William Castle’s most popular film is also one of the best picks for Halloween night when you’re ready to move past safe Horror into something more scary… but not too scary. One of the finest examples of Unserious Horror, starring the Legend, Vincent Price, in one of his greatest ‘twisted with a twinkle in his eye’ performances. He’s the host of a party where five strangers will make a lot of money if they can survive the night in his haunted house. This simple premise allows Castle to shine. While the cast go poking around in all the dark corners, Castle brings the house to life with dead ends and jack-in-the-box surprises. Price is the ringleader and Castle brings the circus, all leading to a rather ingenious twist ending. While this is clearly Horror junk food, the cast do an excellent job not acting superior to the material with a wink or a yawn.
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