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Looking for reviews of films directed by Herk Harvey? Cinafilm has a total of 381 reviews across 1 movies directed by Herk Harvey.
Movies from this director have generally received positive reviews and hold an average rating of 70%.
Carnival of Souls is Herk Harvey's highest rated movie, with a score of 70% based on 381 reviews.
The lowest rated film from Herk Harvey is Carnival of Souls, with a score of 70% based on 381 reviews.
Harold Arnold "Herk" Harvey (June 3, 1924 – April 3, 1996) was an American film director, actor, and film producer.
Harvey is best known for his sole feature film, Carnival of Souls, a low budget 1962 horror film starring Candace Hilligoss. It was produced and directed by Harvey for an estimated $33,000. Harvey had witnessed the recent success of Elmer Rhoden Jr. and fellow industrial filmmaker Robert Altman in producing low-budget feature films in nearby Kansas City, and began to secure backing from local investors in order to mount a similar project in Lawrence. While returning to Kansas after shooting a Centron film in California, Harvey developed the idea for Carnival of Souls after driving past the abandoned Saltair Pavilion in Salt Lake City, Utah. Hiring an unknown New York actress, Lee Strasberg-trained Hilligoss, and otherwise employing mostly local talent, Harvey shot Carnival of Souls in three weeks, on location in Lawrence and Salt Lake City, using a script penned by Centron associate John Clifford. Harvey also played an uncredited role as the film's most prominent "ghoul." Originally marketed as a B film and released by an upstart distribution company that quickly went bankrupt, Carnival of Souls never gained widespread public attention upon its original release but today has become hailed as a cult classic. Set to an organ score by Gene Moore, Carnival of Souls relies more on atmosphere than on special effects to create its mood of psychological horror. The film has a large cult following, built up primarily via late-night television screenings, and has been released on DVD by the Criterion Collection (complete with a host of special features, including an hour of excerpts from Harvey's Centron productions). To this day, the movie is still discussed by film buffs and occasionally has screenings at Halloween and art film festivals.
Herk Harvey has directed films starring Reza Badiyi, Candace Hilligoss, Sidney Berger and Forbes Caldwell.
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