Carnival of Souls
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Movie Reviews of Carnival of Souls
Movie Review: In the dark...
Summary: 5 Stars
Some brilliant directors only make a few movies. Herk Harvey made over four hundred -- but sadly, he only brought his astounding talents into one non-educational movie.
That one brilliant movie is cult horror flick "Carnival of Souls," a nightmarish tale of a young woman who is lingering on in the world of the living -- and is pursued by the dead. Made for a piddling seventeen thousand dollars, this little gem is as eerie now as it was in the 1960s.
Three young women decide to drag race a car of young men -- and their car goes off a bridge into the river. Only Mary (Candace Hilligoss) staggers out of the water, seemingly undisturbed by the accident. The next day she travels to Utah for her new job as a church organist, but on the trip she keeps seeing a grinning, corpselike man watching her from the road.
Mary tries to distract herself with shopping, dodging her lecherous neighbor, and playing the organ. But she keeps seeing the corpse-man), having strange moments where nobody can see or ear her, and also finds herself drawn to a run-down former carnival pavilion. As the dead close in on her, Mary runs from them... but she can't escape from them forever.
A simple plot, but Herk Harvey handles it with brilliant skill. There's a goofy moment here or there -- at one point Mary turns around to shriek into the camera lens. But most of the time, Harvey keeps the atmosphere piling on, with relatively little dialogue (the most memorable lines are usually shrieked ones like "I don't want to be alone!").
In short, Harvey had the ability to inspire something a lot rarer than fear or shocks -- dread. Mary's confusion, fear and denial are almost palpable as she wanders through the town. By the climax, it has transformed into a sort of nightmarish maze that Mary can just run through, with the dead people just a few steps behind her. And there's that creepy organ music all the time.
The ending is not so much a twist as the inevitable answer to all the bizarre events that came before it -- and it's a brilliant, bittersweet ending. It was also the ending that has inspired creepy horror movies ever since. Suddenly the "invisibility" moments and the dead faces make perfect sense, and we understand what it is that Mary is really running from.
Mary is also not your typical early-sixties heroine -- she's sharp-tongued ("Thank you, but I'm NEVER coming back here") and kind of spinsterish by nature. What's more, she is completely detached from everyone around her, since she is not meant to be in the world of the living. Hilligoss (who only made one other movie) is absolutely amazing here, with her distant attitude and frightened eyes.
This version doesn't have the loads of extras the Criterion one has. But it does have a well-colorized version, as well as the original black-and-white. The icing on the cake: Mike Nelson of Mystery Science Theatre 3000 does the commentary, which is the same sort of mockery they had for other such movies.
Brilliant and creepy, "Carnival of Souls" is a deserving cult classic. It's a shame that Herk Harvey never made another horror flick, but at least we have this one.
Movie Review: Psychic isolation rendered through landscape.
Summary: 5 Stars
Gallons of ink have been devoted, (justifiably) to this film. But few have perhaps paid sufficient due to the cinematographer, Maurice Prather.
Mr. Prather aids and abets the script at every turn in his rendering of Miss Hilligoss's (in the role of Mary Henry) isolation from those around her. From his crow's nest shots of her wandering through the deserted carnival to the scenes of her lone sedan traversing the twilight prairie highway, he unfailingly delivers a picture of un-peopled vastness--a vastness that cannot be breached by human or psychic outreach.
And that is what this film is really about--Mary Henry's inability to accept the fact that she has already departed from the world she continues to haunt.
Ultimately she knows, (as does her personal Charon--the Carnival Ghoul) that she must be reclaimed--and it is in her persistent refusal to yield to his summons, from which the conflict and tension of the film springs.
This is perhaps revealed most disquietingly in a scene near the beginning of the film, when the minister accompanies her to take a look at the abandoned carnival--but refuses to accompany her across the barricade. Thus, though the visit is without ostensible horrific incident--it concludes with a silhouette of the Carnival Ghoul dropping his head in resignation from behind a gated doorway inside the pavilion, while at the very same moment, Miss Hilligoss, (seemingly safe in a car already miles away) is stabbed with a sudden deja vu--reflected with a rueful knowing in her eyes--one of many brilliant moments in a film brimming with them.
And it should not merely be to the cognoscente that such an inevitable moment as this, terrifies far more meaningfully, than any knife wielding Friday the 13th slasher might.
As to Mr. Prather, note how similar are the contrast and tone levels he uses to depict the vast American mid-western landscapes under over-cast skies, to that used by Sven Nykvist in Bergman's "Winter Light." Though the Bergman film is set in Sweden--surely the similarity is not coincidental.
Movie Review: This would be great film making if it were done today, but the fact that it was made in 62 makes it a masterpeice.
Summary: 5 Stars
I love this film. It is dark, creepy, and the characters are so believable especially the side characters, like the Head of the Organ making company and the doctor. These people didn't look like actors, they looked like average, ordinary people. I truly cannot say enough good things about this film, except that I consider it a masterpiece. I own this film about 3 times over on various DVD packs. This particular one I have rented but I don't own. Dispite what traditionalist may say, I like the optional color, just to see what it looks like, but the black and white is far more beautiful. This is not only a erie, creepy film, it is beautiful. Also the star of the film, supposedly dissappeard after this film was made and never made another movie. I don't know if this is true, but the myth just adds to the mystique of this film. THIS FILM IS A MUST HAVE IN YOUR HORROR MOVIE COLLECITON, any version you can get. I sure would love to watch this film with commentary
I would put this movie up with any modern day horror film or any film period. This film should be studied in film school along with the short films of Maya Deren.
Movie Review: Not A Terrible Version By A Long Shot
Summary: 5 Stars
This version with Mike Nelson's commentary isn't a bad edition at all. Mike's solo commentary is pretty amusing. I miss the team concept, but he carries his own. This is available with BOTH the b&w and colorized on the same disc. The colorized version isn't actually that bad. Colorization has come a long way since the 1980s. Of course part of what makes COS IS the b&w photography and the version used here is in nice condition. It appears to be the 83 minute "director's cut". Like many people, I grew up with the "road show" version that runs about 78 minutes or even less and the longer version seems to drag to me. Too much talk and not enough moody set pieces. This shorter version is available from Alpha, Goodtimes and on the Criterion set with the "Director's Cut". If you need a budget "Carnival" you can make far worse choices than this edition. Mike Nelson, the long version and both color and b&W choices makes this a pretty good deal.Movie Review: A suspense thriller/early horror movie...
Summary: 5 Stars
Well I purchased this movie awhile back and didn't have a chance to view it until last night.....The movie was great and I watched it in its original format (B&W) because what is the point watching an "old" movie if you don't watch it the way people would've watched it back in 1962....now it isn't like our "newer/modern" horror movies....remember it was filmed back in '62. But I think the mood of the film was great...the spooky music was a major factor in the movie...the acting isn't the best and the plot is alittle shaky but overall a great cult classic so if you like horror movies and wish to explore the beginningsof horror movies....you should check out this movie!!