Rob Zombie Loves This Surreal, Underrated Chiller That’s Free to Stream: “A great movie”
Few musicians are more explicitly tied to the horror space than Rob Zombie. His music, his music videos, and his stage name all betray his lifelong fascination with genre fare. With such an appreciation for horror, it’s no great surprise that Zombie ultimately tried his hand at directing. Before he was making movies of his own, however, the shock rocker subsisted on a steady diet of horror movies. Given his proclivities, Vice previously probed the rocker-turned-filmmaker for his thoughts on a variety of notorious horror movies. During the exchange, Zombie revealed that he’s a big fan of the classic horror film Carnival of Souls.
Co-written and directed by Herk Harvey, the film follows Mary (Candace Hilligoss), the lone survivor of a grisly automobile accident, as she relocates to Utah and takes on work as a church organist. Over time, Mary finds herself inexplicably pulled toward a desolate carnival on the outskirts of her new town. Could the carnival hold the secret to her miraculous survival? Or is something more sinister afoot?
If you’re a fan of Zombie, you know that he appreciates carnival horror. He’s an outspoken fan of Tobe Hooper’s The Funhouse and has previously named it as a core inspiration for House of 1000 Corpses. As such, it’s no big surprise that he’s got quite the soft spot for Carnival of Souls.
The shock rocker connected with the film’s atmospheric qualities, and even has fond memories of playing gigs near where the picture was filmed. “Yeah that’s a great movie, really liked it,” Zombie began. “Back in the early days, we used to always play the Salt Air Palace where they filmed that. And it was always so cool being there, even though it was sort of reconstructed because it burned down. That’s a great movie, I love movies that [rely on] the atmosphere and it’s just so simple with no budget.”
The film didn’t make a big splash upon release in 1962, but it has steadily amassed a fanbase in the years since its release, and many consider it a cult classic. If you’re curious to see how the film sits with you, you can currently find this atmospheric low-budget effort streaming on Tubi.
Watch the Trailer Below
That just about wraps up this broadcast, dear reader. Be sure to stay tuned to the site for more streaming recommendations from your favorite horror personalities in the near future.
Categorized: Streaming News
