Rating: 
Summary: Very good William Castle film
Review: As I watched this film, I was prepared for a cheesy haunted house flick, but I dicovered the essence of this film that makes it remain a classic after forty-one years.
As the opening titles are about to set out, we see the twelve ghosts that haunt the house throughout the film. Some look shocking, but others are cheesy. Oh well.
The story centers around a family that inherits a house and find out that it is haunted, much to the son's excitement. They enter the house and discover that it really is haunted. But watch out for the laywer that handled the estate before the uncle's death. Also, watch for the witch like housekeeper that seems too creepy to be true.
Overall, a good movie to watch, but not a terrifying film that other movies may supply.
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.
Rating:
Summary: William Castle Intro and end Warning Intact
Review: Movie showman William Castle explains how to use the "Ghost-viewers" a pair of cardboard glasses that allow you to either see or not see the Ectoplasmic Ghoulies. The footage after the movie where Castle asks you to use the red part and look for Ghosts at home is intact. I have always enjoyed this film and along with THE TINGLER (1959) with it's rigged thaeatre seats that literally tingle your spine and the HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL (1958) with the Percepto effect (consisting of a Skeleton on wires that flew over the film audiences heads) this is my favorite of Mr. Castles gimmick features... Enjoy this the original version and forget the pointless, un-focused and overly produced techno pop re-make released later.
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: Who Says You Can't Go Home Again
Review: Last night I recaptured a treasured childhood memory when I watched "13 Ghosts" in it's new DVD incarnation. I was pleased to find that the film was entirely restored, including not only trailers but theatrical prologues and epilogues that I haven't seen since I was 6 years old. The "Illusion-O" process worked fully as well as it did in 1960 and overall, I was not merely pleased, but actually blissful at being able to so fully re-create that important (and influential) childhood experience. One small criticism, there is only ONE Ghost Viewer packaged with the DVD, and also, the RED filter is a teensy bit too dark, although the blue filter worked perfectly. Looking at the film again from an adult vantage point I was struck by how much the film has to do with "secrets". From Buck's Birthday wish right through to Elaine's cryptic line "Ask me no questions, I'll tell you no lies", the whole plot of the film seems to be an exploration of secrecy/privacy within the family dynamic. Buck's Birthday Party presents the visual motif of the circle (in this case the family circle) which is threatened by squares and angles (in the form of the book, and the squarish ghost viewers.) The family circle expands to include Ben, a grave mistake, during the Ouija scene, and sets the stage for the frightening scene which follows. Buck's keeping of his secret is accompanied by his exclusion from the circle (of the Seance) and his subsequent endangerment. All three circle scenes have "group communication" as their theme. All the "square" scenes (dealing with the book, the four-poster bed, the secret panel in the staircase and, of course, the glasses) are about priviliged/private, secret communication. Plato Zorba, a man well used to keeping secrets, has been living in Los Angeles since the time of Buck's birth. Buck and Plato are stongly connected,and have a similar attitude toward "spirits" and, of course, secrets. It is Buck's need to differentiate himself from his family, and to trade on his secrets which leads him to confide in the one person unworthy of such confidence. Wonderful movie for kids, wonderful movie for adults, wonderful movie - period!
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: 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: 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: 13 ghosts a clasic funny film
Review: I belive if you like old scary funny movies this is the one for you.This movie shows threw all the years in the 1960s that they could still make a good movie.In my personal apinion that the old movies were the best.Now there all the high teck computers.If you want a good decent movie than purchase this movie it may be a oldy but it is a goody.
Rating:
Summary: CLASSIC THRILLS AND CHILLS
Review: The new HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL should also have a credit listing this one as inspiration. It's a perfect atmospheric haunted house chiller that works well on its low budget. A penniless family inherits a house from a forgotten relative. Unfortunately, that particular relative liked to collect ghosts...and they all come with the house. There are several scenes which still hold up well by today standards (the Ouija board among them) and the sound effects are excellently suited for the surroundings. Unfortunately, the transfer from the original effects of the theatrical release leave the ghosts extremely transparent and somewhat hard to make out. Also, the characters in the movie have to put on goofy looking goggles in order to see the spirits. Oh well, you'll still find this film fun. By the way, I forgot to mention the great sense of humor in the script -- as though the film-makers themselves didn't expect this film to be taken seriously. We did.
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