October 21, 2009 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 17 William Castle: The man with the gimmicks by Dennis Seuling No filmmaker loved the art of exploitation like William Castle. Castle produced and directed a successful series of horror films from the late ‘50s to the mid-‘60s, most of which relied on some gimmick to get audiences in their seats. “The William Castle Film Collection” (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment) includes eight of Castle’s films, three of which are making their DVD debut. Fascinated by the circus, New York stage plays, radio, and the movies, Castle spent most of his teenage years working on the stage in jobs ranging from set building to acting. He headed for Hollywood at age 23 and directed his first film six years later. He worked in many film genres and assisted director Orson Welles on the film noir classic “The Lady from Shanghai,” starring Rita Hayworth. His first movie as producer/director was “Macabre,” a routine mystery that Castle promoted with the phrase, “If it frightens you to death, you’ll be buried free of charge!” “The Tingler” (1959) stars Vincent Price as a doctor experimenting with the effects of fright. The concept, according to Castle’s script, is that when a person becomes frightened, the Tingler, a usually docile creature living on one’s spinal cord becomes activated. As the person’s fear escalates, the Tingler grows and becomes capable of breaking the person’s spine. The creature can be destroyed only if the frightened person screams. A main character (Judith Evelyn) is a deaf mute, and because she cannot scream, she is scared to death, freeing the Tingler to cause mayhem. The black-and-white film features gruesome images of a blood-filled bathtub and faucets dispensing blood. In theaters, certain seats were wired so that when the Tingler ran amok, audience members would receive a buzz. Castle coined the term Percepto to describe this effect. “Strait-Jacket” (1964) capitalized on Joan Crawford’s newfound fame as a horror star in “What Ever Happened (continued on Crossword page) State Line 375 State Highway 17 North, Mahwah Open 24 Hours, 7 Days Join Us For Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner The Best Got Better! Diner - Restaurant 201-529-3353 Now Serving Cocktails, Espresso & Cappuccino $ 00 Vincent Price in ‘The Tingler.’ On $10.00 and over. With this coupon only. One Coupon per table. 5:00 to 9:00 pm only. Off 1 $ 00 VT On $20.00 and over. With this coupon only. One Coupon per table. 5:00 to 9:00 pm only. Off 2 VT �������� �������� ��������� �������� ��������������������������������������������� Sunday & Monday NFL Ticket on Direct TV ���������� ���������� Halloween Party Football Menu & Bar Specials Regular Menu also available � �������������� �������� ��������� ������������������������ in our Bar Area PRIZE FOR THE BEST COSTUME! BAR & DRINK SPECIALS Saturday, October 31 9 pm until Closing �������������� ����������������� �������������� ������������������� � �� ����������������������������������������� �� �������������������� �������������������� ��������������������� �������������� ������������� � �� HAPPY HOU R �� ������� �������������������������������������������������������������������� 10-21-09 Ester/Janine ������������������������������������������������