After a traumatic accident, a woman becomes drawn to a mysterious abandoned carnival.After a traumatic accident, a woman becomes drawn to a mysterious abandoned carnival.After a traumatic accident, a woman becomes drawn to a mysterious abandoned carnival.
Bill de Jarnette
- Mechanic
- (as Bill De Jarnette)
- Director
- Writers
- John Clifford
- Herk Harvey(uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaIn an article in the 9/15/1997 edition of "Variety", director George A. Romero noted this film was the inspiration for Night of the Living Dead (1968).
- GoofsThe camera crew is reflected in the boys' car during the drag race.
- Quotes
Mary Henry: It's funny... the world is so different in the daylight. In the dark, your fantasies get so out of hand. But in the daylight everything falls back into place again.
- Crazy creditsThe opening credits fade in and out, scattered across the footage of the flowing river.
- Alternate versionsWhen originally released in 1962, the distributors cut four minutes from the film making it only 80 minutes long. When the film was rereleased in 1989, the filmmakers restored the four minutes and 84 minutes is the official, complete running time.
- ConnectionsEdited into Elvira's Horror Classics (2004)
Featured review
Surprisingly Excellent
While I am a self-avowed fan of low-budget horror flicks, "cult" classics, etc.., I was expecting to be disappointed by Carnival of Souls. The little I allowed myself to read about COS before watching it made me feel like it was either going to be disappointing and slow or right on target (weighted average is around 7). Instead, it was almost certainly the creepiest, eeriest movie I have ever seen. At the age of 21, most might expect me to have had my senses dulled by MTV-style shock theatre, but whatever damage has been done was not enough to diminish in any way the effect of this brilliant movie. I, in fact, read the screenplay to "The Hitch-hiker" (the Twilight zone script many have referenced as an inspiration for this movie) for an 8th grade class, but even that knowledge did not diminish my admiration for this low-budget masterpiece. The photography is incredible and atmospheric, with many of the lighting contrasts and unexpected appearances of "the ghoul" extremely effective. The acting was actually rather good, with Candace Hilligoss believable as the cold, yet seemingly psychotic lead character. I found the slimy man-next-door to be played even more convincingly, with all the repulsiveness of a real-life slum Casanova. The Saltair setting was also brilliant. Honestly, I have to stop exuding praise, but this movie really knocked me off my feet, with only occasional moments of slow-but-tensionless action early in the movie keeping this from being a ten. All in all, the best low-budget indie horror movie I've ever seen (and that includes Night of the Living Dead).
helpful•457
- kd-white
- Dec 18, 2005
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $30,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 18 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1(original ratio)
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