Greetings, Boils & Ghouls...
...and welcome to 'Day Six' of "Awesome Horror Streams for Hallowe'en Screams on Roku" where I will be bringing you my top picks of the fright flicks in the carefully curated catalogue of macabre movies from the 'Shudder UK' horror streaming service - any of which can then be streamed to your television via the magic of Roku player - so, let's dim the lights... and prepare for some frights! :-O
If you read my hallowe'en blogathon preview - FOUND HERE - which was published last Saturday, then you will know that I plan to post one Hallowe'en / Horror related article every day, throughout the month of October, each featuring one horror movie from the current 'Shudder UK' content library. With recommendations for thirty-one of the best fright flicks I can find, by the end of the month, this means you should have plenty of great choices for your macabre movie viewing as we count down the days to Hallowe'en... as well as ensuring some top-notch cinematic scares come October 31st! ;-)
If you read my hallowe'en blogathon preview - FOUND HERE - which was published last Saturday, then you will know that I plan to post one Hallowe'en / Horror related article every day, throughout the month of October, each featuring one horror movie from the current 'Shudder UK' content library. With recommendations for thirty-one of the best fright flicks I can find, by the end of the month, this means you should have plenty of great choices for your macabre movie viewing as we count down the days to Hallowe'en... as well as ensuring some top-notch cinematic scares come October 31st! ;-)
WITH THANKS TO: Rick Gregory for his contribution to the above storyline.
Candace Hilligoss in Carnival of Souls (1962)
PHOTO CREDIT: imdb.com
For those of you that have yet to see this vintage fantasy horror mystery, here is a brief taster in the shape of the original trailer for this timeless classic movie, starring Candace Hilligoss:-
If you'd like to know more... there's a full list of the cast & credits on the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) listing for "Carnival of Souls" (1962), FOUND HERE, which also includes a full storyline / plot summary as well as box office stats, technical specs & much more. For die-hard fans, there's even more tidbits of information to be had from the Wikipedia Page for "Carnival of Souls" (1962) VIA THIS LINK, which may help to fuel your appetite for (yet) another screening. Although, if you're as much of a fan of this film as I am, or have a penchant for vintage movies in general, it probably won't take too much persuading for you to watch this indie horror classic again! ;-) :-)
Herk Harvey in Carnival of Souls (1962)
PHOTO CREDIT: imdb.com
Anyway... you probably guessed already but, if not, this film (like the others from this series of posts) is also available via the 'Shudder' streaming service and can be easily viewed on any Roku device via their dedicated channel (app) for these streaming media players. There are other opportunities for UK Roku users to watch "Carnival of Souls" (1962), including via 'Amazon Video' where it is (currently) free-to-stream for 'Prime Members' - and non-subscribers can rent the film for £3.49 - although I'd suggest performing a quick 'Search' of the other channels on your Roku device before you part with any money, because this is one movie that several channels (incl. 'ON Classic Movies' for one) will allow you to watch for free. However, since my original idea for this month-long blogathon was to suggest thirty-one great Hallowe'en / Horror themed movies from the fang-tastic 'Shudder UK' streaming service, I'm recommending you stream it on their channel! ;-) :-)
If you haven't already added it to your channel selection, you will find "Shudder" listed among the "Film & TV" channels in the "Official" Roku UK Channel Store. You can easily add it to your Roku player(s) by navigating to the built-in 'Channel Store' (accessed via "Streaming Channels" from the home screen on your Roku device) and scrolling through the options until you see the channel icon (pictured above). It's completely FREE-TO-ADD so, once you've located it in the list of channels, just click the "OK" button on your Roku remote to select it and then click "OK" again where it says 'Add channel' to install it on your Roku player(s). Having done that, it's simply a case of launching the channel via the 'Go to channel' option and navigating the on-screen menu to log-in (if you already have an account, but haven't yet done so) or start your free trial (if you are new to the service) and, once you see 'Shudder TV' playing on the screen, just push the "DOWN" arrow on your Roku remote to get to the main menu... from where you can "Search" for the film, "Carnival of Souls", and then press "OK" to select and 'Play' the 1962 movie by that name which, for the record, runs to 1h 31mins.
LINK TO WATCH 'Carnival of Souls' (1962) ONLINE VIA THE 'SHUDDER UK' WEBSITE
Unfortunately for readers outside the UK, at the time of writing, this fantasy horror mystery does not appear to be available via 'Shudder' in the U.S. or Canada... however, there are numerous other Roku streaming sources at your disposal (most notably via subscription to 'Fandor' in USA/Canada) or else ad-supported on 'TubiTV' (US-only) while further options for streamers in the United States include 'Amazon Video', as well as 'FilmStruck', plus a $2.00 (USD) rental from 'Vudu' for those without any of the paid subscription services. Likewise, for any Canadian streamers with no 'Fandor' subscription, there's a $2.99 (CAD) rental option from 'Google Play Movies & TV'... although, as suggested earlier for streamers in the UK, it might be best to check for free alternatives before you pay to rent it! ;-) :-)
Meanwhile, for that full cinema experience, here's a few of the other film posters that movie-goers in 1962 (and more recent years) would have encountered depending on their location around the world:
Carnival of Souls (1962) [Movie Poster]
PHOTO CREDIT: CineFantastique Online
Carnival of Souls (1962) [Alternative Colour Poster]
PHOTO CREDIT: imdb.com
Finally, to round-off this sixth instalment of my month-long blogathon on 'Day Six' in this current edition of the 'Countdown To Halloween', here's a few FRIGHTENINGLY FUN FILM FACTS... for example, did you know that the bridge which featured in the opening sequence of the film is called the Lecompton Bridge, named after the nearby town of Lecompton, KS? The Kaw River runs under it and, at the time, the damage caused to the bridge in the opening scene(s) cost the director a whopping $17.00 to be repaired... although the iron bridge was later replaced with a concrete one around 1970! Or that, despite it's original theatrical release in 1962 being a relative failure at the box office, future airings on late-night TV subsequently helped "Carnival of Souls" to gain a strong cult following, and it is now regarded as something of a "landmark" in psychological horror.
If you pay close attention, you will see that portions of the movie are tinted in a manner similar to silent films. Whenever Mary is in one of her altered mental states, the picture has a faint cyan tint, while all the "real" scenes are in pure black & white. Also, later in the film, the tinted segments also have distorted sound and picture. It may also interest you to know that the 'Saltair' amusement park which appears in the film actually burned down in 1967. It was rebuilt in the early '80s, although the design was much smaller. Not long after it was built, the Great Salt Lake rose and flooded it out. The building was remodelled / re-opened in 1993 and then mainly used as a small venue for musical acts!
If you pay close attention, you will see that portions of the movie are tinted in a manner similar to silent films. Whenever Mary is in one of her altered mental states, the picture has a faint cyan tint, while all the "real" scenes are in pure black & white. Also, later in the film, the tinted segments also have distorted sound and picture. It may also interest you to know that the 'Saltair' amusement park which appears in the film actually burned down in 1967. It was rebuilt in the early '80s, although the design was much smaller. Not long after it was built, the Great Salt Lake rose and flooded it out. The building was remodelled / re-opened in 1993 and then mainly used as a small venue for musical acts!