Tag Archives: The Tingler

Just Enough Brain for Monstrous Monday

Posted on March 5, 2019 by mohawkvalleygirl

You would not think I would need to resort to a Monstrous Monday on the fourth day of a four day weekend. Then again, I’m going back to work after a four day break: how can I NOT feel monstrous? And feel monstrous, I do. I have suddenly been hit by a huge wave of I Can’t Do This. Regular readers may recall that I have a bit on my plate these days. However, I am well aware that other people have more, often with fewer resources than those which I enjoy. What the hell am I complaining about?

I kind of feel like I’m being strangled. I wonder if it would help to scream.

I thought it was time to throw in a monster. This is the titular monster from The Tingler (1959), a William Castle masterpiece starring the wonderful Vincent Price. Here’s a Freudian typo: when I went to Google the movie to find the year, I put “Thingler.” That would be a combination of the Thing and the Tingler. If it was a Christmas movie, it could be the Jingler. If it could fly, it would be the Wingler. If unmarried, the Singler. I could go on.

The answer to feeling overwhelmed, other than remembering to breathe, which a good idea under any circumstances, is to do one thing. Then you often find you can do another. Soon you are on your way to Getting Stuff Done. The One Thing I am working on now is my blog post, in case you haven’t guessed. I think it’s time for another monster.

Why is she screaming? She can take him! He has no muscles!

Here is a scene from House on Haunted Hill (1959), another Castle/Price delight.

I need a brain this big.

I looked for another monster picture, because I could not think of anything else to say. This is The Brain from Plant Arous (1957). I wish I had my usual brain, but since that seems not to be functioning, I would take one from any planet. Hmm… my plan of Doing One Thing does not seem to be working. I will hit Publish on this (if I can possibly think of a title), but I am not feeling inclined to move on to something else. Oh dear. Well, tune in tomorrow to see if I did.

Ready for the Sweats and the Wine

Posted on November 12, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

I can’t have Sunday Cinema; I’ve only watched two movies so far and I’m on to Snapped. I suppose I could watch a third movie and then post, but I want to get this done. As I mentioned yesterday, I have knitting to do. I also want to get back into my sweats. Well, that is silly of me; I could put the sweats on and then make the post. No, make the post now before I talk myself out of it.

Some might advise me to stop being a daily blogger if it is such a chore. I would argue (if I was any good at argument, which I am not) that some things are worth doing even if they are a chore. They would no doubt reply (I told you I was no good at argument) that most of my posts are probably not worth the effort. I advise them to seek out more worthy blogs and to leave me alone. Yes, I have numerous arguments with imaginary critics.

As you may have guessed, it is Wrist to Forehead Sunday.

Sometimes I feel like this when I try to sleep.

Earlier, before I was ready to swoon on the chaise and was actually having a pretty good day, we watched The Tingler (1959), produced and directed by William Castle and starring Vincent Price. I LOOOOVE William Castle movies! I do not have enough of them on DVD.

She has got his number!

After The Tingler, Steven suggested His Girl Friday (1941). Rosalind Russell and Cary Grant, snappy dialogue, a fast moving script, it was an excellent suggestion. I missed parts of it while I fixed us something to eat then made my salad for the week’s lunches, but I have seen it many times before and will no doubt watch it again.

After the movie, I wrote some post cards and walked to the post office with them. I felt quite virtuous doing this, since I had gone for a long (for me) run this morning. Come December, I will OWN that Reindeer Run 5K. And by “own” of course I mean shuffle along toward the back of the pack and enjoy myself.

So I am feeling moderately less wrist-to-foreheady since I see I am over 350 words and I don’t feel this is too heinous of a post. I think I deserve to put on my sweats and maybe have a glass of wine. Happy Sunday, everyone.

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Posted in humor, personal, Sunday Cinema, Wrist to Forehead Sunday and tagged blog post, blogging, His Girl Friday, imaginary critics, movies, Reindeer Run 5K, running, The Tingler, walking, writing. Bookmark the permalink.

Monsters on Monday, What’s Not to Like?

Posted on June 5, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

I had a couple of authentic Mohawk Valley adventures I was going to write about, but I’m tired. Sorry, folks, I’ve had a rough weekend and a tough Monday — oh, I KNOW other people work much harder than I do and have a much harder time. I’ll stop whining, I really will. My point is, as I was idly scrolling down Facebook, trying to work up some ambition, I came across an awesome still from The Invisible Man, and, well, you know me and monster movies. We are having another Monstrous Monday.

“But, Darling, I never loved you for your looks!”

Claude Rains and Gloria Stuart, what’s not to like? Naturally I kept scrolling to see if I could get lucky and find a couple of more pictures.

They don’t do newspaper ads like this any more!

I LOOOOVE The Raven! I only recently saw it for the first time, having DVR’d it from TCM. I feel certain my husband will give me the DVD for my birthday or Christmas sometime. Maybe on a boxed set of Roger Corman movies. I like Roger Corman almost as much as I like William Castle.

I think this also works as a depiction of the popular conception of Monday.

This is one out of my Media Library. Since I mentioned William Castle, I just had to include a picture of House on Haunted Hill (the 1959 original, of course), one of our go-to movies. So entertaining!

Alas, one cannot enjoy Percepto while watching this on DVD!

Oh, how silly of me. I went looking in my Library for William Castle, completely forgetting that I had just downloaded a movie poster from one of his flicks! It just goes to show how truly tired I am. I’m leaving the other picture in, though, because who couldn’t like to see a scary ghost and a screaming woman on Monstrous Monday? No promises, but I’ll try not to be so tired on Tuesday.

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Posted in humor, Monstrous Monday, personal and tagged blog post, blogging, cheesy horror movies, Claude Rains, Gloria Stuart, House on Haunted Hill, monster movies, movies, not writing, Roger Corman, the Invisible Man, the Raven, The Tingler, tired, William Castle, writing. Bookmark the permalink.

Not Cheesy on Wrist to Forehead Sunday

Posted on May 21, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

We were supposed to be watching cheesy movies. I am wearing my t-shirt from Original Herkimer Cheese, which says, “Keepin’ It Cheesy Since 1949.”

The moment I saw this shirt, I knew I had to own it one day.

I gave Original Herkimer Cheese one of my favorite plugs in a murder mystery for the Herkimer County Historical Society.

One character tells another she looks remarkably like Frangelica Inferno, “Uh, not that I watch porn movies.”

Character that looks like Frangelica: “She was not a porn star! Those were art films!”

Another character: “Oh, please, those movies are as cheesy as Chutter from Original Herkimer Cheese!”

I do love chutter, and Original Herkimer Cheese. But I digress. My original subject was cheesy movies, which I adore to watch on Wrist to Forehead Sunday. We watched a good one last night, The Tingler, starring Vincent Price and directed by William Castle. We thought of continuing the Price/Castle theme today with House on Haunted Hill. However, I had also mentioned All About Eve as a possibility. Steven was more interested in All About Eve. How could I possibly object to a Bette Davis classic?

After All About Eve, Steve suggested another favorite of ours, Being Julia, starring the divine Annette Bening. In addition to being one of my all time favorite movies, this one seemed related to All About Eve, because both are about highly talented, greatly admired stage actresses who have just a little bit of trouble in their offstage lives.

I am having a bit of trouble in my offstage life these days, as well as onstage, but how tiresome of me it would be to cry about it now, even on Wrist to Forehead Sunday. Additionally, I have movies to watch. For a blog post, this will have to do. I hope to see you all again on Monstrous Monday.

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Posted in humor, personal, Wrist to Forehead Sunday and tagged actresses, All About Eve, Annette Bening, Being Julia, Bette Davis, blog post, blogging, cheesy movies, entertainment, House on Haunted Hill, movies, Original Herkimer Cheese, The Tingler, Vincent Price, William Castle. Bookmark the permalink.

Wordless, Witless, and William Castle

Posted on February 22, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

I was thinking I would have a Wordless Wednesday instead of my usual Wuss-out Wednesday, and I thought calling it “Wordless or Witless?”. I am feeling witless. I’m not feeling particularly wordless, but since my words are mostly whiny, we’ll go with it. So I need to look for some pictures.

A book I must look for.

I’m in a group for William Castle aficionados, and somebody shared this picture of a book they recommend. Full disclosure: I include it because my husband reads this blog and I want to give him gift ideas. William Castle, for the sadly uninitiated, was a producer and director of horror movies in the 1950’s and ’60’s. I’m a big fan.

“Lie right down here, dear. This won’t hurt a bit.”

Here is Vincent Price and Patricia Cutts in The Tingler. He is a dedicated doctor, not to say a mad scientist, and she is his no-good wealthy socialite wife.

He’s not asking her if he can have this dance.

This is Carol Ohmart, who plays Vincent Price’s no-good wife in House on Haunted Hill. Vincent Price does not have good luck with wives in William Castle movies. I’m thinking he does not do much better with Roger Corman. Ah, Roger Corman. There’s a topic for another blog post. I have some more cheesy horror movies to watch.

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Posted in humor, personal, Wordless Wednesday and tagged blog post, cheesy horror movies, House on Haunted Hill, The Tingler, William Castle. Bookmark the permalink.

Not Tired, Tingler!

Posted on January 31, 2018 by mohawkvalleygirl

So there I was, watching The Tingler with my dear husband Steven, because I thought I could write a post about a cheesy movie instead about how tired I am (it is Tired Tuesday, after all) (oh, it really, truly IS). I opened my laptop to look for some photos to pep up the post (since apparently pepping myself up is beyond possibility), and on searching “The Tingler” on Facebook discovered that I have already written a blog post about it!

I was in a Vincent Price kind of mood.

I had been thinking about Vincent Price during the day, probably because of the picture I put in yesterday’s post. Then again, any day is a good day for Vincent Price. I did manage to find a couple of photos from the movie.

He ought to be looking so hangdog because the science in this movie is so spurious.

If you look in the background of that picture, you can see the skeleton that I believe was also featured in House on Haunted Hill, another favorite of ours. Steven pointed out a couple other similarities in the movies, namely the un-loving, sneaky wife.

This looks a little racier than it actually is in the film.

Does the evil wife get her comeuppance? I shall not say, regarding either movie. For one reason, I did not include a spoiler alert. For anther reason, watch the movie yourself! Either movie! Any Vincent Price movie! Any William Castle movie! Comment what you watched. I love it when I get comments.

Did You Scream?

Posted on November 6, 2013 by mohawkvalleygirl

During our Halloween movie viewing, Steven and I enjoyed what is perhaps the quintessential William Castle movie, The Tingler (1959).

We had seen The Tingler once before, but that was in Georgia over ten years ago (yikes!). I did not remember much about it, except for the tingler itself, which was pretty funny. I mean scary. OK, both. I have to confess, while we were watching it this time, I was fixing supper, so I missed a few parts entirely. Hey, if you don’t think it’s important to feed your spouse and eat well yourself, well, that’s where we differ.

William Castle was a producer and director who was quite the showman. He didn’t just make a movie, he gave his audience an experience. I’ve talked about him before. He did things like put a nurse in the lobby in case any audience member keeled over from fright. During House on Haunted Hill, a skeleton on a wire flew out over the audience at a dramatic moment. His gimmick for The Tingler involved wiring certain seats in the audience to deliver a startling sensation to unsuspecting movie viewers.

I’ve been thinking somebody ought to release a boxed set of William Castle movies with props. They could include a nurse’s hat so one of your friends could pretend to be on hand in case of fright emergencies (I forget which movie that went with), a skeleton to wave over the audience during House on Haunted Hill, and some sort of joy buzzer for The Tingler. But I digress.

In The Tingler, Vincent Price is a mad scientist whose area of study is fear. Of course he does not consider himself mad (I know, they never do), and his aim is not world domination or even untold wealth, as it is for any number of other mad scientists. He believes he has the good of mankind at heart. His handsome young assistant and the assistant’s beautiful girlfriend agree.

The tingler, Price finds, is an actual thing that attaches itself to your spine when you are frightened. It can kill you, but you can stymie its fell intent by screaming loudly. There does come a point when the audience is encouraged to scream, but Steven and I did not. The windows were closed, but we might still have startled the neighbors. My scream is piercing.

I don’t want to say too much about the plot (the parts I remember around cooking dinner, anyways), because this is one of those movies best enjoyed by letting it unfold before you. I thought it was very fun. I recommend catching it if you get the chance, and if it frightens you… SCREAM!

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Posted in humor, movies, personal and tagged cheesy horror movies, Halloween, House on Haunted Hill, The Tingler, Vincent Price, William Castle. Bookmark the permalink.

Kind of a Time Warp

Posted on November 1, 2013 by mohawkvalleygirl

I had intended to have all posts about Halloween movies till Halloween night. I have plenty of material to work with, thanks to TCM and the miracle of DVR. Well, I was working on it, and let me tell you, my post on The Tingler is getting scary and not in a good way.

On the brighter side, I noticed yesterday on my computer that WordPress seems to be twelve hours ahead of me. Thus yesterday, when I wrote about Cat People, was Halloween. Today I can go on to November, or as the retail world seems to think, Christmas. I was thinking I could post this silliness tomorrow on Lame Post Friday, when I realized, according to WordPress, THAT’S TODAY!

However, as I wrote the preceding earlier, before beginning my shift at work, it was (and still is as I type this) Thursday. Non-Sequitur Thursday, in fact (if you saw me trying to rearrange the paragraphs of my Tingler post using asterisks, you would agree that it is). I was and still am having an indecisive day. I had to flip a coin to decide whether to drink coffee or water as I was writing before work (drinking both was ineligible for reasons I will not go into here).

I wrote more while at work, but it was fairly tiresome. There was one parenthetical comment I rather liked, but I can’t figure out how to fit it in now. At any rate, I am over 200 words. I deem that respectable. I will continue to work on my post about The Tingler and eventually publish it, regardless of the day WordPress or the calendar say it is.

Mohawk Valley Girl