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Movies / On DVD / Carnival of Souls
Carnival of Souls

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Carnival of Souls (1962)

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Reviews Counted:30

Fresh:25

Rotten:5

Average Rating:7.1/10

Runtime: 2 hrs 41 mins

Genre: Horror/Suspense

Synopsis: Made in 1962 on an extremely low budget, Herk Harvey's classic CARNIVAL OF SOULS has become legendary for its ability to create a tensely creepy atmosphere with virtually no special effects. A... Made in 1962 on an extremely low budget, Herk Harvey's classic CARNIVAL OF SOULS has become legendary for its ability to create a tensely creepy atmosphere with virtually no special effects. A young woman (Candace Hilligoss) is involved in a car crash when her car falls off a bridge while drag racing with some friends. After she pulls herself from the river, she moves to a new town to take a job as a church organist. Meanwhile, a distinctly eerie and hollow-faced man seems to be following her wherever she goes, while an abandoned lakeside amusement park beckons her with an almost gravitational pull. The effective organ score enhances the film to great effect, as do the bleak landscapes of Utah's salt flats. [More]

Starring: Candace Hilligoss, Sidney Berger, Frances Feist, Herk Harvey

Starring: Candace Hilligoss, Sidney Berger, Frances Feist, Herk Harvey

Director: Herk Harvey

Director: Herk Harvey
Screenwriter: John Clifford
Producer: Herk Harvey
Composer: Gene Moore

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Carnival of Souls

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 >> >|
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This is one of the most original and unsettling horror movies to come out of America during its B-movie saturated, drive-in friendly period.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
09/21/07
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It retains an atmosphere of melancholic, surreal dread.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
09/21/07
Adam Smith
Adam Smith
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The mesmerising power of the carnival and dance-hall sequences far outweighs the corniness of the awkward intimate scenes.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Harvey leaves enough questions unanswered in this twilight zone to ensure that Carnival Of Souls enjoys a haunting afterlife in the viewer's mind.

Full Review Source: Eye for Film | comment Comment
03/01/09
Anton Bitel
Anton Bitel
Eye for Film

A haunting ghost story.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
10/27/07
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

A chilling ghost story with artistic pretensions.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
09/21/07
TV Guide's Movie Guide
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Occasionally a feature film emerges from the midwest, although this is the first ever out of Lawrence, Kans, where a group of commercial film pros veered off into a try at producing theatrical entertainment.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
09/21/07
Variety Staff
Variety Staff
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

There isn't very much here to sustain interest.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
09/21/07
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader

Creepy, creepy

comment Comment
06/01/07
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com

No review available.

comment Comment
08/07/05
Linda Cook
Linda Cook
Quad City Times (Davenport, IA)

No review available.

comment Comment
08/04/05
Jake Euker
Jake Euker
F5 (Wichita, KS)

No review available.

comment Comment
07/28/05
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

For a flick with a non-existent budget (well, $30,000) and relative amateurs in front of the camera, everybody’s lines are practically howler-free.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
06/01/05
Mark Athitakis
Mark Athitakis
Filmcritic.com

Com seu roteiro óbvio e as péssimas atuações, é incrivelmente inferior às numerosas produções que supostamente inspirou.

comment Comment
01/09/05
Pablo Villaca
Pablo Villaca
Cinema em Cena

Much overrated horror, not even minor classic in this corner

comment Comment
10/23/04
Steve Crum
Steve Crum
Kansas City Kansan

An influential little horror gem

comment Comment
07/16/04
Jon Niccum
Jon Niccum
Lawrence Journal-World

A genuinely creepy thriller, humble in scope and lacking some polish, but executed with ghoulish intuition.

Full Review Source: Nick's Flick Picks | comment Comment
05/22/04
Nick Davis
Nick Davis
Nick's Flick Picks

No review available.

comment Comment
11/20/03
Frank Swietek
Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion

All atmosphere and very little else.

comment Comment
04/24/03
Ken Hanke
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

A cult classic that would have subtle yet meaningful influences on the horror genre for decades to come.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
03/19/03
Brian Mckay
Brian Mckay
eFilmCritic.com
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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