13 Ghosts (1960)

After watching The Tingler, I was in the mood for some more classic William Castle. With a few different movies to choose from, I broke down and decided to watch the original 13 Ghosts from 1960.

Plot/ A family inherits what proves to be a haunted house, but a special pair of goggles allows them to see their ghostly tormentors.

To me, this may be the best movie Castle did. This is one of those quieter horror movies that rely on atmosphere vice gore to get the point across. The script, acting and cinematography all worked quite well together and created an extremely entertaining film. Even the gimmick of the Ghost Viewer works within the confines of the film. This movie is true B movie gold and so much better than the remake (on a fraction of the budget). This is an awesome example of filmmaking at its finest, full of family fun and just enough chills to make it work on dark stormy nights.

The Tingler (1959)

Now that Cryptozoology Week is over, it is time to catch up on some of the great movies I have watched this week besides ones featuring unknown creatures. Well, some do that as well, but do not fit into the Cryptozoological realm. One such feature is William Castle’s 1959 Vincent Price Classic, The Tingler

Plot/ After years of research, a scientist discovers a caterpillar-like parasite that grows in the human spine when someone is afraid. Unless the victim screams, the parasite can grow large enough to be deadly. Soon, he names this creature the tingler.

Even after all of these years, this movie stands as one of the most interesting horror movies ever made. Yes, it is the picture of low budget B movie heaven boasting a great idea, laughable script, poor dialogue and uneven acting. However, even with Castle's signature gimmicks, the film really works. Price is in full glory, with one of his best performances (complete with an awesome acid trip).  The effects are solid and the monster itself is a classic. In the end, this film is something special and a definite Must See!

House on Haunted Hill (1959)

After spending the early part of the week going through some of the movies Vincent Price made famous in the 1970s, I felt it was time to take a step back. My choice for tonight was the 1959 Price classic House on Haunted Hill for my incarnation of Vincent Price Week on the Ringmaster’s Realm.

Plot/ Millionaire Fredrick Loren invites five strangers to a party in the House On Haunted Hill. The house has a past of brutal murders. Mr. Loren's fourth wife, Annabelle, warns the guests that her husband is insane and plans something that night. That is when everyone begins to suspect something is going on with Mr. Loren. At midnight, the doors are locked and there is no way to get out. Then when a game of murder begins and no one knows who is doing what there is no way to call for help.

To me, this classic version of the film is by far the best. Director William Castle does a great job in creating one of the most entertaining examples of the low-budget, black-and-white horror films that many of us were raised on. The low budget classic has a nice combination of thrills and chills and follows a very entertaining story while maintain great pace. As usual, Price does a masterful job at bringing his character to life, and is really at the top of his game taking advantage of all of the elements that the setting allows. In the end, this is truly a Price classic and very entertaining film, if you have not seen it pick it up now!

Terrified! (1963)

Another night, another time that I can not see myelf diving back into the Undead Collection. With success on my first venture into the Gorehouse Great Collection being a successful one in Blood Mania, I figured I would roll the dice one more time and watch Terrified. I remember watching this for the first time back growing up on Chilly Billy's Chiller Theatre, it was one of those movies that just drew me in and made me want to watch it all over again (I beleive I actually recorded it one night, but who knows now). Seeing it on the Gorehouse Greats set made it an easy selection, although I hadn't seen it in 10-to-15 years.

Plot/ A well dressed but stealthy psychopath is terrorizing kids in a ghost town (starting awesomely with an opening sequence where a guy is being buried in wet cement). Marge and two men, David and Ken are determined to find out what happened. When Ken is left alone in town, the villain targets him in throughout the film.

Directed by silent movie legend Lew Landers (actually his last film), the movie is definitely more about atmosphere than horror. Yes, the script isn't great and the budget cannot be much better, but Landers does an amazing job transforming the settings into desolate and eerie surroundings perfect for a killer to work his magic. While the acting isn't the greatest, the film as a whole works tremendously and really stands tall within the "B" Movie genre. To me, this is a great film and a "Must See" for fans of that era or the movies of William Castle.