Double Feature: 13 Ghosts (1960) and Thir13en Ghosts (2001)
William Castle (1914-1977) was a pioneering filmmaker who was often called the, “king of gimmicks.” Before screenings of his directorial debut, Macabre (1958), Castle handed out $1,000 life insurance policies. The film became a hit and he continued creating gimmicks for his films’ releases over the next twenty years. One of his most famous films, House on Haunted Hill, included a skeleton being strung down a line above the audience during a pivotal scare scene. For The Tingler he installed several vibrating motors underneath theater seats. Castle wholeheartedly believed in the use of tangible audience interaction, a marketing technique mostly lost on modern audiences who sometimes forego the theater except for large blockbusters. Castle died after having amassed a fan club of 250,000, including future filmmaker John Waters.
By 1999 horror had changed immensely since the days of Vincent Pryce and Boris Karloff, but there is an agreed nostalgia for the shock and camp of past filmmakers, including William Castle. That year signaled the incoming trend of horror remakes with the release of the Jan de Bont directorial disaster The Haunting. Based on the same source material as the Castle version, yet completely unlike its 1962 predecessor, the film did well at the box office but was a critical failure in every definition of the word. Producers Joel Silver and Robert Zemeckis, juggernauts of the industry, decided that they would start Dark Castle Entertainment, a production house that would remake the William Castle’s films. Their first film was House on Haunted Hill. Released just two months after the de Bont version, the film’s release included several stock Castle gimmicks at theaters, and it did modestly at the box office. Spurred by their success, Dark Castle produced another remake entitled Thir13en Ghosts, a complete departure from the original’s concept and execution. After the film was skewered by critics the production house went on to original concept films such as Ghost Ship and Gothika. In this double feature I will compare these disparate films in all their forgotten glory:
13 Ghosts (1960) dir. William Castle
Haunted houses were a proven genre by the time William Castle introduced us to “Illusion-O Vision.” In many instances the mentioned ghosts were never shown (The Uninvited, The Spiral Staircase, and The Haunting) or were heavily makeup-ed character actors like Boris Karloff. William Castle wasn’t interested in the psychological or moral implications of hauntings, only the visage of these creatures. In the beginning of the film William Castle actually delivers an address to the audience to not only warn of the creepy dread they are about to experience, but to illustrate how best to use the 3D glasses they would need to see these ghosts. The film also ends with a quick chat with Castle, who warns his viewers about the implications of what they have just seen.
The plot is probably the least important element of the entire film. It involves a destitute family headed by academic Cyrus (Donald Woods), who inherit the home of their uncle, Dr. Plato Zorba. Desperate for better circumstances the family immediately moves in, to the delight of Zorba’s former lawyer (Martin Milner). Zorba leaves them a set of special set of goggles to see the twelve apparitions and the help of creepy housekeeper Elaine (Margaret Hamilton). Each ghost is decidedly different and completely unique, the only element that was expanded for the adaptation. Some of the ghosts include: an Italian chef, his wife, and her murdered lover, a lion and his headless tamer, and Zorba himself, waiting for a thirteenth ghost to come and free the entire household. The lawyer (Milner) tries to scare the family off to collect a hidden fortune within the house’s walls, and his presence and scare tactics prove to be the most frightening part of the entire film.
While the descriptions of some of these specters may seem exciting, in essence they’re just floating, faint drawings that can only be seen with 3D glasses. The film doesn’t translate well for the home viewer, though it’s apparent that it would have been pretty fun with a crowd of crazed teenagers and children alike. Critics noted that when the ghosts appeared it was much less affecting then when they were merely mentioned or alluded to. Castle accomplishes quite a bit by having objects fall to the ground or thrown by invisible forms, a common device by filmmakers of the time. Obviously in love with his gimmicks and being an innovator of the time, Castle added in the apparitions to ill effect.
While all the performances were competent, and the practical effects were always entertaining, I would say that this film isn’t really worth the watch unless you’re an avid William Castle fan. His films House on Haunted Hill and Strait-Jacket will probably be more in line with what you expect from their detailed descriptions.
Thir13en Ghosts (2001) dir. Steve Beck
Anyone who has flipped through a hotel room’s cable channels has seen some portion of this film in the past ten years. It has become decidedly infamous for being a tragically ridiculous film with an overly complex plot, uninteresting characters, and rudimentary editing, but out of this world production value. The film is headed by Tony Shalhoub as the failed academic, and co-stars big names such as Shannon Elizabeth, F. Murray Abraham. Embeth Davidtz, and Matthew Lillard. Since its release it has become an example of an early aughts adaption that took itself too seriously, a trend that has only recently abated.
In this version of events the house that the uncle (Abraham) gives to his nephew is a giant mechanized device that imprisons ghosts that he has captured with the help of Lillard, who plays a psychic. Unable to see the ghosts, and recently touched by tragedy, the family is purposefully locked inside the house as the device starts releasing the ghosts. Each of these ghosts is a fully realized creature with insane makeup effects and they are the only high point of the entire film. Of course these designs become mired in the overly complex plot, which includes a centuries’ old magical spell, ghost goggles, interlocking walls that can smush people’s heads and cut them in two, and conspiracies between all those involved. The ending felt not only confusing but abrupt, which is hard to fathom since you sit through endless exposition on the subject of ghosts, mortal planes, and fake mythology.
Even with the unique visuals and creature designs this is a hard film to watch. The editing is so quick and slapdash that you can barely focus on a single frame before it’s gone. Director Steve Beck would only make two films in his short career (the other being Ghost Ship) and both have hallmarks of being rushed and exploitative. Honestly, it’s weird to say this about a horror movie, but this was truly ugly. The lighting, editing, and even some effects looked awful, even looking at the standards of small independent films of the time period. If I critiqued the performances I would say that the only person giving their all is hammy Matthew Lillard. The rest of the cast either relies on screaming or has such a weak character that little is shown purposefully.
The original relied heavily on its effects, and I wish this film had done the same. There should have been more scenes fighting off the ghosts, or at least displaying them long enough to actually take in their designs and purpose in the story. Only two or three get any real screen time, and only for several jump scares or fighting sequences. The film is much more concerned with exposition and the mechanization of the house, which proved to be its weakest attribute. There’s only really one good scene, which I’ve added below:
To recommend either of these films I would add many qualifiers: If you’re a William Castle fan, watch the original. If you’re unwilling to watch a film where the biggest scare is a floating milk bottle, watch the remake. If you’re into character design and creature features watch the remake, but if you prefer directorial skill, watch the original. Overall, I personally enjoyed the original more, because there was a clear concept and execution from its director. Anyone could have made Thir13en Ghosts, from the average film student to the slightly seasoned professional. There’s nothing truly fun or original in this film, just a big assemblage of ideas that make for a glorious modern train wreck. Of course, William Castle would have probably enjoyed its modern counterpart fine, as long as they gave him a pair of ghost goggles so he could watch it
