Terrified (1963)

Even though I daresay of myself that I know quite a lot about horror, I had never heard or read anything about "Terrified" before. When I accidentally stumbled on it via YouTube, I immediately wanted to see it solely based on its juicy one-phrase plot description: "A masked lunatic kills off people in an abandoned ghost town". That's a fairly straightforward and unusual premise for an early sixties horror film, and I also read in the user-comments around here that many fans still have fond memories of watching the film on late- night television and remembering that they were, well… terrified! I must admit that the first 15-20 minutes exist of astounding and genuinely macabre horror footage. It's almost amazing how darkly atmospheric and unsettling "Terrified" is during its opening sequences, with a grisly on-screen murder (someone is buried alive in a grave with wet cement) and the discovery of a body impaled on a fence. The set-pieces are also uniquely eerie (old cemetery, ghost town), there are lots of traditionally spooky touches (big hairy spiders, cobwebs, hanging noose dangling in front of the window…), subtle music and the masked murderer still comes across as relentless. The only thing missing, in fact, is a semi-decent explanation of what is going on. It must have something to do with a beautiful girl, Marge, whose heart every guy in town – including the killer - wants to conquer. But then, sadly enough, the whole promising set-up falls apart like an unstable house of cards. The identity of the killer can be guessed within the first few sequences, the pivot characters start doing and saying things that make absolutely no sense, the masked psycho makes the dreadful mistake of talking too much and everything starts to become dull, dull, dull! To get an idea of how boring "Terrified" gets, just count the number of times that Marge and her lead admirer sit in their car (driving very calmly and serene even though they know their pal is in lethal danger) and talk irrelevant nonsense to each other! Towards the final act the boredom was quite unendurable and I hardly paid attention anymore to the denouement, which wasn't too much of a problem since we all knew already who the killer was and what his motivations were.

I just saw "Terrified" for the first time on Rhino's "Horrible Horrors" collection. It was really quite good. Sure, it was super low budget and kind of stupid, but the villain gave me the willies. He runs around this ghost town in a suit and cape (I think) and he wears a hood (or is it a ski mask?) that only shows his eyes. The thing about it that truly creeped me out was that he ran in and out of scenes really fast and for some reason this was actually scary...I don't know why that is. Maybe it made him completely unpredictable. He didn't do any of the usual things these guys do when they stalk someone. He kept letting people go and then would recapture them and so on...all with this creepy whisper voice and super disturbing giggle. He was also a real kick-*** fighter! There's this one fight in a cave that looks almost like it's a real fight. You can tell this one actor is really trying to get away (or he's just an excellent actor...kind of a poor man's James Dean). It's sort of a re-working of "Phantom of the Opera" and there's a touching denouement on the part of the guy playing the villain. But I have to say, if I'm ever in a ghost town after sundown, I just may be looking over my shoulder, and I just may be...Terrified!

I saw this movie in it's theatrical release, and was very impressed with the way it maintained the level of real tension throughout. I wasn't inclined, as I was with most horror B flicks, to just blow off the attempts at making the audience shiver. This film was made with some intelligence and sensitivity to the characters and to making the audience care about them. It was on TV once in the 70s, that I know of, on CBC, where their reviewers gave it *** out of four.I have searched for references to this movie, and it is very difficult to find. Maltin doesn't review it. I'd like to see it again. 7/10

***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** After searching high and low for this obscure movie I was able to finally locate a copy.This was made in 1962 but not released by Crown International until late 1963 or early 1964.A lot of exposition comes from the dialogue.A shorter version (66 minutes) used to be in general release.The 81 minute version adds a little more depth to the hows and whys of the main characters.The film has a very spooky opening scene.A black masked maniac is torturing a young man in a graveyard.He's doing this by burying him alive in wet cement.While this is going on there are some very spooky and weird background noises.We then meet some of the leads.Marge works at a bar as a hostess for Wesley Blake.Marge is with Dave (called Steve in all of the credits I've seen until here at imdb;maybe because he is played by Steve Drexel?). Ken (Rod Lauren)comes in.He is a college student (& one of Marge's boyfriends)and is writing a mid term paper on terror.We also find out that the young man who was buried in cement is not dead,just comatose from shock.But he is Marge's brother Joey.Marge wants to go out to the ghost town and talk to Wild Bill, the local drunk.Since the graveyard where Joey was assaulted is there she feels that maybe he may know something about it.Dave agrees to go but Ken prefers not to.When Steve and Marge get out to the very creepy ghost town they feel that they are not alone.And it isn't wild Bill.They do find Bill.But old Bill has been brutally murdered.Ken arrives as the other two are about to head back into town for the sheriff.Ken stubbornly decides to stay.Ken is menaced by the hooded maniac.He's locked in a room full ofspiders.Then he is tortured by a drowning attempt.The maniac sadistically toys with Ken.Rather than give away too much I'll stop with the plot here.On the downside admittedly this is one of those early to mid 1960's Psycho wannabes.Some of the lines are pretty stupid but most of the quibbles are minor.There are a few unconventional things about this movie.The burial in wet cement is pretty brutal.So is another scene of another person being buried alive.The ghost town sets are pretty effective.There are some weird sounds going on in the background to set you on edge.The maniac is pretty twisted and there is a real sense of isolation about this film.The night photography seems to actually have been shot at night instead of the cheesy day for night method often employed in low budget films.This gives it an added unsettling edge of desolation and helplessness.It moves pretty well and is better than average.As a side note it is the last film directed by Lew Landers.He also directed pictures from the silent era to the 60's.He directed the 1935 The Raven with Bela Lugosi & Boris Karloff.Yes this is a minor film.While it is no classic I'm glad to have been able to see it.It is best viewed late at night with the lights low oroff.But it probably won't show upon tv or dvd at all.