Bloodtype Online
For the best of the Horror/Cult/Exploitation film experience
The William Castle Collection (2009)
Director William Castle is easily a man I would call a genius. I’m not saying that everything he ever made was gold, but he managed to turn out some great films and reshape the way horror films were presented for all time. Not only did he understand how to make films but he was something much greater for the genre; a showman. Castle created gimmicks that got people into the theaters and it’s something that has had a lasting effect. As I sit here and write this there is a double feature of Castle’s films being playing next week in my hometown (One of them is 13 Ghosts and is even being played in Illusion-O) almost forty years after the films were made. That to me is the mark of a special human being and that just might be an understatement when speaking of Castle.
13 Ghosts (1960)
“13 Ghosts” is the story of Cyrus Zorba and his family. They’ve managed to come up on some hard times and have just had all of their furniture removed from their home on what happens to be their young sons birthday. For his birthday he wishes for them to be able to live in a house with furniture that nobody would ever take away. The next day Cyrus finds that he is inheriting a home from his late uncle Dr. Zorba with some strange circumstances surrounding it. The house is haunted and they’ve also inherited the 12 ghosts that live in the house. As the family figures out that Dr. Zorba withdrew all of his money shortly before he died they feel as if the fortune is somewhere in the home. But with this being the case they also realize that their lives are in serious danger and have to figure out what’s happening before it’s too late.
This film has become a bit of a legend considering Castle presented it in Illusion-O which was a gimmick consisting of watching scenes in the film with a viewer given to you at the theater. This is all explained in an introduction by the director and it’s honestly a great idea. It has to do with people not believing in ghosts and the viewer actually has the choice to watch the film and NOT see the ghosts by using it. Of course, nobody in their right mind would want to see the movie without the ghosts, so it’s a gimmick that was goofy but a lot of fun. Plus, it gave moviegoers a nice little souvenir from their movie going experience.
The movie still manages to hold up pretty well as it was just as cool as it was when I saw it when I was much younger. It’s a very fun movie and is something I think people will enjoy no matter what their age bracket. The effects are a bit hokey but that’s to be expected from a movie made in 1960.
The acting in the film is very solid as well especially from Charles Herbert who plays Buck in the film and had to be about 11 or 12 years old when he starred in this. He turns in a great performance and really does a good job at carrying scenes in the film. It’s amazing too considering he never gets overshadowed in the scenes in which he’s acting with adults.
Another thing that I love about his movie is the fact that the characters are far from stupid and actually make logical decisions. That’s something I found refreshing and it’s also something I think people won’t expect from a movie that’s this old.
Overall “13 Ghosts” is a damn fine horror film and is something I think I’ll be watching just about every Halloween season from this point out, especially with it looking this good on DVD.
Rating - ***
13 Frightened Girls (1963)
“13 Frightened Girls” is centered around Candace Hull, the daughter of an American diplomat who happens to attend school with daughters of other diplomats from around the world. During a break from school Candace returns home to her father and to Wally a CIA agent who she has a crush on. During all of this she gets the idea to become a spy for her country without anyone knowing it’s her. But eventually playing secret agent catches up with her and she puts herself in more danger than she would ever imagine.
“13 Frightened Girls” is far from a horror film which I have to say surprised me a bit. I hadn’t seen this one before and personally I found it a pleasant surprise. The movie is well acted and has some great story arch’s with the twists and turns of Candace becoming a spy. It’s like the film is part mystery and part thriller and everything in it works very well. I would have loved this movie if I would have seen it as a kid, but I have to say that I still managed to really enjoy it nonetheless.
One thing that I find really strange is the title of the film. “13 Frightened Girls” seems to clearly be a marketing plot for the film to make it sound scary. In reality though the only thing that really has to do with 13 girls in general would be the school, which most of the films running time consists of the girls being out of the school.
Sure the movie is a fluff piece with very little in the way of innovation, but it’s simple and effective something William Castle was a master at. This one also is gimmicked if you watch the “danger card” extra provided on the DVD. It’s basically a game in which you moisten your finger and rub the printed side of the card to reveal the word “danger”. If this happened to you, then you win a prize Although none of the gimmicks are included in the collection, it’s still nice to see and hear what they were directly from Castle’s mouth RECOMMENDED.
Rating - **½
Homicidal (1961)
“Homicidal” is the story of a family in which there is a large inheritance to be had. Miriam Webster is excited as her half brother Warren returns home from Europe to the mansion in which they grew up. Warren’s childhood guardian Helga is at the home as well but she has been stricken to a wheelchair after suffering a stroke. Helga is being cared for by her nurse Emily since it happened and the woman has the strangest bedside manner you can imagine. Before you know it Emily seems to be a maniac on the loose and Miriam becomes concerned that her family could be in danger.
I’ve heard before that director William Castle was heavily influenced by the work of Alfred Hitchcock but I didn’t really see it until after watching this movie. It’s clear that the film is derived from Hitchcock’s classic film “Psycho” only with a few different touches. I will say that it does attempt to have a shocker of an ending that although I thought I figured out, I was certainly wrong about how it would be executed.
The tone of the film is certainly eerie as there are scenes with Emily treating poor Helga in a most awful manner. These scenes are very dark in tone and it was something I wasn’t really expecting from a Castle film. But you add this dark tone to the overall feel of the movie and you have quite a unique and interesting film regardless of the comparison to “Psycho”.
The gimmick used in the film might be my favorite of all of Castle’s film gimmicks. There is a clock counting down in which if you are too afraid you have a “fright break” to get the hell out of the theater Sure it’s a cheap thrill but it’s wonderfully delivered and makes the movie that much more fun when watching it.
The thing that I really liked about this one though is that it has a knockout ending. Sure one might know something is a little fishy when watching the film and it’s characters, but I personally thought the finale was well executed and outstanding.
Overall “Homicidal” is a damn fine horror film. Personally I really enjoyed it and I think it stands up better in many ways than “Psycho” does. Not to say it’s a better movie of course, but I think if you’re a fan of “Psycho” and you’ve never seen this that it’s a must see movie. I really would have to recommend this one myself as I found it to be quite creepy and fun.
Rating - ***
Strait-Jacket (1964)
William Castle may be known for his gimmicks and showmanship, but he really deserves to be known as a outstanding filmmaker for the film “Strait-Jacket”. It’s a movie starring legendary Hollywood actress Joan Crawford and is written by “Psycho” writer Robert Bloch. Considering the amount of talent involved here, it’s no surprise to me that this is an outstanding film. The thing that amazed me about it is that through all of my years watching horror films that this movie somehow escaped my viewing habits. But since the release of this wonderful collection of Castle films, that is no longer the case.
“Strait-Jacket” is centered around the character of Lucy Harbin (Joan Crawford) who was locked away in an institution after murdering her husband and his mistress. Unfortunately this horrible crime was actually witnessed by their young daughter Carol at the time. Fast forward twenty years later and Lucy’s daughter is now a young woman on the way to be married herself and is now reconnecting with her mother as she’s been let out. All seems well until Carol becomes suspicious at her mothers activities and the fact that people seem to be dying almost as soon as she comes back home. Is Carol and her boyfriend in trouble? Is Lucy up to her old tricks again? Either way, something bad is happening and danger is looming in the shadows.
The first thing that needs to be brought up when talking about this excellent little film is Joan Crawford. Her performance in this one is as fine as you will find in the horror genre. It’s a believable and truthful performance in which she really brings a lot of her own personal life into the role. This makes it not only believable but it’s also a testament to how great of an actress she really was. The best actors seem to use things that have happened in their real lives to bring their roles alive and that’s certainly the case here. Also, the film sets her up to have several different personalities in which she plays the old version of herself and a spruced up younger version too. She does so with flying colors and is makes the film worth watching all on her own. Luckily though that’s not the only reason to watch this one as it manages to be excellent on just about every level.
Personally I’ve been a fan of Robert Bloch’s work since I saw “Psycho” for the first time. He’s also written scripts for other great horror films such as “Asylum”, “Psycho II” as well as part IV and various horror television shows such as “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” and “Tales from the Darkside”. This however might be his crowning achievement right behind “Psycho”. Although I find “Psycho” to be a wonderful and groundbreaking horror film, this one might hold up even better.
Also watch out for a young George Kennedy here in a disturbing and quite different role than you might expect to see him in. I’ve never seen him play a character like this one and it was certainly a welcome change. He does a great job in the role and it’s something that really shows you that Kennedy was a hell of an actor in his day and age.
Castle does outstanding work in this one with his use of shadows and shading in the film. It creates a unique atmosphere for the film and in my opinion this movie is his greatest work. I know a lot of others out there have different films of his that they love, but for me this is easily his most out of character film that he’s made. Usually going the way of gimmicks and showmanship like I said earlier in this review, this film has none of that. The only gimmick this film had was Joan Crawford and that’s no gimmick whatsoever. It’s great acting and it seemed to be contagious on the set as this one is wonderfully acted from top to bottom. Castle knew when he needed his gimmicks and when he didn’t and that is also the mark of a great filmmaker.
Overall I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND this one as it’s a classic horror film that needs to be rediscovered and discovered by new audiences alike. It’s brilliant in it’s execution and is as strong of a horror film that one could ever hope for. This one is must see material.
Rating - ****
Mr. Sardonicus (1961)
Before I started watching the films in this set the film “Mr. Sardonicus” was probably the one I was most interested in. I had heard nothing but good things about it and I think that might have been the reason why I was actually so surprised after I had watched it. Sure it’s a good film, but I found it to have incredible pacing issues that made it seem to drag on and on. Unfortunately this was a bit of a disappointment for me, but with that being said I still think it’s a very watchable film. It was just a bit off from what I was expecting.
“Mr. Sardonicus” is a story centered around Baron Sardonicus, a man who seemingly has a deformed face and is willing to go the extra length to fix his problem. So much so that he summons Robert Cargrave, a man who is a prominent surgeon and has developed a new technique to relax the human muscles. Upon his arrival he is seemingly appalled by what confronts him, being a town that is leaving in fear because of Sardonicus. Before you know it Sardonicus has Cargrave wrapped up in strange experiments and issues with morality because he wants his face turned back to normal at any cost.
The acting in the film is probably it’s strongest point, as well as great set design too. Castle really seemed to set out to make something completely different from his other films and I think it’s safe to say he did so here. The only problem is what I talked about earlier with the pacing of the film. Sure, the movie has some interesting points but it takes way too long to get to the inevitable and the movie only has a running time of 89 minutes. It seems way longer than that and the movie features a few scenes that come across as filler to me.
Even with it’s problems however “Mr. Sardonicus” is actually a film that I think a lot of old school fans either already like, or will be very pleased with if they’ve never seen it before. But as far as me personally, it just fell short of what I was expecting.
Rating - **1/2
The Old Dark House (1963)
If as if you needed another cool reason to check out this set, you have “The Old Dark House” on here as well. “The Old Dark House” is so cool because it’s a William Castle/Hammer production which had me intrigued from the first time I heard about it. Considering I’m a fan of both it wouldn’t be much of a surprise for me to say that I really enjoyed this one. It’s an interesting little film that works great with Tom Poston in the lead role and is a welcome addition to this collection of films.
“The Old Dark House” is centered around the delivery of a car from Tom to his strange roommate. Upon delivering the car Tom’s pal convinces him to bring the car to his family’s estate in which he will meet him there. Only problem is that once Tom arrives at the mansion his roommate is dead. From here Tom is entered into the mystery of who is trying to kill the family members off one by one. Someone is after the family money and Tom just wants to leave, but that proves to be all so difficult in this Castle flick.
To be honest this one was much different than what I was expecting and I had a blast with it. Tom Posten plays the role of Tom Penderel in the movie and does a truly wonderful job. He’s funny and charming and completely relatable, something vital in for a role like this to work. Not only that but it’s a lot of fun watching him act off of all of the eccentric family members of the Femm family.
This version of “The Old Dark House” is a much different retelling of the old 1932 film of the same name and this one has William Castle’s stamp all over it. Instead of going for a straightforward horror film, Castle decided to play this one for laughs and it works tremendously in my opinion. Overall I HIGHLY RECOMMEND “The Old Dark House” as another interesting film in the ube interesting career of Mr. Castle.
Rating - ***
Zotz! (1962)
Another film in the William Castle collection starring Tom Posten is the extremely underrated “Zotz!”. The film is centered around Professor Jones who’s niece is sent a strange coin from a boyfriend of hers. He realizes that the coin has some sort of foreign language on it and wants to examine it further. He finds that the language written on the coin has been dead for over 5000 years and has some interesting writing on it. The coin also holds some special powers that Professor Jones uses toward his advantage and of course, hijinx ensues.
I had no idea what to expect from “Zotz!” before seeing it but I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by what it delivered. It’s a very witty and well written film and it plays wonderfully during it’s 87 minute running time. Also it’s very well written for Posten to play the role as the man has some excellent comedic timing and facial reactions. The storylines get hilarious and they’re even funnier with Posten playing the role the way that he does.
I have to say that before checking out this box set I was really lacking in seeing non genre or even non horror Castle films and it’s clear to me now he was much more than that. His non genre stuff has highly impressed me and “Zotz!” was no exception. The film might just surprise other genre fans out there unfamiliar with his work, so this is another film that comes recommended from me.
Rating - ***
Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story (2007)
Last but definitely not least, in this wonderful box set is the critically acclaimed documentary “Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story” that I have honestly been waiting years to finally see. I was extremely happy that this was included in the release of the collection as it’s the perfect place for it.
“Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story” is a documentary made by Jeffrey Schwarz that is simply a labor of love about William Castle’s career filled with interviews and wonderful footage that one would expect. Another highlight to me was that the documentary features an audio interview (inserted in different parts of the film) with William Castle talking about his career before he passed away. It’s a great inclusion into the film and it made this one even more enjoyable to hear Castle talk about himself in his own words.
I really enjoyed the interview pieces included in the film with people like John Waters, John Landis, Forry Ackerman (R.I.P.), Joe Dante, Roger Corman and many others. They all seemingly loved Castle as much as his fans and since they’re very accomplished people, I thought it was a welcome addition. It’s also great to show you the influence that Castle had over genre film through his career.
Overall I can’t really think of anything else to say other than “Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story” is a must see documentary that really is a wonderful example of how documentaries on directors should be done. Fantastic from beginning to end, highly recommended by me and a fitting finale to this collection of films that belongs in just about any film fans collection.
Rating - ****
Complete set rating - ****
-Ed Demko
