5
(supernatural)
6
(violence, gruesome images)
5
(see once)
I’m not a Roger Corman fan at all. The majority of the work I’ve seen of his makes me want to quit watching movies. The Terror is an exception. It is actually a fairly decent ghost story with a couple of good twists even though it still manages to remain frayed at the end instead of coming to a completely satisfying conclusion.
A lone soldier, Duvalier, separated from his regiment, stumbles across a strange but beautiful lady - one that very nearly leads him to his death. A creepy old woman who steps in to help directs his attention to a nearby castle where, in his efforts to find and help the mysterious girl, he meets the reclusive Baron Von Leppe. The girl, it seems, may be the Baron’s wife – his dead wife, that is. As Duvalier, who doesn’t believe in ghosts, investigates he discovers dark secrets in the land that stand to rip apart every life connected to them.
To be shot as quickly as this movie was (most of it was done spur of the moment on a set about to be torn down) this actually comes together relatively well. It does tend to get a little surrealistic and confusing here and there particularly when it’s drawn out for the sole purpose of creating some weird scenes. Though odd and disjointed it maintains a creepy air that helps hold it together until it can get back to the flow of the actual story. Unfortunately the payoff isn’t as powerfully creepy as the buildup.
One thing that helps is the acting. We get two deserving legends in the leads here: Boris Karloff as the Baron and Jack Nicholson as the young soldier, Duvalier. What’s unusual is Karloff playing the stiff old man and Nicholson as the energetic young hero, not the kinds of roles they are known for. That’s fine, they know how to play different types of guys. The other roles are done pretty well also, but it’s hard to pay them any attention with the enormity of the likes of the leading men.
While there is little need for special effects some of the more unusual elements like the melting face are done pretty well. The sets really go a long way to helping the movie along. The old castle with its dark chambers and huge doors lends a great atmosphere to the surroundings.
The film itself is new enough to have just barely missed the black-and-white era. I think it was actually Corman's first color picture. It shows its age and feels like a B&W at times.
Morality
I didn’t notice any strong language, and there is no sex or nudity.
There is a little bit of violence, some gruesome scenes, and scary atmosphere.
Spirituality
The Terror presents the typical ghostly haunting view of the afterlife. Spirits want to hang around for closure even after they are dearly departed. Beyond that there is something of a message that your sin will find you out even if it seems like you have run away from it.
Final Thoughts
This is a movie worth seeing for fans of old ghost stories. It’s not the best out there, but it’s the best non-comedic Roger Corman offering I’ve seen thus far.
Buying Guide
The Terror offers a surprisingly sparse number of release options compared to so many of these old movies (with a title as generic as “The Terror” it's entirely possible that some of the releases have gotten lost in the myriad of other search results that include the word “terror”). And surprisingly there are actual notable differences between them.
You'll be able to find it in a number of classic movie collections like the Horror Classics 50 pack. There's a stand-alone DVD by Echo Bridge as well as a couple of others. Elvira hosts a double feature. There's even a Blu-ray edition! It is sold by itself or in a 2 pack with Dementia 13. There's also a Blu combo pack.
Most of the the other DVD's I found list so little information that I'm not even going to try to speculate on what they might offer. None appear to be anything special with no mention of remastering or extras. Which is not to say that there is nothing special to be found.
The one DVD exception is a Digital Gold release which says it's remastered and offers 5.1 surround sound. It's still 1.33 "full-screen." I could find nothing else on it though and have my doubts as to how good this 5.1 would be.
One other DVD note. I didn't see a listing for it, but I did read a comment that a D-vision release claims to be in widescreen but is actually not so avoid it if you run across it.
Elvira hosts a double feature with “Eeegah!” She offers some skits based on the movies, and the set offers some extras though they don't appear to be related to the movie itself.
The Blu offers a 1.66 widescreen image and 5.1 surround sound. I've read reviews that say the transfer is lacking while others praise it as being a notable upgrade from the previous DVD releases. They all seem to agree that the image is fuzzy at times. Some say the 5.1 surround sound is not worth the effort while others say it sounds fine. A DVD version is included in the package. Neither the listings nor the reviews make any mention of extra features.
The "Ultimate Horror Classics" and "Old Dark House" Blu collections seem to be part of a slowly growing trend (or perhaps attempt at a trend) of using Blu's storage capacity to fit a lot of movies on a single disc. Numerous public domain films (some very common, some fairly rare) reside on a single disc in standard 480i definition (no HD here). The best I can say for these is that they seem to occasionally present the original image ratios and may be very slightly improved quality over some of the cheaper DVD budget packs. Otherwise they offer nothing special aside from being exceptionally self-space friendly. They offer no extras and can be somewhat hard to find.
Final Recommendation:
The cheapest way to own the movie, assuming you would want to own other classic horror films is with a value pack like the 50 Horror Classics. The Platinum Disc DVD does offer a brighter transfer and a couple of extras even though they are really nothing special. Neither transfer is great, but neither is so bad that I couldn't enjoy the movie. The Blu is your best bet as far as quality although it sounds like it's not a completely satisfying offering for HD buffs. You'll drop more money to own that version.
The Platinum Disc DVD is available by itself or in a box set with Little Shop of Horrors. This is digitally remastered, but don't expect anything too impressive.
Video
1.33:
The ratio is the TV standard as most prints are. All of my prints have spots where the original film was apparently damaged causing trouble with the transfer, but they handle the problem spots differently. The image is brighter in this transfer making details like the blood on the handle clearly visible but also highlighting the trash in the picture. It doesn't have the pixelation in the problematic spots that others do. Of the others I'll cover the transfer is closer to the 20 pack version but is marginally cleaner. I do notice a green tint when I'm looking for it, but it is far less overbearing than the other transfer.
Audio
2.0 mono:
While there is more white noise in the audio than the other transfer, the overall levels are a bit better, and the dialogue is easy to make out.
So there's a tradeoff here compared to other options: a better view of the details but with more trash and better audio levels with more white noise.
Packaging
This is a standard plastic case. If you get the box set you'll get both movies in a larger cardboard box.
The interface graphics are simple but feature a little amusing lead-in animation and a soft loop of the score.
Extras
-Jack Nicholson Bio: This is a one page bio of Nicholson along with a lengthy filmography.
-Quiz: These multiple choice questions about the movie will score your answers though you get nothing special for completion other than a high score.
Next up is the collection of 50 “Horror Classics.”
Video
1.33:
This is the “full-frame” ratio. In this version the bad spots cause the image to become pixelated. The image is very dark which has a positive and a negative. The positive is that the trash in the image is less visible so it actually comes off as looking cleaner, however the darkness also hides details. In one shot there is blood on a door handle which I can't see in this version even when I'm looking for it. Otherwise the image looks grainy and includes a little bit of trash.
Audio
2.0 mono:
The quality is fair though it is certainly dated. There is less white noise in this one than the other (though some remains), but the levels are more muted.
Packaging
This particular disc is housed in a cardboard sleeve contained in a Velcro-fastened box. You can read about the set as a whole in great detail in the Horror Classics (50 pack) guide.
Extras
There are none.
Next is the “Chilling” 20 pack:
Video
1.33:
This version has a green tint that I didn't notice as much in my other prints. It is bright like the Platinum Disc which is good for showing off details but also showcases the trash and lines that are present. It's grainy, a little fuzzy, and generally unimpressive.
Audio
2.0 mono:
The audio is marred by crackles and pops along with some softer but persistent white noise. Otherwise it is generally fair aside from being thin.
The quality overall is probably worse than the others I've covered even though none are really good.
Packaging
The disc comes in a paper sleeve that lives in a plastic case. You can get more details about the set as a whole by checking out the Chilling (20 pack) guide.
Extras
No extras for this one, either.