“The movie evokes menace, a nameless dread, without ever resorting to explicit violence.” - Joseph Gelmis, Newsday
“With boldly imaginative effects that defy the scant budget, Harvey leaps out from the company of Ed Wood and George Romero to join that of Michelangelo Antonioni as a poet of post-industrial alienation.” - Richard Brody, New Yorker
October 6 & 10 | Now considered a B-movie classic about the sole survivor of a fatal car accident who begins seeing visions of a demonic character which draw her to the deserted carnival on the outskirts of town, Harvey’s CARNIVAL OF SOULS went relatively unnoticed after its inauspicious premiere in Lawrence, Kansas, where it was largely filmed. After nearly a decade successfully directing educational short films (with titles like WHY STUDY HOME ECONOMICS?) Harvey shot CARNIVAL OF SOULS in three weeks and on a shoe-string budget, saving time and money employing many of the camera techniques he had learned at his day job. A truly independent production, Harvey funded the film with $500 investments from Kansas businessmen, used mirrors to achieve special effects he couldn't afford, and collaborated with a local organist on the score. Later gaining a cult following, Harvey’s solo feature is a macabre masterpiece, which George Romero and David Lynch have credited as an influence.
One and Done Series: In One and Done we consider the work of gifted filmmakers who, for myriad reasons, never directed another feature film again, and invite audiences to appreciate the rarity while imagining what might have been. View full series.
The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu