Carnival of Souls (1962)

Carnival of Souls (A Horror Classic!) Starring: Candice Hilligoss/Mary Henry. “Why can’t anybody hear me??!” In this movie, filmed in black and white, there is an odd ‘atmospheric’ tale of a woman who is suffering from either visions or delusions after a terrible car accident. It tells the story of Mary Henry, a beautiful woman who is quiet and seems a bit catatonic. Mary is in a small town, and the film opens with her going for a ride with some of her girlfriends. The film really doesn’t explain much off the bat, just that three girls are driving, and at a stop a guy challenges them to a drag race. Mary isn’t too happy with this, the expression on her face says it all, but she goes along with it. Mary’s friend says something like ‘we’ll show him how to drive’ and drives the car right off a bridge into the river. Yeah, you sure showed him. Then there’s a quick cut to everybody looking over the edge of the bridge, and a search boat on the river. While that is going on, an officer questions the guy who started the whole thing, obviously aware that there is something suspicious. The guy is like ‘no, they were just trying to get around us on the bridge’... sure buddy. Anyway, police are looking for the car and can't find it. While that is happening, Mary is seen walking out of the river up the muddy bank. It is nearly impossible, but she’s there. They take her up the bank and then there is another quick cut to her returning to the bridge, clean, dressed nicely, looking over the water. The search is still going on. Shortly after that, Mary is leaving one job as an organist in this little town for a job as an organist in a church in Utah. Her boss wishes her an unusual farewell, saying though she plays really well she needs to play like she has a soul. Ah - okay. odd. Mary barely responds, but says some very progressive things, such as it is just a job for her and she does not need to be religious to accept a job at a church. Mary is an unusual woman, keeps to herself, and is not a big fan of company. She does not seem to have any husband or boyfriend. People ask her that a lot, and she responds with sentiments that she doesn’t feel all that interested in relationships with anyone. Been there, girl, been there. On her way into town, she is driving late at night and sees a large building in the distance. She glances at it, and seems drawn to it. Then, she sees a man’s face in the reflection of the passenger’s side window. She’s scared but still keeps driving. It disappears and her own face is in the reflection. She makes it into town, and asks the gas station attendant about the building. He fills her in on the details while filling up her gas tank. (Get your mind out of the gutter, he just puts gas in the tank). He says the building is actually a series of buildings, that it used to be a bathhouse at the salt lakes of Utah, but then it was a boardwalk, then a dance hall, and a carnival. He explains it’s closed. She asks how she can get to town, to the boarding house she has booked and he points in an upward direction. This is when camera angles and black and white film make this film strange and atmospheric, because the camera shows the sky and then the film cuts to a dark hall and doorway that opens up to her room at the boarding house. It was the quickest change of scene, that I didn’t really know what was happening until after it happened. If I blinked I would have missed a very different style of scene change. The rest of the film has moments like that, with low to the ground angles, quick cuts to something completely different, then cuts back to what the scene was like before. It makes for a very interesting film. Anyway, she keeps seeing this man’s face -- in the mirror --- in her boarding room window, etc. She is scared, but most of her reactions are very subdued. She even sees the man in the hall, and is startled but does not scream. Then, there is the nice but a bit too friendly landlady ‘Take as many baths as you want, I never mind about that’. What does THAT mean? Also, there is the guy boarding across the hall who keeps asking Mary out. Mary really is just giving a friendly vibe. He tries everything to get her into bed, but then when she questions his motives he’s all like ‘Aw, see, you got the wrong impression of me’. No, my friend, I think Mary has the right impression and has nicely declined multiple times. However, when he comes back after the third or fourth time, she accepts a date. I got the impression she accepted the date to just feel something, to not feel alone. She meets a random therapist on the street who happens to offer advice to her that particular day, and implies that Mary should have some relationships. Yes, that’s right, she is walking down the street and is starting to lose it, and she just happens to bump into a therapist who takes her on as a client the same day. I mean, nothing in this film is set up in a realistic manner, but the whole film is like that, so I just assumed it’s set in a kind of place that has a pinch of realism blended with horror. Anyway, the therapist prompts her to get to the meat of her issues. After a little prying, she admits that she would like to be involved with people, but is struggling with that. She says something like ‘I want to, I feel like I am reaching out for that kind of thing…’, but her words trail off. This was a very intriguing exchange. She seems puzzled by it herself. She also has these strange visions. For example a shop clerk is helping her with a dress one minute, but soon after it is like the clerk or anyone else in the shop can’t see her. There is a very simple wavy effect to the film when the transition happens, and it signals that something is about to happen. Low budget technique, but done in a way that was very effective. In her second therapy session, she decides she will go out to the Carnival by herself and figure out what is going on. The therapist advises against it. She says it feels like at the carnival things will be resolved, and if she has to do it alone, she will. At the carnival, she goes to this area with these large canisters that are hanging from the ceiling. As Mary is walking away from them, they move and make a lot of noise. You can tell that someone on set of this film just moved them on cue, but it is done in a way that makes a jarring noise. I was like ‘hey what the heck just happened’. Again, a very simple technique that worked really well. This occurs again when Mary stares at an indoor slide. There is a very long pause, and then one of the mats slides down it on it’s own. Very simple, yes. Obviously staged, yes. Still, very creepy and it works. After some poking about in the dance hall, Mary finds a stone and throws it into the watery salt flats. There were earlier moments in the film that indicated that the dead man that has been following Mary is in the salty water. Well, the guy rises up, taking a few other dead people along with him. Then there is another quick cut to all of the dead people on the dance floor. The film speeds up sometimes in the scene, making it very crazy looking. It’s so simple, and yet it works. Then Mary sees herself dancing with the dead man. The woman in his arms changes quickly back and forth between being Mary and then another dancer. Mary is thoroughly freaked out and starts screaming. Mary being very cold emotionally works really well because it makes the viewer wonder what is wrong. Only in the last section of the film does she lose her cool. It is a gradual progression, and a big reveal. The last two scenes, the film gives the viewer enough information to show why Mary is so odd. I will not give away more, for those who want to watch it. I highly recommend this film, but watch it in black and white. I found a color version on the web, but I think it would dampen the effects. I think I remember watching it as part of my arts camp in high school. I can see why. It’s such a good spooky film. A+ Side Note: Recently Ghost Adventures went to the real location where this was filmed, it was an old Dance Hall and getaway in the salt flats, which many thought had healing properties. Though the original building has been torn down (sadly), supposedly the site is ACTUALLY haunted with PLENTY of paranormal activity.