Granted this movie has some budgetary limitations, that it, for the most part, transcends. The use of silence and sound in this movie is fascinating and surreal. The plot while overly predictable to modern viewers, set the stage for many subsequent horror films. Unlike many films of interest to film history buffs this movie is still suspenseful. The cinematography is quirky and riddled with close-ups and other shots that seem heavily influenced by the German expressionist silent film canon and is heavily visual, which is really unusual since it seems to fit this story, which uses many of the conventions of 50s horror. It is also unusual since most low-budget horror/sci-fi films of this era tend to try to relay much of the action through dialogue, because it's cheaper. This movie does have some shortcomings, namely some of the minor actors are fairly shoddy ie: the doctor is pretty awful. At times, the editing and camerawork is a little off ie: 180 degree lines are noticably broken, cuts involving creative geography are often unintentionally jarring since it tends to leave out things like the front of a house. Arguably that could be to further the jarring effect of the film. I doubt it though, seeing as these were first time filmmakers. I was also disappointed with all the loose ends at the end of the movie. Despite some flaws, this movie is quite recommended. A little predictable but definitely of interest for pretty much everyone who want a scary movie thats a little offbeat.
Review of Carnival of Souls
