Robb White Archives

Macabre (1958)

Rating: ★★

Jul 21, 2013Psycho-Thriller

The first of William Castle's films set around outrageous promotional stunts - here he took an insurance policy out against audience members dying of fright. The film entirely belies its promise to scare an audience to death

Director: William Castle

Actors: William Prince, Jacqueline Scott, Jim Backus, Philip Tonge, …

Category: Horror

21 July 20131 August 2026 by Roog

House on Haunted Hill (1959)

Rating: ★★★

Nov 18, 2000Haunted House

One of the key films from William Castle, the P.T. Barnum of the horror genre. Castle always approached horror like a carnival barker. Castle does not have much style but the luridness of his shocks proves entertaining

Director: William Castle

Actors: Vincent Price, Carol Ohmart, Elisha Cook Jr, Richard Long, …

Category: Horror

18 November 20007 April 2026 by Roog

The Tingler (1959)

Rating: ★★★★

May 10, 2009Capturing the Spirit of Fear

The finest moment from gimmick master William Castle with Vincent Price as a coroner searching for a parasite that feeds on fear. Full of Castle's luridly sensationalistic effects and containing the first portrayal of an LSD trip on screen.

Director: William Castle

Actors: Vincent Price, Pamela Lincoln, Darryl Hickman

Category: Horror

10 May 20097 April 2026 by Roog

13 Ghosts (1960)

Rating: ★★

Jul 8, 2001Haunted House

One of the films from gimmick master William Castle, a more routine ghost story that eventually opts for a mundane ending and was sold with the gimmick of Ghost Viewer glasses. Later remade as Thir13en Ghosts

Director: William Castle

Actors: Donald Woods, Margaret Hamilton, Charles Herbert, Jo Morrow, …

Category: Horror

8 July 20017 April 2026 by Roog

Homicidal (1961)

Rating: ★★

Jul 30, 2002Psycho-Thriller

William Castle gained fame for his horror films made with a series of promotional gimmicks. With the success of Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, Castle made a blatant copy here, the first of his psycho-thrillers

Director: William Castle

Actors: Glenn Corbett, Jean Arless, Patricia Breslin

Category: Horror

30 July 200219 March 2026 by Roog

House on Haunted Hill (1999)

Rating: ★★★

Oct 31, 1999Haunted House

The announcement of the remake of The Haunting was followed by this remake of the 1959 William Castle film, which turns out far more unpretentious and altogether more fun than the bloated flop of The Haunting

Director: William Malone

Actors: Geoffrey Rush, Famke Janssen, Peter Gallagher, Ali Larter, …

Category: Horror

31 October 19992 March 2026 by Roog