Rating: 
Summary: Peee-yew! Don't waste your time!
Review: I was intrigued to see this movie after all the positive reviews, but the spookiest thing about it is how many people praise it for absolutely no sane reason known to the natural world. It is truly terrible, and deeply, profoundly boring. The supposed twist -- the premise on which the whole movie is based -- is obvious from the first five minutes (and is the oldest plot twist that can been found in fourth rate horror movies and old TV shows) so that the "shocking" final frames of the film are laugh-out-loud funny. There isn't a genuinely creepy, macabre, spooky, spine-tingling moment in the whole movie -- except maybe for the close-ups of the lead actress, who is wierder and creepier looking that any of the ghouls wearing pancake white make-up and kohl-ringed eyes who keep rising bug-eyed out of the lake. Each supposed shock and eerie moment (and there are all too few of them) is telegraphed ahead of time like the roar and whistle of a steam locomotive bearing down on you. And none of the underlying plot points make any sense: The main character is supposedly driving across country to take a job in a small Utah town as a church organist (the supposed irony being that she isn't religious) -- but who in the world works at a full-time job working as a church organist (who only plays on Sundays, but apparently spends the other six days of the week "practicing"). And why would you ever travel across country to take such a job in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere? And what tiny church in a tiny town conducts a nation-wide search just to employ an organist? That's only the beginning of the absolutely absurd and nonsensical plot points that underlie the entire movie. I just don't get all the rave reviews -- this is the kind of movie that would have been a perfect object of ridicule on Mystery Science Theatre 3000.
Rating:
Summary: Living Dead Girl?
Review: It 's Halloween night. Scary movie fest at my house. This one came highly recommended, the guy behind the counter at the video store said it "disturbed him for days". After watching this, I think he'd probably say that about the Muppet Movie as well.
Why do people hold up examples of cheap desperation such as Carnival of Souls as Art? With all of Herk's experience as an educational film maker, you would think he had learned something about technique. This is the sloppiest movie I've seen since Plan 9 From Outer Space!!
I tried really hard to get into this one. And I must admit that the main actress chick had a hauntingly wierd kind of a face that almost worked, if only she didn't have dialougue!!!
I REALLY tried. But the waves of laughter from the audiece just put the last nail in the coffin.
Sorry. This one's a [dud].
Rating: 
Summary: chiller double feature
Review: The Carnival of Souls DVD that I own is the Diamond Entertainment version paired with Christopher Lee's Horror Hotel. Both films are fully restored and enhanced. Carnival is the real treat here-- a minor classic guaranteed to get under your skin, especially if seen in the wee hours of the morning. Hotel is uneven, but still above-average. Carnival is the original theatrical version (I believe-- 80 minutes?); though I do own a VHS (which gives the time as 84 minutes) where some goofy special effects (called Super-Psychorama) are added briefly to enhance some scenes, but just detract from the atmosphere of the film--avoid this version. The print of Horror Hotel was especially satisfying as I own the Screen Gems VHS version where the print is so scratched up it looks like the movie was filmed in a heavy downpour. AVOID AT ALL COSTS! Major beef: The background information on the films is reversed, i.e., the information in the Carnival of Souls section is actually for Horror Hotel, and vice versa. Heads should roll for this kind of blatant stupidity.
Rating: 
Summary: DANCE OF THE DEAD
Review: Ordered this Criterion DVD strictly by the reviews here on Amazon. Would like to say I was not disappointed. I did have the end figured out before the closing frame, as others have indicated, but was still genuinely frightened for what was happening to Mary. It has been said that Candace Hilligoss's performance caused you not to care about the character, however I did not feel that way. It was quite an unsettling experience. As usual, Criterion done an outstanding job on the picture and sound quality, and the box art was really nice. If I were to say anything negative, it would be to ask "Does one really need two versions of the same movie, especially when we're talking a mere 5 minutes?" Highly recommended fright film to anyone who doesn't need buckets of blood, or gallons of gore.
Rating:
Summary: A classic horror film without the blood and guts
Review: This is a fantastic film to watch sheerly for the way it was made. With a budget of $30,000 and made in Kansas, director Harvey manages to scare the viewer with little special effects. The location is beautiful, especially the abandoned amusement park (giving at least one good reason to visit Utah), and leaving the viewer wishing the filmmakers had made more than just one feature film. It is not the greatest movie by any means, but it resembles Hitchcock's Psycho in its small size and independence from typical Hollywood.
The extras on this Criterion Collection gives greater insight to how a movie can be made and that anyone can really do it. In 1962, remember, there was no Sundance or Cannes and independent films were rarely done and even more rarely acknowledged. This one has built a following over the years for good reason; anyone interested in filmmaking and technique should watch this film.
Rating:
Summary: Smart horror film that is enjoyable
Review: This 1962 black and white cult classic was directed by Herk Harvey during a 3 week vacation. As the film starts out we learn Mary Henry is the only survivor in a car racing accident. The accident doesn't seem to fade her, and she is off for her new job in another city as an organ player in a church. As she drives to the new town she passes an old deserted carnival. Soon after she begins seeing a man following her everywhere, and has other weird things happen to her. She has nightmares, and becomes very paranoid. A doctor thinks all this is a result of emotional trauma from the crash. She doesn't think so. She believes her answer is at the carnival and she goes there to find out. This film is amazing considering it was shot on a budget less than $30,000 and in 3 weeks. The direction is superb, and cinematography is wonderful. The script is pretty good for 1962, and would foreshadow some films of recent years. The whole film has an eerie atmosphere, with a creepy soundtrack. The only problems are the acting is not great, and on the DVD the audio of the dialog is low. For some the film may be to slow, but if you can handle that, then don't worry. Those are the only problems. If you picture yourself in the woman's situation you will see how frightening this film is. I recommend this to anyone who likes creepy atomospheric intelligent horror. 4 stars. Check it out.
Rating:
Summary: 2 of the greatest B&W horror films of all time.
Review: ....The story itself is common enough: A woman (Patricia Jessel) is burned at the stake for witchcraft and she leaves a curse on the people of the town as she is consumed by the flames. Forward 300 years to the present day and we have Nan Barlow (Venetia Stevens) as a self determined college student who decides to write a paper on witchcraft. Her professor, Alan Driscoll (Christopher Lee), gives her directions to the town of Whitewood where 300 years earlier an alleged witch was burned at the stake. She goes to the town and after a few days disappears. Her brother then goes to the hotel where she was last seen, and runs into all kinds obstacles, not the least of which is the innkeeper of the Whitewood Inn, who just happens to look exactly like the witch burned 300 years earlier, and also Christopher Lee who happens to be a long ago resident of Whitewood There is an old, blind priest who stays in his church despite the fact that he has no congregation. His granddaughter, Betta St. John (Patricia Russell), who seems to not be a witch, and has just returned to the town to take care of her grandfather, runs the local used book and antique store. She had befriended Nan before she disappeared and is now working with her brother, Dennis Lotis (Richard Barlow), to try and find out what happened to Nan. Of course they run into the witches along they way and there is a showdown of sorts. The strength of this movie is in it's crisp acting and smart script. Especially notable are Patricia Jessel, Christopher Lee and Venitia Stevens. Despite it's low budget, the director, John Llewellyn Moxey, has made an altogether unforgettable film. ...The VCI Entertainment release is just what this movie has needed for years. An excellent transfer at 1.66:1 with two extra minutes of footage added from previous video and dvd releases. There is a commentary by director John Llewellyn Moxey and another separate commentary by Christopher Lee. There are also three interview segments with Lee, Moxey and Venetia Stevenson. Pretty impressive extras for a 40 year old low budget movie. The commentary by Christopher Lee is interesting in that he has not seen this movie since it came out 41 years earlier. He is watching it with an interviewer from VCI who knows more about what is going on in the movie than Lee does. But Lee's ability to recall information about people and give anecdotal information is unsurpassed. He is literally a walking, talking encyclopedia of info on people he has worked with over the years. This is one of my prize dvd's and I really cannot recommend it highly enough. ...
Rating:
Summary: One of my favorite horror movies
Review: Where the films of H.G. Lewis are interesting today as camp curiosities, industrial filmmaker Herk Harvey's CARNIVAL OF SOULS remains a chilling existential drive-in ghost story. Candace Hilligoss plays Mary Henry, a young girl who survives a waterbound car accident. She promptly leaves her hometown, travelling to Utah, where she has been hired as a church organist. Mary is haunted by visions of a ghostly man (Harvey), and is strangely drawn to an abandoned pavilion where other apparitions seem to congregate. She periodically has strange "spells" in which she can't hear anything but her own voice, and no one around her seems to know she's there. She can't connect with anyone emotionally, including her overly amorous neighbor at the boarding house, the minister of the church where she plays, her landlady, or the doctor who tries to help her. If you've seen any horror films in your life, you've probably figured out the mystery; the plot is very simple, but that's not important. Atmosphere is the name of the game here, and Harvey (directing from a script he co-wrote with friend and fellow filmmaker John Clifford) lays it on thick: the film is eerily photographed; the amateurish performances of most cast members only enhance the dreamlike atmosphere; the all-pipe organ score drones dirge-like non-melodies endlessly throughout, sending chills up one's spine. There are many images in the film that were later copied in other great horror films: Mary emerging from the lake after the accident, covered in mud, looks alot like Carrie covered in pig's blood on prom night; the white face of the mystery man peering up into Mary's window resembles a simliar shot in HALLOWEEN, when Jamie Lee Curtis thinks she sees someone standing in her back yard; and of course the ghouls bring to mind Romero's zombies; I sometimes even wonder if David Lynch might have seen this film. But unlike those films, here we see nary a drop of blood in sight. This film proves that to make an effective chiller, a director need not resort to wall-to-wall gore tactics; in fact, there need not be any onscreen violence in order to generate suspense and atmosphere. Sometimes, violence, even gore, is necessary in a film. But in this case, gore would have destroyed the atmosphere. This is not only one of my favorite horror films, it is one of the best utilizations of a low budget I've ever seen. The incredibly eerie B&W photography, the jittery music, the stilted quality of the dialogue and performances (to some extent unintentional, no doubt)... the mood of this film is its most important asset, and as such, I think every filmmaker interested in working in the genre should take a look and learn. Sure, maybe there a few unintentional laughs here and there, and it isn't exactly horrifying, but overall it leaves you shaken. This will probably not appeal to slasher fans or splatterpunks.
Rating:
Summary: Classic and landmark film
Review: Much has been written about this 1962 classic film and a remake was even made in 1998, but the film still remains an enigma. The lighting, camera work, makeup and music score are all very original and still manage to haunt 40 years after it's release. The remake was a decent idea gone bad. Don't even bother with it. In 1962, industrial film director Herk Harvey decided to make a horror film. He had previously made about 40 films for school and industry with such titles as: What About School Spirit? (1958), Caring for Your Toys (1954) , Street Safety Is Your Problem (1952) and Your Junior High Days (1961). He enlisted the help of fellow Kansans John Clifford (screenplay) and Maurice Prather (cinematographer) to help him and they recruited local talent to act in the film. The lead character, Mary Henry (played by Candice Hilligloss), only appeared in one other film. Most of the other actors have this movie as their only film acting credit. There are many dvd releases of this film. Even the cheapest and most no frills copy would be worth owning and watching. The one that stands far above the rest however is the Criterion Collection version. This 2 disk set has an amazing amount of features including a 1989 reunion of the actors, writer, and director, Herk Harvey. It's quite the dvd set and you will know everything there is to know about all of the principles involved. I understand that this also may not be a good thing for some people... So the basic story is that Mary Henry is involved in a drag race in rural Kansas that results in her car driving off of a bridge into a river. She manages to walk away from the accident, but afterwards she is haunted by a ghoulish looking man. She ends up getting a job as an organist at a church in Salt Lake City but is still seeing the ghoul man. She also starts felling compelled to go to an old, abandoned carnival. This is the basic story and I don't want to give away any more for those of you who have not seen the movie. This really is a classic and somewhat of a landmark film. After making this film, Herk Harvey and John Clifford continued working for the same industrial film company as if nothing had happened. Over the years the movie started fading away from peoples memory until the advent of VHS tapes. The movie was a popular rental and it developed a cult following which prompted Candice Hilligloss to contact an aging Herk Harvey to try and make a sequel or remake. This fell through but eventually a remake (of sorts) was made titled "Wes Craven Presents: Carnival of Souls". John Clifford has the lead writing credit and at least one actor from the original, Sidney Berger, appears in the remake. But this is not an endorsement to rush out and see the remake. And this is not from some purists viewpoint either. It is simply confusing and nonsensical and resembles the original in title only. As for the original, buy it, watch it, make others watch it.
Rating:
Summary: STRANGE LITTLE CHILLER......
Review: So much has been written about this film over the years that I refuse to over-do it. To keep it simple, this is a low budget independently amateur effort about death that actually works. It works because the low budget just enhances the overall nightmarish quality. The heroine is a church organist who "survives" a fatal car accident and attempts to resume her life only to find she is haunted by specters of death. Creepy organ music permeates the b&w film throughout. The atmosphere is beautifully built up to eerie effect especially the on location shooting around a deserted carnival where the specters dance at night. This truly strange tale is best to watch late at night with the lights off and maybe a candle or two. I would also recommend turning a friend on to this who has never seen it. Just tell them it's a REALLY WEIRD MOVIE and that just about sums it up. It's wonderful to have it on DVD but stick with the Image or Criterion versions for quality and avoid the cheaper discs.
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