Rating: 
Summary: Ahhh... the aroma of finely aged cheese...
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Another gem from schlockmeister William Castle
Review: I saw this one at the theater waaaaay back in 1960, and was scared under the seat before the initial credits were done rolling. (Hey, I was FIVE!) I've seen some of today's jaded youth scared by it, too - IF you treat it right and show it in the proper atmosphere. The writer, Robb White, also did Castle's "House on Haunted Hill", and he seems to have a knack for the occasional creepy lines (like those from a pre-"Adam 12" Marty Millner describing the death of the previous owner of the haunted house - no graphic scenes can compete with your imagination, and that's how Castle gets his best effects.) Recommended for all ages, but the more sensitive (read intelligent and imaginative) youngsters *may* have a nightmare. It's GOOD for them! ;-) Margaret Hamilton, the never-to-be-forgotten "Wicked Witch" from "The Wizard of Oz", plays the housekeeper. Poor Margaret - she HATED this movie, and yet - she just couldn't break away from that one role. She keeps her chin up here, but it's obvious her heart's not in it. When this was first released to theaters, the lucky members of the audience were given "Ghost Viewers" - all part of the "ILLUSION-O" marketing campaign William Castle dreamed up to market this Saturday-matinee special. These "viewers" occasionally show up on some on-line auction sites as a reminder of a more innocent time, when a Saturday afternoon at the movies was cheap, fun, and something you'd always remember.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent DVD !!!
Review: I waited for this edition, the dvd format finally does this movie justice. If you are a fan of the film (why would you be buying it if you were'nt?) then this is the version to buy - it comes with a replica "ghost viewer" and one side on the disc plays all in black & white, while side two plays exactly like you would have seen in the movies with the tinted ghost scenes !! Also included is a great short about the film And william castle's how to use illusion-o glasses intro !!
what are you waiting for?? Get one today!!
Rating:
Summary: A great and scary memory
Review: I was eight when I saw '13 Ghosts' in 1960. When the movie ended (with that door slamming), I ran out of the theater. As fast as I could. I may have given the movie an extra star because of that, but what a great memeory. I like other William Castle films much more than this one, but none match that genuine terror I felt then. Check it out just for the fun of it.
Rating:
Summary: Old-Fashioned B-Flick Scary Stuff
Review: I was fortunate to be just old enough to see this film in the theater during its original release. This was a golden age of cinema when admission was 25 cents and an all-day lollipop was five cents, and the theater industry was employing all sorts of gimmics to draw patrons away from TV. (A particularly famous gimmic was stationing registered nurses at showings of "Psycho," to be ready for any heart attacks the movie caused.) And, yes, "13 Ghosts" had a gimmic, the little paper-and-cellophone tinted glasses one wore during haunted portions of the film. If you wanted to see the ghost, you used the red side -- if not, the blue side. At the end of the movie was a trailer hinting that you should try using the viewer that night, after you got home, in a dark room... there was no telling what sort of ghost you might see. That caused all the children to want to keep their little viewers, and I amusingly remember the anxious theater manager standing at the door as we crowded out, flailing around as he tried to grab as many of the viewers back from the kids as he could (I hid mine in my shirt, but saw no ghost that night).
"13 Ghosts" is a fun-scary film -- and it features one of the most stunning opening-credit sequences in all of cinema. Looking closely, it's easy to see how it was done... so simple, yet so effective. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: A really good movie
Review: I watched this movie because of the new one that is coming out, and I thought that it was a grate movie. So know I am anxious to see the new version.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointed....
Review: I've bought two copies of this movie on DVD and each one was missing the ghost viewers. Buyer beware if you buy this DVD....you may get what you pay for or you may not.
Rating:
Summary: 40 Years Later It's Still Campy Fun
Review: If you consider this movie's age, it holds up right well! William Castle, the reigning king of spook movies in the late fifties and early sixties, was in fine form with co-conspirator Robb White in this spooky tale of a family inheriting a house and it's twelve ghosts. Someone in the house has been marked to be ghost #13. The ghosts are hard to see without the special 3-D lenses issued in the theaters, but the atmosphere is appropriately frightening. The dialogue is witty, yet wooden, and the acting is only as a film at this time could be---deadpan yet tongue in cheek. Margaret Hamilton plays the witch housekeeper, and she still looks like the Wicked Witch of the West. Martin Milner is cast in the role of the family attorney; Jo Morrow (I remember her from the delightful "Three Worlds of Gulliver") is a very pretty and effective ingenue, and Charles Herbert is a typical little kid, enamored with his ghostly surroundings. However, Donald Woods and Rosemary DeCamp as the parents are superbly cast. You can tell they were having fun with this, almost like they were in a community theater production. All in all, this is one of those great low budget classics from the sixties and scares without nauseating. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: This is fun stuff w/3D glasses now on WideScreen DVD !!
Review: In the 1950's Hollywood tried to add more realism and excitement to the movies (also to compete with television) by adding gimmicks and sensationalisms liked 3D (dimensional). Horror Movie Director William Castle was one of those shrewd Hollywood tricksters who provided his audiences with thrills & chills in the 1950's. 3D was semi successful but had limiting effects wearing these very peculiar tinted glasses. The illusion provided the viewer with the special 3D effect of items coming off the screen right at you. For a brief moment providing a scare or two. By 1960 3D had almost come to an end but William Castle had one last trick up his sleeve, "13 GHOSTS" and ILLUSION - O. With this special effect the viewer could choose to see the ghosts through the RED lens or NOT to see them through the BLUE lens. The Illusion - O viewer (glasses) & the movie hype was a quick success for William Castle. Now for the first time on WideScreen DVD this Black and White cult horror film "13 Ghosts" with Illusion - O including the Special Effect Glasses is available for your home entertainment. The 3D effects are quite successful and with a little imagination proves to be fun stuff! The DVD provides excellent digital picture & sound quality. The Anamorphic (auto adjust to any tv) WideScreen presentation (16:9 HDTV Home Theatre)increases the enjoyment immensely. Summary: An impoverish family inherits a strange pair of glasses (ILLUSION - O), a large haunted house filled with treasure, scary servants & "12 Ghosts". The gimmick here is they must live in the house and find the "13th" to keep it all and be freed of these other ghosts. They can only see these ghosts with those special glasses. Do you see where we're going here? Do you use the Red or the Blue lens? This DVD includes 2 sided prestentation; Side A - with ILLUSION - O & Side B - without Illusion - O. extras to include - 1 pair of ghost viewer glasses, movie phamplet, featurette movie about 3D, Production Notes and Trailer. This is a rare home 3D movie nostalgic experience. Don't miss it!!! This could be your only chance to experience 3D. Enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: A terrific example of what it is: a campy thriller.
Review: In this day and age, watching an oldie horror movie can be quite amusing, especially if you happen to be watching one of the great B-movies of director William Castle, whose innovative gimmicks were the highlight for theater audiences throughout the late 50's and early 60's. Such movies as "13 Ghosts" truly are classic films, ones that are remembered with fondness and provide laughs for future generations accustomed to more sophisticated shock tactics. The story is quite simple, really: Cyrus Zorba (Donald Woods) works in a museum, mostly down on his luck, forgetting to pay bills and paying the consequences later. He gets to pull his family out of their impoverished situation when he learns that his rich uncle, a mad scientist who experimented with the supernatural, passed away, leaving him in possession of his large and luxurious estate. His wife, Hilda (Rosemary DeCamp), is not so enticed by the house, and becomes quite uneasy when it is learned that dear old uncle collected ghosts from foreign lands and brought them back to his home, a point the movie explains meticulously, without a care as to how completely and utterly ridiculous this explanation sounds. But that's all part of the movie's nonsensical fun, which escalates once the ghosts start appearing, and the mystery behind the doomed thirteenth ghost begins to unravel. In the days when film was beginning to take off, horror movies began to circulate more and more, and Castle was one of the first great masters in the scary genre. Audiences of today look at films like this and think of them as little more than comedic, campy fun, but those old enough to remember when such films were first released may not have had such a pleasant time. "13 Ghosts,"
in all its silliness, stands as a symbol of times gone by, when horror movies were more interested at poking fun rather than poking peoples' insides. Castle was also famous for his theater tricks, and in "13 Ghosts," he chose a most interesting gimmick, certainly a wonder of filmmaking in its time. Audience members were provided with a viewer, known as the "Illusion-O" viewer, which would allow each spectator the choice of seeing the ghosts on the screen or not with the use of ectoplasmic photography. Certainly a bit of fun, and I'm sure such tricks lessened the scare quotient, making the movie more pleasurable. There's something extremely campy about a movie that includes such tongue-in-cheek dialogue as "Tonight, death walks again in this evil house." You'll have a good time watching "13 Ghosts," a movie that isn't anywhere near being scary by today's standards, but stands as a reminder of how much film has changed in the last half-century. It's an agreeably fun movie that gets its kicks from the tricky filmmaking and the laugh-out-loud lines and events.
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