Plantiana
Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.
Cebalord
Very best movie i ever watch
Stevecorp
Don't listen to the negative reviews
scottdou
I like most Castle films but this one left me asking-Is that all there is? The special effects were the opposite of special-you will have to strain your eyes to even see the ghosts and I did not see 13 except in the opening credits. Even the wicked witch of the west actress was wooden in her acting and looked bored. Very disappointing and a waste of time. It made the House on Haunted Hill look like a classic.
LeonLouisRicci
The "Illusion-O" Gimmick in this William Castle Movie plays a more Significant Role than Most of the other "Come-On" Stuff that the Popular Pop-Culture Icon and Huckster Delivered in His "Road-Shows" that had Kids (and Adults) waiting in Line on the Sidewalks of Theaters across America.This isn't Castle at His Best behind the Camera and the Story is Standard, although Creepy at times. There are Moments that are Surprisingly Graphic and Lines like..."When I met him his back was broken...and his lips were ripped from his face." Kiddie Fun, huh. That was William Castle. His Films were sometimes taken as Silliness, but often the Director would Insert some Real "Shocks" among the Romping.This Movie is not really as Hokey as People Remember. There is a Genuine Mystery, an Attempted Murder of a Child, a Meat Cleaver to the Head, You get the Picture. That's why when some Folks say "Scared me to death as a Kid", They mean it.That's not to say that this is "Not for Kids", it was and is, "Fun" as They say, but it has a Certain Edge to it that Resonates Real Chills. The Sound and Score are Effective, and the Ghosts are Horrifying. Members of the Family are but through the Ringer and are Genuinely Scared. Watch "Buck" (Charles Herbert) Cover His Ears to Escape the Horror that is Reflected on His Little Boy Face.All of this Sounds rather Gruesome and it is. But most View the Film with No Suspension of Disbelief and make it all a Hoot. Maybe that 's because...They "Don't Believe" in Ghosts, and have Looked at the Film through the Appropriate Filter.
utgard14
Cyrus Zorba (Donald Woods) and his family learn they have inherited the house of his late uncle Plato. This couldn't come at a better time for the Zorba family as they are struggling with financial problems. However, once they move in they discover the house is haunted by ghosts that dear old uncle Plato collected from all over the world. Uh-oh.Filmed in "Illusion-O," William Castle never missed a beat with a good gimmick. This is a fun movie with no pretensions about doing anything other than entertaining you for eighty minutes. Charles Herbert was an enjoyable child actor with a good screen presence. Sadly this was his last credited film role. I guess the same fate befell him that would many other child actors. Donald Woods, decades removed from his leading man days, is very pleasant and likable in this. Lovely Jo Morrow plays the daughter Medea. Margaret Hamilton has fun with her Wicked Witch reputation here. The direction is solid, the music very nice, and the special effects are fun. Okay, they are relatively simple effects but still fun. Maybe it's not that scary but it sure is enjoyable. Way more entertaining than the gory CGI remake.
FlashCallahan
Cyrus Zorba works at a local museum but is having trouble providing for his wife and two children. Their furniture has been repossessed and they're not too sure what they're going to do when lawyer Ben Rush tells Buck his late uncle, Doctor Zorba, has recently died and left him his house. The doctor, they are told, had perfected a way to collect ghosts. There are currently 12 living in the house, but the doctor's diary had stated there is space for a 13th.....In the fifties, it was all suits and politeness in William Castle horror movies, and the inclusion of him giving instructions at the beginning of the movie, just adds that extra bit of absurdity to the proceedings.Back in the day, this would have been the equivalent of watching Gravity in IMAX, but now, the gimmick really hinders the narrative.The main problem is that the film just isn't scary, and the fact that they prepare you for a ghost, ruins it a little bit more.I'm not for remakes, but the update of this is much better, even if that is all flashy editing and Shannon Elizabeth, at least its entertaining.
