Carnival of Souls is a 1962 horror film about a woman who becomes drawn to a mysterious abandoned carnival after a traumatic accident.
The movie was produced and directed by Herk Harvey and starring Candace Hilligoss and Sidney Berger.
Budgeted at just $33,000, the film did not gain much attention when originally released; today, however, it is widely regarded as a genuine cult classic (not just any old film that lazy critics and journalists often cite as a “cult classic”) despite weaknesses in dialogue and character development.
Set to an ominous organ score by Gene Moore, Carnival of Souls relies more on atmosphere than on special effects to create a mood of unease and foreboding. It has been cited as an important influence on the films of both David Lynch (Eraserhead) and George A. Romero (Night of the Living Dead and sequels). It was very loosely and very poorly remade in 1998.
Buy Blu-ray: Amazon.com
“With its striking black-and-white compositions, disorienting dream sequences and eerie atmosphere, this has the feel of a silent German expressionist movie. Unfortunately, so does some of the acting, which suffers from exaggerated facial expressions and bizarre gesturing. But the mesmerising power of the carnival and dance-hall sequences far outweighs the corniness of the awkward intimate scenes… Nigel Floyd, Time Out
“Insufferably portentous, the script harks back to those expressionistic dramas which solemnly debated this life and the next with heavy-breathing dialogue … Yet, Harvey’s direction has a weird flair, sometimes suggesting a throwback to the silent days and drawing a kind of awkward honesty out of the amateurish actors. The film is a real curiosity with strikingly used locations…” The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror book
“The nature of Carnival of Souls’ terror lies in its atmospheric oddness, and worse, in its ability to make one question the reality of perception … While I believe strongly that Carnival of Souls needs to be understood as queer horror, it also remains a compelling, deeply empathetic picture for anyone who has ever struggled to fit in.” Shelly Jarenski, Hidden Horror
Buy: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com
“Carnival is famous for its off-kilter opening credits, its oddball characters, its portrait of an unstable woman losing touch with everything around her, its haunting pipe organ score, and its general atmosphere of weirdness.” David Elroy Goldweber, Claws & Saucers book
” …may not be the scariest movie ever made, but it’s certainly one of the eeriest. An insidiously cheap creepshow that feels like it’s being projected directly from your nightmares (Harvey used an Arriflex camera – typically used for newsreels – as a cost-cutting measure, adding an unsettling edge of realism)…” David Ehrlich, Time Out
Buy DVD: Amazon.co.uk
Choice dialogue:
Mrs Thomas: “It’s these old houses, they’re big enough that you could hide a man in every corner.”
Cast and characters:
Candace Hilligoss as Mary Henry
Frances Feist as Mrs Thomas
Sidney Berger as John Linden
Art Ellison as Minister
Stan Levitt as Dr Samuels
Tom McGinnis as Organ factory boss
Forbes Caldwell as Organ factory worker
Dan Palmquist as Gas station attendant
Bill De Jarnette as Mechanic
Steve Boozer as Chip
Pamela Ballard as Dress saleslady
Herk Harvey as “The Man” (the main ghoul)
Filming locations:
Saltair Amusement Park, near, Magna, Utah
Tech specs:
1h 18m (78 min)
Black and white
Mono
Aspect ratio: 1.37: 1(original ratio)
Free to watch online in original black and white [1080p HD]:
Free to watch online in colour [1440p HD]:
Discover more from MOVIES & MANIA
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
