John's Forbidden Planet

It's almost Halloween. So, what better time then now to mention a really fun little Fright Flick, 13 Ghosts. No, not the horrendously forgettable re-make. This 13 Ghosts (1960) was made by the now all but forgotten producer William Castle. Mr. Castle, was a showman extraordinaire. Each of his other worldly releases featured a gimmick. In this case, theater attendees were given "Ghost Viewers" so that they could enjoy the wonders of ILLUSION-O. Using a simple film trick, you could choose to see or not see Ghosts up on the screen! The top of the cardboard glasses had a red cellophane strip. Below it, a blue cellophane strip. Looking thru the top half, you could see outlines of ectoplasmic ghosties! The bottom half made them disappear. Figure out the trick? The film had a blue tint during the Ghost scenes! This delightful fun film is still available thru Columbia home video. Better yet, if you have the extra bucks, buy the William Castle boxset that is coming out on DVD October 20th.