“13 Frightened Girls” hasn’t attained the cult status that William Castle’s horror films, such as “The House on Haunted Hill” or “The Tingler”, have attained, which is a shame. Maybe its because it lacks an actor with the star power of Vincent Price, but “13 Frightened Girls” is unknown by even the most hardened psychotronic buffs. However, it is a ridiculous film, and while it isn’t the best film Castle ever made, its certainly his most bizarre. Its full of outlandish cold war-era agitprop, as the central plot is about a diplomat’s daughter spying on her fellow students from other countries. It ends up going all over the place.<\/p>\n
There are several other reasons for the camp appeal. The colors are garish, like a Fauvist threw up all over the place. They even bring to mind a sleeker version of John Water’s early film’s set designs. The dialog is so wide-eyed and naive, its completely left-field when the surprisingly strong violence (espescially for a kid’s film) happens to the protagonists. There’s many subtle hints dealing with torture by foreign enemies, and despite the end message of peace, there’s a strong sense of xenophobia throughout. What can I say? “13 Frightened Girls” is an insane film that needs to be seen by vintage drive-in and psychotronic fans.