Terror
Directed by Norman J. Warren
Released: 1978
Starring: John Nolan, Carolyn Courage, James Aubrey, and Sarah Keller
Running Time: 87 minutes
DVD Released By Anchor Bay UK
Region: 2 PAL

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A filmmaker, James Garrick (played by John Nolan), and his cousin, Ann (Carolyn Courage), an aspiring actress, are haunted by a curse placed on their family by a witch nearly 300 years ago. Their situation worsens when their friends, enemies, and even some innocent bystanders, are killed in mysterious accidents or are murdered outright. The curse turns its attention to the two descendents and they have no choice but to face the horrors that destroyed their ancestors.

Trash horror maestro, Norman J. Warren (Satan’s Slave, Prey), directs Terror, a supernatural slasher mishmash penned by David McGillivray, the screenwriter responsible for Pete Walker’s House Of Whipcord and Frightmare. Clearly inspired by Italian horror films (Suspiria especially), Terror boasts some terrifically garish lighting schemes, a brooding credit sequence, a plethora of gorgeous actresses, and a thick atmosphere. The synth-happy score is as pertinent to the film as the painful late 70s fashion. The plot is practically non-existent but the flying car helps, right?

The cast does a fine job rolling with the punches in this trippy flick. John Nolan is good as the brooding James whose life begins to fall apart as the curse grows stronger around him. The lovely Carolyn Courage is wonderful as the haunted Ann. Both characters come off as innocent of the terrible incidents happening around them but small flashes of complicity will invariably cause confusion. Tricia Walsh is also a treat playing the sexy and bubbly softcore porn actress, Viv.

The biggest problem with Terror is its silliness. Its satirical look at a fly-by-night film studio is pretty corny. Clearly, director Warren is going for a subtly comic and tongue-in-cheek theme (keep an eye out for posters of his own Satan’s Slave and the infamous Thriller: A Cruel Picture) so it's all just part of the fun. In fact, the only person who is completely out of sorts is a police officer who is run over by his own car. He doesn't seem overly concerned about his impending doom. It's hard to be too rough on the guy since the editing in this scene is muddled and end result is just silly.

Fans of British horror flicks will enjoy Terror and those into the Italian stuff will also get a kick out of guessing the influences. Even Slasher enthusiasts will be delighted by the stalking scenes and the violent deaths that befall the characters. Don't even think about trying to put all of the pieces of the tattered plot back together because you'll come up empty-handed. What's important is that the film is sleazy and bloody where it needs to be and is filled with some very dry humor. Also, be sure to keep an eye peeled for the punk rock stripper with a bullwhip; she's the floor show and she won't disappoint (only frighten).

My first impression of Terror was very, very negative. I was riding high off of Satan’s Slave and wasn’t prepared for a completely different film. After several folks took exception to my particularly bewildered and often vile review, I decided to give this one another shot. I'm glad I did because Terror is a fun and truly bizarre film.

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Links:

Get Terror on DVD from Xploited Cinema.