Carnival Of Souls (1962) ***1/2

In the beginning of 1962’s Carnival Of Souls the loosely dubbed dialogue immediately establishes a disembodied, otherworldly atmosphere which lends itself nicely to the story—that of a women who has strange visions after a traumatic car accident.

After said accident, Mary just wants to shred on the pipe organ (that instrument, played by Gene Moore, provides the sparse, eerie score). She’s a church organist "capable of stirring the soul” but she wants nothing to do with religion, to her it's just a job. The beautiful Candace Hilligoss, who only starred in two other films (one uncredited), is perfectly cast—she is perpetually alarmed or concerned-looking and mostly just wants to be left alone. Her striking wide-eyed looks emote these qualities terrifically, as she is continuously pestered by a lecherous and pushy neighbor (Sidney Berger), haunted by a pasty ghoul (played by director Herk Harvey), and drawn to an abandoned pavilion (filmed at Saltair) where lost souls perform a macabre dance.

Its amateur actors, limited production values, stark black & white cinematography, and subject matter remind one of George A. Romero and his landmark 1968 film Night Of The Living Dead (review) yet there is a quality to the compositions that calls to mind Ingmar Bergman at times. COS presages the woman on the verge of a breakdown in Roman Polanski’s Repulsion (1965) and its mysterious mood is an obvious influence on David Lynch's Eraserhead (1977) (review).

While it does have a number of effective jump scares and a constant sense of unease, I’ve never found COS particularly frightening. But that doesn’t take away from my appreciation. The film certainly has flaws due to its low budget but its lean runtime is a boon and this 60 year old independent cult classic has an undeniable pull that I can’t deny.

Recommended for fans of the aforementioned films, as well as The Haunting (1963), and Rosemary's Baby (1968).