Horror Classic 1 of 50: CARNIVAL OF SOULS
So here I am, watching all the films in the 50 Movie Pack: Horror Classics DVD set. Click here to read the introductory post, in which I explain why.
The first film on the first side of the first disc of 50 Horror Classics is 1962's Carnival of Souls, starring Candace Hilligoss. After you read this post, you should check out the Wikipedia article I just linked to; it actually has a lot of interesting information on the film.
I had never heard of this movie, but the fact that it was co-written, directed and produced by a man named "Herk Harvey" prepared me for a so-fun-'cause-it's-so-bad romp, as did the opening scene with its obvious and flawed dialogue looping. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's start with the...
Synopsis
Three young women agree to a street race against a dumb-looking guy in a dumb-looking hat. Whee, fun! But their car smashes through a guardrail and plunges into the river below. Boo, not fun! Rescue crews are unable to locate the car, but miraculously, one of the women, Mary, makes it to dry land alive. She's pretty shaken by the ordeal, but that doesn't stop her from going through with her plan to move to
Following the accident, Mary is in a daze for most of the film, though the advances of her persistent, somewhat sleazy new neighbor provide a distraction. Meanwhile, scary stuff happens, as Mary begins to see visions of ghastly, zombie-like figures leering at her at inopportune moments, and for a while she becomes completely disconnected from the world, as she finds herself unable to interact with anyone. Man, that would be terrifying, although I wonder if she could still turn on the TV. If she's cut off from life, could she at least pass the time by watching Queen for a Day?
She goes on a date with Sleazy Neighbor, who's only after one thing, and consults a doctor, who's probably only after the same thing, because after all, all men are alike, am I right? But the whole time she finds herself drawn to the ornate, abandoned carnival outside of town, and at the film's end she ventures there alone to face her fears and bring an end to the haunting.
Is It Scary?
To my pleasant surprise, yes. The Ghastly Zombie People are effectively frightening, despite the film's low budget and the fact that a nice tan and some dental work would do them a world of good. Mary's freak-out scenes are quite competently executed, with evocative lighting and the ever-present organ music.
Lessons I Learned
- Don't race. If you do race, don't drive off a bridge.
- Playing organ music that sounds like the work of composer Oliver Messiaen will get you fired.
- Your sleazy neighbor can see you changing clothes through the crack in the door.
- Ghastly Zombie People are surprisingly good dancers.
Comments
This was a surprisingly not bad movie. There's some genuine characterization going on with Mary, especially in her scenes with Sleazy Neighbor. I would say that I got to know her about as well as Marion Crane from Psycho, another early 60s blonde who finds herself alone in a dangerous situation. IMDb tells me there's another Carnival of Souls from 1998, a loose remake "presented by" Wes Craven. I'm guessing it trades suspense for blood & guts, and that it's not as compelling as the original. Who knew ol' Herk Harvey would be a talented auteur?
The scary carnival complex in the movie is the Salt Lake City's Saltair Pavilion, which I've actually visited on a family vacation. I didn't see any zombies.
Letter grade for Carnival of Souls: B
Next film in the DVD set: Atom Age Vampire. If it's half as good as Atom Age Substitute Teacher, I know I'm in for a treat.
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