Ep1238: Castle Freaks: 13 Ghosts (1960 / 2001) - Movie Review
Ian and Dr. AC return to provide more haunting analyses of a William Castle Classic and its slipshod 21st Century remake!
In 1960's 13 Ghosts, a destitute family inherits an old mansion from a distant, wealthy relative. Shortly after moving in they discover the place is already occupied by...you guessed it! The only way to see and deal with these pesky poltergeists is to don a pair of goofy experimental glasses--a version of which allowed moviegoers to see the spirits in "Illusion-O"!
Decades later, Dark Castle Pictures gave us director Steve Beck's (very loose) re-imagining, in which the house is no longer just a mansion, but a marvel of mechanisms, glass, and mayhem that would make the Umbrella Corporation blush. There's also a higher body count, buckets of blood, and a Satanic subplot that clears the shark and collides with the sun.
In this spoilerific look at both films, Ian and AC continue to make the case for William Castle as a great horror filmmaker whose reputation as a cheesy gimmick-monger is unfair.
They also discuss the key differences between the sly classic and the sloppy remake--and the unexpected benefits of watching the films in reverse order!
Support Kicking the Seat on Patreon, subscribe to us on YouTube, and follow us at:
Show Links:
Watch the 13 Ghosts (1960) trailer.
Watch the Thir13en Ghosts (2001) trailer.
"Castle Freaks" is the next leg in our classic horror journey. If you're new to the channel, catch up with our 5-year "Hammerland" series, which wrapped up last year!
Stay learned with the Good Doctor at Horror 101 w/ Dr. AC!
And keep screaming and screaming (and subbing) to Dr. AC's YouTube channel!
If you want to learn more about William Castle's larger-than-life life and times, check out his indispensable autobiography, Step Right Up!
AND check out the wonderful Castle documentary, Spine-Tingler: The William Castle Story, now streaming on Tubi!
