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Boris Karloff, Jack Nicholson, Sandra Knight, Dick Miller, Dorothy Neumann ... see more see more... , Jonathan Haze , Leo Gordon

In this horror chiller, an intriguing, beautiful woman (Sandra Knight) keeps re-appearing to early 19th-century Lt. Duvalier (Jack Nicholson), and he is led to a castle where he finds an imposter of B... read more read more...aron Von Leppe (Boris Karloff). He becomes trapped in the ancient castle and tries to make sense of the eerie situation. Director Roger Corman (with the help of a few other directors, including Francis Ford Coppola) shot most of this within a few days after finishing The Raven--utilizing the same set. ~ Kristie Hassen, Rovi

Flixster Users

24% liked it

3,442 ratings

Critics

22% liked it

9 critics

R, 1 hr. 21 min.

Directed by: Monte Hellman, Roger Corman

Release Date: June 17, 1963

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DVD Release Date: September 15, 1998

 

Stats: 233 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (233)


  • April 27, 2012
    It didn't give me "The Terror", but this still managed to be a pretty enjoyable Poe-esque chiller. It is interesting seeing young Jack Nicholson in the lead role before he became a huge star. The film that was essentially made around 3 days worth of footage of legendary horror ... read moreicon Boris Karloff. Roger Corman filmed the Boris Karloff-footage and passed on the film to young directors like Francis Ford Coppola and even Jack Nicholson directed a few scenes. For a film that was passed down to many filmmakers, the story is surprisingly coherent. The film manages to conjure up a fun chilling atmosphere with it's foggy grave sites, dark corridors, and gritty film quality. Boris Karloff is awesome and Jack Nicholson does a good job carrying the film but his acting is not as mind-blowing as his future films. This movie is public domain so you can easily watch this movie on youtube. Go ahead and check it out.
  • May 15, 2011
    I love seeing Boris Karloff, Jack Nicholson, and Dick Miller all in the same movie together, but the material just isn't all that great. It's the typical haunted house mystery...not even the actors have anything really that good to work with. I just love having this group of pe... read moreople assembled and for me that makes me like it, not because it's that good of a movie.
  • November 24, 2010
    I really like this movie, it has some great stars, and the story is really cool. This is a spooky horror movie, and I enjoyed it.
  • November 12, 2010
    Whoa! This movie is boring. It's not exciting or interesting, it doesn't even try to offer thrills, and it's not even funny in a fun old horror flick type way, it's just sad.
  • October 15, 2010
    What the?

    I believe this was one of Jacks first films and it was an opportunity to work with Karlofff, who wouldn't say YES?

    And it was towards the end of Karloff's career, so really what else did he have to do?

    Not that I expect GREAT things from Roger Corman...but this... read more film is just a mess. I won't even begin to start a list of all of the issues that I have with it.

    I gave it one star out of respect for Mr. Karloff.
  • January 9, 2010
    Strange but interesting gothic horror yarn from Roger Corman. It's fun watching an old Boris Karloff interact with a young Jack Nicholson.
  • October 4, 2011
    Cheap Gothic flick by Roger Corman. A young Jack Nicholson plays a Napoleonic soldier. Nicholson carries most of the picture. Nicholson is not very convincing in the role, but out of curiosity for his career or Corman's this movie is an ok way to pass an hour and twenty minutes. ... read moreBoris Karloff is an aristocrat with a secret. Sandra Knight is a mysterious woman who keeps disappearing on Nicholson. There is a butler and a witch and the plot seems like the filmmakers were making major changes to the script as they filmed.
  • March 20, 2010
    A gothic horror story featuring the great Boris Karloff and a young Jack Nicholson. Yes, the special effects are somewhat cheesy, but this was in the 60s; and I think that added to the charm of the film. A twisted tale of love, revenge, and isolation. Oh, did I mention it ha... read mores Karloff?
  • September 30, 2009
    Shot in four days, with five different directors, with left over sets...and it shows. Films like this are usually good for a bit of fun now and again, only downside here being that the story is so muddled by the end of it you don't know what's going on. Nice to see a young Jack N... read moreicholson though (who also directed some of the footage).
  • November 29, 2011
    Lots of interesting concepts, images, and an early Jack Nicholson role create an almost-great film. Surprisingly, the plot largely makes sense within the context of the "horror" world portrayed. As with a lot of these older horror movies, it unfolds more like a detective film--a ... read moreconcept reinforced by a general lack of scare. But the grotesque images and quaintly macabe caste give off a nice, eerie vibe.

Critic Reviews


Phil Hall
July 15, 2011
Phil Hall, Film Threat

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

Fernando F. Croce
February 22, 2010
Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion

Scene by scene, it's a delightful Ovidian creature Full Review

Daniel Eagan
September 13, 2005
Daniel Eagan, Film Journal International

Moody, not-quite-coherent suspense

Ken Hanke
February 4, 2004
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Tepid, shoddy stuff despite its pedigree.

Dennis Schwartz
October 2, 2001
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

The Terror is more boring than it is scary. Full Review

Cole Smithey
April 5, 2008
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com

No review available.

Emanuel Levy
July 16, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

Michael Szymanski
June 1, 2005
Michael Szymanski, International Press Academy

No review available.

Frank Swietek
May 6, 2004
Frank Swietek, One Guy's Opinion

No review available.

Geoff Andrew
February 9, 2006
Geoff Andrew, Time Out

Click to read the article Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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