House on Haunted Hill

He's back from the dead and ready to party... Well, that's not exactly true, but it does seem difficult to keep William Castle (who passed away in 1977) down. His newest release from beyond the grave, House on Haunted Hill: A William Castle Annotated Screamplay (Complete with Emerg-O), was released on October 31st. And now we've got a book signing to tell you about. Really? Yes, really.

For all the entertaining he did in life, William Castle is proving to be just as enjoyable in the afterlife. We recently told you about his upcoming book From the Grave: The Prayer. Now the ghostly scribe has yet another work about to be released, and this one's based around a classic film.

"William Castle's Shockers", presented by the very undead folks from Cinefamily at Hollywood, California's iconic Silent Movie Theatre, has been running Saturday nights in October. Of course there will also be a double feature on Halloween night, Sunday, October 31st.

If you're looking for a few laughs this Halloween and are a fan of the "Mystery Science Theater 3000" alumni now doing "Rifftrax", you may be happy to hear Rifftrax will once again be broadcasting live in select theaters around the country October 28th for a spooktacular riffing of the William Castle cult classic House on Haunted Hill starring the legendary Vincent Price.

If H.G. Lewis is the Godfather of Gore, then William Castle must be horror’s lovable Grandfather ... or at least its sneaky uncle. And just like family, we sometimes take him for granted, relegating him to the bowels of schlock cinema - a term that celebrates the gimmickry of niche movie making but not its inherent ingenuity.

Many genre fans today know the name William Castle, but not so many are aware of his full and lasting impact on it. Back in the late Fifties and on through the Sixties, his was a name that was synonymous with horror films. Further, his name was – and remains – one that defines the term “spectacle” in modern film history. Castle was a man who never forgot that “show” is the first word in “show business.” He knew, instinctively, that if you gave the movie-going audience a decent show, the business part would take care of itself.

Many genre fans today know the name William Castle, but not so many are aware of his full and lasting impact on it. Back in the late Fifties and on through the Sixties, his was a name that was synonymous with horror films. Further, his name was – and remains – one that defines the term “spectacle” in modern film history. Castle was a man who never forgot that “show” is the first word in “show business.” He knew, instinctively, that if you gave the movie-going audience a decent show, the business part would take care of itself.

A quick follow-up to yesterday's news story about the New York City Return of William Castle. In typical Castle fashion you just can't keep a good ghoul down! Get ready to hear from "the man himself" regarding the upcoming film festivities!

If someone were to ask us to name our top ten directors of all time, the name William Castle would sit firmly somewhere within the top five. The man was not only a true showman but also an absolute genius. If we have one regret in our tenure here at Dread Central, it is that we weren't around during Castle's heyday of insane gimmicks. The man was without question the godfather of viral marketing, and it's taken the rest of the industry decades to catch up. If you live somewhere within the Tri-State Region, we have the info on an event that you do NOT want to miss!

During the recent Monster Mania convention in Cherry Hill, NJ (full report here), I took some time out to sit down with Jeffrey Combs, one of the most beloved and hardest working genre actors in the scene.

If you’re like most horror fans, I’m sure the first thing you said when you finished watching Return to House on Haunted Hill was “goddamn, we need another one of these!” Well fear not, for Dark Castle has heard your cries!