There's a thin line between bad and campy. "The Terror", it's safe to say, is in the latter category. The plot is hackneyed, but not too typical or outlandish. There are your typical obligatory characters for a haunted castle movie. The curious guy, his love interest (who also doubles as the mysterious apparition), the eccentric castle owner and his creepy cohort.
The acting isn't all that bad. Nicholson is solid in one of his early roles and Bela Lugosi proves to be decent beyond Frankenstein's makeup and Dracula's cape. The special effects are bad, but not blatantly bad. After all, it was made in 1963. "The Terror's" ending sequence makes a decent general statement about the film's sorry special FX, as it is a cheesy mock-up of "time-lapsed" photography. Add this to the film's cheap plot twists and nonsensical story, it is a great addition to the camp hall of fame. Or at least a great late movie.
The acting isn't all that bad. Nicholson is solid in one of his early roles and Bela Lugosi proves to be decent beyond Frankenstein's makeup and Dracula's cape. The special effects are bad, but not blatantly bad. After all, it was made in 1963. "The Terror's" ending sequence makes a decent general statement about the film's sorry special FX, as it is a cheesy mock-up of "time-lapsed" photography. Add this to the film's cheap plot twists and nonsensical story, it is a great addition to the camp hall of fame. Or at least a great late movie.