The Tingler

The Tingler

Written by Robb White
Directed by William Castle

Dr. Warren Chapin...Vincent Price
Isabel Chapin...Patricia Cutts
Lucy Stevens...Pamela Lincoln
David Morris...Darryl Hickman

Brooding and devoted scientist Dr. Warren Chapman is practically obsessed with his latest string of experiments, all of them dealing with the power of fear. He hypothesizes that the tingling sensation felt when afraid is the byproduct of a very real, very tangible creature that lives inside all of us. He calls it The Tingler, and it resides at the base of our spine and feeds on our terror. The only way to render the Tingler harmless is by screaming, which dissipates the energy of our terror and thus paralyzes the parasite.

Vincent Price is, of course, Price-less in his role--but when is he not? The other leads, overall, are a bit more uneven. Storywise, it could stand to move a little faster, but there are moments of gleaming beauty to be found within the direction. You won't want to miss the (supposed) first LSD trip ever portrayed on screen--it's just too bad that we only see Price reacting to what he sees, rather than being able to see it for ourselves--and the nightmare sequence was a bit of surreal genius--the blood being the only thing in color throughout the whole black-and-white film was a nice touch.

The gimmick this time around is one of Castle's most famous ones--he rigged certain seats throughout the theaters with devices that would vibrate at the right moment, in order to simulate the Tingler making lunch out out of your own frightened spine. This, coupled with the fact that the Tingler escapes into a theater toward the end of the film, was supposed to convince movie-goers that the Tingler was loose in their theater. Castle even went so far as to have the film break and show the Tingler's silhouette creeping across the projector lens; The screen even goes black at one point, which would have left the audience in complete darkness, while Price demands that the audience scream in order to save their lives.

This is William Castle gimmickry at its best, or at its worst, depending on how you look at it. It's really not very scary, and if you have to scream to save your life, you're bound to be one cold corpse by the end of this flick. It's hokey, it's ridiculous, and it's sheer unadulterated fun. On the downside, however, it relies almost entirely on the gimmick in order to work--and that gimmick really doesn't come across so well after all these years, especially when watching it in the safety of your own home. Sure, maybe being in a crowded theater with a hundred other patrons all screaming at the behest of Vincent Price's careful Stage English could be a lot of fun. But screaming by yourself while sitting on your couch? It's really just kind of sad.

Believe me...I tried it.

Probably my least-favorite of the Castle films that I've seen thus far, but that opinion might change if I saw it in a darkened revival theater with a bunch of oddball enthusiasts. Until then, if I need my fix of Castle ballyhoo, I'll be re-visiting Mr. Sardonicus or Strait-Jacket.



View the trailer below!


1959
Not Rated
82 Minutes
Black & White (touches of color)
English
United States

"Bet you in a fair fight that cat could lick this dog."
--J/Metro

Fever Night AKA Band of Satanic Outsiders

Fever Night, AKA Band of Satanic Outsiders

Written & Directed by Jordan Harris and Andrew Schrader

Elliot...Peter Tulio
Warren...Philip Marlatt
Terry...Melanie Rose Wilson

Bad People Motion Pictures claims no responsibility for any adverse or long-lasting effects due to the film you are about to see.  It is not our intention to physically harm you.  Should you slip into a coma or hypnosis, or begin to feel motion sickness or mind-body separation, please eject this videocassette immediately and consult your physician or spiritual adviser.

Elliot, Terry and Warren--a boy-girl-boy trio of weekend satanists--head over the bridge and through the woods to a place that, quote-unquote, "ain't normal." That suits them just fine, though, as they're not headed out there for the normal teenage horror movie shenanigans of rock music, marijuana cigarettes, and unprotected sex. No, they're going out there for a wee bit of Satanic Ritual.

Anton LaVey these three aren't, and so something during the ritual goes South, leaving Terry in a catatonic state. With their piece-of-shit car on the fritz and no help in sight, Elliot and Warren have no choice but to leave their unconscious lady friend unattended in the vehicle while they go out on foot in search of assistance.

What they find instead is an increasingly bizarre series of events that teach them that maybe--just maybe--the dark arts are better left to the professionals.

The budget for this film was approximately 30 thousand, and was made essentially by only two people--with one helping hand during filming--over the course of two painstaking years. Despite a low budget, a nonexistent crew, and high ambitions, Fever Night's production values are well above par for this sort of film. The leads give strong performances and deliver their witty dialogue fairly naturally, which is a rarity in low-budget horror these days.

The special effects were pretty stellar as well, and the musical backing was a tasty melange of dark cinematic scoring, creepy carnival calliope, and grimy garage rock (at times reminiscent of the great Brian Jonestown Massacre) that was right up my twisted little alley.

There were a few slow moments, and the overall pace could have been tightened up a bit with sharper editing. And to be honest, the story itself could have been stronger...but there's almost always something going on onscreen that you won't want to miss--be it blood, boobs, or Beelzebub--and, of course, a few things you'll wish you HAD missed (please see below.)

All of the above elements blended together to form a strange, LSD-tinged trip of a horror flick that I won't soon forget. Imagine the Ray Wise vehicle Dead End as filtered through Actress Apocalypse or Natural Born Killers, and you're about as close as I can get you to the reality of this film.

If you enjoy the seedier side of cinema from behind a thick purple haze,you'll probably dig this hidden trinket. Crack open a beer or spark up your favorite bong, and settle onto the couch for an hour and a half of mondo bizarro fun.


View the trailer below!


2009
Not Rated
85 Minutes
Color
English
United States

Visit the official site, befriend the film on MySpace, and read more about it at the IMDB. The filmmakers are currently seeking a distributor, so swing on by and show them some love.

"Yeah, dude. Satan's a goat. And your mom's a bitch."
--J/Metro

New Dean Koontz: Breathless

The fine fellas and Random House dropped me an e-mail today, informing me that Dean Koontz's new novel Breathless is dropping on November 24, 2009. From the website:

#1 New York Times bestselling author Dean Koontz delivers a thrilling novel of suspense and adventure, as the lives of strangers converge around a mystery unfolding high in the Colorado mountains—and the balance of the world begins to tilt…

In the stillness of a golden September afternoon, deep in the wilderness of the Rockies, a solitary craftsman, Grady Adams, and his magnificent Irish wolfhound Merlin step from shadow into light…and into an encounter with enchantment. That night, through the trees, under the moon, a pair of singular animals will watch Grady's isolated home, waiting to make their approach.

A few miles away, Camillia Rivers, a local veterinarian, begins to unravel the threads of a puzzle that will bring all the forces of a government in peril to her door.

At a nearby farm, long-estranged identical twins come together to begin a descent into darkness…In Las Vegas, a specialist in chaos theory probes the boundaries of the unknowable…On a Seattle golf course, two men make matter-of-fact arrangements for murder…Along a highway by the sea, a vagrant scarred by the past begins a trek toward his destiny…

In a novel that is at once wholly of our time and timeless, fearless and funny, Dean Koontz takes readers into the moment between one turn of the world and the next, across the border between knowing and mystery. It is a journey that will leave all who take it Breathless.

And, being a Koontz novel, you just know there's going to be a hyper-intelligent Golden Retriever or two.

Click here to pre-order.

The Giant Gila Monster

The Giant Gila Monster

Written by Jay Simms
Directed by Ray Kellogg

Harris...Shug Fisher
Lisa...Lisa Simone
Chase...Don Sullivan

When two of his friends go missing, hip young hot-rodder Chase grows concerned, believing their speed demon tendencies has finally caused an accident. While investigating with the sheriff (not a very believable partnership), they find evidence of another missing person. And then another…but no sign of the victims anywhere, only their wrecked and empty cars. What on earth could be going on?

One need only to see the title to figure it out. A Giant Gila Monster is lurking in the woods, sneaking onto the highway and causing traffic accidents, then devouring the vehicle’s occupants and leaving no trace. Quite the clever creature. Evolution has done him good.

Curiously, our cool crooning mechanic hero is played as a talented, caring and responsible role model, not exploited as a violent aimless wanderer like so many other films from the era did. The special effects are pretty good, all things considered: The gila monster is an actual gila monster, super-sized by painful close-ups and miniature props. This type of drive-in fare is almost always a lot of fun, and this film is no different, increased by the presence of hep cat speedsters and a swingin’ radio DJ. How hip is the music? At its worst, the soundtrack is tame and folksy, at its best, jazzy and energetic. A real mixed bag, baby.

View the trailer below!


1959
Not Rated
74 Minutes
Black & White
English
United States

"That squirrel is just the one that could do it!"
--J/Metro

Homicidal

Homicidal

Written by Robb White
Directed by William Castle

Emily...Jean Arless
Helga...Eugenie Leontovich
Miriam Webster...Patricia Breslin

The movie opens (following a great brief introduction by William Castle) on a cold, blond bombshell checking into the swanky Hotel Ventura under the name Miriam Webster. You know it's swanky because it costs $7.50 a night. And you know she's swanky because she bribes the bellboy a cool two grand to marry her promptly at midnight, which he promptly agrees to.

When the ceremony is over, she murders the Justice of the Peace, hops in the car, and drives away, leaving her new hubbie holding the proverbial bag. She returns home where we meet Helga, the mute old lady that she cares for that can communicate only by slamming a doorknob onto the armrest of her wheelchair.

Then we find out that this isn't Miriam Webster at all. Her real name is Emily, and the real Miriam is the half-sister of Helga's adopted son Warren. Warren, a strange-looking businessman, may or may not be Emily's husband--it depends on who you believe.

As you may be able to tell, all of these characters have a convoluted back story that's never fully explained, so it may take a while to figure out everyone's relationship to each other.

With the police investigating the murder of the Justice of the Peace, the real Miriam and her boyfriend Carl suspicious, and Helga the only one who knows what the hell is going on but unable to do anything about it, Emily continues her crazy escapades while trying to place the suspicions onto everyone else. It all has something to do with an inheritance...I think.

As noted before, the back stories and relationships can sometimes be rather confusing, as are much of the character's motivations; and there are great gaps of logic everywhere you look. But none of that really matters by the time this puppy is over, because there is a great twist ending that will really blow your precious little mind--one whose sheer authenticity makes it outshine even the great twist ending of 2009's Orphan, which I also never saw coming.

If you haven't seen Homicidal, then you're missing out on a real treat. And if you're too frightened to see the finale, don't worry. Castle gives us a "Fright Break", where we have the option to throw in the towel and run from the theater in terror.

Somehow I doubt anyone ever actually made use of that option...


View the trailer below!


1961
Unrated
87 Minutes
Black & White
English
United States

"If you do not leave this house in the next minute, I will kill you!"
--J/Metro

Weird Keywords

Every once in a while, I like to check in on my ol' Google Analytics account and marvel at all of the information it offers. Information which, for the most part, I simply don't understand. What I do understand, however, is that some people stumble across my little blog accidentally while doing an internet search for, well...porn. Here are some of the racier keywords reported.

• Fake Nude Actress
• brunette wife nightvision amateur porn "2006" -gay-
• grant dances topless with watusi dancers
• toplessbikinifashionshow
• Sexo Bizarro
• Hot Inches

These keywords may not be porn related, but still, you have to wonder about some people...

• Belly Expansion
• miniature and dollhouse and prisoner and shrunken
• Red Satan God Animated Gorillas
• Zit Lover
• "Needle Through His Cheek" Pimp

And, lest we forget, my personal favorite keyword search.

• evil cyborgs and their dinosaur sidekicks leave the future to chase a runaway human slave to late-1990s los angeles, where the fugitive finds help in the form of prostitute-turned-nun sister ann.

I guess I really shouldn't judge these people.  After all, I'M the one with the blog that all of these keywords lead to.

Maybe my mother was right about me...
--J/Metro

The Shift by George Foy

The Shift

by George Foy

Alex Munn always wanted to be a playwright, but somewhere along the way he was coaxed into scripting television shows, most notably the crime-drama Cop Killer and the soap opera Pain in the Afternoon. With the invention of Virtix, a virtual reality program that will become the future of broadcasting, he signs onto the show Real Life, where viewers will be placed directly into the story and given the ability to alter the plot. Bored with the Hollywood mindlessness of these Real Life stories, he develops a pet project he calls Munn’s World, an interactive period piece set in 1850s New York, where the police department is actively searching for a soulless serial killer by the name of Fishman.

But when the Fishman murders find their way into the real world, Alex Munn is the only suspect, raising the question of what happens when fiction becomes too real?

It’s an unlikely combination of sci-fi, crime and historical drama that works for the most part, but the conspiratorial explanation at the ending is rather lackluster and confusing. But, as Munn says about Real Life, the story is secondary to the surroundings, and these surroundings are rich and varied. Author Foy never passes up an opportunity to poke fun at pop culture—for instance, even in the future, the Fox Network is still stealing ideas from the other major networks—and he references modern culture relentlessly, from the Ramones and the Sex Pistols to Dracula and Melrose Place. Pointing them out to yourself is a guilty pleasure and half the fun, like finding Waldo on a crowded beach.

The characters are great as well, especially Stefan Zeng the punk rock hacker, and Cosmo the Rastafarian smuggler. The excerpts from the book-within-a-book, The Smuggler’s Bible, are so interesting that I’d like to strap on some VR goggles and try to find it on Amazon. It’s an extremely grim, gritty, funny and sometimes straight-up dirty little ditty that sci-fi and pop-culture junkies alike will enjoy. But read it soon, before the story becomes out of date, as is the eventual result of all technology-laden tales.

--J/Metro

I Saw What You Did

I Saw What You Did

Written by William P. McGivern
Directed by William Castle

Libby...Andi Garrett
Tess...Sharyl Locke
Kit...Sara Lane
Steve Marak...John Ireland

Teenager Libby and her kid sister Tess are left alone overnight for the first time, and Libby invites her friend Kit over to keep them company. Living out in the country, there's not much to do after the pet goat has been put to bed (seriously!), so the girls entertain themselves with some good, wholesome crank phone calls. Oh, the days before caller ID!

These calls range in variety from taunting people for their last names (Hamburger? Ileak?) to causing wives to suspect their husbands of infidelity. Eventually it evolves into the titular prank, telling whoever answers, "I saw what you did, and I know who you are." Because everybody is guilty of something, right?

Well, when they call Steve Marak, they have no way of knowing that he is a henpecked hubby who has just murdered his wife, and the "I saw what you did" line makes him understandably nervous. The girls moon over the seductiveness of his voice (talking about kissing like kids today talk about sex: 'Would you let him kiss you? Just once, as much as he wants?'), and decide to swing on by his house to see what the murderous Mr. Marak looks like. There's a confrontation with his mistress Amy (a femme fatale Joan Crawford) that inevitably leads him right back to the girls' country home.

At the opening, there were strange moments that felt as if I were watching a sit-com, and fully expected a laugh-track to kick in at any moment. And although those moments vanished about twenty minutes into the film, when the tone drastically changed, oddly enough the soundtrack didn't, remaining inappropriately upbeat practically throughout. When Steve murders his wife, it takes place in the shower, and although it will never replace the classic Psycho scene, it's still pretty damned good.

While I Saw What You Did may seem tame by today's standard, you have to realize and appreciate that this was a different era; It just took less to shock people back then. But without these classic films, the genre as we know it wouldn't even exist, which is why it's always good to pay an occasional tribute to the past.

A great deal of fun, with even a few tense moments along the way.  Besides, it's William Freakin' Castle.  The guy could film a senior citizen golf tournament, and I'd give it a whirl.


View the trailer below!


1965
Unrated
82 Minutes
Black and White
English
United States

Uxoricide: murder of a wife by her husband
--J/Metro

After Dark Announces: The Final

After Dark has announced their latest acquisition for the upcoming 8 Films To Die For, entitled The Final. See below for more information.

--J/Metro

Happy Friday the 13th, Horror Hipsters!

Happy Friday the 13th!

...Hope you enjoy my arts & crafts project...
(click to enlarge)

--J/Metro