Making a horror movie often requires a huge and unwieldy budget. Horror movies require expensive special effects and stunts to be effective. The budget is also affected by the need to create imaginative sets, buy or rent film equipment and pay for actors and crew. However, some clever and imaginative film makers, such as Peter Jackson have created fun and effective horror movies with little to no budgets. Others have created plodding, repetitive, ridiculous and ineffective horror movies with no budget. These movies should be avoided by viewers that want to be scared. However, with a few friends they might be fun movies to watch for a laugh. And to illustrate how not to make a movie.
The Terror
Roger Corman is a no budget movie maker that can turn out solid and entertaining movies created with little to no money. Early in his career, Corman was a jack of all trades, often producing, directing and writing his movies. Often, he also helped move equipment and do difficult set up work. He usually performed all these tasks simply to avoid paying somebody else to do the same work.
However, his careful business sense, combined with his ability to create entertaining movies helped make him the only film maker in history to make money, with few exceptions, on every movie he made.
In the early to mid 60's, he was reaching his artistic peak with his series of moody and accomplished Edgar Allan Poe adaptations. In 1963, he was filming his adaptation of "The Raven." Realizing he was going to be finished earlier than expected, he decided to film another movie while his sets were still standing. Corman had done this before with "Little Shop of Horrors" which was filmed in three days and which has inspired a musical and a remake.
However, "The Terror" is often considered one of his worst movies. Problems plagued the movie from the beginning and the three day shooting schedule ballooned into a few weeks. The script, which they made up as they went, made no sense and many of the actors, including Karloff had to leave. As a result, characters often disappear for long stretches of the film or from the film entirely. Plot points are brought up and dropped almost immediately. This confusion, increased by over written period dialogue which the actors' struggled to deliver helped create a confusing and boring viewing experience.
However, the film has some merit. The cinematography is moody and impressive for such a low budget movie. The sets are very well designed and often seem appropriate for a big budget movie. The acting is strong, with horror icon Boris Karloff stealing the show. It also features "Little Shop" lead Jonathan Haze, an incredibly young Jack Nicholson (yes that Jack Nicholson) and the incomparable Dick Miller. A young Francis Ford Coppola even directed a few scenes.
Sources
- "The Terror." Stomp Tokyo. Freeman Williams. October 4, 1998. Link here.
Eric Benac - I hold an MA in Writing from Northern Michigan University in Marquette as well as a Bachelor's in English from the same institution as ...
Join the Conversation