NARRATOR: “Welcome back to Reign of Terror 2019! 31 straight days of horror movie reviews and interviews. Today’s episode will be a classic horror movie review from our... let’s call him a hero, Joseph for Herk Hervey’s 1962 cult classic, “Carnival of Souls”.”

NARRATOR: “Before the review, however, we’ll be running a promo for Sponsor Sundays. If you like what you’re hearing, and want to support future projects, head over to patreon.com/onemoviepunch to support the podcast. All sponsors get to force Joseph to review a movie of their choice, with just a few exceptions. You’ll also find exclusive content, including part one of an interview with Johnny Daggers, about 2016’s ‘Blood on the Reel’, and many related topics.”

NARRATOR: “The interview will be publicly available for a limited time. At least until Joseph makes it back home. If he makes it home. Will he? Let’s turn out attention back to the fate of our host, in Part Two of “WORLD WITHOUT COLOR”.”

SCENE: Desert

NARRATOR: “Joseph had been walking for what felt like days, but he couldn’t tell. The scrubland around him, as he walked away from the cemetery, turned quietly into a dried, hardpacked desert. Eventually, everywhere he turned, he saw the same, flat, black and white landscape, with heat shimmers rising up.”

JOSEPH: “I must be hallucinating.”

NARRATOR: “And in a sense, he was. As he walked, he imagined the scenes he had seen before. At one point, he thought he saw and heard a car...” 

NARRATOR: “And at another point, he thought he saw a familiar wooden house in the distance. And at yet another point, this one right now in fact, he thought he saw, and heard, a calliope.” 

JOSEPH: “Oh no. Not again. No more clowns or circuses or carnivals.” 

NARRATOR: “Joseph turned away from the carnival, but behind him he saw it again, this time closer. Every time he turned away, it appeared closer, through the heat shimmers, until finally, he was at the gates.”

JOSEPH: “Well, I need to get out of this sun.” 

NARRATOR: “He walked into the carnival, and it was indeed filled with souls, but very particular souls. He saw spectral versions of the podcast team of critics, discussing in one corner, and ran over.” 

JOSEPH: “Guys. Guys!”

NARRATOR: “But it was to no avail. They could neither hear nor see him, nor could he hear what they were saying, although they were talking quite frantically.” 

NARRATOR: “Joseph turned his attention to the others around him. He recognized some of them, from earlier in this bizarre adventure, and there were entirely new faces. Each person was talking with others, then heading off into an attraction, or over to play games, all going about their business entirely oblivious to him, and disappearing when they reached their destination.”

JOSEPH: “This must be some kind of crossroads. I bet if I follow one of these groups, I can get back somewhere that can take me home. But who do I follow?”

NARRATOR: “It was a decision he wouldn’t entirely get to make on his own. A new figure, definitely not spectral, had appeared, rushing people towards one attraction or another, before taking a look at Joseph, raising his finger, and running after him.”

JOSEPH: “Yeah, that can’t be good.”

NARRATOR: “Joseph turned the opposite direction and began running. The other souls were heading into different attractions. He spied a large group of people ahead, entering into an Egyptian-themed attraction, and merged with the group.”

JOSEPH: “Safety in numbers.”

NARRATOR: “The figure reached the edge of the attraction, then stopped, as if prevented from crossing into it. Joseph breathed a sigh of relief, and turned into the attraction, wonder where he was heading next. And you’ll find out tomorrow, in Part Three of “WORLD WITHOUT COLOR”, when we’ll be joined by the cast of Dice Tower Theater, who will be reviewing the 1932 classic horror film, ‘The Mummy’, starring Boris Karloff. And we’ll see how this particular story... wraps up?”

/////

<< SPONSOR SUNDAYS PROMO >>

///// 

Today’s movie is “Carnival of Souls” (1962), the horror mystery feature-length film from Herk Harvey, written in collaboration with John Clifford. The film follows Mary Henry (Candace Hilligoss), a woman drawn to a mysterious abandoned carnival after a major accident. The film saw a revival in the early 1990s and has periodically been featured around the world at various film festivals.

Spoilers ahead.

Who’s Herk Harvey? I know I asked that question when this film appeared on my radar. Harvey worked for Centron Films, involved in writing, producing, and even starring in a series of short films made for industry, schools, government, and general documentaries. Chances are if you grew up between the 1970s and 1990s, you have probably seen one or more of his shorts. And on a trip back to their base in Lawrence, Kansas from Salt Lake City, Utah, he was drawn to an abandoned carnival, and returned to work with John Clifford to pen a film utilizing the location.

“Carnival of Souls” (1962) is an incredibly well-composed and well-connected film. Mary Henry’s character as a professional organ player connects the film to the full organ score by Gene Moore, moving between lofty church hymns and eerie carnival dirges. The Saltair Pavilion was almost ready-made for the story, needing only extras with makeup and clever camera work to accentuate each scene. The sound editing feels very much like a radio drama, and the visual editing is a mix of neat special effects (at least for the time) and tributes to silent movie montages, particularly the final scenes, including the stinger at the end.

Perhaps the most incredible thing about this film was that it was placed immediately into public domain in the United States, because the initial print failed to include a copyright. It made it fair game for anyone to find and broadcast, which meant Harvey and his investors were cut out of their $33,000 investment, and that local stations could acquire, cut and broadcast the film as they wished, royalty free. But perhaps this worked to the film’s advantage, as its audience grew over time, building acclaim until an official home release was developed, so at least Harvey knew his work was appreciated, and I believe would see how influential it really was. 

“Carnival of Souls” (1962) is a once forgotten, now universally acclaimed horror mystery film, serving as possible muse to more than one director. It may have been Herk Harvey’s only feature-length film, but it is spectacular, especially given its budget and its limited initial distribution. Fans of old ghost stories, or fans of cult films in general, should definitely check out this film, and hopefully you’ll be as surprised with it as I was.