"Carnival of Souls" - B+

There are many, many horrible films still floating around the net and dollar bins across this county thanks to that copyright miracle known as public domain. Fortunately there's also a few that are worth the buck, and one of those is 1962's "Carnival of Souls."

There's plenty of ready evidence of the truly low-budget nature of this movie, but it still stands up as a chilling story of the Twilight Zone variety. Believe me, I got goosebumps watching this one ...

This is how the story goes: This young, girl-next-door type is out joy riding with some friends when they decide to drag race with some local goofies. The race ends with a horrific crash that claims the lives of all the girls but one.

The lone survivor decides that she's now ready for a fresh start in a new town. She leaves home alone to take on a new job and new living arrangements. And that's when all these strange visions, including a reoccuring image of the above ghoul, begin making their appearance to her alone.

So, what's so good about it? Yes, there are some bad edits and a few silly lines here and there, but all and all this isn't an absolutely horrible flick. All of the soundtrack features the creepiest church organ music you've ever heard. The ghastly make-up is only matched by the super-scary lighting and other simple frights.

And there in lies the strength of this film — it's simply scary, like a good Twilight Zone tale. You will be bothered by the apparitions and the music and the overall dark mood. There is even evidence of the attempt to craft a real horror movie and not just muddle through to get it done; I was impressed.

There are a number of ways to obtain copies of this movie, including a Criterion Collection edition. Whatever the pressing, get it; it's worth the money.

Grade: B+