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Features: DVD
Herk Harvey’s macabre masterpiece gained a cult following on late night television and has been bootlegged for years. Made by industrial filmmakers on a modest budget, Carnival of Souls was intended to have the “look of a Bergman” and “feel of a Cocteau,” and succeeds with its strikingly used locations and spooky organ score. Mary Henry (Candace Hilligoss) survives a drag race in a rural Kansas town, then takes a job as a church organist in Salt Lake City. En route, she becomes haunted by a bizarre apparition that compels her to an abandoned lakeside pavilion. Criterion is proud to finally present the ultimate special edition of this eerily effective B-movie classic that continues to inspire filmmakers today.Click here for more Criterion favorites!
"Imaginative low-budget effort. Filmed mostly in Lawrence, Kansas. Has developed a strong cult reputation in recent years. " Leonard Maltin's Movie & Video Guide
Editor's Note
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.
Plot Summary
The first feature from Harvey, who had previously made industrial and promotional films for the Centron Corporation in Lawrence, Kansas, CARNIVAL OF SOULS developed a cultlike following despite being rarely screened for nearly thirty years. The TWILIGHT ZONE-esque tale of a woman who is in a car crash, only to find herself being pursued by spirits, the film's strength is its ability to sustain a very disturbing atmosphere with little more than some makeup, an eerie organ score and spare black-and-white photography. Harvey achieved his stated mission: for the film to have the "look of a Bergman" and the "feel of a Cocteau."
| Features | Tom Weaver’s printed interviews with Harvey, Clifford, and star Candace Hilligoss, illustrated with vintage photos and memorabilia | | English subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired | | Selected audio commentary by screenwriter John Clifford and late director Herk Harvey | | One hour of excerpts from films made by the Centron Corporation, an industrial film company based in Lawrence, Kansas that employed Harvey and Clifford for over 30 years | | An essay on the history of Centron from Mental Hygiene, Ken Smith’s new book on industrial and educational filmmaking | | An illustrated history of the Saltair resort in Salt Lake City | | The Carnival Tour: a video update on the film’s locations English subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired | | Disc Two: The extended director’s cut of the film | | Disc One: Luminous new digital transfer of the original theatrical version of the film | | The Movie That Wouldn’t Die! The Story of Carnival of Souls, a documentary on the 1989 reunion of the cast and crew | | More than 45 minutes of rare outtakes accompanied by Gene Moore’s organ score Theatrical trailer |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Home Vision/Public Media |
| Release Date: 5/16/2000 |
| Running Time: 161 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1962 | | Catalog ID: 1553-D | | UPC: 00715515010221 | | Number of Discs: 2 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English | | Available Subtitles: English | | Video: B&W |
| Cast & Crew
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| | Professional Reviews | New York Times
"...Cult horror....Carries an eerie chill..."| 07/19/1989 p.C14Los Angeles Times
"...A genuinely creepy movie....In its own quietly lurid way, CARNIVAL OF SOULS is a sophisticated piece of character psychology..." 04/20/1990 p.F6 USA Today
"...This black-belt cult item feels a lot like a vintage Twilight Zone episode..." 05/19/1990 p.3D Find-A-Video 8 of 10
Filmed in shadowy black and white, the film's visual power--which set precedent for such chillers as Night Of The Living Dead, etc.--evokes an undeniably menacing and twisted tone. Carnival Of Souls takes us back to an era when the horror genre probed the supernatural with an eye to the psyche and spirit rather than indulging in the gut-bucket gore which assaults moviegoers today.
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