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Carnival of Souls

United States

1962

83 Min
Black and White
1.33:1
English
  • Currently 3.8/5 Stars.
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1,105 Views

DIR Herk Harvey

PROD Herk Harvey

SCR John Clifford

CAST Candace Hilligoss, Frances Feiss, Sidney Berger, Art Ellison, Stan Levitt, Herk Harvey

ED Dan Palmquist, Bill de Jarnette

MUSIC Gene Moore

SOUND Ed Down, Don Jessup

Synopsis

Herk Harvey’s macabre masterpiece gained a cult following through late night television and has been bootlegged for years. Made by industrial filmmakers on a modest budget, Carnival of Souls was intended to have the “look of a Bergman” and “feel of a Cocteau,” and succeeds with its strikingly used locations and spooky organ score. Mary Henry (Candace Hilligoss) survives a drag race in a rural Kansas town, then takes a job as a church organist in Salt Lake City. En route, she becomes haunted by a bizarre apparition that compels her to an abandoned lakeside pavilion. —The Criterion Collection

Wall

Displaying 4 of 39 wall posts.
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ElTigreNegro

6Mar13

The only film from a documentary director, it has become a cult classic for all the right reasons. Few movies have give me the creeps, this is one of them. Haunting movie that has stood the test of time far better than other horror movies.

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Scott Barley

24Feb13

Terrible sound, some poor acting and dialogue... And yet, this film is wonderful. Overflowing with macabre atmosphere, this may be, despite all its flaws, a masterwork of the horror genre. A peculiar film indeed.

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Frankly, Mr. Shankly

12Jan13

Like a nightmarish Carl Th. Dreyer. Candace's expressions of absolute terror, the magnificent contrast between black and white and the terrifying score evokes one of the scariest flicks from the sixties. My only complain is about the bad narrative and some mechanical acting. Could've been a masterpiece.

Mark Garrett likes this

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valolopez

7Sep12

Not sure what the carnival had to do with anything...

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Fans

Displaying 5 of 913 fans.

Articles

Our roundup of essays and articles on this film.
W184

The Forgotten: Hey, Pluto!

By David Cairns on June 10, 2010

One searches in vain for a film like Carnival of Souls. Incredible as it is that an oneiric phantasia like Herk Harvey's 1962 fever dream actually

read article
W184

The Forgotten: Skeleton Quay

By David Cairns on March 5, 2009

  DR. LIVINGSKELETON, I PRESUME?   The Living Skeleton is a lot of fun, or at least, that was my experience, or I think it was

read article

Lists

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Reviews

Displaying 4 of 10

Surreal, Psychological Thriller with a Noir Aesthetic

By acarril​lojr on December 30, 2009

The opening car race/game of chicken with oncoming traffic probably does not get the respect it should…as is the case for the film as a whole. This psychological thriller debuted after the decline…  read review

It's lean and visually arresting enough to reward at least a single viewing

By prefere​nces on December 18, 2009

Strange that I’m attempting a mini-review even before I’ve finished the film, but I’m this way with horror—I just can’t sit still. It’s a very spooky film, which is not to say its a great film, but…  read review

Untitled

By jake barge on November 26, 2009

Garbage, even for a B-movie. Never looked like a Bergman but looked like it tried to, and had the worst soundtrack ever recorded. so boring. dark shadows did the whole organ thing enough for the entire…  read review

Untitled

By T.J. Royal on November 25, 2009

Maddeningly uneven experience, even if it has an enjoyable highlight or three. With its wildily inconsistent performances, especially from the lead, and its ocassionally intriguing set pieces and scenes…  read review

Forum

Displaying 3 discussion topics.

The horror of living

7 posts by 4 people 8 months ago

Carnival of Souls

4 posts by 4 people over 2 years ago

DVD

Buy the DVD from The Criterion Collection.