CriterionForum.org :: Info for Carnival of Souls

Herk Harvey's macabre masterpiece gained a cult following through late night television and has been bootlegged for years. Made by industrial filmmakers on a modest budget, Carnival of Souls was intended to have the "look of a Bergman" and "feel of a Cocteau," and succeeds with its strikingly used locations and spooky organ score. Mary Henry (Candace Hilligoss) survives a drag race in a rural Kansas town, then takes a job as a church organist in Salt Lake City. En route, she becomes haunted by a bizarre apparition that compels her to an abandoned lakeside pavilion. Criterion is proud to present the ultimate special edition of this eerily effective B-movie classic that continues to inspire filmmakers today.

Supplements

Original Theatrical Version and Director's Cut
The Movie That Wouldn't Die! The Story of Carnival of Souls: a documentary on the 1989 reunion of the cast and crew
More than 45 minutes of rare outtakes accompanied by Gene Moore's organ score
Theatrical trailer
An illustrated history of the Saltair resort in Salt Lake City
The Carnival Tour: a video update on the film's locations
Selected audio commentary by screenwriter John Clifford and late director Herk Harvey
One hour of excerpts from films made by the Centron Corporation, an industrial film company based in Lawrence, Kansas that employed Harvey and Clifford for over 30 years
An essay on the history of Centron from Ken Smith's Mental Hygiene
Printed interviews with Harvey, Clifford, and star Candace Hilligoss, illustrated with vintage photos and memorabilia

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