Rating: 
Summary: One of the truly memorable cult classic horror films ever
Review: "Carnival of Souls," the only theatrical film every directed by Herk Harvey, is a cult classic with a most deserved reputation that puts it on a par with dead George Romero's "Night of the Living Dead" in terms of shoestring productions (In fact, the two films appear together on a DVD Double Feature). Mary Henry (Candace Hilligoss) accepts a car ride from a group of other young girls, only to end up in a drag race that sees the car go over a bridge with only Mary surviving. Having taken a job as a church organist in Salt Lake City, Mary heads for her new home, passing a deserted pavilion on the outskirts of town. Mary is drawn to the ruined bathing center/carnival, but has bigger problems since she keeps seeing a leering, corpse-like man (played by Harvey) watching her. Again and again Mary has the eerie of experience of suddenly finding herself in a silent world where no one seems to notice her. Eventually she returns to the pavilions to understand her final fate. "Carnvial of Souls" came about because Herk Harvey drove by Saltair, the deserted 1940s tourist resort outside Salt Lake City, and decided it would make a powerful location for a horror film. Harvey recruited John Clifford to come up with a screenplay that would involve Harvey's image of dead bodies rising from the lake to pursue their victim. The finished product certainly evokes a nightmarish quality that makes you ignore the technical problems with overdubbing, campy performances by the supporting cast, and such. Hilligloss, trained in the Method by Strassberg but denied any hint of her character's motivation by the director, only made one other film, "Curse of the Living Corpse" (1964), but this film is enough to secure her reputation in the field. Sidney Berger (the all too friendly guy down the hall at her boarding house) does a cameo as a cop in the 1998 "Wes Craven Presents Carnival of Souls" debacle, which does not compare on any level to this evocative horror classic.
Rating:
Summary: excellent movie!
Review: "Carnival of Souls" is a masterpiece in psychological terror. A must for any die-hard horror fan. I especially liked the directing & acting.
Rating:
Summary: One of the truly memorable cult classic horror films ever
Review: "Carnival of Souls," the only theatrical film every directed by Herk Harvey, is a cult classic with a most deserved reputation that puts it on a par with dead George Romero's "Night of the Living Dead" in terms of shoestring productions (In fact, the two films appear together on a DVD Double Feature). Mary Henry (Candace Hilligoss) accepts a car ride from a group of other young girls, only to end up in a drag race that sees the car go over a bridge with only Mary surviving. Having taken a job as a church organist in Salt Lake City, Mary heads for her new home, passing a deserted pavilion on the outskirts of town. Mary is drawn to the ruined bathing center/carnival, but has bigger problems since she keeps seeing a leering, corpse-like man (played by Harvey) watching her. Again and again Mary has the eerie of experience of suddenly finding herself in a silent world where no one seems to notice her. Eventually she returns to the pavilions to understand her final fate. "Carnvial of Souls" came about because Herk Harvey drove by Saltair, the deserted 1940s tourist resort outside Salt Lake City, and decided it would make a powerful location for a horror film. Harvey recruited John Clifford to come up with a screenplay that would involve Harvey's image of dead bodies rising from the lake to pursue their victim. The finished product certainly evokes a nightmarish quality that makes you ignore the technical problems with overdubbing, campy performances by the supporting cast, and such. Hilligloss, trained in the Method by Strassberg but denied any hint of her character's motivation by the director, only made one other film, "Curse of the Living Corpse" (1964), but this film is enough to secure her reputation in the field. Sidney Berger (the all too friendly guy down the hall at her boarding house) does a cameo as a cop in the 1998 "Wes Craven Presents Carnival of Souls" debacle, which does not compare on any level to this evocative horror classic.
Rating:
Summary: They await...
Review: A classic horror film which reaches deep inside the psyche to manifest those dark primal fears.
Some people just can't deal with stress very well. A young lady is transported into the shadowy recesses of her own darkside, cued by the infernal instrument of the organ. Her life becomes haunted by her fears & nightmares, as they slither into reality.
The camera angles are very creativly utilized, & the sense of eeriness is preserved well throughout the movie. I thought it a great touch to present the movie mostly non-verbal but for a couple of occasions, in order to present realistic dream sequences. Mental torment & fantasy / reality crossover rampant here, without the demoralization. Very well recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: turgid, tedious, coma inducing travesty of a remake
Review: a total sell out by Wes Craven by attaching his name to this unspeakably inept remake of one of the great cult classics of all time. This is as awful as Herk Herverys origianl is brilliant. Where as the original was creative, creepy and almost surreal, this one has an "artistry" that would shame Ed Wood let alone Wes Craven. It has the feel of a tacky tv straight to vid film which it undoubtedly was. The acting is worse than amateurish, the plot - a total shamble. There is not a shred of suspense or tension throughout the movie......and one only yearns for one thing, that it be over SOON. The best thing about the movie is its relatively short running time at less than 90 minutes. After the putrid Wishmaster.....now this over-ripe turnip. What can we expect from the "Wes Craven presents" next time around? new depths in the modern horror cycle. This is a true stinker.......stay well away and save up your pennies for the mouthwatering upcoming Criterion release of the original and marvelous CARNIVAL OF SOULS. due in March 2000 with any luck.
Rating: 
Summary: A little disappointing...
Review: I gave this movie two stars, and that was mainly because I thought the actress in it, Bobbie Phillips, is very attractive and a pretty decent actress. I usually enjoy a good Wes Craven movie, but this isn't one of them. The story is hackneyed and tired, and seems like it direction was phoned in....the original 'Carnival of Souls' is so much better with it's inherent creepiness and subtly. I had saw the 1962 version first, and was curious if this was a true remake but it's not. It has little or none of the charm and originality of the 1962 version.
Rating: 
Summary: What happened to appreciation of subtle horror?
Review: I loved this movie, in much the same way I loved Alien and Hellraiser. All three were slow moving, and used subtlety over bruntness for most of the horror. Yes, I know Alien had the cool Gieger designed creature, and Hellraiser had the guy with no skin and Pinhead, but it was really the mood they put you in. In much the same way, Carnival of Souls works. If you aren't patient, don't watch this movie. If you can't handle an ambiguous ending, definitly don't watch this movie. But if you enjoy psychlogical horrors, this is for you. Highly Reccomended. P.S. The picture and sound quality is good.
Rating:
Summary: What happened to appreciation of subtle horror?
Review: I loved this movie, in much the same way I loved Alien and Hellraiser. All three were slow moving, and used subtlety over bruntness for most of the horror. Yes, I know Alien had the cool Gieger designed creature, and Hellraiser had the guy with no skin and Pinhead, but it was really the mood they put you in. In much the same way, Carnival of Souls works. If you aren't patient, don't watch this movie. If you can't handle an ambiguous ending, definitly don't watch this movie. But if you enjoy psychlogical horrors, this is for you. Highly Reccomended. P.S. The picture and sound quality is good.
Rating: 
Summary: Maybe I have a different take on the whole thing....
Review: I read about 20 reviews at IMDb, all of which said that this movie ranked somewhere between mayonaise and earthworm sandwiches and that funky smell in the bathrooms of roadside rest stops. I disagree. Why? I'm glad you asked... Well, see, I once dated a woman who had been abused by a neighbor in very much the same way the main character of this movie was abused by Luis (Larry Miller). Therefore, I personally found this movie to be the most terrifying piece of film I have ever seen (ranking up there with the last 15 minutes of "Fire in the Sky"). If you've ever known anyone who has lived through that sort of ordeal, then you know that the portrayal of a survivor done by Bobbie Grant is so realistic that it is in itself horrifying, even without the supernatural, revenge-after-death clown motif. I did not find the ending confusing, as many others did (much like "Jacob's Ladder," I thought)but that was just me.... Anyway--if you have never known anyone to experience anything like this, then this movie probably will be boring and lame; if you have known this kind of experience, then you certainly don't need this movie to frighten you.
Rating:
Summary: Maybe I have a different take on the whole thing....
Review: I read about 20 reviews at IMDb, all of which said that this movie ranked somewhere between mayonaise and earthworm sandwiches and that funky smell in the bathrooms of roadside rest stops. I disagree. Why? I'm glad you asked... Well, see, I once dated a woman who had been abused by a neighbor in very much the same way the main character of this movie was abused by Luis (Larry Miller). Therefore, I personally found this movie to be the most terrifying piece of film I have ever seen (ranking up there with the last 15 minutes of "Fire in the Sky"). If you've ever known anyone who has lived through that sort of ordeal, then you know that the portrayal of a survivor done by Bobbie Grant is so realistic that it is in itself horrifying, even without the supernatural, revenge-after-death clown motif. I did not find the ending confusing, as many others did (much like "Jacob's Ladder," I thought)but that was just me.... Anyway--if you have never known anyone to experience anything like this, then this movie probably will be boring and lame; if you have known this kind of experience, then you certainly don't need this movie to frighten you.
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