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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 fresh rating; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

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

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

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

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

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 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

Modern horror filmmakers could learn something from Carnival of Souls. Harvey's technique may be crude, but he knew how to use the materials at hand to create atmosphere, making this film very much worth a look.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
01/01/00
Chris Hicks
Chris Hicks
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

Creepy, creepy

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

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 nightmarish puzzle. It's aged very well.

Full Review Source: DustinPutman.com | comment Comment
01/01/00
Dustin Putman
Dustin Putman
DustinPutman.com

No review available.

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

No review available.

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

demonstrates that the quality of scary filmmaking is not directly proportional to the size of the budget

Full Review Source: Q Network Film Desk | comment Comment
02/27/01
James Kendrick
James Kendrick
Q Network Film Desk

The movie is a triumph of mood over character.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
02/13/01
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

No review available.

comment Comment
08/30/02
Jeffrey Westhoff
Jeffrey Westhoff
Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)

Carnival of Souls works well enough as chill-up-the-spine cinema.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
01/01/00
Joe Brown
Joe Brown
Washington Post

An influential little horror gem

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

All atmosphere and very little else.

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

No review available.

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

No review available.

comment Comment
01/27/03
Mark Palermo
Mark Palermo
Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating; UK critics are listed first)
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