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I love this box set, absolutely love it.
This is easily the best box set released this year, not just for horror fan but for film fans everywhere.
I don't usually do tAdd or Upload File(s)his but I want to list what is on this set first and then we'll discuss:
The William Castle Film Collection
The master of ballyhoo who became a brand name in movie horror with his
outrageous audience participation gimmicks is remembered in this, The
William Castle Film Collection.
DISC 1:
13 Frightened Girls (1963, 89 min.)
Castle launched a worldwide hunt for the prettiest girls from different
countries to cast in 13 Frightened Girls!. The stunt helped generate
publicity for the film about the thirteen daughters of international
diplomats in a Swiss boarding school, who stir up trouble when they
mess in the diplomatic affairs of their parents and a Russian spy is
discovered murdered.
13 Ghosts (1960, 85 min.)
Castle aggressively promoted the film with floats going up and down
Hollywood Blvd. with “ghosts” riding along, holding signs, touting the
movie. He named the gimmick created for 13 Ghosts “Illusion-O,” which
was a special hand-held piece of cardboard with two transparent colored
strips, one red and one blue. If you wanted to see the ghosts in the
film, you looked through one, but if you were too frightened, you could
look through the other and they weren’t visible. The film promised and
delivered “13 Times the Thrills! 13 Times the Chills! 13 Times the
Fun!” for the story of a family who inherits a haunted house, but
discover a special pair of goggles that allows them to see their
ghostly tormentors. The film starred Martin Milner (TV’s “Adam-12”) and
Margaret Hamilton (The Wizard of Oz).
BONUS FEATURES:
* Featurette: “The Magic of Illusion-O”
* Original Theatrical Trailers
* Original “British” trailer introduction for 13 Frightened Girls
* Original “Candy Web” trailer for 13 Frightened Girls
* Original “Candy Web” theatrical opening message from William Castle for 13 Frightened Girls
* Original “Candy Web” theatrical closing message from William Castle for 13 Frightened Girls
* Alternate opening (British) for 13 Frightened Girls
* Alternate opening (Swedish) for 13 Frightened Girls
* Alternate opening (French) for 13 Frightened Girls
* Alternate opening (German) for 13 Frightened Girls
DISC 2:
Homicidal (1961, 87 min.)
In Homicidal, the brutal stabbing murder of a justice-of-the-peace
sparks an investigation of the dark family secrets in a sleepy small
town. Castle promoted the film with a “Fright Break,” a 45-second timer
during the film’s climax as the heroine approached a house harboring
the sadistic killer. The voiceover advised the audience of the time
remaining in which they could leave the theatre and receive a full
refund if they were too frightened to see the rest of the film. To
ensure filmgoers did not opt for the refund, Castle instituted the
“Coward’s Corner.” Patrons were expected to follow yellow footsteps up
the theater aisle, bathed in a yellow light and sit in a yellow
cardboard booth in the theater lobby. Castle included a nurse offering
a blood-pressure test, a recording blaring “Watch the chicken! Watch
him shiver in Coward’s Corner,” and required them to sign a yellow
“Coward’s Certificate” card stating, “I am a bona fide coward.”
Needless to say, very few filmgoers opted out of the screening.
Strait-Jacket (1964, 93 min.)
Advised by his financial backers to eliminate the gimmicks, Castle
hired Hollywood’s legendary Joan Crawford (The Women, Our Dancing
Daughters) to star as an ax-murderess in this story of a mother, who,
after a 20 year stay in an insane asylum for a double murder, visits
her estranged daughter and raises suspicions about her odd behavior. At
the last minute, Castle had cardboard axes handed out to patrons and
sent Crawford on a nation-wide promotional tour of theaters showing the
film.
BONUS FEATURES:
* “Psychette: William Castle and Homicidal”
* “Homicidal Youngstown, Ohio Premiere”
* Featurette: “Battleaxe: The Making of Strait-Jacket”
* Vintage Featurette: “How to Plan a Movie Murder”
* Original Theatrical Trailers
* Joan Crawford Wardrobe Tests
* Joan Crawford Axe Test
* Strait-Jacket TV Spots
DISC 3:
Mr. Sardonicus (1961, 89 min.)
In this gothic tale set in 1880 London, a Baron’s face is frozen into a
permanently grotesque hideous smile after digging up his father’s grave
to retrieve a winning lottery ticket accidently left in his pocket. The
gimmick allowed audiences to vote in a “Punishment Poll” during the
climax of the film where Castle himself appears on screen to explain to
the audience their options. Each member of the audience was given a
card with a glow-in-the-dark thumb they could hold either up or down to
decide if Mr. Sardonicus would be cured or die at the end of the film.
Supposedly, no audience ever offered mercy and the villain was always
punished.
The Old Dark House (1963, 86 min.)
Tom Posten (Zotz!) was again cast by Castle in this project about an
American who sells cars in England who receives a mysterious invitation
from an old, eccentric millionaire to visit his house in which he lives
with his twin brother.
BONUS FEATURES:
* Featurette: “Taking the Punishment Poll"
* Featurette: “Ghost Story: Pilot (The New House)"
* Original Theatrical Trailer
DISC 4:
The Tingler (1959, 82 min.)
Legendary horror star Vincent Price (Edward Scissorhands) stars in The
Tingler, the terrifying story of a docile creature that lives in the
human spinal cord. They become activated by fright and can only be
destroyed by screaming. In the film’s finale, one of the creatures
kills a mute woman because she was unable to scream and the creature is
let loose in a movie theatre. Castle promoted the film with the gimmick
of “Percepto,” where audiences would actually feel the sensations of
the actors on the screen. To achieve this, theaters wired select seats
with tiny motors underneath that would vibrate during key scenes in the
movie. The certain members of the audience would get a “tingling”
sensation and were encouraged to “Scream - scream for your lives.”
Zotz! (1962, 87 min.)
Tom Posten (TV’s “Newhart”) finds a Zotz coin and discovers its awesome
powers. After attempting to share its secret with the US government
(where he is brushed off as a lunatic), his discovery captures the
interest of foreign agents, who attempt to steal it. To promote the
film, Castle provided each filmgoer with a “magic” coin which,
unfortunately, did absolutely nothing.
BONUS FEATURES:
* Featurette: “Scream For Your Lives: William Castle and The Tingler”
* Featurette: “Ghost Story: Graveyard Shift”
* Alternate Drive-In Sequence for The Tingler
* Original “Scream” Sequence for The Tingler
* Original Theatrical Trailers
DISC 5 (BONUS DISC):
* Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story
Growing up in the 70's as a huge fan of Saturday horror hosts the films of William Castle were the foundation from which my horror fandom was built. I never got to see one of his films in the theater and get to experience any of his "gimmicks" but damn, I would have loved to.
Actually more famous then his films were his trademark "gimmicks" that ranged from Illusion-o to chairs actually being rigged with electric shocks that was used during the climatic scenes of THE TINGLER. Amazing, fun stuff that theater owners now can't even comprehend. His films were certainly not award winners but they were well crafted and more importantly they were incredibly entertaining and some of the imagery was nothing short of iconic.
As you have noticed above the special features on this box set are amazing and very well done. I really enjoyed the TINGLER featurette and the bonus disc with the feature length documentary SPINE TINGLER! The William Castle Story is incredible.
If you are a fan of CASTLE'S work then you are going to be more then pleased with this offering and if you are new to the world of WILLIAM CASTLE then this set is the perfect welcome to his wild demented world.
I really can't recommend this box set enough. It has it all. The films are great, they look great, they sound great. The special features are excellent and it is just one great way to celebrate the films on a true visionary.
Go get it now.
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