HOMICIDAL & MR. SARDONICUS (1961): The Gimmicks and Ghouls of WILLIAM CASTLE!!

HOMICIDAL (1961) d. William Castle (USA)
MR. SARDONICUS (1961) d. William Castle (USA)

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Few filmmakers in American horror are remembered as vividly—or as superficially—as William Castle. Mention his name and most movie fans immediately think of outrageous theatrical gimmicks: skeletons flying over audiences, theater seats rigged with buzzing devices, or insurance policies handed out in the lobby. Those promotional stunts became the stuff of legend, helping turn modestly budgeted thrillers like House on Haunted Hill, The Tingler, and 13 Ghosts into major box-office successes and cementing Castle’s reputation as horror’s greatest showman. But the enduring popularity of those gimmicks has also has had the unfortunate effect of overshadowing the films themselves.

DOLLS (1987) Blu-ray Review

Dolls (1987) d. Stuart Gordon (USA)

“They Walk. They Talk. They Kill.” Following the success of Re-Animator, Gordon’s second directorial feature shot for Full Moon (though released a year after From Beyond due to the extensive post-production special effects work) was this dark fairy tale of murderous children’s playthings combined with the “motley crew of rain-drenched travelers taking refuge in old dark house” horror staple. While her parents (Carolyn Purdy-Jones, Ian Patrick Williams) are portrayed as over-the-top unfeeling monsters, little Judy (Carrie Lorraine) provides one of the few sympathetic turns as the plucky youngster who appeals to the kindly, mysterious dollmakers (Guy Rolfe and Hillary Mason) who reside therein.

PUPPETMASTER III: TOULON'S REVENGE (1991) movie review

Puppetmaster III: Toulon's Revenge (1991) David DeCoteau (USA)

True story: Prior to tackling this for this month's Kryptic Army mission theme (that of "revenge), I’d only seen the original 1989 Puppet Master and that viewing was at least 10 years in the rearview. However, having read Gert Verbeeck’s outstanding retrospective of the series for HorrorHound back in 2012, I had learned that this installment was 1) a prequel, so I wouldn’t be lost by o’erleaping the first sequel and 2) many fans consider this the high point of the franchise. Thus bolstered, I ventured in and I gotta admit, it was pretty entertaining.

DOLLS (1987) movie review

***UPDATED DEC 2014 TO REFLECT SHOUT! FACTORY'S COLLECTOR'S EDITION BLU-RAY RELEASE***

Dolls (1987) d. Stuart Gordon (USA)

“They Walk. They Talk. They Kill.” Following the success of Re-Animator, Gordon’s second directorial feature shot for Full Moon (though released a year after From Beyond due to the extensive post-production special effects work) was this dark fairy tale of murderous children’s playthings combined with the “motley crew of rain-drenched travelers taking refuge in old dark house” horror staple. While her parents (Carolyn Purdy-Jones, Ian Patrick Williams) are portrayed as over-the-top unfeeling monsters, little Judy (Carrie Lorraine) provides one of the few sympathetic turns as the plucky youngster who appeals to the kindly, mysterious dollmakers (Guy Rolfe and Hillary Mason) who reside therein.