Watch The Tingler

The Tingler is a horror film produced in 1959 and directed by William Castle. The movie stars renowned horror actor, Vincent Price, along with Judith Evelyn and Darryl Hickman. The film is best known for its unique marketing gimmick, "Percepto", which involved electrical buzzers installed under certain audience seats that would simulate the feeling of the "tingler" creature onscreen and its famous tagline, "Not a word of warning! Not a scream to be heard!"

The movie revolves around a pathologist named Dr. Warren Chapin (Vincent Price), who is studying the effects of fear on the human body. He discovers a new creature, a parasitic creature known as the "tingler," that feeds on human fear and causes tremendous physical pain to its host when it is unable to escape their body. Dr. Chapin's theory is that the only way to weaken the grip of this creature is to scream, thereby releasing the pent-up fear within the host.

As the movie progresses, Dr. Chapin acquires a dead body, which he uses to study the creature. He then proceeds to inject some of his acquaintances with LSD to induce fear and see if the creature is affected. During one of these experiments, he discovers that a mute woman named Martha (Judith Evelyn), who has never screamed in her life, is the perfect host for the tingler. He proceeds to remove the tingler from her body surgically, and it slips away into a dark movie theater where its deep hum can be felt.

The latter part of the movie plays out inside the theater, where the tingler has managed to slip beneath the seats, and wreaks havoc on the audience. Dr. Chapin, who has become obsessed with the creature, is plunged into a world of horror as he tries to control the situation before it's too late. He discovers that only a scream can stop the tingler, which has gripped the audience in a state of sheer terror.

The Tingler is an atypical horror film for its time, with William Castle adding a new dimension to the genre by incorporating interactive elements. The Percepto experience, which saw buzzers being planted beneath select cinema seats, was a novel addition that caused sensations felt by the audience to be mirrored onscreen. The incorporation of this feature effectively amplified the horror elements of the film, making it a memorable and unique movie-going experience.

The performances in The Tingler are top-notch, with Vincent Price putting on an exceptional display as the eccentric Dr. Chapin. His performance is chilling, with his character's descent into madness being slowly and effectively portrayed. Judith Evelyn's character Martha is also a standout, delivering a remarkable performance without uttering a single word. In a scene where she is gripped by the tingler, Evelyn manages to convey a sense of sheer terror that is truly unforgettable.

The Tingler's cinematography is another standout feature, with the use of color being notable for a movie of its time. The horror-tinged moments are lit with vibrant colors, setting the mood and atmosphere with an almost surrealistic feel. The special effects also add to the film's overall style, with the creature itself being effectively depicted.

Overall, The Tingler is a masterful horror film that was way ahead of its time. It blends the best elements of classic horror with the interactive elements that add a whole new dimension to the genre. The performances, cinematography, and special effects are all noteworthy aspects of this film, cementing it as a classic in the horror movie genre.

The Tingler is a 1959 horror movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 22 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.6.