William Castle at Columbia Volume One 10/27/18
All of Columbia’s gimmick pictures by ‘Mister Showman’ are here, from the buzz-in-the-rear jolt of Percepto! through the Ghost Viewers of Illusion-O, The Fright Break and The Punishment Poll. A couple of the movies are good, too, especially The Tingler with its bizarre non-sequitur narrative, and the weird take on an average American family in the casually morbid 13 Ghosts. The derivative shocker Homicidal plays games with gender roles, while the cut-price gothic Mr. Sardonicus relies on a single horrifying countenance to chill the blood. The authoritative extras make the difference, plus the handsome remastering of the selective-color gag in The Tingler that shocks us with a literal Bath of Blood. Reviewing this set for CineSavant is our one and only diabolical Charlie ‘Loathsome’ Largent (shudder!). On Blu-ray from Powerhouse Indicator.
10/27/18