SAMTHEBESTEST
Joined Feb 2014
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SAMTHEBESTEST's rating
Reviews2.7K
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Carnival of Souls (1960) :
Brief Review -
A symphonic tale of psychological horror. Carnival of Souls predates "The Sixth Sense" by almost four decades. Now, that's not a spoiler but merely a reference. You may want to connect the dots and start making assumptions- and that will be interesting. The film opens with a car accident, and while the police are unable to find the car and the dead bodies, Mary appears on the surface miraculously. She moves to a new location to take a job as a church organist. However, she is not the same Mary anymore. She begins to see ghouls and is disturbed by the visions. She sees the face of a man; you can easily guess he is the deceased, and he has that grotesque visage. After a while, Mary realizes that the people around her cannot see her presence, and she cannot hear their voices. This leads to a presumed climax, which is why I mentioned The Sixth Sense above. Still, I won't reveal the actual climax and spoil the thrill for you. *Carnival of Souls* leans more into psychological horror than typical horror fare. It remains highly watchable and has an artistic layer that makes it even more appealing to art lovers. Its symphonic elements create a fine cinematic experience, and the background score will reveal why. The cinematography and some intricate frames, such as haunted places, spiral designs, and black shots with half shadows, will give you extra chills. Though the film is in black and white, it appears bright and vibrant. The concept isn't overly dark and intense, but it is definitely eerie enough. Candace Hilligoss delivers one of the finest performances of her career, and Sidney Berger is quite good as a flirt. Frances Feist performs well in her role, and the supporting cast is solid too. Overall, a very good attempt at a different kind of horror movie by Herk Harvey, and it is very successful as well. Do watch it to experience a new layer of psychological depth, just as you did with "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane."
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
A symphonic tale of psychological horror. Carnival of Souls predates "The Sixth Sense" by almost four decades. Now, that's not a spoiler but merely a reference. You may want to connect the dots and start making assumptions- and that will be interesting. The film opens with a car accident, and while the police are unable to find the car and the dead bodies, Mary appears on the surface miraculously. She moves to a new location to take a job as a church organist. However, she is not the same Mary anymore. She begins to see ghouls and is disturbed by the visions. She sees the face of a man; you can easily guess he is the deceased, and he has that grotesque visage. After a while, Mary realizes that the people around her cannot see her presence, and she cannot hear their voices. This leads to a presumed climax, which is why I mentioned The Sixth Sense above. Still, I won't reveal the actual climax and spoil the thrill for you. *Carnival of Souls* leans more into psychological horror than typical horror fare. It remains highly watchable and has an artistic layer that makes it even more appealing to art lovers. Its symphonic elements create a fine cinematic experience, and the background score will reveal why. The cinematography and some intricate frames, such as haunted places, spiral designs, and black shots with half shadows, will give you extra chills. Though the film is in black and white, it appears bright and vibrant. The concept isn't overly dark and intense, but it is definitely eerie enough. Candace Hilligoss delivers one of the finest performances of her career, and Sidney Berger is quite good as a flirt. Frances Feist performs well in her role, and the supporting cast is solid too. Overall, a very good attempt at a different kind of horror movie by Herk Harvey, and it is very successful as well. Do watch it to experience a new layer of psychological depth, just as you did with "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane."
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
House Of Usher (1960) :
Brief Review -
Gothic horror done right with a human story. House of Usher has been recognized well over the years, but some factors in the film don't fit well with the gothic horror equation in cinematic parallels. Yes, it aligns fine with the human horror formula, but the cinematic treatment of the horror movie experience is somewhat lacking. I liked the concept of curse, agony, and bloodline, and I even thought for a moment that Ramsay Bros' Purana Mandir (1984) was very much inspired by this Roger Corman flick. However, the second half of the story didn't see much elevation. Nevertheless, it is a good watch. Since the film is set in one house, it can be best enjoyed as a situational horror thriller, with one or two good suspenseful moments. The rest is about building fear and anticipation. Phillips arrives at the House of Ushers to see his fiancée, Madeline. Her brother, Roderick, doesn't want them together, as Phillips plans to take Madeline with him and marry her. The outer wall of the house is cracking, and when inquired continuously, Roderick finally tells Phillips about the family curse and that he and his sister are the last two members who will end this curse of deaths in the Usher family. Will Phillips be able to save Madeline and her brother? The story features several crisscross ideas but doesn't become invalid; it's only the climax that I feel was too dramatic. The film is heavily dependent on the performers since it is set in one house, one location, with three characters for 80 minutes. They all have done a fantastic job. The cinematography is good, and the colorful visuals make it an eye-pleasing affair. The film boasts a pacy screenplay and Roger Corman's fine vision, but I wish it included some immensely and terrifically scary elements. Overall, a good attempt at gothic horror with human elements.
RATING - 6/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Gothic horror done right with a human story. House of Usher has been recognized well over the years, but some factors in the film don't fit well with the gothic horror equation in cinematic parallels. Yes, it aligns fine with the human horror formula, but the cinematic treatment of the horror movie experience is somewhat lacking. I liked the concept of curse, agony, and bloodline, and I even thought for a moment that Ramsay Bros' Purana Mandir (1984) was very much inspired by this Roger Corman flick. However, the second half of the story didn't see much elevation. Nevertheless, it is a good watch. Since the film is set in one house, it can be best enjoyed as a situational horror thriller, with one or two good suspenseful moments. The rest is about building fear and anticipation. Phillips arrives at the House of Ushers to see his fiancée, Madeline. Her brother, Roderick, doesn't want them together, as Phillips plans to take Madeline with him and marry her. The outer wall of the house is cracking, and when inquired continuously, Roderick finally tells Phillips about the family curse and that he and his sister are the last two members who will end this curse of deaths in the Usher family. Will Phillips be able to save Madeline and her brother? The story features several crisscross ideas but doesn't become invalid; it's only the climax that I feel was too dramatic. The film is heavily dependent on the performers since it is set in one house, one location, with three characters for 80 minutes. They all have done a fantastic job. The cinematography is good, and the colorful visuals make it an eye-pleasing affair. The film boasts a pacy screenplay and Roger Corman's fine vision, but I wish it included some immensely and terrifically scary elements. Overall, a good attempt at gothic horror with human elements.
RATING - 6/10*
By - #samthebestest.
House On Haunted Hill (1959) :
Brief Review -
Artificial horror and mechanical suspense enhance a stunning horror movie experience. House on Haunted Hill is a fine example of how to create a deceptive horror formula that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats throughout the runtime, ultimately providing a resolution that is unexpected yet leaves them satisfied with the movie experience. The film features a chilling background score that I can call "iconic" due to the haunting melody it possesses. It is perfectly suited for this type of cinema. It appears to borrow gimmicks from our own beloved fairy tales that we often discuss with friends and family, incorporating serious pranks and the mechanical suspense that a group of people can create to induce delusional thoughts for a while. The story begins with a wealthy man inviting five people in need of money to his house on a hill. Their only task is to spend eight hours in a house infamously known as a "haunted house," which has already witnessed six deaths. A couple hosts this party, and five others join them. We witness some deaths, macabre visuals, and horrifying moments, but are they all real? I won't spoil the surprise for you. Enjoy it yourself and get haunted for an hour or so. You will be surprised at times and may try to find logic, which can occasionally be absent. However, it is the continuous sequence of tricks, shocks, and scares that keeps it flawless. Moreover, it is a truly thrilling film. The performances are strong, and every character holds significance-including minor ones such as the maid and the caretaker. The screenplay has hardly any flaws, but if you seek logical reasoning, you might find some shortcomings. The cinematography and sound design are top-notch, offering a chilling experience. William Castle weaves a superb magic spell on you for an hour that you are sure to cherish. I would have loved to label it a cult horror film, but I changed my mind after considering it as a whole and reflecting on what emerges from this fascinating idea in the end.
RATING - 6.5/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Artificial horror and mechanical suspense enhance a stunning horror movie experience. House on Haunted Hill is a fine example of how to create a deceptive horror formula that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats throughout the runtime, ultimately providing a resolution that is unexpected yet leaves them satisfied with the movie experience. The film features a chilling background score that I can call "iconic" due to the haunting melody it possesses. It is perfectly suited for this type of cinema. It appears to borrow gimmicks from our own beloved fairy tales that we often discuss with friends and family, incorporating serious pranks and the mechanical suspense that a group of people can create to induce delusional thoughts for a while. The story begins with a wealthy man inviting five people in need of money to his house on a hill. Their only task is to spend eight hours in a house infamously known as a "haunted house," which has already witnessed six deaths. A couple hosts this party, and five others join them. We witness some deaths, macabre visuals, and horrifying moments, but are they all real? I won't spoil the surprise for you. Enjoy it yourself and get haunted for an hour or so. You will be surprised at times and may try to find logic, which can occasionally be absent. However, it is the continuous sequence of tricks, shocks, and scares that keeps it flawless. Moreover, it is a truly thrilling film. The performances are strong, and every character holds significance-including minor ones such as the maid and the caretaker. The screenplay has hardly any flaws, but if you seek logical reasoning, you might find some shortcomings. The cinematography and sound design are top-notch, offering a chilling experience. William Castle weaves a superb magic spell on you for an hour that you are sure to cherish. I would have loved to label it a cult horror film, but I changed my mind after considering it as a whole and reflecting on what emerges from this fascinating idea in the end.
RATING - 6.5/10*
By - #samthebestest.