By Bob Bloom The following titles are being released on Tuesday, Aug. 21, unless otherwise noted: The Tingler (Blu-ray) Details: 1959, Scream Factory Rated: Not rated The lowdown: Master showman William Castle created “Percepto,” a gimmick to lure moviegoers into theaters, for this Vincent Price chiller. “The Tingler” followed the Castle-Price collaboration of “House on Haunted Hill.” In “The Tingler,” Price stars as a doctor obsessed with discovering the root cause of fear. In his studies, he finds a parasitic creature that grows on the spinal cords of terrified people. If they scream, the Tingler, as he named it, can be destroyed. If they don’t it will sever the spinal cord and kill the victim. He captures a Tingler after a deaf-mute woman has been scared to death by her devious husband. However, the creature escapes and flees into a movie theater. And this is where the “Percepto” comes into play. Movie theaters that cooperated with Castle would wire random seats so that unsuspecting customers would get a tangible electric shock during the climatic moments of the movie. It was a fun novelty idea that helped promote the movie. Of course, Price gave his usual sincere and dramatic performance, which also added to the movie’s enjoyment.
New to View: Aug. 21
New to View: Aug. 21
New to View: Aug. 21
By Bob Bloom The following titles are being released on Tuesday, Aug. 21, unless otherwise noted: The Tingler (Blu-ray) Details: 1959, Scream Factory Rated: Not rated The lowdown: Master showman William Castle created “Percepto,” a gimmick to lure moviegoers into theaters, for this Vincent Price chiller. “The Tingler” followed the Castle-Price collaboration of “House on Haunted Hill.” In “The Tingler,” Price stars as a doctor obsessed with discovering the root cause of fear. In his studies, he finds a parasitic creature that grows on the spinal cords of terrified people. If they scream, the Tingler, as he named it, can be destroyed. If they don’t it will sever the spinal cord and kill the victim. He captures a Tingler after a deaf-mute woman has been scared to death by her devious husband. However, the creature escapes and flees into a movie theater. And this is where the “Percepto” comes into play. Movie theaters that cooperated with Castle would wire random seats so that unsuspecting customers would get a tangible electric shock during the climatic moments of the movie. It was a fun novelty idea that helped promote the movie. Of course, Price gave his usual sincere and dramatic performance, which also added to the movie’s enjoyment.