h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Unless you've been rooting around the "$10 and Under" DVD bin at your local video store or are well versed in classic horror/film noir flicks, you probably haven't laid witness to the greatness that is Herk Harvey's one and only full-length film, "Carnival of Souls" Released in 1962, "Carnival" concerns a car accident that leaves 3 girls floating in a river. One of them, however, survives this crash. Enter Mary Henry, played by Candace Hilligoss, the protagonist of the film. After her accident and miraculous recovery, Miss Henry begins to act distant and apathetic towards life. Taking a job as a church organist in another town, Mary encounters a strange man while driving at night, who then haunts her throughout the entire film.

A basic horror plot, yes, but Harvey's use of music and camera work create unsettling effects that rival any movie ever made (and on a budget of only $30,000). Most importantly, though, the influence of "Carnival of Souls" on horror can be seen even today. The make-up and costuming of Harvey's "souls" are later to be found in George A. Romero's classic "Night of the Living Dead". More recently, M. Night Shyamalan's "The Sixth Sense" takes a page directly from "Carnival".

Wes Craven remade Carnival of Souls a few years ago. I was curious enough to rent it but, as you can probably imagine, it wasn't a patch on the original.

I've seen that at the library. I have steered clear because I was positive that it would simply make me angry.

Borrow it when you need to vent some anger, then you can shout at the telly guilt-free!

If you take it on its own merit, it's not half as bad as some "horrors" I've mistakenly rented, but it's not good either.