Review of The Tingler (1959) by Russell G — 03 Nov 2016

Vincent Price plays a pathologist performing autopsies on executed prisoners. In his work, he sees vertebra shattered by something with great force. He believes that there is a creature within the spine that grows and can kill its host, unless they can expel their stress by screaming.

It is a stupid theory by today's standards, but it is the premise of this movie. The story turns darker when a deaf and mute woman fascinates Price. The scientist in him casts morality aside to prove his work an extract the creature from its host.

If the fear of the creature were unseen, this movie would work much better. It insists on showing a terrible rubber prop on a wire for the creature. You have to try hard to suspend disbelief in order to look around the heavy-handed special effects.

This is supposed to be a more playful scare, so that helps. When this movie premiered, the scene where the screen goes black was a trick on the audience. They wanted audience to believe that the creature is actually lose in the audience.

The film encourages the crowd to scream to subdue the creature and save their lives. Certain seats had vibrating motors placed underneath to trick people into thinking something was under their seats.

It is neat to see the playful scares of a funhouse merging with a film, but the film on its own when watched on TV today is missing the most fun and inventive aspects of the movie.