If you think drag racing is cool, well think again. It’s not cool, no matter how much James Dean makes it look appealing. Mary will tell you all about it. Oh, wait, no she can’t. SHE’S DEAD!… Or is she?
CARNIVAL OF SOULS (1962)
A car goes off a bridge during a drag race and into a river. Mary Henry (Candace Hilligoss) is the only one to have survived. After her tragic accident she moves to a new town and becomes an organist at the local church. But a strange presence in the form of a Ghostly Man (Herk Henry) begins to follow her. Everywhere she goes, there he is. Mary starts to lose a hold on reality and can’t rationally explain her terrifying dreams. Her only option lies in confronting her stalker at a closed down pavilion, and getting the answers she desires.
Carnival of Souls is one of those films that slipped through the cracks but managed to resurface years later to an audience who appreciated it for what it is. Those damn 60’s Hollywood execs didn’t know what they had.
The film is an impressive psychological horror. It deals with themes like survivors guilt, post-traumatic stress disorder, and isolation. It follows a young woman, Mary, as she attempts to pick up her life after a horrific car crash. She was lucky to survive. But she doesn’t feel the same afterwards, something is missing. Something she can’t quite understand. That is when the ghouls appear. One, in particular, haunts and watches her every move. She starts to dip in and out of one world and into the next. She can’t tell when she’s awake or when she’s asleep. Something is calling to her, somewhere at an abandoned pavilion. That is where she must go. That is where she will find her answers.
The tension is nicely held throughout , creating an eerie and uneasy atmosphere. There are also a surprising amounts of scares. I often found myself jumping in my seat. This is due to the incredible editing. There are many films that suffer from poor editing, especially under-financed movies such as this. But the editing was nothing but exceptional. Each cut was carefully done and it never effected the pacing. The cinematography is also brilliantly crafted and excels at building a nightmarish realm. The ghouls are perfectly lit and reminds you of the early styles of silent movie film-making.
Although the technical achievements are something to credit, unfortunately the story is clumsily put together. Mary is introduced only after she emerges from the river, after the drag race ends badly. Afterwards we get the impression Mary likes to keep to herself and that’s why she’s moving. This sense of isolation is meant to reflect her disconnection to the world after the accident, and why she feels she doesn’t belong in the living 
realm. But it doesn’t make much sense. We are told Mary has always felt that way. The why was she in the car with friends in the first place? The ending doesn’t make a whole lick of sense either. But that’s up for you to decide.
The other characters in the film are bizarrely, and hilariously cartoonish. She has a landlady who constantly reminds her how she doesn’t mind if Mary takes long, and frequent baths. She has a horny, extremely persistent, alcoholic as a neighbour. There’s the priest who isn’t very understanding or forgiving. Then there’s the hands on doctor who conveniently catches Mary as she is startled by another apparition.
Neighbour: (pours whiskey into his morning coffee)”What do you think, I’m an alcoholic? I just like to start the day off in a good mood.”
Mary: “You must be hilarious by noon.”
Carnival of Souls comes after the wake of Alfred Hitchcock’s, Psycho. Like many similar films that came after Star Wars, they faded into obscurity. Sometimes people don’t want the same thing over an over. But Carnival of Souls is nothing like Psycho. It shares similar themes but it deserves to be respected for its accomplishments. It is by no means a perfect movie, but it manages to scare and frighten you. How many horror films from today can you honestly say can do that?
Best Line: “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.”
Best Moment: Mary loses herself playing the organ, in a cleverly composed nightmare.
6/10
