Review of Carnival of Souls (1962) by John C — 31 Jan 2011

Corridors of Evil/Carnival of Souls is one movie I can't quite place.

It has a haunting quality, but no real fear except for the sporatic man (Herk Harvey) who appears out of nowhere but never says a word and disappears right after. Still, it can be eerie if you let it (best not to watch it while doing chores or entertaining guests, you'll miss it for what it's capable of) and although your watching a story unfold, you get the hint there is more to the story that's not being shown.

This 75 minute movie follows Mary Henry (played by Candace Hilligoss) who is involved in an automobile accident, miraculously escaping with her life, who decides to up and move to another city to take on a job as a church organist. But the man starts to appear, randomly and without warning, as if stalking her in her mind and imagination.

Thinking an old pavilion of fun house tricks has something to do with it, she ventures off alone only to not find anything on note for her, and causing another trip out there towards the end of the movie.

The last 7 minutes of the movie are what I remember the most, seeing as it took me a second viewing to be able to write this review since it had been so long since I last saw it and that was all I remembered from the first viewing.

For non-slasher horror film fans, this movie is worth at least one viewing, and I even own it on DVD, however it definitely won't be for everyone.