And then to have it released on a Criterion DVD, well, it just doesn't get any better than that! OK, we may not need TWO versions, .... And the second DVD isn't just a filler: you get anything and everything you could think of associated with the movie, including "now and then" visits to the film sites, a great hour-long tribute, a history of the film company, stills, probably more than all but the most compulsive fan would want but you won't feel as though you've gotten short-changed! As always, the real reason we love Criterion is the quality of their prints - they are simply THE BEST you are going to see. Anyone who has seen this film on one of its numerous cheapie incarnations on VHS will be ecstatic with this version - you won't believe how superior the picture quality is.

I have to say "get this now, before it's discontinued". This edition can NOT be bettered; you will NEVER EVER see a better version of this classic sleeper.

Now, Criterion, when are you going to release Robert Wise's "The Haunting", hmmmm?


An eerie, disturbing fever dream . . .   November 2, 2004
 27 out of 36 found this review helpful

"Carnival of Souls" is an odd, Twilight Zone-like movie in which a heady atmosphere compensates for an exceptionally uneven presentation. Yes, I know you've heard that about many other horror films, but "Carnival of Souls" is one of the few times where such a description is warranted. It's the atmosphere of the film - best likened to an eerie fever dream, that made "Carnival of Souls" a cult film. The often skillful black and white cinematography turns the often mundane - even banal - locations seem mysterious and even sinister. This doesn't turn the movie into a classic winner, but it does help explain why a public domain movie like this is still remembered today.

Virtually the entire running time of "Carnival of Souls" is devoted to a moody young church organist (Candace Hilligoss) obsessed with a ruined amusement park not far from her church. Her odd behavior justifiably confuses her sleazy, wannabe boyfriend and as the film progresses her breaks with reality are more and more disjointed. This isn't a standard B-movie stocked full of scares, but a consistently odd, unnerving film. The ending, if anything is anticlimatic. Several scenes in which the organist is being pressured by her boyfriend (Sydney Berger) are actually far scarier than any of the supernatural elements in the film.

The Criterion DVD also includes generous documentaries, galleries, and a "director's cut" which share more than you need to know about this film. It pushes my rating of the film from 3 stars to four. It's nice to see a B-movie given this respect. However . . .

The main problem with the Criterion DVD is that, no matter how you frame it, this _is_ a DVD of an obscure, uneven B-movie. The cheezy electric, whirling organ score is only occassionally effective and there's little attempt to have Hilligoss mime convincingly to the music on those scenes when she is the organist. Most of the supporting actors are downright terrible, and the film's pacing drags at times. This isn't an "art movie" no matter what the pretensions of its creators. To be charged nearly 40 dollars for it (even though it has extras and is restored)is a bit excessive, not to mention insulting. If you're a purist, buy a used copy. If you're just want a copy of the film for your collection, there are plenty of other, more inexpensive, versions around, including a colorized one.


A B-film that actually works   June 19, 2000
 26 out of 28 found this review helpful

Carnival of Souls is an old B-film that you might have seen on old Saturday night horror shows. As Herk Harvey (the director) said, this film was shot on a budget that wouldn't have sustained the opening moments of Back To The Future. However, this film is able to sustain a creepy and oppressive atmosphere throughout, and that is the major achievement. Even though I knew when every "scary" moment was coming, and I guessed the ending 20 minutes before the film actually ended, that knowledge didn't ruin it for me. That's how strong the movie is, that you can enjoy the film even if you knew everything about it. The acting is stiff and the dialogue is often stilted, but that just adds to the strange and dark atmosphere of the film. And the Criterion release is a real gem. Two discs, the first has the theatrical release of the film, and the second has the director's cut. The film looks incredible. I've yet to see such an old and cheaply made movie look so good. And the extras are also great. Documentaries, outtakes, interviews, and oh, that organ music. If you're a fan of horror, you must own this film. If you're a film buff, you must own it. If you're a DVD afficionado, you must own it. If you're just looking for a good movie to watch on a Saturday night, then please, choose this one. It delivers.


Unbelievable   April 20, 2000
 16 out of 20 found this review helpful

Almost as eerie and unexplainable for me as the film itself, is the fact that this film has made it to DVD and by Criterion no less. This movie is close to my heart because I know Larry Sneegas, who played the young hood at the beginning who asks the girls "Wanna drag ?" (Larry was also part of the production crew for this and many other "industrial" films with director Herk Harvey). The historic Englewood theater here in Kansas City showed CARNIVAL a few years ago as part of a tribute to local film makers and what a treat to see it for the first time on the big screen! Larry has been gracious enough to loan me his VHS copy of THE MOVIE THAT WOULDN'T DIE documentary that Criterion has included ... some great background on this small-but-mighty film and I can't wait to see all the other "extras" on the disc as well. I've seen both versions of the movie (again thanks to Larry) and while they each work marvelously, who wouldn't prefer the director's "more zombies" cut? The reviews below really capture the film's essence, so all I can say is ENJOY !


Herk Havery's restored cult classic and much, much more   May 11, 2001
 16 out of 18 found this review helpful

"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. 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.

This DVD collection is another outstanding member of the Criterion Collection. Disc One has the original theatrical version (missing 7 minutes due to cuts by the producer), "The Movie That Wouldn't Die! The Story of 'Carnival of Soul'" documentary from the 1989 cast reunion, 45 minutes of outtakes with Gene Moore's organ score, the theatrical trailer, an illustrated history of the Saltair resort, and "The Carnival Tour" video update on the film's locations. Disc Two has Harvey's original cut of the film and excerpts from industrial films made by Harvey, along with various essays, interviews, vintage photographs and memorabilia. The commentary track is pieced together from interviews with Harvey and Clifford. This is how it should be done.