Reviews (25)

Scream For Your Lives!
William Castle was reknowned for his gimmicky films. For THE TINGLER he had "Percepto," and it was a lulu: randomly selected seats in the theatre were wired with a small motor, and at a peak moment in the film these motors came to life and literally gave your bottom a buzz! But unless you happen to have a really warped sense of humor plus some mechanical apptitude, you'll have to forego the "Percepto" effect and settle for one of the most weirdo stories to come down the street.

A doctor (Vincent Price) is studying the effects of fear. In the process, he finds that fear causes a nasty, worm-like creature to grow inside the human body along the spine. Release your fear by screaming, and the creature is destroyed; if for some reason you cannot scream, however, the creature merely grows larger and larger and kills you by crushing your spine. What the good doctor really wants, of course, is to lay his hands on one of these critters--and when a man murders his deaf-mute wife by scaring her to death, Dr. Vince gets his chance. Eventually "The Tingler" escapes into a movie theatre, and the seat-buzzing begins!

Price and company give it their all, and the film is as enjoyable as only schlock horror can be. Fans of the genre will hoot over the murder, Vincent Price's LSD trip, the scenes where the tingler escapes into the theatre--not to mention at the monster itself, which looks like a cross between an overweight centipede and a lobster. And yes, you really can see the wires! The DVD edition also includes lots of fun extras, including a short documentary on the film. Castle fans will get a kick out of it, but all others are warned away!

"SCREAM!....SCREAM FOR YOUR LIVES!"
Another "gimmick" film from producer/director William Castle. He made this movie great fun to watch in the theatre in 1959; a process called "Percepto" caused certain seats in the theatre to give mild shocks to the people sitting in them! But in to the story....

Vincent Price (always fun!) is a doctor who discovers that when a person is terrified, as large insect=like creature grows on their spinal cords. It pinches their nerves and kills them if they don't kill it first. The movie is famous for Price letting one of the "Tinglers" loose in a movie theatre....He tells everyone to scream or they will die!
There are some wild scenes in this movie like a deaf-mute woman being scared to death when she sees a zombie and a bathtub of blood with a hand in it....and there's a great scene of Price tripping after doing aaa hallucingenic drug...Great fun and the classic 50s science fiction movie. Too bad "Percepto" is no longer used...

The Tingler
Wonderful example of the best of early "spooky films". DVD reproduction was great-appreciated the extra features with background on film. Service and product above expectations. Grap the popcorn and get ready to "scream"!

DVD is fantastic
The DVD version of _The Tingler_ is the way to go for horror buffs. It includes priceless footage of the legendary William Castle promoting the film, as well as interesting comments by co-star Darryl Hickman. Hickman seems somewhat apologetic for his role in the film. I was thinking, "Are you kidding? This turned out to be one of the biggest cult classics of all time."
Also hilarious is the drive-in scream sequence, which dealt with the problem of the tingler being loose in a drive-in rather than a theater.
Great film, Castle's campy best. Vincent Price is memorable--he goes on the first LSD trip ever on film--in 1959! Judith Evelyn is remarkable as Ollie's deaf-mute wife. The famous bathroom sequence is as good as it gets.
Sharpen up your suspension of disbelief and enjoy!

This movies is a scream...in more ways than one.
I admit it! I am a sucker for old Black and White horror films. They are quite tame by today's buckets of bloody special effect big budgets ones, but they hold a fun all their own. Especially when the ringmaster is the oh so talented Vincent Price. He was always the odd mix of silky mannered menace, with that sprinkle of humour that set him apart from so many actors. It was that devilish twinkle in his eye that always told you he enjoyed what he was doing.

The Tingler is another of the Castle low budget treats. Price plays a mild mannered doctor/research scientist married to a rich wife who is a floozy. She runs around on Price, cares little that he knows it, controls her younger sister's life, but Price is not a man you push too far. Obsessed with discovered the results fear has on the body, he finds out there is a critter that increases in our bodies when we are frightened, the more fear the bigger and stronger it grows and the only thing that can destroy it is screaming. Feed up with his wife's wicked ways, he convinces her he is going to kill her so he can X-ray her trying to prove the existence of the Tingler.

Price gets mixed up with Olly, a husband of a theatre owner who is a deaf-mute. She goes bonkers and passes out when she sees blood. Price wonders what would happen in her, if the Tingler is unleashed, but she cannot scream. Later, someone deliberately scares her to death, and Price operates and removed the Tingler. But then, wife tries to use the Tingler to strangle Price...all in good loving fun, mind you. The pesky beastie dashes off and heads to the theatre to menace everyone there.

One note, though the film was shot in Black and White, the sequence where Olly's wife is driven to death was shot in colour emphasize the red of the blood scaring her.

Great fun and it's a bit of a walk down memory lane! A must for any fan of Castle or Price. ... Read more

Reviews (47)

Whatever Happened to Mildred Pierce?
Joan Crawford plays Lucy Harbin, a woman who has been institutionalized for 20 years, after having hacked her unfaithful husband and his girlfriend to pieces with an axe. She is reunited with her estranged daughter, Carol (played by Diane Baker, who specialized in playing devious females at the time). Carol encourages her mother to dress like she did 20 years earlier,i.e. flower-printed dresses, jingly charm bracelets, and a black, 40s-style wig. Lucy does, and watch out! In what is my favorite scene in the film, Joan, looking like the world's oldest hooker, comes on to her daughter's handsome YOUNG fiance. It is almost obscene to watch this, but try and take your eyes off the screen! Mysterious axe-murders begin to take place. Joan's psychiatrist, (played by Mitchell Cox, Vice-President of Pepsi!)sleazy farmhand Leonard Kraus, played by George Kennedy, and then Carol's future father-in-law, played by Howard St. John. Naturally, we assume it's Joan, right? Wrong! I won't tell who the real murderer is, but I DID drop a clue earlier on. William Castle directed this Robert "Psycho" Bloch- scripted opus, and it is just what you'd expect from Castle-low-budget, full of cheap shocks, and just plain FUN. Miss Crawford is a hoot to watch, especially in her later films, such as this one. The film also has an entertaining cast, which includes Rochelle Hudson, Leif Ericson, and Edith Atwater, as Carol's bitchy future mother-in-law.

Mommy Dearest Loses her head, and so does everyone else!
This was Joan Crawford's big comeback film and she puts her all into this Camp Classic! If she doesn't get her way heads will roll. Written by Psycho creator Robert Bloch and directed by William Castle, Crawford gives an Academy Award performance in this B horror film. Her daughter played by Diane Baker takes her in after Lucy Harbin (Crawford) gets out of a mental ward after having chopped off the 6,000,000 dollar man's head (Lee Majors).
When her doctor (played by a non-actor Pepsi executive) comes to take her back to the asylum axes and heads again meet each other. We even get some good scenes with a young and non-fat George Kennedy as a lowlife who does his own take on Marie Antoinette.
The DVD version has some classic head-chopping outtakes as well as a "making of Straitjacket" short.
This was 1963 and though the plot and especially the "twist" ending is ridiculous its got some good surrealism that proved a harbinger of better films later in the decade. If you want to see one of the most hilarious Camp Classics this is the one. If you want to see Crawford in a great performance in a less than great role here it is.

Joan Crawford as Norman Bates
When William Castle (the director of the gimmick classics "The Tingler" and "13 Ghosts") saw Psycho, he liked it so much that he hired the writer (Robert Bloch) to create this gem. Unlike most of Castle's other famous movies, this one doesn't really have a cheesy gimmick, unless you count Joan Crawford decapitating people with an axe as a gimmick. Yes it has definite camp value, but it's a surprisingly well made horror movie that contains many genuinely suspenseful scenes. Joan Crawford's over-the-top performance in this movie is a great example of why she has such a strong cult following today.

The DVD is enhanced for widescreens and the print is in very good condition. Although the audio is only mono, it sounds very good. The DVD also contains a very good documentary on the making of this movie titled "Battle Axe".

MOTHER AND DAUGHTER
In watching this movie for the first time in almost 40 years, I found myself wondering why I liked it the first time around and again in re-watching. Joan Crawford was undoubtedly a "star" in the truest sense of the word; in the special features, William Castle and Diane Baker both confirm the many demands and conditions Ms. Crawford placed on the film. Her performance is definitely camp, but watching her play someone yearning for her youth, it hit home how Crawford's real life was shaping into the fall of a movie goddess.
But in the film, notice the strength Crawford and Baker give in their reunion. Without a word, the two actresses strongly display the range of emotions they are both feeling.
Diane Baker, who unlike one reviewer mentioned, had to this point played the innocent young ingenue, e.g. Best of Everything, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and in this one, she capitalizes on this innocence, so that when the venom comes, it's quite a transition. Seeing a young Lee Majors in his pre Big Valley days just reminds me how much time has elapsed!
Castle's films were gawdy, manipulative, but above all, they were entertaining.
Joan Crawford and Diane Baker are to be commended for rising above the inevitable and making this a classic camp film.

Fascinating, embarassing, and ultimately sad.
Strait-Jacket was one of my very first Joan Crawford movies. I had seen The Damned Don't Cry, Mildred Pierce, and Baby Jane by the time I was 11 and was absolutely in love with Joan Crawford from seeing her movies on AMC. To me she was the most beautiful, talented, and rather tragic of creatures. Of course, I expected Strait-Jacket to be of the same quality as Baby Jane. What a disappointment it was to me at that time, but now that I look back I see that this film introduced me to another side of Joan Crawford; the rather lonely, sad last years of her life.

The Crawford of Baby Jane is remarkably different than the Crawford of Strait-Jacket. Gone are the subtlety and the last remnants of a great beauty that were still apparent in Baby Jane. Gone is the masterful acting of Mildred Pierce, Humoresque, and even Queen Bee. What is left is a tired shell of Joan Crawford, clinging to the last remains of the glamour; the faded star. Of course, Joan's star has never faded, even 25 years after her death. Her fame was just too great to ever really die during her lifetime or generations after. But although Strait-Jacket appears to be nothing more than a cheap B-movie thriller, it is actually a striking look into the fateful last years of a legend. The movie will leave you thinking for a long, long time after you've seen it. The image of Crawford at the end of her career will burn in your mind. You'll be captivated and repelled at the same time, but what will remain is the fascination. Who was Joan Crawford really? Will we ever know? ... Read more

Reviews (75)

Price's Best
House on Haunted Hill is a classic movie about eccentric millionare named Frederick Lauren and his wife, Annabelle. They rent an old, creepy, gloomy house on a desolate hill and throw a party, "a haunted house party." The party only has has 7 guests, 4 men and 3 women (the same amout of people that have died in the house). If each guest stays all night in the house they each recieve $10,000, "or they're next of ki[n] just in case they don't survive." Vincent Price, Carol Ohmart and Elisha Cook star in this wonderful terrifying classic directed by William Castle. This movie is great because its origional, & they use props like fake heads in suitcases, and organs playing music with no player, instead of computers like the awful remake from 1999. See this movie you'll really enjoy it.

Scary, Campy, Old Horror Fun
HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL is one of my favorite movies. It has everything. A haunted house, a dark and stormy night, ghosts, a bloodstain that won't wash out, severed heads, an acid vat, organ music...It's just so atmospheric. The plot: Millionaire Vincent Price and his scheming wife invite five strangers to the house on Haunted Hill. He'll pay them 10,000 dollars each if they spend the night there. One of them dies, and a murder mystery also evolves. This movie from William Castle and Robb White is so much fun, and the set and acting is fantastic. If you love this, check out 13 GHOSTS, which I have also reviewed.

E-mail me: jackmonsoon@hotmail.com

The classic that's fun and scary.
This movie is over all scary, the opening scene sets the stage for a film that was way ahead of it's time. It was fun moments, and moments that wil send you acrost the theater, The scene with the old house ceeper is one of the most effective jumps in all of horror, a must see for any horror fan, and beable for those who aren't that big of horror fans, see if you can solve the myster before the films done.

FOR 10,000 DOLLARS WOULD YOU SPEND A NIGHT WITH VINCENTPRICE
I absolutley loved this movie. The script writting is wonderful,the acting is treamendous and the surprises you will see in this movie keep you at the end of your seat. This is trueley Vincent Price at his best. The ghost in the basement, the hanged body in the stairwell and the skeleton which appears at the end of the film. Also stars Carol O'Mart,Richard Long, Alan Marshall and Carolyn Craig. This film never has a dull part. So, If you you don't have this movie,you need to buy it.

a Vincent Price classic
what we seem to have is a battle between the unknown. this is classic horror, done in a melodramatic way, much like the Universal horror classics of the early '30s where all you needed was mystery, atmosphere, and an outrageous plot. now, sadly, everything apparently has to be realistic and not fantastic? that's a shame. This 1958 classic is about a man who allows several people the chance to compete against one another: the game is that the people have to survive a night's stay at the house and whoever does wins a fortune. Vincent is his suave best in this, appearing the way he would become stereotyped: tall, wearing a suit, having a thin mustache, and those beady eyes ready to pierce into someone's soul with that classic Vincent stare. William Castle directed this movie. It's campy, of course. 1958 horror, and nearly every horror film afterward was geared toward teenagers at drive-in's and this film is one of Price's best. His icy dialogue to his nagging, arrogant wife is great and she gets what she has coming to her...by way of a hilariously campy skeleton who's coming toward her with a gun. the senseless remake was un-called for. even though it brought some publicity for this 1958 original, the remake didn't have Vincent's heart and soul nor did it have much camp value. this 1958 version is the one you should look for...a must-have for ALL Vincent Price fans. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This terrific haunted-house thriller proved an unforgettable experience for 1960 audiences. Set in the mansion of a deceased scientist named Dr. Zorba, the story finds the late occult practitioner's nephew discovering a bunch of elusive spooks on the premises that can be seen only through Zorba's ghost-viewing glasses. Produced and directed by legendary showman William Castle, master of such garish, audience-pleasing gimmicks as flying skeletons and electric-shock theater seats, 13 Ghosts was hyped with an innovative process called "Illusion-O." Movie patrons were furnished with special, red-and-blue-colored glasses that allowed them to choose to see the titular specters or not. This DVD not only provides a working replica of the Illusion-O viewer but offers both a straight, black-and-white version of the feature (no viewer necessary) and a version with the film's original tinted scenes requiring the viewer for extra fun. Also included is Castle's own introduction, in which he explains the Illusion-O technique. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (33)

WILLIAM CASTLE DID IT AGAIN!
You may recall his 1958 horror thriller "house on haunted hill". Here is another treat for those who loves his style for ghost stories. William Castle I guess just has a knack for directing ghost movies. Most all of his movies were superb, not one boring. The film deals with a family living in an old ramshackle mansion haunted by 13 ghosts. But here's the mystery, One of the ghosts isn't real. And whoever that person is ,that's trying to get the family out of the house, is the murderur of the mansion's owner. A great movie with a cast worth watching. Enjoy this movie, And remember to buy more of Castle's films, They're all worth watching!

Not as much fun without William Castle's "Ghost Viewer"
Once upon a time there was a poor paleontologist named Cyrus Zorba (Charles Herbert) who learns he is heir to a mansion from his uncle Plato. So Cyrus moves his family, wife Hilda (Jo Morrow), son Buck (Donald Woods) and daughter Medea (Rosemary DeCamp), into the new digs. The problem is that Uncle Plato was a student of the occult who invented a nifty little device that captures ghosts. All of this is explained by Elaine, the old housekeeper, who is played by Margaret Hamilton (remember her, my pretties?). But the important thing here is that "13 Ghosts" was produced and directed by the inventive William Castle, which means there has to be a gimmick to get you to watch the movie.

For "13 Ghosts" the gimmick was the "Ghost Viewer" which worked with "Illusion-o." This was actually one of Castle's best bits. The movie was shot in black-and-white, but the thirteen ghosts (duh) were tinted in red. The Ghost Viewer had strips of red and blue plastic: watch through the blue, you could see the ghosts really well. If you freaked, you could look through the red "ghost remover" and they would disppear. Of course, on the video tape you can forget about all this. You can always see the ghosts--bodies, body parts and even a lion--although not too clearly. Talk about killing the fun. But then there is the "Bed of Death," so it is not a total loss. I have to think that "13 Ghosts" is one of the few Castle films where they could duplicate the gimmick, so hopefully one day someone will revive Illusion-o and the Ghost Viewer. Until then, this tape is a poor substitute that does not quite make it to camp classic status.

The orginal.
As the case with many other old horror films most people see the new one and think the old one's bad too, well I can say this film is far better then it's re make, it has some good jumps, and the classic message of becareful what you wish for.

Beware
Movie is a lot of fun with the Illusion-O effect, provided you get the ghost viewer glasses. I ordered a copy from Amazon in May 2004 and it did not contain the ghost viewer glasses. I returned it and they sent me a new one that also didn't contain the glasses. I suggested that their whole batch was bad. They responded that the problem was larger than they thought and they would straighten it out, but couldn't provide me with a copy with the viewers at this time, and would refund my money. I ordered a copy from an outfit in Canada (Tampoo.com) and it contained the glasses. I discovered that the flyer inside contained a panel for ordering more glasses that expired in December, 2002 that was not attached to the flyer that came with the Amazon copies. It appears that Columbia Tristar ran out of the glasses and are knowingly releasing copies of the DVD without them.

The Original Is Better Then The Remake
This old black and white ghost story was great fun. It reminds me of a MUNSTERS episode lol. Ofcourse it is better if you use the "Ghost Viewer" but still fun even if you do not. The remake was awful, stick to this original William Castle version. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Cross Alfred Hitchcock with a carnival showman and you might come up with William Castle, the low-budget horror king of the exploitation gimmick. Homicidal is arguably his best film, a devious little Psycho knockoff with all the right ingredients: a sleepy Southern California town, a beautiful blonde with icy eyes and a thing for knives, a mute old woman in a wheelchair, and a deep, dark secret involving a repressed, awkward young man still haunted by the abuses of his dead father. Ever the cinematic carny, Castle pulls a trademark gimmick just before the climax: the clock-countdown "Fright Break," for anyone "too frightened to see the end of the picture." What the film lacks in tension it makes up for in startles and shocks. Castle is no Hitchcock, but he adds an insidious twist that pays off even if you see it coming.

The DVD also features the seven-minute documentary "Psychette: William Castle and Homicidal" and the not-to-be missed original trailer. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Amazon.com

William Castle's tribute to the gothic horrors of the 1930s is a ghoulish spin on Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by way of Eyes Without a Face. The mysterious Baron Sardonicus (Guy Rolfe) lives in a lonely Central European castle, hiding his face behind a mask and his sadism behind aristocratic manners. Neither remains hidden for long as he pressures a London doctor (Ronald Lewis) into working miracles on his hideously disfigured face. Oskar Homolka steals the film as the Baron's loyal, long-suffering servant Krull, who wields surgical knives and slimy leeches in his reign of torture. Castle, less a stylist than a showman, has little feeling for mood but knows how to stage a shock and spring a gimmick, and this film features a doozy: the audience-participation "Punishment Poll," hosted by Castle himself in a clever (if improbable) break before the film's satisfyingly devious finale. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (16)

MR. SARDONICUS HAS MAKE-UP THAT STILL IS UNSURPASSED!!!
WHEN I FIRST SAY MR. SARDONICUS WHEN IT WAS RELEASED IN THEATERS, I WAS AMAZED AT THE MAKE-UP EFFECTS USED TO CREATE MR. SARDONICUS. AFTER MANY YEARS OF WATCHING HORROR AND SCI-FI, I STILL FEEL THAT MR. SARDONICUS RATES AS ONE OF THE BEST OF ALL TIMES. FOR A MOVIE MADE AT THAT TIME, THE ACTING AND STORY LINE WAS UNIQUE AND AS ALWAYS A WILLIAM CASTLE PRODUCTION OF QUALITY. AS ONE WHO HAS BOUGHT OVER 200 DVD's FROM AMAZON.COM, I AM ALLOWED TO RELIVE THE 50's, 60'S, AND 70'S OF HORROR THAT WOULD NOT OTHERWISE BE SO AVAILABLE. THANKS!!!

Mr. Sardonicus: eternal victim of THE PUNISHMENT POLL?
I organized a screening of this film for a college audience several years ago... everyone left with permanent smiles on their faces, due to the hilarious melodrama and sadistic nature of this early '60s chestnut.

Mr. Sardonicus is filthy rich, but has paid a price for his wealth with a mysterious facial disfigurement. He resorts to obscuring his (presumably) hideous, ugly mug behind a creepy mask, and residing in a lofty castle in the middle of nowhere. Believing his disfigurement is somehow reversible, he tests the limits of human endurance by torturing everyone in his immediate vicinity in order to contrive a remedy for his tragic condition. His wife, who remains in the loveless marriage out of fear of her crazed husband, enlists the assistance of an old friend: a physician who has made some remarkable breakthroughs with patients suffering from paralysis. One comes to discover, over the course of a new battery of treatments, how Sardonicus acquired his horrible disfigurement - and why exactly he's become such a flamboyant misanthrope.

This film was another staging opportunity for director William Castle's penchant for gimmickry... this time around, Castle concocted THE PUNISHMENT POLL. Moviegoers were issued small glow-in-the-dark cards, featuring a fist with thumb outstretched. In the tradition of the Roman arenas, where the audience decided whether a vanquished gladiator should live or die, Castle supposedly let the attendees of the film decide the fate of Mr. Sardoncius. Should one pick MERCY (thumb up) or NO MERCY (thumb down) after witnessing the trials of this ruthless rogue? Allegedly, the movie theater manager would tabulate the votes (in the dark, no less - hence, the G-I-T-D cards) and screen the ending of the film the majority of the audience voted for. Castle maintained that it was almost always the ending where Sardonicus received NO MERCY, and thus this was the conclusion that most people have seen.

Castle claimed in his autobiography that they did, in fact, film the alternate ending where Sardonicus received MERCY, so that movie theaters could have it on hand in the unlikely event that the audience was in a forgiving mood. Other sources claim this is clearly not true, and that Castle only stated this alternate ending existed so as to give his gimmick the appearance of being authentically credible. Among many points of the latter argument: Castle's appearance towards the conclusion of the film resoundingly encourages the audience to vote for NO MERCY (paraphrasing: 'Did you see the horrible things he did to that girl?', etc.). I'm hoping this DVD release will the record straight, once and for all. Who knows - maybe this alternate ending really has been sitting in a film vault for forty years, after previously being 'rarely screened' ...?

I am also curious to see if Columbia / Tri-Star will be including a reproduction copy of an original PUNISHMENT POLL card, ala the reproduction of the Ghost Viewer that was included in the DVD release of 13 GHOSTS. If so, this would be the icing on the cake of an undoubtedly great release - which, incidentally, has never been commercially available in the United States in any format until now.

If you like this Castle film, check out: HOMICIDAL, STRAIT-JACKET, and the original 13 GHOSTS... all newly released on DVD.

Scary
This is a very scary movie because of his face and his father's face!! so LOOK OUT!!

The infamous William Castle "Punishment Poll" horror flick
With a film from producer-director William Castle the question is never what is the plot of the film but rather what gimmick has the master of horror schlock come up with this time around. For his 1961 release "Mr. Sardonicus" the gimmick was the "Punishment Poll," which supposedly gave the audience the choice of how the film should end. Of course this is not going to be as much fun as the tingling seat, special viewing glasses for ghost-vision, or even the insurance policy to cover you in the event the film scared you to death, but you have to admit that even with DVDs there are limits to what can be done. The irony is that with the DVD format you really could choose between alternative endings-if only Castle had filmed one in the first place.

Sir Robert Cargrave (Ronald Lewis) is a noted neurosurgeon who is summoned from England by her former lover Maude (Audrey Dalton) to a castle in Gorslava where she lives with her husband Baron Sardonicus (Guy Rolfe). The baron always wears a mask when he comes out of his room and eventually he tells Sir Robert the story of a lottery ticket and a ghoulish visit to a graveyard at midnight. Sardonicus wants Sir Robert to use his skills to cure his affliction, even if it means using new and untested methods to gain success, so that Maude, who was married off by her father to the baron, might finally love her husband. When Sir Robert balks at the idea, Sardonicus reveals an alternative plan for making the baroness more sympathetic to his condition.

"Mr. Sardonicus" has every single one of the traditional elements of a gothic horror story. Our hero, a man of science, travels to a remote location in eastern Europe, where he meets the terrified local townsfolk, before heading on to an ancient castle on a hill surrounded by mist, where he is met by the deformed assistant to the mysterious baron, whose beautiful wife is held hostage to her husband's dangerous whims. But the film creates a nice gothic atmosphere (until the end) and the production values do not cheapen the experience but compare quite favorably to the Universal monster movies of the 40s and 50s. Cargrave is a bland hero and the effectiveness of the film rests on the character of the baron, who cuts a compelling figure as he speaks from behind his mask. More than anyone else, it is Rolfe who prevents the films from descending to the level of camp, although Oscar Homolka as the baron's disfigured but loyal servant Krull, turns in a solid performance along those same lines as well.

Rather surprisingly, not only the story of how Sardonicus came to be this way but our look at the man behind the mask comes rather early in the film, at which point this horror film starts to turn into a medical problem-solving effort. Then we get to Castle's gimmick and the whole thing collapses. The "Punishment Poll" consisted of getting a rather large card when you entered the theater that could be raised to signify "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" when Castle appeared on the screen to conduct the poll. Supposedly the majority vote would apply, but Castle knew full well what his blood thirsty audience would want to see at the end of the film, so an alternative ending was never even filmed. Besides, Castle made it clear what sort of person would wimp out and give mercy to the title character. The only problem is that the little boy in the back row could have come up with a more painful punishment for Sardonicus than this rather low-keyed ending. Equally important, Castle's jovial appearance completely derails the film's momentum and dispels the gothic atmosphere.

"Mr. Sardonicus" is an interesting little footnote to the history of horror films and if you have never seen a William Castle film then sooner or later you should check one of them out. There is a short documentary on this DVD about "Taking the Punishment Poll" that provides some insights into the film and the cast from film historians (the key one being that Castle's films are more about fun than fright). "Mr. Sardonicus" is one of several William Castle productions that Columbia is putting out on DVD, including "Homicidal," "13 Ghosts," and "Strait-Jacket," a couple of which have trailers on this DVD.

Major letdown
I am sorry, but this movie struck me as being incredibly boring! There are absolutely no surpises nor horrors in stock. If you want gothic atmosphere, surely there are a dozen better movies at hand here somewhere. The picture/sound quality of this DVD was very good, but this alone didn't save this bundle of misery. ... Read more

Reviews (35)

LUCKED INTO IT
I BOUGHT THIS DVD TO GET ONE OF MY FAVORITE CHILDHOOD HORROR MOVIES, WILLIAM CASTLE'S HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL (1958) STARRING VINCENT PRICE, CAROL OHMART (AS HIS LOVELY, SCHEMING WIFE), AND ELISHA COOK (THE CLINT HOWARD OF HIS TIME). THAT THIS DVD HAD ANOTHER VINCENT PRICE MOVIE ON IT WAS AN ADDED BONUS. IMAGINE MY DELIGHT UPON FINDING OUT THAT LAST MAN ON EARTH (1964) WAS BASED ON RICHARD MATHESON'S BOOK I AM LEGEND AS WAS THE OMEGA MAN (1971) WHICH STARRED CHARLTON HESTON. ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT I LUCKED INTO THIS ONE. A DEFINITE KEEPER.

A Great Price For Vincent Price...
This DVD by Diamond Entertainment is actually quite good for what little I paid ... I first saw HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL when I was very young and it scared the daylights out of me then. Now however it does appear somewhat campy, but this film's storyline is much better than that ludicrous remake. Price plays the wealthy man who rents the HOUSE from Elisha Cook who inherits the HOUSE after his sister-in-law hacks his brother to death (some of the ghosts supposedly haunting the place). However the story involves more mystery and murder than mayhem. Had the producers of the remake stayed with the original storyline they might have stayed longer at the box office. The better of the two films on this DVD is THE LAST MAN ON EARTH, the first version of the Richard Matheson novel I AM LEGEND. This movie despite its foreign cast and inexpensive production values is far superior to the Charleton Heston OMEGA MAN. LAST is much closer to the novel and Price actually gives a great performance as a rather sad and lonely man whose only existence now is to rid the world of a plague of the undead rendered so by a devastating disease (interesting when you think of the AIDS virus or the current Asian viral pneumonia that can't be cured). Saved by a vampire bat bite years earlier Price is left immune and the last man on earth (???). The book upon which this movie was based was written in 1954 long before we knew of the Vampire LeStat. It weaves science fiction and horror into a rather interesting story.

A Strictly "Subjective" Assessment
I first saw this film in my mid-teens, when I had no critical faculties whatsoever. In those days, Bergman and Fellini would have bored hell out of me (Fellini still does), and "Citizen Kane" would have left me cold. And many of the films I used to love as a child now strike me as boring. But for some reason, "Last Man on Earth" continues to plunge me into a state of pleasurable gloom, and I keep returning to it every other week like some sort of drug, or one of those amulets cinematic hypnotists dangle before their victims while coaxing them toward some nefarious climax.

I won't attempt an "objective" review of this film, since I'm far too familiar with it, so my impressions are visceral rather than analytic. Also, I long ago ceased to care about the plot (which is amply detailed in many of the other reviews included here). The acting? Here, too, I'm too close to it to make a reliable assessment. I'd have to say that Vincent Price is only slightly hammy in his role as a weary vampire-hunter, and in one scene, where he's vocally mourning the loss of his wife, "Virge," he lapses into some rather embarrassing self-consciousness. The only other aspect of the film that annoys me ---- from an adult vantage point, that is ---- is the atrocious dubbing of the Italian actors, and the ridiculous exhortations of the vampires as they surround the protagonist's house, trying to lure him outside.

Otherwise, "Last Man" still strikes me as one of the best examples of atmospheric film-making in the history of the genre, and it is on this level that I can wholly immerse myself in its special qualities. It does not really resemble any other film ever made ------ much like the international collaboration, "Daughters of Darkness" in that respect. It does not even resemble "Night of the Living Dead," though it clearly influenced that film thematically. It has that sleazy, low-budget quality that most true horror fans love, but other than that it is sui generis.

Part of the power of the film, I believe, is that it concentrates largely on the situation of a totally isolated character, surrounded by alien beings with whom he has no chance of communicating. The fact that he loses both his wife and a close friend to this "enemy camp" only adds to his sense of despair (not to mention a stray dog which he briefly befriends before discovering that it, too, has succumbed to the "vampire germ").

The music score, while not in the class of Bernard Herrmann or Maurice Jarre, is nevertheless wonderfully appropriate for the film, and assists the production with just the right touch of eeriness. Parts of it spill over into excess, perhaps, but it's the right kind of excess.

The DVD (Diamond) edition of the film is only passable, and hopefully it will get transferred from a better print eventually. But for now, we should be grateful for this budget version. "Last Man on Earth" is not the greatest horror film ever made ---- and this is as "objective" as I can be at this stage ---- but it's one of the most effective when approached in the right spirit.

An Effective Mix of Horror and Sci-Fi
Having already owned the Warner copy of the original House on Haunted Hill, I purchased this DVD for The Last Man on Earth. The movie is based on the story "I am Legend" by famed horror writer Richard Matheson. Genre favorite Vincent Price plays a scientist who believes he may be the lone survivor of a world wide plague that has transformed everyone into vampires. Price plays the part of the man tormented by his loneliness perfectly. By day he hunts the sleeping undead, and by night he is tormented by them as they pound on his home as the lead vampire constantly calling to him: "Morgan, come out Morgan". Very creepy.

The DVD I purchased is the 2001 widescreen release from Diamond Entertainment. It is identified by the red banner across the top marked "Widescreen Edition". The film transfer is far from perfect, but as another reviewer said this is the only widescreen transfer I know of on DVD. The picture and sound are not all that bad. It looks just as good if not slightly better than versions that air on cable from time to time. This gem represents classic horror at its best. The DVD is bargain priced and the movie is a must for classic horror libraries. I highly recommend securing a copy before it disappears from the shelves. Hopefully this movie will get better DVD treatment in the future, but at least you'll have a copy of this fine film until that happens.

master of the macabre
these films represent four different types of horror by one man: Vincent Price. i have been a fan of Price ever since i saw him by accident while i was flipping through the channels and i caught his Tilex commercial..you all remember the greeting, sure you do: "it's alive...it's alive...ugly, creepy...MILDEW!!". well, this collection contains psychological terror "Shock!"; mysterious and odd goings on in a dark house in "The Bat"; further tricks and emotional terror on "House on Haunted Hill"; and it's topped off with brilliant science fiction, "The Last Man on Earth". first off, "Shock!" is about a woman who witnesses a murder from a distance and she goes into shock. the doctor who's assigned to 'help' her is actually the killer! this story has been re-used by other film makers down through the years {check out the wonderful 1983 TV movie, "The Cradle Will Fall"; also known as the "Guiding Light" movie because of the cameo roles by cast-members of that soap opera! it's on video and is based on the "Shock!" storyline.} on "The Bat" we have the story of a crazed killer who slashes women's throats. Agnes Moorhead of "Bewitched" is the star while Price co-stars. i can't give you too much info with giving away the movie because it has so many twists and turns. "House on Haunted Hill" is hilarious, primarily Price's deadpan vocal delivery when he hands out guns as party favors. i love his suave bickering with his icy wife and his threats no NEVER leave her! the remake from a few years ago wasn't too bad but you can't replace or remake a Vincent Price movie since 65% of them depended on his ham acting, distinct voice, and facial expressions. on "Last Man on Earth", Price plays a man who sleeps by day and kills zombies by night. the first half of the movie consists of him walking through a deserted street as we hear his voice narrating how he lives his life. he then has a flashback to when people roamed the streets before a "plague" developed and wiped out everyone. him being immune to this certain disease caused him to survive because he injected himself with a vaccine. the others? well, it was too late! they all turned into zombies...and that's where i leave you hanging...it'll ruin the ending if i give away anymore. i will let you in on a funny running gag of the film: "Morgan? Morgan? don't try to hide...we're coming for you Morgan..." is repeated over and over in a slow monotone by the head zombie figure. these four films are all unique and should not be missed! ... Read more

Reviews (75)

Price's Best
House on Haunted Hill is a classic movie about eccentric millionare named Frederick Lauren and his wife, Annabelle. They rent an old, creepy, gloomy house on a desolate hill and throw a party, "a haunted house party." The party only has has 7 guests, 4 men and 3 women (the same amout of people that have died in the house). If each guest stays all night in the house they each recieve $10,000, "or they're next of ki[n] just in case they don't survive." Vincent Price, Carol Ohmart and Elisha Cook star in this wonderful terrifying classic directed by William Castle. This movie is great because its origional, & they use props like fake heads in suitcases, and organs playing music with no player, instead of computers like the awful remake from 1999. See this movie you'll really enjoy it.

Scary, Campy, Old Horror Fun
HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL is one of my favorite movies. It has everything. A haunted house, a dark and stormy night, ghosts, a bloodstain that won't wash out, severed heads, an acid vat, organ music...It's just so atmospheric. The plot: Millionaire Vincent Price and his scheming wife invite five strangers to the house on Haunted Hill. He'll pay them 10,000 dollars each if they spend the night there. One of them dies, and a murder mystery also evolves. This movie from William Castle and Robb White is so much fun, and the set and acting is fantastic. If you love this, check out 13 GHOSTS, which I have also reviewed.

E-mail me: jackmonsoon@hotmail.com

The classic that's fun and scary.
This movie is over all scary, the opening scene sets the stage for a film that was way ahead of it's time. It was fun moments, and moments that wil send you acrost the theater, The scene with the old house ceeper is one of the most effective jumps in all of horror, a must see for any horror fan, and beable for those who aren't that big of horror fans, see if you can solve the myster before the films done.

FOR 10,000 DOLLARS WOULD YOU SPEND A NIGHT WITH VINCENTPRICE
I absolutley loved this movie. The script writting is wonderful,the acting is treamendous and the surprises you will see in this movie keep you at the end of your seat. This is trueley Vincent Price at his best. The ghost in the basement, the hanged body in the stairwell and the skeleton which appears at the end of the film. Also stars Carol O'Mart,Richard Long, Alan Marshall and Carolyn Craig. This film never has a dull part. So, If you you don't have this movie,you need to buy it.

a Vincent Price classic
what we seem to have is a battle between the unknown. this is classic horror, done in a melodramatic way, much like the Universal horror classics of the early '30s where all you needed was mystery, atmosphere, and an outrageous plot. now, sadly, everything apparently has to be realistic and not fantastic? that's a shame. This 1958 classic is about a man who allows several people the chance to compete against one another: the game is that the people have to survive a night's stay at the house and whoever does wins a fortune. Vincent is his suave best in this, appearing the way he would become stereotyped: tall, wearing a suit, having a thin mustache, and those beady eyes ready to pierce into someone's soul with that classic Vincent stare. William Castle directed this movie. It's campy, of course. 1958 horror, and nearly every horror film afterward was geared toward teenagers at drive-in's and this film is one of Price's best. His icy dialogue to his nagging, arrogant wife is great and she gets what she has coming to her...by way of a hilariously campy skeleton who's coming toward her with a gun. the senseless remake was un-called for. even though it brought some publicity for this 1958 original, the remake didn't have Vincent's heart and soul nor did it have much camp value. this 1958 version is the one you should look for...a must-have for ALL Vincent Price fans. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In The Bat, top-billed Vincent Price brings his silky sinister elegance to the second remake of the hoary "old dark house" stage play, but the real star of the show is Agnes Moorehead as an eccentric mystery writer who decides to pull off the million-dollar bank heist and the steel-clawed killer known only as "The Bat." Price's devious doctor is but one of a rogues gallery of suspects that include a Johnny-on-the-spot police detective, a chauffeur turned butler with a checkered past, and a housekeeper with echoes of Rebecca's Mrs. Danvers. Moorehead is a kick as the spirited author and makes the most of her expanded role, but fans of the early film productions (1926's The Bat and 1930's The Bat Whispers, both directed by Roland West) will be less forgiving of other changes, especially writer-director Crane Wilbur's decision to draw the story out over a succession of nights. Wilbur loses the tension and claustrophobia of the originals with handsome but airy photography, more appropriate to an episode of Perry Mason, and a rambling pace. Moorehead and Price bring a little spirit to the otherwise bland film, but not quite enough.

William Castle's gimmick-laden comic thriller House on Haunted Hill is not so much a horror movie as a fairground fun house come to life. Vincent Price stars as a deliciously silky millionaire married to a greedy gold digger (Carol Ohmart) who refuses to divorce him. When he turns his wife's idea for a haunted-house party into a contest--$10,000 to whoever can spend the night in "the only truly haunted house in the world"--it seems he may have found an alternative to divorce. Five strangers gather to test their stamina, Price hands each of them most delightfully twisted party favors ever imagined (loaded handguns, delivered in their own tiny coffins), and the spook show begins. Blood drips from the ceiling, zombielike apparitions float through rooms, severed heads and skeletons suddenly appear, and then a guest is found hanging in the stairwell. Full of screams and shocks and things that go bump in the night, House on Haunted Hill isn't particularly scary and often makes little sense, but, like a Halloween haunted house, the gag-laden spectacle of spook-show clichés is quite entertaining and Price makes a sardonic master of ceremonies. The original theatrical presentations featured a typically outrageous Castle-engineered gimmick: Emergo, which was nothing more than a skeleton that appeared to fly out of the screen and over the audience on a guide wire. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Two Vincent Price Chillers For The Price Of One!
This DVD produced by "The Roan Group" features two of my favorite Vincent Price horror/suspense films: "The Bat" and "House On Haunted Hill", both of which were released in movie theaters the same year (1959).

"The Bat" is a creaky old-dark-house kind of tale, and stars Price along with the great Agnes Moorehead. Although not exactly nail-bitingly intense, it still emits a great deal of entertainment (including several unintentionally funny moments -- or at least I *think* they're unintentional). But, no matter. This movie is still very fun all the way around. And Miss Moorehead is always a treat on screen.

"House On Haunted Hill" is a William Castle-directed feature, which automatically means a fun outing at the movies! Castle's "gimmick" in movie theaters for this film was called "Emergo", which entailed a "flying skeleton" jumping out at the audience at just the proper moment in the film. Must have been pretty cool for kids back in '59!

Each film on this disc is shown in Widescreen format, with the original Mono soundtrack. And the picture quality looks A-OK. Very pleasing indeed (especially considering the fact neither film has been anamorphically enhanced). Aspect ratio for each of these black-and-white films on this DVD is 1.66:1. The Mono audio tracks for each movie is in 1.0 Dolby Digital.

The DVD is double-sided (therefore no disc art), with one movie residing on each side. There are no extra bonus features at all. But each movie does include several chapter breaks. There's a Chapter List included on a paper insert inside the DVD's Keep Case.

These two late-'50s flicks are essential viewing for any serious (or even casual) Vincent Price buff.

FOR EXTRAS LOOK ELSEWHERE
There are no extras on this Roan DVD, not even a menu. If you need extras, do not purchase this. If you want see two movies that are sharp and crisp then look no further. The sound is good. I heard no hiss. Both movies are interesting and well acted.

Double Feature for Fans of Castle and Price.
The Bat:A mystery Writer (Angus Moorehead) and her housemates(Darla Hood & Lenita Lane) rents a creppy old manison. Where a Serial Killer knows as the Bat is stalking them.

House on Haunted Hill:When five strangers (Richard Long, Alan Marshal, Carolyn Craig, Elisha Cook Jr. & Julie Mithchum) are Invivted by a Millionaire (Vincent Price) and his mean-spirited wife (Carol Ohmart) to the rule of the deal is:If the five stay for the night, they will get $10,000, if they survived the night in this Haunted House.

Directed by Crane Wilbur made a watchable Suspense Thriller. Price plays a Doctor here, not as Sound as House on Haunted Hill, that one was much more Better. DVD`s has a good non-anamorphic Widescreen (1.66:1) transfer and a fine Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono Sound. Grade:B. Directed by William Castle (The Tinger), Well the Best is House on Haunted Hill, the format of the film is a non-anamorphic Widescreen (1.66:1) transfer (Not the Original 1.85:1 Transfer) and a clear Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono Sound. Grade:B+.

Creepy, nostalgic fun,fun, fun!
Two fun "Creepy old house" flicks, from that old paragon of cheaply produced films, Allied Artists, (formerly Monogram),have been released on one DVD. "House on Haunted Hill", the better-known of the two, is a now-legendary William Castle opus, full of cheap shocks, including the infamous vat of acid in a wine cellar, an unsuccessful murder plot (with a twist), campy performances, little credibility, and is a real "party" film. "The Bat", while a little on the slow side, does have Vincent Price and the wonderful Agnes Moorehead. The woman did EVERYTHING well! The story line creaks, and is a little slow-going, but I always enjoyed it-mainly due to Agnes' performance. This was another childhood favorite of mine, along with "Haunted Hill", which used to run on "Million Dollar Movie" about 100 times in one week! The picture quality is excellent on both films (you can REALLY see how cheap the sets are), and if you're 40-something like myself, it will bring back memories of a mug of hot cocoa, "Melody" cookies, and an old black-and-white TV set with rabbit ears. My favorite part in "Haunted Hill"-Carolyn Craig runs shrieking through the house (her screams could wake the dead)-Alan Marshal knocks on Vincent Price's door, and asks, "Did you hear anything?" to which Vincent replies, "Organ music?"

Classic fun!
Roan Archival Entertainment has presented a series of consistently high-quality double featured DVDs. This one in particular is just one of those. THE BAT and HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL are presented on opposite sides of the disc. Contrary to the description on this site, neither are (or ever were) in color. The sound qulaity for both pictures are exceptional. The widescreen framing is well rendered. The film elements for both are good, except for quite a bit of flecks on HOUSE and some film jumps on BAT. These flaws are not distracting, however. THE BAT has an exceptionally clear picture quality, with pleasant contrasts.

As for the quality of the films, they both are enjoyable for what they have to offer. THE BAT is a remake of the classic 1930 film THE BAT WHISPERS. This version stars Vincent Price and Agnes Moorehead (who 6 years later would get an Oscar nomination for HUSH..HUSH SWEET CHARLOTTE). The film also has the final film performance of Darla Hood ("Darla" of the OUR GANG comedies of the 1930s). Contrary to the cover art, this is not a horror film. its actually more likened to an episode of "Murder, She Wrote" with Moorhead p[laying a mystery writer involved in a little murder mystery of her own. Vincent Price is pretty much wasted in this film. His role ends up being a thankless one, as one will observe. This film is nothing like the spook fest on the other side HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL. This minor film has developed quite a following. Its not difficult to see why with its cooky special effects and equally cooky script. This is full of surprises and unintentional dated laughs as the visitors to the house become pawns to Vincent Price's wicked games. William Castle directs in his usually manipulative style. This film will not be forgotton!

Please note: These films are available for purchase separately through Warner and Anchor Bay. If you are willing to give up extras, this edition will suit you just fine. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Director William Castle finally makes an actual thriller!
Once upon a time two teenage girls, Kit (Sarah Lane) and Libby (Andi Garrett), spent the evening making prank phone calls to random numbers. Then they called up Steve Marak (John Ireland) and told him "I saw what you did and I know who you are," but the two girls did not know that the man had just murdered his wife. Of course, the man wanted to find the two "witnesses" and kill them, but just to make things interesting, his neighbor Amy Nelson (played in predictable over-the-top fashion by Joan Crawford), really does know about the murder. However, she has other plans for her neighbor besides sending him to prison.

Actually, "I Saw What You Did" might be the best film ever directed by William Castle, king of the exploitation film ("House on Haunted Hill," "The Tingler"), even though it is atypical of his work. Of course Castle did set up "Shock Sections" for panicky audience members for this film, but the actual movie is a tense and entertaining thriller. Unfortunately the extras on this DVD are pretty sparse, although it does include Castle's promotional clip along with the theatrical trailer and a miniature reproduction of the poster.

The QUEEN of Camp!
Another clinker from the 1960's vault of Joan Crawford films. & of course, Joan being a true star really gives it her all in this truly bad low-budget film about 2 silly teenagers who make a prank call to the wrong guy (John Ireland).

Her brief appearance steals the show & as usual is a riot. The subplot involes Joan playing the desperate, manipulating, man-hungry middle aged next door neighbor who is obsessed w/ snagging John Ireland even after she finds out he's a killer! The scenes w/ her & John Ireland together where she can barely surpress her jealous rage over his dead ex-girlfriend had me chuckling to myself. Dressed in what looks like a cocktail dress & a mini-chandellier around her neck, she looks & sounds as if perhaps there really was alcohol in those drinks she was making.

The climax comes when she confronts one of the teen-aged girls grabbing her by the hair, calling her a "tramp" & ripping her to shreds screaming "GET OUTTA HERE!..." over & over again. I laughed my head off. The rest of the film has some suspenseful moments thanks to the menacing John Ireland, but the corny soundtrack music takes what little scariness this film had going for it away. At times it sounded like background music on an episode of "The Flintstones". I'm sure this may have been scary stuff for pre-teens in the 60's but today its just another hilariously campy Joan Crawford movie.

& i'm giving this film ***** simply because it completely fulfilled my need for camp--Joan Crawford style.

A Deliciously Over-The-Top Joan Crawford! A Good DVD, Too!
William Castle (the movie "gimmick-meister") brought to the screen in July of 1965 a film entitled "I Saw What You Did", starring an aging Joan Crawford (who was 61). This was one of Joan's last pictures, and she proves here she still had what it takes (albeit, in this film, in a somewhat humorous and over-the-top fashion).

The premise of this movie is a clever one -- two teenaged girls begin playing a telephone "game", where they call people at random out of the phone book and inform them "I saw what you did ... and I know who you are!"

This "game" takes a realistic twist when (as fate would have it) one of the "victims" of the girls' prank turns out to have committed a murder just minutes before the call. A dangerous game indeed.

The two young girls are played by Andi Garrett and Sarah Lane. They aren't exactly in Miss Crawford's class, acting-wise, but I liked both of them in this movie very much. They just seemed to have a "real" quality to them that came through on screen. Interestingly, this was Andi Garrett's *only* film appearance ever. And Sarah Lane appeared in just one other film besides this one (which was a made-for-TV movie).

Anchor Bay and Universal give us this black-and-white film on DVD in a good-looking Widescreen presentation (1.78:1), with a robust-enough Mono soundtrack. The transfer here is not "Anamorphic", but it looks like one nonetheless, displaying a very clear picture with little in the way of any video distractions.

Not many, but a few, Bonus Features occupy space on this one-disc DVD edition. There's the Original Trailer for the film, plus a "Teaser Trailer", which features Director William Castle's "World Premiere Announcement" for this little chiller/thriller.

Also on the disc are some text-only "Talent Bios" (for Crawford and Castle). The Bio section for Miss Crawford is very nice, too -- featuring a multitude of text screens covering her vast career. Many vintage photos of the actress are also included on the bio text screens.

A one-page (two-sided) insert comes in this Keepcased package. This is one of the nicer single-page DVD enclosures, being made from a thicker cardboard than most flimsier paper inserts. A listing of the movie's 20 "Chapters" is on one side; while a reproduction of an original lobby card (or poster) for the film is shown on the other side of the insert.

"I Saw What You Did" certainly isn't the best or scariest flick you'll ever see. But it has a certain atmospheric "charm" to it that definitely places it within the "worth a look" category.

Had some potential, but doesn't fufill it
I think this movie had potential to be a good little thriller, but the mood gets spoiled too often by the teeny-booper music. Yes, we get it, the movie's about misbehaving teenagers. You don't need to bust out the American Bandstand music every time they appear on screen.

That may seem like a minor quibble, but I found the inappropriate music did have an effect on the suspense, which got dialed up pretty high in certain scenes. Just when I thought things were coming to a close, there was another little twist, and danger reared its ugly head once again. The happy ending was kind of predictable, but the path to get there was often full of surprises.

I watched the movie first and foremost as a Joan Crawford fan, although I understood going into it that she had a small part and overacted it, at that. (I never saw anyone fall to the floor in such an elaborate fashion.) It's a shame that they'll release films like this on DVD, but not more of Crawford's earlier, better work. However, I ended up finding the film as a whole a somewhat enjoyable, B-grade suspense flick.

Castle (kinda) Does It Again!
Having seen most of William Castle's films, the only few problems i had with "I Saw What You Did" mainly go to a few technicals. By 1965, you would think that Castle would have filmed this in color. That was one problem. Another, the soundtrack. I can understand that the beginning of some horror films can be rather up-beat with the premise of setting the audience up for a twist that ultimately takes us for a ride. The soundtrack for this film doesn't let up, and actually sounds like music for a "Beach Party" film. With that aside, everyone knows that Castle did his best with what he knew. The acting is at times corny, but it was intended that way for the sake of getting the best reaction from the audience when some scenes were 'off the cuff'. The shower scene at the beginning is where i have the most praise. Castle's ability to give us a small bloodbath (remember "Homicidal"?) MADE me buy the dvd for that one scene. Other than that, Joan Crawford's role was good, and Castle's re-use of some of the actor's from his previous films was ok. The extra's were a nice bonus, tho a doccumentary with some of the actor's would have been interesting to watch. ... Read more

Reviews (75)

Price's Best
House on Haunted Hill is a classic movie about eccentric millionare named Frederick Lauren and his wife, Annabelle. They rent an old, creepy, gloomy house on a desolate hill and throw a party, "a haunted house party." The party only has has 7 guests, 4 men and 3 women (the same amout of people that have died in the house). If each guest stays all night in the house they each recieve $10,000, "or they're next of ki[n] just in case they don't survive." Vincent Price, Carol Ohmart and Elisha Cook star in this wonderful terrifying classic directed by William Castle. This movie is great because its origional, & they use props like fake heads in suitcases, and organs playing music with no player, instead of computers like the awful remake from 1999. See this movie you'll really enjoy it.

Scary, Campy, Old Horror Fun
HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL is one of my favorite movies. It has everything. A haunted house, a dark and stormy night, ghosts, a bloodstain that won't wash out, severed heads, an acid vat, organ music...It's just so atmospheric. The plot: Millionaire Vincent Price and his scheming wife invite five strangers to the house on Haunted Hill. He'll pay them 10,000 dollars each if they spend the night there. One of them dies, and a murder mystery also evolves. This movie from William Castle and Robb White is so much fun, and the set and acting is fantastic. If you love this, check out 13 GHOSTS, which I have also reviewed.

E-mail me: jackmonsoon@hotmail.com

The classic that's fun and scary.
This movie is over all scary, the opening scene sets the stage for a film that was way ahead of it's time. It was fun moments, and moments that wil send you acrost the theater, The scene with the old house ceeper is one of the most effective jumps in all of horror, a must see for any horror fan, and beable for those who aren't that big of horror fans, see if you can solve the myster before the films done.

FOR 10,000 DOLLARS WOULD YOU SPEND A NIGHT WITH VINCENTPRICE
I absolutley loved this movie. The script writting is wonderful,the acting is treamendous and the surprises you will see in this movie keep you at the end of your seat. This is trueley Vincent Price at his best. The ghost in the basement, the hanged body in the stairwell and the skeleton which appears at the end of the film. Also stars Carol O'Mart,Richard Long, Alan Marshall and Carolyn Craig. This film never has a dull part. So, If you you don't have this movie,you need to buy it.

a Vincent Price classic
what we seem to have is a battle between the unknown. this is classic horror, done in a melodramatic way, much like the Universal horror classics of the early '30s where all you needed was mystery, atmosphere, and an outrageous plot. now, sadly, everything apparently has to be realistic and not fantastic? that's a shame. This 1958 classic is about a man who allows several people the chance to compete against one another: the game is that the people have to survive a night's stay at the house and whoever does wins a fortune. Vincent is his suave best in this, appearing the way he would become stereotyped: tall, wearing a suit, having a thin mustache, and those beady eyes ready to pierce into someone's soul with that classic Vincent stare. William Castle directed this movie. It's campy, of course. 1958 horror, and nearly every horror film afterward was geared toward teenagers at drive-in's and this film is one of Price's best. His icy dialogue to his nagging, arrogant wife is great and she gets what she has coming to her...by way of a hilariously campy skeleton who's coming toward her with a gun. the senseless remake was un-called for. even though it brought some publicity for this 1958 original, the remake didn't have Vincent's heart and soul nor did it have much camp value. this 1958 version is the one you should look for...a must-have for ALL Vincent Price fans. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

"best sources available" used, but not best transfer!
This double-sided DVD by Goodtimes contains two black&white thrillers. Both center around a haunted/eerie house and needless to say "House on Haunted Hill" is very effective. "The Bat" simply pleasant. So from that point of view, this double-feature does ok.
Now to the technical side.
Goodtimes informs you that "best sources available" have been used. I may ask what good are those sources if you spoil the transfer.

HoHH is in 4:3 ratio, not widescreen, but that does not hurt as much as the contrast/sharpness that has been obviously pushed up to the maximum. I mean the movie really looks black/white and NO grey. This leads to good-looking black color but far too sharp edges. The print however is ok. Sound too.

TB is widescreen, even anamorphic, but the "best source" must have been a s-vhs tape. It simply doesn't look attractive. Here, everything is grey, no real black, no real white and no real edge. Sound is also s-vhs standard only.

Could have been a bargain with the attractive cover provided by Goodtimes, but in the end you get what you pay for. Nothing less and nothing more. ... Read more

Reviews (75)

Price's Best
House on Haunted Hill is a classic movie about eccentric millionare named Frederick Lauren and his wife, Annabelle. They rent an old, creepy, gloomy house on a desolate hill and throw a party, "a haunted house party." The party only has has 7 guests, 4 men and 3 women (the same amout of people that have died in the house). If each guest stays all night in the house they each recieve $10,000, "or they're next of ki[n] just in case they don't survive." Vincent Price, Carol Ohmart and Elisha Cook star in this wonderful terrifying classic directed by William Castle. This movie is great because its origional, & they use props like fake heads in suitcases, and organs playing music with no player, instead of computers like the awful remake from 1999. See this movie you'll really enjoy it.

Scary, Campy, Old Horror Fun
HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL is one of my favorite movies. It has everything. A haunted house, a dark and stormy night, ghosts, a bloodstain that won't wash out, severed heads, an acid vat, organ music...It's just so atmospheric. The plot: Millionaire Vincent Price and his scheming wife invite five strangers to the house on Haunted Hill. He'll pay them 10,000 dollars each if they spend the night there. One of them dies, and a murder mystery also evolves. This movie from William Castle and Robb White is so much fun, and the set and acting is fantastic. If you love this, check out 13 GHOSTS, which I have also reviewed.

E-mail me: jackmonsoon@hotmail.com

The classic that's fun and scary.
This movie is over all scary, the opening scene sets the stage for a film that was way ahead of it's time. It was fun moments, and moments that wil send you acrost the theater, The scene with the old house ceeper is one of the most effective jumps in all of horror, a must see for any horror fan, and beable for those who aren't that big of horror fans, see if you can solve the myster before the films done.

FOR 10,000 DOLLARS WOULD YOU SPEND A NIGHT WITH VINCENTPRICE
I absolutley loved this movie. The script writting is wonderful,the acting is treamendous and the surprises you will see in this movie keep you at the end of your seat. This is trueley Vincent Price at his best. The ghost in the basement, the hanged body in the stairwell and the skeleton which appears at the end of the film. Also stars Carol O'Mart,Richard Long, Alan Marshall and Carolyn Craig. This film never has a dull part. So, If you you don't have this movie,you need to buy it.

a Vincent Price classic
what we seem to have is a battle between the unknown. this is classic horror, done in a melodramatic way, much like the Universal horror classics of the early '30s where all you needed was mystery, atmosphere, and an outrageous plot. now, sadly, everything apparently has to be realistic and not fantastic? that's a shame. This 1958 classic is about a man who allows several people the chance to compete against one another: the game is that the people have to survive a night's stay at the house and whoever does wins a fortune. Vincent is his suave best in this, appearing the way he would become stereotyped: tall, wearing a suit, having a thin mustache, and those beady eyes ready to pierce into someone's soul with that classic Vincent stare. William Castle directed this movie. It's campy, of course. 1958 horror, and nearly every horror film afterward was geared toward teenagers at drive-in's and this film is one of Price's best. His icy dialogue to his nagging, arrogant wife is great and she gets what she has coming to her...by way of a hilariously campy skeleton who's coming toward her with a gun. the senseless remake was un-called for. even though it brought some publicity for this 1958 original, the remake didn't have Vincent's heart and soul nor did it have much camp value. this 1958 version is the one you should look for...a must-have for ALL Vincent Price fans. ... Read more

Description

---From Back Of DVD Box---
The classic haunted house masterpiece starring Vincent Price which was later remade starring Geoffrey Rush can now be enjoyed over and over for the first time ever in 3D on Home Video. Price stars as a diabolical millionaire who invites a number of guests out to a dreary mansion for a night of murder.

When released in theatres, director William Castle invented a new gimmick that featured a skeleton to fly down over the audience at heightened points of suspense. With wonderful plot twists, memorable acting, and 3D effects that would make director William Castle blush, this film will sure to please anyone with an appetite for the good times.

So turn off the lights, grab the popcorn, and join us as Drive-In Classics Home Video proudly presents part of its 3-D Collection... Just dont watch it alone! ...