Carnival of Souls

1962 horror film directed by Herk Harvey

Carnival of Souls is a 1962 American independent horror movie. It was written, produced, and directed by Herk Harvey, and starring Candace Hilligoss. The story is about Mary Henry, a young woman who had a car accident. She moves to a new city, but she can't fit in. She becomes curious about the pavilion of an abandoned carnival. The director Harvey is also in the movie as a creepy stranger who follows her a lot.[4]

Carnival of Souls
Directed byHerk Harvey
Written by
  • Herk Harvey * John Clifford
Produced byHerk Harvey
StarringCandace Hilligoss
CinematographyMaurice Prather
Edited by
  • Bill de Jarnette * Dan Palmquist
Music byGene Moore
Distributed byHerts-Lion International Corp.
Release date
  • September 26, 1962 (1962-09-26)
Running time
80 minutes (original theatrical cut)[1][2]
  • 84 minutes (director's cut)[1]
[3]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Carnival of Souls

It was filmed in Lawrence, Kansas and Salt Lake City. Carnival of Souls was filmed on a budget of $33,000. Since the 1980s, the film has been noted by critics and film scholars for its cinematography and foreboding atmosphere.[5]

Release

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Carnival of Souls was shown at the Main Street Theatre in Lawrence, Kansas, in September 1962.[6] The US release of Carnival of Souls did not include a copyright on the prints, so the movie was automatically in the public domain.[7]

Reception

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Complex Magazine said Carnival of Souls was number 39 on its list of the 50 scariest movies ever made.[8]

Leonard Maltin gave Carnival of Souls two-and-a-half out of four stars. He said the movie was an "eerie", and "imaginative low budget effort."[9]

References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 Weldon, Michael (1996). The Psychotronic Video Guide To Film. New York City: Macmillan Publishers. p. 93. ISBN 978-0-312-13149-4.
  2. TCM.com
  3. MUBI
  4. Brody, Richard (September 27, 2016). "The Front Row: "Carnival of Souls"". The New Yorker. New York City: Condé Nast.
  5. Immediate Family, The Bear, Dad, Next of Kin, Carnival of Souls, 1989 – Siskel and Ebert Movie Reviews
  6. Hilligoss 2016, p. 187.
  7. Gleiberman, Owen (April 7, 2011). "'Carnival of Souls': The movie that inspired 'Insidious' is the spookiest, weirdest, and maybe greatest horror film you've never seen". Entertainment Weekly. New York City: Meredith Corporation. Retrieved October 4, 2017.
  8. Barone, Matt; et al. (July 18, 2013). "The 50 Scariest Movies of All Time". Complex Magazine. New York City: Complex Media Inc. Archived from the original on October 5, 2017. Retrieved October 4, 2017.
  9. Maltin 2014, p. 218.

Other websites

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Watch the movie

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