The Tingler (1959)

Directed by

William Castle

Genre

horror film, science fiction film, mystery film, monster film, thriller film, science fiction horror film

Country

United States

Runtime

1h 22m

Rated

NR

Rating

6.4 of 10 from 197 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A scientist discovers a creature that lives inside people and grows when they are scared. It makes their spine tingle before it kills them. The film was shown with vibrating seats in theaters to scare the audience.

campyplayfulsuspensefulgimmickydatedcreepytheatricallight-hearted

What happens

The Tingler is a 1959 American horror film produced and directed by William Castle. It is the third of five collaborations between Castle and writer Robb White, and starring Vincent Price. The film tells the story of a scientist who discovers a parasite in human beings, called a "tingler", which feeds on fear. The creature earned its name by making the spine of its host "tingle" when the host is frightened. In line with other Castle horror films, including Macabre (1958) and House on Haunted Hill (1959), Castle used gimmicks to sell the film. The Tingler remains most well known for a gimmick called "Percepto!", a vibrating device, in some of the theater chairs, which the onscreen action activated. Released in the United States on July 19, 1959, The Tingler received mixed reviews, but has since gone through some critical reevaluation and is now considered a camp cult film. A sequel novel, The Tingler Unleashed (ISBN 979-8988682349), written by Gary J. Rose, was published in August 2023 as "a contemporary reimagining that pays homage to the 1959 cinematic masterpiece by William Castle", taking place and continuing the events of the original film fifty years later; an unabridged audiobook recording of the novel was released on October 16, 2023. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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