It's only fitting that one of the most esteemed B movies of all time came from one of the greatest one-and-done directors in history.
Known for directing educational, industrial, and documentary short films,
Carnival of Souls stands as the first and only feature
Herk Harvey ever made. Originally written off as an inconsequential
B movie, this low-budget horror flick has since gained a massive cult following, been subject to endless critical reappraisal, and is now considered to be an artistic triumph, and one of the best and most unique horror films of the
1960s.
While
Carnival of Souls isn’t exactly scary by today’s standards and does verge into
campiness at times, the atmosphere Herk Harvey creates often becomes genuinely spine-tingling, and his brilliantly unsettling use of the church organ is so effective it’s maddening.
Maurice Prather’s gorgeously crisp black-and-white photography also stands as some of the best the horror genre has to offer, as even in daylight, shadows seem to cling to the main character - Mary - from the great beyond.
After surviving what should have been a fatal car crash, Mary doesn’t know whether it’s her sanity or her soul that’s in greater danger; whether she’s being haunted by a demonic specter, or losing her mind. All she knows is that she feels irrepressibly drawn to the abandoned carnival on the outside of town, compelled to discover whatever secrets it holds.
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