Carnival of Souls is a
horror cult film released in
1962. Produced and directed by
Herk Harvey for $33,000, the movie, which varies in length from 78 to 84 minutes depending on the edition, never gained widespread public attention when it was originally released, and today is still a very obscure film. The basic plot is a variation of the classic
Ambrose Bierce short story An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge. Set to an
organ score by Gene Moore and shot in a surrealistic style reminiscent of the work of
Jean Cocteau,
Carnival of Souls relies more on atmosphere than on
special effects to create its mood of horror.