"The Terror" Film Review
A Roger Corman cult classic...gee isn't that vague? (Now on DVD)
2 1/2 Stars
Blog exclusive!
Imagine that you wake on a private beach with a shoreline of pristine sand. Far off and perched on hill rests a creepy mansion that even Count Dracula would even envy. You are dehydrated, yet completely conscious and you take in the magnificent view. No you are not Fabio playing some romantic lover to a buxom blond, but rather Andre Duvalier (Jack Nicholson), a French soldier separated from his troops.
Welcome to "The Terror," it may very well be your worst nightmare... or not.
Starring a young Jack Nicholson and veteran horror actor Boris Karloff, "The Terror" is hardly short on terrific performances, yet is very lacking in the shrills department. Legendary Director Roger Corman elicits convincing performances from his leads. The leads play off of each others strengths. Karloff hams it up and Nicholson is captivating because of his signature grin. Karloff of course plays the villain Baron Victor Frederick Von Leppe, an aging man with a mysterious dark side. Andre Duvalier (Nicholson) is a cocky yet insightful soldier who accidentally becomes separated from his men. Duvalier manages to uncover a decades old murder committed somewhere in the mansion because of a run in with a beautiful ghost played by the lovely Sandra Knight.
Yes this film is cheesy and riddled with plot holes. Why, for instance would a high-ranking military man choose to stay on a beach looking for an "illusion" rather than go searching for his troops? Duvalier's men surely need his guidance. Yet despite misgivings like the former, "The Terror" contains just enough dramatic flair to sustain itself for its too brief 81 minute run time. The special effects notably the makeup and water works hold up surprisingly well being that they were conceived of a half century ago. Not even the best looking CGI from today could hold up for 50 years and still be deemed watchable by audiences.
The film lacks hardly any subplots to change up the pace. The short run-time and lac of depth doesn't hurt all that much. The biggest gripes I had with this picture were its nonexistent supporting cast - what are there like three people in the entire film? The big mysterious, twist ending coupled with the breathtaking location should have been inhabited by an eclectic list of colorful characters (think "Young Frankenstein" or "Clue.") Slightly more disappointing was the rushed ending. Not leaving enough time to digest the plot before the credits role was a poor decision by Corman and Company.
Surprisingly, "The Terror" has a terrific climax. Much of the budget must have been spent towards the crumpling of the castle thanks to a lot of water. This film isn't for everyone. It strangely may be suited more towards feminine-geared audiences especially the strange romance between Andre (Nicholson) and the ghost (Knight) despite being put in the horror genre. Think "Casper" meets "Against All Odds."
While "The Terror" can't match the ingenuity of genre staples like John Carpenter's slasher "Halloween" or the seminal "Dracula" it was bizarre enough to take a liking to. And as an added bonus viewers get a chance to see a young Jack Nicholson perform. As long as you aren't expecting to be overly frightened please give this flick a chance.
"The Terror" was directed by Roger Corman with uncredited co-directors Jack Nicholson, Francis Ford Coppola, Jack Hill and Monte Hellman from a screenplay by Leo Gordon, Jack Hill and Roger Corman (uncredited.)
Watch the whole movie for free below:
As always thanks for reading!
2 1/2 Stars
Blog exclusive!
Imagine that you wake on a private beach with a shoreline of pristine sand. Far off and perched on hill rests a creepy mansion that even Count Dracula would even envy. You are dehydrated, yet completely conscious and you take in the magnificent view. No you are not Fabio playing some romantic lover to a buxom blond, but rather Andre Duvalier (Jack Nicholson), a French soldier separated from his troops.
Welcome to "The Terror," it may very well be your worst nightmare... or not.
Starring a young Jack Nicholson and veteran horror actor Boris Karloff, "The Terror" is hardly short on terrific performances, yet is very lacking in the shrills department. Legendary Director Roger Corman elicits convincing performances from his leads. The leads play off of each others strengths. Karloff hams it up and Nicholson is captivating because of his signature grin. Karloff of course plays the villain Baron Victor Frederick Von Leppe, an aging man with a mysterious dark side. Andre Duvalier (Nicholson) is a cocky yet insightful soldier who accidentally becomes separated from his men. Duvalier manages to uncover a decades old murder committed somewhere in the mansion because of a run in with a beautiful ghost played by the lovely Sandra Knight.
Yes this film is cheesy and riddled with plot holes. Why, for instance would a high-ranking military man choose to stay on a beach looking for an "illusion" rather than go searching for his troops? Duvalier's men surely need his guidance. Yet despite misgivings like the former, "The Terror" contains just enough dramatic flair to sustain itself for its too brief 81 minute run time. The special effects notably the makeup and water works hold up surprisingly well being that they were conceived of a half century ago. Not even the best looking CGI from today could hold up for 50 years and still be deemed watchable by audiences.
The film lacks hardly any subplots to change up the pace. The short run-time and lac of depth doesn't hurt all that much. The biggest gripes I had with this picture were its nonexistent supporting cast - what are there like three people in the entire film? The big mysterious, twist ending coupled with the breathtaking location should have been inhabited by an eclectic list of colorful characters (think "Young Frankenstein" or "Clue.") Slightly more disappointing was the rushed ending. Not leaving enough time to digest the plot before the credits role was a poor decision by Corman and Company.
Surprisingly, "The Terror" has a terrific climax. Much of the budget must have been spent towards the crumpling of the castle thanks to a lot of water. This film isn't for everyone. It strangely may be suited more towards feminine-geared audiences especially the strange romance between Andre (Nicholson) and the ghost (Knight) despite being put in the horror genre. Think "Casper" meets "Against All Odds."
While "The Terror" can't match the ingenuity of genre staples like John Carpenter's slasher "Halloween" or the seminal "Dracula" it was bizarre enough to take a liking to. And as an added bonus viewers get a chance to see a young Jack Nicholson perform. As long as you aren't expecting to be overly frightened please give this flick a chance.
"The Terror" was directed by Roger Corman with uncredited co-directors Jack Nicholson, Francis Ford Coppola, Jack Hill and Monte Hellman from a screenplay by Leo Gordon, Jack Hill and Roger Corman (uncredited.)
Watch the whole movie for free below:
As always thanks for reading!
© 2011 Matthew R. Reis, All rights reserved.
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