Terror – 1978
One Step beyond horror…
Director
Norman J. Warren

Writers
David McGillivray
Les Young story
Moira Young story

Producers
Richard Crafter producer
Les Young producer
Moira Young associate producer
Cast
John Nolan – James Garrick
Carolyn Courage – Ann Garrick
James Aubrey – Phillip
Sarah Keller – Suzy
Trishia Walsh – Viv
Glynis Barber – Carol Tucker
Michael Craze – Gary
Patti Love – Hannah
Mary Maude – Actress Playing Lady Garrick
Peter Craze – Porn Film Director
Peter Atard – Curtis, an actor
Elaine Ives-Cameron – Delores Hamilton
William Russell – Actor Playing Lord Garrick
Rose Collins – Diane, an actress
Chuck Julian – Phil the Greek
John Rapley – Actor Playing Minister
David McGillivray – TV Reporter
Michael O’Malley – Bartender
Peter Mayhew – Tall Mechanic
Milton Reid – Bouncer
Tanya Ferova – Stripper
Colin Howells – Detective
Peter Sproule – Constable
Steve Emerson – Actor Playing Burning Village
L.E. Mack – Mad Dolly
Joseph Dunlop – Villager
Roy Evans – Villager
Tony Rohr – Villager

Review by Sven Soetemans

Wow! A Norman J. Warren film that is actually decent!!
There’s not much to like about Norman J. Warren’s work…. ‘Inseminoid’ (a.ka Horror Planet) was like the lamest Alien rip-off ever made and ‘Satan’s Slave’ was a dreadfully tedious vehicle about a devil-worshiping cult (it starred horror maestro Michael Gough, but still…). To think those two disappointment almost held me from watching this ‘Terror’!

This film is Warren’s finest achievement! A modestly produced, but blood-soaked and nasty horror film that’ll keep you entertained for a good 80 minutes. The plot of ‘Terror’ is standard shlock, handling about a film producer who inadvertently awakened the spirit of an ancestral witch while shooting a film about his own family’s history. Things start to go horribly wrong the film premieres in the old family mansion and the young niece gets possessed with the witch’s soul.

The film doesn’t contain the slightest bit of continuity and numerous murders are completely random. Not one horror lover will complain about this, though, since every single slashing is darn gruesome and presented with the nastiest make-up effects possible. There are a few (beautiful) young girls stabbed to death and pinned to a tree, a film crew member is crushed by the set pieces, a cop is road-killed by his own car and there are multiple neat close-ups of slit throats and severed corpses! Every killing is a horror feast and – sometimes – that’s all there is needed to satisfy fans of the genre. At some points, Warren even succeeds in creating tension through atmospheric camera-work! How about that? The sequence where the blond girl is chased through the woods almost feels like ‘The Blair Witch Project’ 20 years ahead of its time!

Although the film doesn’t feature an actual climax (everybody dies…period!) or no depth in general, it’s still receives warm recommendation thanks to the bright dialogue, stunning camera-work and loads of fun it delivers.