Runtime: 82 minutes
Directed by: William Castle
Starring: Vincent Price, Judith Evelyn, Darryl Hickman, Patricia Cutts, Philip Coolidge
From: Columbia
After needing a break from watching films on Saturday-and the late Letterboxd post tonight is because today I went to the Magic Kingdom*-last night the decision was made to view some William Castle. I've witnessed House on Haunted Hill, his bizarre last movie Shanks (Vinegar Syndrome will soon release that on 4K UHD) and even his 1953 Serpent of the Nile which was a Cleopatra story. Yet there should be at least some more horror from late in his career that needs to be experienced. There was no lack of choice but I selected the picture starring Vincent Price. If only it could have been experienced in an auditorium that had the “Percepto!” gimmick where certain seats moved during key moments.
Even if you're watching it at home like I did, there's still an introduction from Castle himself which suggested the gimmick without mentioning what it was. The story of scientist Price and his underling attempting to discover what sends chills down your spine during frightening moments was more sordid than expected; there also were some surprises that I dare not spoil. There is in fact a titular Tingler and it's a creature which will send chills down your spine. Yeah, in the HD era you literally can see the wires, but... that's part of the charm, or at least that's how I'll rationalize it.
Such elements as Price's rich wife openly cheating on him due to his constant time in the lab... unexpected, and one point in my statement that this was sordid. At home, the movie still delivers some jolts and is a rather entertaining tale. One element I have to mention: LSD is an important plot point! This was back before it was criminalized and some doctors attempted to use it as a way to treat patients with a variety of disorders. The movie explains what LSD is for this reason—it was before it became a counter-culture drug. “Vincent Price tripping balls on acid” is an actual scene in the movie and it is rather glorious.
* I have an Annual Pass, which does help make it not so outrageously expensive as it unfortunately is now. The main reason for today's visit: I could FINALLY ride TRON Lightcycle/Run, based only on TRON: Legacy and not the original movie. Sadly, none of the characters from that film appear in the attraction. It's received a mixed reception, mostly due to it allegedly being “too short.” It wasn't that much so compared to other Disney rides and I had a fun time. It was not busy there so I got to ride it twice. Yes, a lot of the fun is the unique ride vehicle where you get to ride it stomach-down prone on what looks like a Lightcycle.
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