Coming to DVD this Tuesday, June 21: SPINE TINGLER! THE WILLIAM CASTLE STORY
Jeffrey Schwarz’ tribute to one of American horror film’s great showmen premiered at the AFI Fest in 2007, where it claimed the Documentary Audience Award. During its run of more than fifty festivals, it received nine additional awards or special mentions. The film is now available for the first time on DVD with hours of bonus features.
William Castle cultivated press attention for his horror productions of the 1950s and ’60s by uniquely incorporating over the top gimmicks to try to stand out from the pack. Audiences found themselves wooed by devices like “Emergo” or “Percepto” – trick skeletons that flew out from the movie theatre’s ceiling, or buzzers hidden underneath patrons’ seats, activated at key moments. Like a vaudeville announcer, Castle built up his films, and his own career, with these tactics, but still felt underappreciated compared to more respected contemporaries like Alfred Hitchcock. Schwarz’s thoroughly entertaining and loving biography grants Castle the respect he deserves, putting his career, achievements, and even shortcomings in the context of the more innocent times in which he made films. If you haven’t seen films like THE HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL or THE TINGLER before you see this doc, you’ll want to afterward.
what (not) to doc 