Carnival Of Souls

[Demoncrat]

Few films from this period are this bleak. But the title card is cool and that's what counts innit?
After a car accident, the sole survivor finds herself increasingly drawn to a local fairground.
Sounds gripping doesn't it?
Well strap in anyhow as there's a lot to take in. Carnival pretends to lead you to your destination but what here is real?
A cornerstone.

Any fans?

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demoncrat

Few films from this period are this bleak. But the title card is cool and that's what counts innit?
After a car accident, the sole survivor finds herself increasingly drawn to a local fairground.
Sounds gripping doesn't it?
Well strap in anyhow as there's a lot to take in. Carnival pretends to lead you to your destination but what here is real?
A cornerstone.

Any fans?

It's excellent. It really is.

Here's my review from the Gothic Thread.

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Carnival of Souls

1962

Directed by Herk Harvey


A girl is involved in a motoring accident when her car tumbles off a bridge into a river. The girl (Candace Hilligloss) emerges sometime later and drives off to a new job as a church organist. Things take a turn to the decidedly odd when a strange man keeps appearing in what seem like hallucinations, and why is she drawn to that derelict pavillion in the middle of the deserted salt flats?

Carnival of Souls is so cliche free its the film George A Romero credits for inspiring Night of the Living Dead. Director Herk Harvey, on a small budget, reportedly $100,000, has created a little masterpiece of chills. The direction to me harks back to the days of silent cinema, the viewer having to work out the narative rather than it being handed to them on a silver platter. The actors, including lead Candace Hilligloss, are all amateurs but they portray an oddball bunch of characters thus making the film memorable and overpowering the amateurishness of the production to give the film a wholly unique touch.

The film was made around Salt Lake City, Utah, and makes superb use of the salt flat locations and the fantastic deserted pavillion that is so central to the film's plot. The amusement park is long since derelict, its rusty machinery useless. The pavillion in particular is beautifully eerie with dusty streamers still hanging from its ceiling. The kind of place you would never enter during the night.

The film may lack any graphic shocks, but in truth none are needed, the films psychological horror aspects far overwhelm the need for blood and guts. The haunting atmosphere of the locations add greatly to the films wierdness, constantly giving the viewer a sense of dread. The scenes where Hilligloss enters the pavillion and sees the dancefloor full of the dead is quite disturbing particularly when they all give chase. The ghostly figures seemingly slightly transparent as they go about their undead business.

Carnival of Souls is often found on cheap fifty movie style box sets. I do recommend a watch to those who haven't seen it. It may seem familliar but then it was the first in a long line of films with simillar themes even to this present day. Take a bow The Sixth Sense. It is worth tracking down a good copy as the majority are pretty poor indeed.

[Mojo]

An absolute classic, with an atmosphere unlike anything else. Easily one of my favourite horror movies of all time. Criterion’s blu ray edition is stunning.

[Demoncrat]

That's a good review D. Though the first print I saw was the Elstree Hill I think and it kind of adds to the whole 'dream' aspect imo. I see parallels with Night Of The Hunter ... the familiar seeming alien ... the expressionist angles etc.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demoncrat

That's a good review D. Though the first print I saw was the Elstree Hill I think and it kind of adds to the whole 'dream' aspect imo. I see parallels with Night Of The Hunter ... the familiar seeming alien ... the expressionist angles etc.

I have a two versions of it. Both great quality. The Network release and one with Stereoscopic something or other. Basically parts of it are green.

See stills below from Stereononsense version. I actually quite like it as it makes the film seem odder.

[nosferatu42]

I'm another big fan, absolutely loved it's creepy atmosphere when i first saw it shown on tv years ago, think it was BBC2, may have been Moviedrome but i'm not certain.
It's a film that i fall in love with all over again every time i see it.
I recently got the Criterion Blu and it is indeed a beautiful copy.

[nosferatu42]

It was Moviedrome 1992.