CARNIVAL OF SOULS.
Shot by industrial/commercial film-maker Herk Harvey on a shoestring budget with a cast of unknowns in Kansas and utah, carnival of souls was not a big hit on its release. Owing more to arthouse films like orphee than its drive-in contemporaries seeing this film on its first run must have been a bizarre experience. The film is a strange, at times surreal and otherworldly experience and uses one great location, an abandoned fun fair on a salt lake to amazing effect. The film also uses a plot twist now severley overwoked, but at the time was probably a lot more fresh. The network dvd release is great, uncut and has an interesting kim newman and stephen jones commentary track. Though if you have the cash theres a two disc version released stateside released by criterion thats going for about £19.
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