The Terror (1963)

In 1802 in a coastal territory of Germany, a French soldier (Jack Nicholson) finds himself lost and detached from his troop. He spots a pretty but mysterious maid (Sandra Knight) on the beach who leads him to fresh water. But when he attempts to find her, everyone claims she doesn't exist. This low budget horror entry (reputedly shot in 4 days) from director Roger Corman doesn't have the style and focus of his Poe adaptations. There's no real narrative to speak of and much of the movie is Nicholson walking down castle corridors, fog shrouded graveyards, lush forests or the beach while the audience waits for something to happen. It's a handsome looking film however with John M. Nickolaus Jr.'s cinematography making the most of the California coastline locations and leftover sets from THE RAVEN and THE HAUNTED PALACE. But there's no getting around that the film moves at a snail's pace and has no real tension. Also, there's a revelation at the film's end that makes no sense whatsoever! With Boris Karloff, Dick Miller, Jonathan Haze and Dorothy Neumann.