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Amazon.com: This terrific haunted-house thriller proved an unforgettable experience for 1960 audiences. Set in the mansion of a deceased scientist named Dr. Zorba, the story finds the late occult practitioner's nephew discovering a bunch of elusive spooks on the premises that can be seen only through Zorba's ghost-viewing glasses. Produced and directed by legendary showman William Castle, master of such garish, audience-pleasing gimmicks as flying skeletons and electric-shock theater seats, 13 Ghosts was hyped with an innovative process called "Illusion-O." Movie patrons were furnished with special, red-and-blue-colored glasses that allowed them to choose to see the titular specters or not. This DVD does not provide a working replica of the Illusion-O viewer (earlier copies did), but it offers both a straight, black-and-white version of the feature (no viewer necessary) and a version with the film's original tinted scenes requiring the viewer for extra fun. Also included is Castle's own introduction, in which he explains the Illusion-O technique. --Tom Keogh Customer Reviews: Rating: 
Date: 2008-02-16
Dead Baker's Dozen?
William Castle. Can you possibly think of him with that signature cigar, that teeth-bare smile and that impish twinkle in his eyes without smiling back?
Stephan Sondheim proclaimed "You've Gotta Have a Gimmick" and he may have learned that from William Castle.
Thirteen Ghosts is all good fun. A family inherits a haunted house that may have a hidden treasure within. The previous owner invented some glasses that allow the wearer to see the ghosts. Are the ghosts trying to scare the family into refuting their newly acquired property, or are they trying to help the family thwart an unscrupulous intruder?
Good ghosts or bad ghosts?
Who cares? The plot really is inconsequential. What's important is that we get these really cool glasses with the DVD that allow US, THE AUDIENCE, to see the ghosts! Well, they don't really allow us to see anything that we couldn't already see. In fact, the glasses really don't do anything. In fact, my DVD didn't even include promised glasses, which I had planned to cherish forever. Or at least cherish for the duration of the movie.
So the glasses really don't do much more than the plot. We do, however, get to see Margaret Hamilton reveling in her (second) role of a which. Or is she? Her final wink to the camera seems to indicate that she's having fun; if not with her character, then with us. After the legacy of "The Wizard of Oz", we can't help but wallow with her a bit the way a happy hog might wallow in its favorite mud.
And finally, William Castle reverently gives us a tongue-in-cheek warning if we still don't believe in ghosts by the film's end. He advises that we try the glasses on when we get home. At night. When you're alone. "If you DARE!!!" It's again just good clean fun. Or if you prefer, bad clean fun. Boo.
We are reduced to the mindset we had when we believed in Santa Claus. To me, it's fun to revisit that romantic part of my brain from time to time.
William Castle is a comedian who laughs at his own jokes louder than anyone else does. But his laugher is infectious and we end up being thoroughly entertained by his schmaltzy antics. I would have given five stars if the glasses came with the DVD, as had been promised. This film is recommended.
-Viddy
Rating: 
Date: 2007-12-29
No illusion-O.... 1 Star, Movie 5 Stars
Willwam Castle was filling the theaters with his "Gimick" movies in the 60's. With Illusion-O, you were given special glasses/filter...if you were "brave enough" to stand seeing the Ghosts you would put on the glasses when a sign on the screen tells you ....Thats how they got to see the ghosts. Thats what made this movie so special for me.
Was I brave enough to stand seeing the ghosts or did I dare, to put on the glasses? This special effect had never been done before, and was never repeated again. It made the movie Special, new, different, and exciting. Mr castle did alot of audince interactive movies. Thats what made them so much fun! This is still a wounderful movie but now, just ordinary. Alot of old 3D movies are making a come back to DVD.
I hope some studio will return illusion-O back into this movie. It deserves it. I heard that JUST ONE, illusion-o filter now comes with the DVD......It was a great mind trick and it worked perfect. Hearing my self and a hundred other kids screaming at this Saturday Movie Special is an unforgetable memorey.
Rating:
Date: 2007-08-14
Not the "Illusion-O" version
If your looking for the original "Illusion-O" version look somewhere else cause this is the regular movie. Rating:
Date: 2007-04-18
a lot of fun to watch
I don't own this one as a DVD but I caught it on digital cable on demand, and I will say William Castle is a damn good director. I would loved to see this one in the theater. The young kid in the film was great and so was the older sister. If I saw this movie if I was younger, I think I would be doing much more with writing ghost stories than I do right now. Coming from an author who writes ghost stories either as a fictional medium or a true medium, one can really appreciate the master of gimmicks.
I saw the remake of this movie too when I was staying at my now apartment, during a party trying to fall asleep (waiting for medicine to kick in at the time since I had a bad case of bronchitis and the flu at the party in 2005.) Though William Castle's been dead for 30 years now it is amazing what the guy was able to do with the genre. Rating: 
Date: 2006-07-13
Filmed in glorious B/W and in "ILLUSION-O
Some folks may consider this movie over the top, over the hill or just lame but I---who saw 13 Ghosts in real time (1960)---considered it the best of the spooky matinee fare of its day. It had a fantastic built up to the climax of the story. All the actors and actresses were top notch. But the true power of this movie was that it filmed in glorious B/W and in "ILLUSION-O." You can't beat that combination! And those who are critical of this movie ought to take a time out from their self-imposed and sanctimonious attitude and appreciate it; directed and produced by William Castle himself. They don't get any better! |
