Product: 13 Ghosts (1960)
Rating: 4.0
Ahhh... the aroma of finely aged cheese...
I had the pleasure of screening this goofball entry into the 'Old Dark House' genre several years ago at a college campus. It was presented in its original 'Illusion-O!' incarnation, where spectators are encouraged to use special 'Ghost Viewers' in order to blot out the presence of the ghosts on screen (in the event the appearance of the title specters is too terrifying for the casual participant). The introduction of these 13 phantoms coincides with the insertion of red & blue color sequences within a black & white film. The unusual complexity of this cinematic rigamarole begs the question: who exactly would go to the trouble of watching 13 GHOSTS, only to use the provided 'Ghost Viewer' to erase said apparitions? The 'Ghost Viewer', in this sense, is a contradictory device... but amusing nonetheless. At the screening I organized, the film rental agency sent us traditional 3-D glasses in lieu of 'Ghost Viewers', which complicated the process to no end... one could only dematerialize the ghosts by watching the film with one eye closed.The creativity of the 'Illusion-O!' process is the most prominent reason this film stands apart from others of its genre and date of initial release. The care involved with crafting and promoting this central gimmick is very impressive for a low-budget, B-picture. The art direction on some of the 'scary' sequences is quite remarkable for its time, particularly with the opening credits and the 'flaming skeleton' ghost. These images are of the type that stay with an impressionable young mind forever, and my memories of these evoke a wonderfully warped Halloween-flavored daydream (even having viewed this film for the first time when I was in my 20s).Regardless of gimmick, this William Castle venture is a fun snapshot of a much simpler time. Post-nuclear family inherits decrepit mansion with strange housekeeper (Margaret Hamilton, the Wicked Witch from THE WIZARD OF OZ) only to discover that there is much more invested in the property than its share of otherworldly occupants. There are the usual shocks and thrills that are associated with films of the type, but most of these are tame when compared with today's standards. If I were of the target age for maximum enjoyment of this film (8 to 12 years), I might think this movie is one of the greatest ever made. Make no mistake, this is a movie manufactured for the purposes of capturing the imagination of children. Discriminating adults will likely view this film a little differently. Nevertheless, it persists as a remarkable 'time capsule' that still proves as entertaining (if not more so) than the glut of films regularly marketed to the younger generation nowadays.Rumor has it that Columbia / Tri Star will be presenting this film in its original 'Illusion-O!' (with 'Ghost Viewers' included!) so that we may all enjoy the screening of the ghosts in 'ectoplasmic color' in the safe comfort of our own homes. There is also reportedly a featurette on 'The Making of Illusion-O!'. It's remarkable that the neither the VHS or laserdisc of this film feature the 'Illusion-O!' color footage, and now the popularity of the DVD format is making this release a reality. For those of us who are long time fans of this film, this is a dream come true.