Watch 13 Ghosts

In the 1960s, 13 Ghosts was a horror movie that excited audiences with its inventive and spine-chilling plot. This famous movie directed by William Castle immediately captures the viewer's attention upon seeing the introductory credits - an innovative surprise from producer, William Castle. The movie features a family of four - Cyrus (Donald Woods), his daughter Medeea (Jo Morrow), his son Buck (Charles Herbert), and his son's wife, who've inherited a spooky mansion from a deceased uncle, Professor Plato Zorba. The house is an unusual one, to say the least - once the family steps foot inside, they discover they're unable to leave without the use of special glasses. There's also an accompanying "ghost viewer" device, which viewers of the film aren't able to use. This is where the gimmick of the movie comes in - the people in the cinema who owned said ghost viewers, were able to see the ghosts of the house through the special filters.

Soon the family comes to learn that the ghosts in the house are both trapped and freed by the spectacles, as it's revealed that the ghosts are worth a fortune. Zorba was an occultist and had spent his whole life collecting ghosts, each with its own unique story, and as it were, each ghost corresponds to a different room in the mansion. The family of the deceased collector must then retrieve the ghosts to claim their fortune without being killed or possessed by them.

The film sets up the audience for an enjoyable ride, compelling them to take turns identifying which ghost appears before the characters can see them themselves. The ghosts include a fiery burning man (who had set himself aflame in unrequited love for his daughter), a murderous headless lion-tamer, a woman with a sliced throat, a mysterious magician, a strangling panther, to name some of the most notable.

In addition to the ghost chaser story, the movie also includes a classic American romance between Buck and his wife (played by Rosemary DeCamp). There's also comic relief in the form of a quick-witted role of Kalvin Cobb (played by Martin Milner), who provides moments of laughter and provides some helpful technical solutions.

Director William Castle is known for his distinctive approach to horror films. He placed buzzers and piping under audiences chairs in his movies, and 13 Ghosts was no different. The movie was promoted as giving "the fright of your life in Illusion-O." Other effects included the use of a "ghoul," a real actor in makeup that would glide through the theater, scaring audience members who thought they were being touched by one of the ghosts themselves.

In terms of cinematography, Castle makes the most of his low budget by dividing the film into three primary color schemes - one for each act - allowing for the mood, wardrobe, and the overall feel of the movie to change. The spooky mansion is shot in such a way that it appears bigger than it is, with many creepily lit visual scares.

Overall, 13 Ghosts is a classic horror film - an imaginative, unique, and entertaining premise that remains fun to watch, even 60 years after being released. Its gimmicks may seem dated now, but this is a movie that stands the test of time as a staple of the horror genre. People continue to tune in to this cult classic year after year, with good reason.

13 Ghosts is a 1960 horror movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 25 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.0 and a MetaScore of 56.