The Terror
© 1963	Filmgroup & American Int. Pictures
Rated NR	81min
RATINGS
Neo

Baron Victor Frederick Von Leppe - Man. Boris Karlof must have really been sluming it when he made this flick. He plays a Baron who catches his woman cheating and kills them both. Or so you think anyway. Praise be to Gaia that he is eventually choaked and drowned before this film could reach the hour and a half mark!

Lt. Andre Duvalier - Son of a count and French soldier who, of course, gets seperated from his troop, I' willing to bet he ran, and finds himself on a beach with a strange woman. What's he do? Chases her away of course. He eventualy falls in love with Ilsa and disobeys the orders of his host/Baron.

Baroness Helene Von Leppe (Ilsa) - This is the taunting ghost who is basically a c**ktease and cheating whore. The Baron finds her in bed with her lover, Eric, and such ... she is now dead. Way to go Baron! Although, she was kind of cute but she has more issues than National Geographic!

Stefan - I can never remember this actors name. Anyway, he plays the Baron's servant and protector of his "secret." He tries many times to set Duvalier on his way, but like the real French, he just wont leave. He too is drowned later. Come to think of it, there was a hell of a lot of drowning in this film!

Katarina - This old woman by day, witch by night, was Eric's mother. She is seeking revenge for the death of her son at the Baron's hands. Like many Gypsy women should be, she is struck dead by a rogue bolt of lightening and the scene of her melting face that ensues was pure genius!

Gustaf - This fake mute is Katarina's servant. Now how an unemployed gypsy witch can afford to have a servant is beyond me. According to Thir13en Ghosts it's possible for anyone to have one though. How I wished for the bird that pecked out his eyes and sent him plummeting over the cliff edge, would come for me next.

*It isn't an act of treason to talk to me.

*Such is the will of God to endow and deprive.

*Surely I've made enough noise to wake the dead.

*The Baron tells me you've been with him since the Polish campaign.

*Take your life as you took mine. Let your own hand destroy you.

*Mesmerism? You fool!

• Even the French can beat the Polish.
• If you set about to tormenting someone to suicide, be sure it's not your own son!
• Never kiss Jack Nicholson!!!
• Even greats like Boris Karlof slum it from time to time.
• It is possible to make a film on $5.
• Roger Corman will make anything into a movie!

7min: The changing scenery is really starting to confuse me.
9min: Baby, you got real ugly, real fast.
17min: Why does no one ever listen to the warnings of lunatic gypsies?
20min: Yeah, because you're the village idiot.
29min: Everybody's a critic.
51min: Loves him? Is that why she tried to kill him?
68min: BWAHAHAHAHAHA The Baron just bitch-whipped you like a $2 whore!
76min: ummm ... What the hell is with the floating rocks?
78min: That is one helluva kiss o' death!

Nicholson plays a Frenchsoldier, Andre Duvalier, who stumbles upon a strange woman wandering on a beach. Near as I could tell, he lost his regiment and was nearing dehydration until this phantom woman leads him to a well of fresh water. Once he was strong enough, he was taken in by the strange gypsy woman, atarina. After a period of time, and some prying on Andre's part, he is told of the keep atop the mountain owned by one Baron Von Leppe. From the moment Andre invites himself into the Baron's home and private life, Duvalier's sanity is tested and a whole new world of murder and the supernatural is unleashed.

Although I have seen better films, none were made in only 3 days! Corman is not only a business mastermind, but he is also a film genius. Greats like this film, "Naked Warriors", "Fantastic Four", & "X: The Man With the X-Ray Eyes" are all prime examples of his handy work. But he also has his fingers dipped into other cult classics like "Slumber Party Massacre." Nearly everything has a connection to Corman. Kind of like Kevin Bacon.

I think my biggest complaint about the film was thw writing. Although I really shouldn't complain too much, considering production time. But certain things like talking about characters out of the blue who have yet to be introduced or even mentioned prior, as if we know who they are. Even scenes that really made no sense like Andre's horse taking off in the middle of the night.

Well, if production time is the only thing to cause such minor problems like those, than this film is a master piece! An example that all other film makers today should take lessons by! Hear me Tony Malanowski and Schumacer? Speaking of Schumacer, I'm off to watch epsode 24 of the 1960's Batman TV series! Oh Happy Day!!