Such an odd little film with some very unnerving imagery. It's atmosphere alone more than makes it worth a watch.
A film which takes a long time to grow on you and yet, once it does, its imagery keeps returning to your unconscious, like a half-remembered dream or nightmare. One of the only other films I've seen with such an eerie sense of remembrance in certain scenes is Dreyer's Vampyr.
very beautiful black and white. the actress is very arresting/terrifying as well. it was a quiet dream of a film but still very good. not much happens but it is creepy and plays on some things that scare me personally. I wish I could make sense of the very end of the film. (maybe Im thinking too hard about it) I do love the last bit when they run quickly after her
For most of the film it showcases it's low-budget, B-movie pedigree...and I don't necessarily mean that in a good way. But there are some high points, particularly the scene where she is playing organ and imagining the carnival. On the whole average, but still worth seeing for its reputation and that brilliant scene.
A little Ed Wood at times, then suddenly a scene that's pretty ingenius. Love it or hate it, its the kind of film where you distinctly remember the first time you saw it.
So true. I had not seen it in a long time and yet its images kept returning to me. Unlike several other horror movies, I can vividly remember the 1st time I watched this (I was in that dazed state between waking and asleep, the perfect state to view such a film, and it was on a late show on a public access channel during the middle of the night.)
Atmospheric movie to be sure with a slow, mesmerizing score and visuals. I especially liked the flat, faintly condescending way the lead actress dismisses most people she comes into contact with in this film. It was funny in a non-intentional sort of way...the first appearance of the ghoulish man is indeed unexpected. After that he seems a little overused. Still a great film from the early 60's!
reminiscent of an extended episode of the twilight zone, without the story but treble the atmosphere. strange that it's so hyped but if seen on its own terms it is sort of mesmerising.
@ Justin Crowe - That friend you mentioned who laughed the whole time when you watched it the first time, I think he had an entirely appropriate response to "Carnival of Souls." But that's just my thinking......
Scariest film ever. I've been on the search for a movie that scares me forever, and my first viewing was with someone who thought it was hilarious and made fun of it the whole time. It's hard to watch a movie and enjoy when someone is ripping it apart so I kind of forgot about it for a few years until I recently decided to watch it again. It's brilliant, simple horror. What would you do if you kept seeing a terrifying looking man stalking you at every corner? You would go insane. The ending at the carnival + the organ score is perfect, there's nothing else like it.
This movie is certainly strange, but I don't think it deserves the reputation that precedes it. Very flat and awkward film with an idiosyncratic protagonist who is difficult to identify with.
...umm..interesting film. Frame shooting composition selection was a Beauty, and the various contrasts and plays of light, often with animate vs inaminate shapes. Many frames would be superb stills. seems like this is a 'film noir' intended stye and reminded me somewhat of Naked Kiss '64 by Samuel Fuller, only much more developed. Was Mary running from her own devils?
Carnival of Souls was a good movie. I love the organ music thru the show, it is creepy. The actress is very good in this, she does the emotional torment look very belivable. The thing I liked the most are the shots done in SLC. I live in SLC and most all of the backgrounds look really familiar even though they were taken in the 1960's. I love the fact that they used the Saltair(carnival) in the movie too.
I found this film fascinating. I'd love to take excerpts from it and make an accompaning video to Arcade Fire's "My Body is a Cage."
I found this on a DVD along with 14 other cult horror films for 5 dollars. I rule.
Idk where to ask this, but has anyone else had problems watching this on here? Everything is fine excpept for the audio. Listening on speakers it's hard to pick up on, but through headphones there's all these annoying pops or static spots here and there, especially when the volume increases. It does seem to disappear a bit before the one hour mark, however.
I could see how women could despise John Linden, the "lady's man." He was overly pushy. Can you blame him, though? Hot girl moves into the same building, it's only natural. He did provide some of the best humor. My favorite quote: John Linden: [when Mary does not drink the glass of beer he ordered for her at a bar] What's the matter? Don't you drink? Mary Henry: Not really. John Linden: Well, I do. And not only do I drink really, I really drink. That's what I'm talking about! Never mind the great opening car race that pleasantly caught me off-guard. A must see for any true indie/horror films lover.
I would love to have stills of the decayed carnival setting. Captured the classic carnival creepiness perfectly. Pretty good film, eery, noirish, suspenseful - but the obnoxious ‘lady’s man’ bugged the crap out of me. Too bad he didn’t die.
Delightfully campy. Having grown up in Salt Lake City, I got a kick out of seeing the city as it was in the early 60's, particularly that of the 'abandoned' Saltair Pavilion, which has been used as a concert venue for the last several years. By no means a 'great' film, but important and highly enjoyable.
This film is interesting in a parallel universe sort of way because the main character is dead and alive at the same time like the Schrödinger’s cat. It’s almost as if she had to know what it would be like to survive the accident before her soul could really let go or let go enough to succumb to death. Too bad for her she had to go through the ordeal of dying twice…or maybe it was her dead soul dreaming.
