Mutant Reviewers from Hell do
"In the dark, your fantasies get so far out of hand."

1962 PG / Horror Suspense Directed by: Herk Harvey Starring: Candace Hilligoss, Frances Feist, Sidney Berger

Tagline

Is there death after life?

Summary Capsule

A sole survivor of a crazy car accident relocateds and summons creepy silent demons via her new job, organ playing.

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Amazon.com: DVD | Amazon.com: Soundtrack

Nancy's Rating: Whoaoaoa!
Nancy's Review: Carnival Of Souls was a film I held in my hand at the local hip underground music store. With a crumpled five dollars in my pocket, it was a draw between that and L'il Abner. L'il Abner is a musical in which I sang in, and holds deep and important memories for me (Not really, but it was nice). L'il Abner had posterity. L'il Abner had nostalgia. But my shopping companion took one look at Carnival Of Souls and said "It's you. You have to get it." So I brought it to the counter, nodded with indie approval to the Hip Hipster, and brought it home to watch, hoping it would change me and rock my cinema world...forever.

"The tagline doesn't make any damn sense"

It wasn't bad. Like, I haven't had an awesome intro in awhile, so there's that. But, no, the plot is fantastic, a bunch of drag-racing dames* go over a bridge, but one comes out, so traumatized that she finds a new home in a new town as an organ player*, only to be revisited by visions* of zombies* haunting an old carnival*.

* = These are the words that I said with inflection, emphasizing coolness, when I read the back of the books.

"With a whole bunch of DRAG RACING DAMES (!) ... "

You get the picture.

It's a very cool plot, and it has the feel of a lot of old Roger Corman movies. However, Roger Corman developed characters very very well, especially in Bucket Of Blood. Mary Henry is your stereotypical, two-dimensional traumatized drag-racing dame. Just because there isn't a lot of them doesn't mean it's not a stereotype.

This is also a draw between a MST3K film and a genuine cool horror movie to watch by yourself. It has several tacky elements and a token alcaholic, but it also is genuinely eerie in some ways. But those some ways are MST3K ways. I don't know. I'm absolutely torn. There are some severely eerie scenes on carnival grounds with haunting ghost zombies reaching out to grab our poor Mary Henry is severely disturbing.

Also, the tagline doesn't make any damn sense.

Trick or treat or scream Thelma & Louise 2: One Survived "Curse you, Amway!"

Didja Notice? [some sources: IMDb]

• The mirror thing! It happens in Every! Damn! Horror! Movie!
• Her finger actions don't match the music on the organ when she plays it.

Is It Worth Staying Through End Credits?

No!

Intermission! [some sources: IMDb]

It was filmed in three weeks, dontcha know?

The backdrop is the Saltair Amusement Park outside Salt Lake City.

The Saltair that appears in the film actually burned down in the early '70s. In the early-'80s another version of Saltair was rebuilt, although it's a much smaller design. Shortly after it was built, the Great Salt Lake rose and flooded it out. In 1993, the building was remodeled and reopened, now it's mainly used as a small venue for musical acts.

Groovy Quotes

Minister: You cannot live in isolation from the human race, you know.

John Linden: [when Mary does not drink the glass of beer he ordered for her at a bar] What's the matter? Don't you drink?
Mary Henry: Not really.
John Linden: Well, I do. And not only do I drink really, I really drink.

John Linden: You're gonna need me in the evening, you just don't know it yet.

Mary Henry: In the dark, your fantasies get so far out of hand.

Mary Henry: I don't belong in the world.

If you liked this movie, try these:

• Bucket Of Blood
• Creature From The Black Lagoon
• Horrors Of Spider Island