Ya Gotta Have a Gimmick
And this is a fabulous one, described by Campfire NYC’s Michael Monello:
…the b-movie producer William Castle is a hero of mine. Those of you who lack the appreciation for kitsch that I have might know him as the producer of the Roman Polanski film ROSEMARY’S BABY, but in his day he was known as the “King of Gimmicks.”
Gimmick is an unfortunate word, however, as much of what he did was bridge the gap between the safety of the silver screen and the audiences lives. His most famous invention was PERCEPTO for his Vincent Price film THE TINGLER. The Tingler was a worm that burrowed into your spine and would kill you. The only way to kill the worm was to scream as loud as you can.
During the film, the Tingler crawls into a movie theater and then the screen goes dark. An announcer is heard:
“Ladies and Gentlemen, the Tingler has entered this theater! SCREAM, SCREAM FOR YOUR LIVES!”
The seats were wired with PERCEPTO, which administered small electric shocks to your bottom. He didn’t just break the third wall, but turned his movie into a physically immersive experience.
(This reminds me of the Alien Encounter attraction at Disney’s Magic Kingdom, a ride which has since been replaced. I’ve heard friends pan Alien Encounter, but I loved it.)