Pretty straight-forward chronological documentary about the life and exploits of the legendary B-movie director/producer/ballyhoo maestro, but the subject matter is so rich, especially for those of us who appreciate the strange, dark corners of the cinema, that the film can’t be anything but wildly entertaining. Schwarz does a nice job of portraying Castle as a good-hearted family man and a lovably warped genius whose various gimmicks—life insurance policies against dying of fright, Emergo, Percepto, Illusion-O, etc—were both genuine innovations and clever variations on an old carnivalesque tradition. Interview subjects are substantial, ranging from Castle’s daughter, to his former assistants, to various longtime fans and historians, including the always enjoyable John Waters, who stories about trying to find the wired chairs in the theater during screenings of The Tingler are almost as legendary at this point as the gimmick itself. (Angelika, Dallas, TX, screened as part of the AFI Dallas Film Festival)