5.6 | / 10 |
Users | ![]() | 0.0 |
Reviewer | ![]() | 3.0 |
Overall | ![]() | 3.0 |
Napoleonic cavalry soldier Lt. Andre Duvalier comes upon a mysterious woman named Helene. Although the lieutenant is immediately taken with Helene, she seems to be leading him into deadly traps. When Duvalier seeks refuge at a baron's nearby castle, Helene unexpectedly appears there. The baron is convinced that Helene is the ghost of his long-departed wife Ilsa, but the lieutenant believes Helene is under a hypnotic spell.
Starring: Boris Karloff, Jack Nicholson, Sandra Knight, Dick Miller, Dorothy NeumannHorror | 100% |
Mystery | 7% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.83:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | ![]() | 3.5 |
Video | ![]() | 3.5 |
Audio | ![]() | 3.0 |
Extras | ![]() | 0.0 |
Overall | ![]() | 3.0 |
Continuing with its reissues of public domain titles previously released on Blu-ray by Film Chest and HD Cinema Classics, The Film Detective has newly transferred Roger Corman's legendary potboiler, The Terror. Like most PD Blu-rays, the source element is a film print, and the results will not be anyone's idea of "demo" material. But The Film Detective has improved on the previous Blu-ray, and fans of The Terror will want to consider this release. Anyone acquiring The Terror for the first time should not hesitate to choose this version.
For this new 1080p, AVC-encoded Blu-ray of The Terror, The Film Detective has created a new
scan of the print in its library, with the aspect ratio reformatted to 1.83:1, which is almost
identical to the film's original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and is subtly but noticeable different from
the previous edition's 1.77:1. Featuring tiny letterbox bars at
top and bottom (which most viewers will not see, due to overscan), TFD's disc displays tighter cropping at top and bottom
with additional image at the sides. Although an exact match of screen captures is not possible with
the equipment used by Blu-ray.com, the screenshots accompanying this review have
been as closely matched as possible to those from the
previous review to facilitate comparison.
The same comparison reveals the full extent of the DNR applied to HD Cinema Classics' Blu-ray, resulting in the elimination of the film's natural grain and
the removal of texture and fine
detail. A release print will never be able to supply the level of detail that can be derived from a
camera negative or IP, but TFD's edition of The Terror supplies a noticeably more film-like
image. The downside is that print damage, in the form of white speckles and other dirt artifacts,
are more noticeable (although the print is in pretty good condition). Color values are roughly the
same in this version, but some of the darker shots reveal a slight uptick in contrast.
Unlike the previous Blu-ray, which featured a remixed soundtrack in Dolby Digital 5.1, plus a DD 2.0 mono track, The Film Detective has limited itself to giving The Terror's original mono soundtrack a lossless encode in DTS-HD MA 2.0. I did not hear the degree of crackling and popping reported by my colleague who reviewed the disc from HD Cinema Classics, which suggests that additional cleanup has been performed on the audio. However, no amount of digital restoration can improve on the track's low-budget fidelity and limited dynamic range.
No extras are included. The previous disc offered a short restoration featurette, a trailer newly created for the Blu-ray release, a DVD copy and a postcard reproduction of the original one-sheet.
I suspect that viewers new to The Terror will wonder what all the fuss is about. More than most
films, The Terror requires context to be fully enjoyed—specifically, a familiarity with the
Corman adaptations of Edgar Allen Poe from which this cracked enterprise derives its style and
atmosphere. There's also the film-geek indulgence of watching future three-time Oscar winner
Jack Nicholson flex his fledgling thespian muscles in a role that even he must have known was
more of a goof than a character. Karloff, of course, is always worth watching. The Terror isn't
for everyone, but this is the version to get.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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