The Terror

1963

1h 21m

Horror

List

42%

12 Reviews

Tomatometer

22%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Lt. Duvalier (Jack Nicholson), a French soldier, loses contact with his unit and is forced to wander alone near the Baltic Sea. While in search of his regiment, he spies Helene (Sandra Knight), a mysterious beauty, walking by herself. Mesmerized, Duvalier begins tracking her, but she vanishes. He later catches up with her and follows her into a castle, where he encounters the bizarre Baron Von Leppe (Boris Karloff), finds signs of witchcraft and learns the shocking truth about Helene.

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Piper W

One star, and that's because of Boris Karloff. Nicholson was horrible, but Sandra Knight totally ruins this entire mess! Not worth watching.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

10/22/23

Full Review

Shelley H

I really enjoy this movie everytime I watch it which is at least once a year. It's a fun watch

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/15/23

Full Review

christopher c. m

First I have questions. Why was Lieutenant Duvalier all alone? Where was he coming from? Where was he going to? Before he pops out of nowhere we learn little to nothing about him. It's slow, it isn't scary at all. There are shocks and twists that come out of nowhere with little build up or sense. Plus it ends in a climax that is nothing but a shock that just happens for no reason and it just ends, no explanation.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A fun guilty pleasure. So bad it's good.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/14/23

Full Review

Deke P

The beach and ocean scenes I recognize were BIG SUR, & my favorite little beach just north of NEPENTHE (also a POE name) restaurant. And in another early scene, Jack rides a horse along a BIG SUR rode overlooking the Pacific. Classic Poe, and one of the very EARLIEST Jack Nicholson I remember, and could not believer that the same guy became a big star. He was entirely MISCAST (his voice and appearance) in this role. Also the great_Boris Karloff, Read the 'story behind the story' in the above RT featured review by Jeffry M. Anderson! Low budget director Cameron shot this in justd TWO DAYS, because he had just finished another movie with these actors in the CASTLE! Also, unforgettable character actor DICK MILLER also played a serious part. It was on my tv set again 7.2.22 & again 11.25.23.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/28/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Every once in a while, I will watch this gem of a movie. The final product came out rather nicely for a hodgepodge movie production involving multiple directors, re-purposed sets, and an incomplete script. It contains several elements that I appreciate: Boris Karloff, Jack Nicholson, Roger Corman, and Francis Ford Coppola. Who could ask for anything more?

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/18/23

Full Review

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Roger Corman

Director

Boris Karloff

Baron Victor Frederick Von Leppe

Jack Nicholson

Lt. Andre Duvalier

Sandra Knight

Helene

Dick Miller

Stefan

Dorothy Neumann

Katrina

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Dennis Harvey

48 Hills

This castle-set Gothic whatsit, which throws in ghosts, Satan and a witch, remains a “Frankenfilm” par excellence, sewn from other movies’ stray parts into a chaotic, inorganic yet oddly engaging whole.

Feb 2, 2024

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

The script is erratic and the pacing often poor, but it's a treat to watch the great Karloff and a baby-faced Nicholson square off, and the story packs a couple of nice surprises toward the end.

Rated: 2.5/4

Oct 26, 2021

Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson

Combustible Celluloid

Once you know the story behind the movie you can't help but love it.

Rated: 3/4

Jan 20, 2017

Full Review

Phil Hall

Film Threat

Nicholson gave the best analysis of the film in a later-career interview: "It was incredibly bad."

Rated: 2/5

Jul 15, 2011

Full Review

Fernando F. Croce

CinePassion

Scene by scene, it's a delightful Ovidian creature

Feb 22, 2010

Full Review

Cole Smithey

ColeSmithey.com

Rated: 3/5

Apr 5, 2008

Full Review

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Synopsis

Lt. Duvalier (Jack Nicholson), a French soldier, loses contact with his unit and is forced to wander alone near the Baltic Sea. While in search of his regiment, he spies Helene (Sandra Knight), a mysterious beauty, walking by herself. Mesmerized, Duvalier begins tracking her, but she vanishes. He later catches up with her and follows her into a castle, where he encounters the bizarre Baron Von Leppe (Boris Karloff), finds signs of witchcraft and learns the shocking truth about Helene.

Director: Roger Corman
Producer: Harvey Jacobson
Screenwriter: Leo Gordon, Jack Hill
Production Co: American Internat'l Pics
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 7, 2011
Runtime: 1h 21m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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