and much of the colour almost looks as though it added afterwards… surprisingly the last of these isn't too much of a problem as it adds to the atmosphere. While it isn't really scary there are a few scenes that are surprisingly gruesome for a film of the era; most notably after a man is attacked and blinded by a hawk. Overall this is hardly a must see but it is worth checking out for its early Jack Nicholson lead or if you like old low budget horror.

I watched this movie because I like bad movies and this one promised Boris Karloff and a young Jack Nicholson in the same film. I really enjoyed it, but it's always hard to rate so-bad-it's-good movies (Should I give it a 1 or a 10?), which only appeal to a certain kind of audience. This Corman classic, reportedly pasted together from leftover sets and scenes shot by hired-for-the-day directors, proceeds as an atmospheric but otherwise merely bad spectral chiller until about 4/5ths of the way through, when an unexpected plot twist renders pretty much everything that came before incomprehensible, which tips the movie into bad-movie-hall-of-fame territory. The last 15 minutes are especially mind-boggling for anyone capable of three seconds of logical thought (like, uh, isn't that a rather unusual family crypt?). No nudity in 1963, but lots of fun. If you enjoy bad movies, go for it.

While full of plot holes and inconsistencies, Roger Corman's short low-budget thriller, "The Terror," achieved its goals: tell a good entertaining story competently on a low budget. Corman had considerable good luck on his side, because he not only enlisted the talents of the legendary Boris Karloff, but also those of the young Jack Nicholson. Nicholson is Andre Duvalier, a young French lieutenant who is separated from his regiment and encounters a mysterious young woman on a rugged beach. Events lead Andre to an old woman, who practices alchemy, and eventually to a sinister castle, where the Baron von Leppe lives a near-hermit existence, haunted by a dark secret and a lost love. Although the production company, American-International, is renowned for cheap exploitation movies, Corman had considerable talent and used a scenic rocky coastline and generic "Dracula" style interiors, complete with the requisite crypt, to best advantage.Karloff plays the haunted Baron with conviction; he had presence and a voice that commands attention whenever he is on screen. While Nicholson has more screen time than Karloff, he was an unknown at the time and, thus, was second billed. While he attempts no French accent and his performance is more 20th century than early 19th, Nicholson does a decent job in an undemanding role. Dorothy Neuman is effective as the witch, and Richard Miller is competent as Stefan, the Baron's servant. However, Sandra Knight sleepwalks through her role as the mysterious beauty, and her sometimes-grating voice did not record well. While the terror of the generic title is lacking, Corman does generate some suspense, and the film is not boring. The under-rated Karloff is always a compelling watch, and the opportunity to observe a young Jack Nicholson is a treat. While "The Terror" is no enduring classic, the movie offers a film legend near career end and another legend near a rise to stardom.

It's been many years since I've seen this one and I've just watched it again. I found the film quite interesting, mysterious and worth watching. I grew up on films like this so naturally I enjoy this type of horror flick.Now for a film that had 5 directors and was pieced together the movie turned out to be a good ghost story. Honestly I've seen this film before and I never knew that it had 5 directors and was pieced together - I just found that out recently.This is one of those films I call "quietly thrilling" meaning there is not a lot of action for the thrills but it has subtly thrilling moments with a bit of suspense and an air of mystery.I can say this movie is a must see for fans of Boris Karloff and Jack Nicholson. Another film starring both of these wonderful actors is a comedy-horror called "The Raven (1963) " - so break out the popcorn and make it a double feature! 8/10