This morning on the Sam Steen Show, I recommended another three films! This weeks are Carnival of Souls, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Kedi. Carnival is a massively important film to the horror genre, and remains an underappreciated classic. Close Encounters should be viewed on as large of a screen as possible. When I’m watching this movie, I’m always shocked by the sheer enormity of its scale. And finally, Kedi, is a wonderful documentary that I, as a cat person, could watch until the end of time.
Carnival of Souls, while certainly not the most famous of horror movies, has left quite the impact on all of horror media. Directed by Herk Harvey, the film follows Mary Henry (Candace Hilligloss) after she gets in a traumatic accident. Mary decides to move to a new city and finds herself unable to shake visions as she is inexplicably drawn to an abandoned carnival. This was the only feature film Harvey ever directed because, like Charles Laughton, he was dismayed by its box office failure. Since its release, the film has become a cult classic, gaining a loyal fan base.
Shot on a micro-budget using guerrilla film-making techniques, Carnival of Souls is a psychological horror that is often imitated, never duplicated. If you want to know where some of your other horror faves came from, watch this.
It is available to rent on Amazon here.
Steven Spielberg doesn’t really need to be recommended, but I’m going to do it anyway. With a sprawling, decades long oeuvre, I’ve found that my favorite Spielberg film is often lost in the shadows of Jaws and E.T.. Close Encounters of the Third Kind, in my eyes, is a step above those films and a lot of sci-fi in general.
The plot follows Roy Neary (Richard Dryfus), a working class family man and repair man. One night, he makes contact with a UFO and afterwards tries desperately to prove to those around him that there are aliens here on earth. The film, also starring François Truffaut, uses groundbreaking and innovative special effects and miniatures to create a film that feels truly massive without CGI. Jordan Peele’s 2022 film, Nope, is a direct response to Close Encounters and together, they make a perfect double feature. Although, while Close Encounters is family friendly, Nope certainly isn’t, so make sure the kids are in bed before you start that one.
It is available to rent on Apple TV here.
Kedi (meaning “Cat” in Turkish) follows the street cats of Istanbul, their daily lives, and their care takers. The film offers an up close and personal look at not only the cats, but the ever changing social environment of one the world’s oldest cities.
The film is Ceyda Torun’s first feature length project, and it uses different remote control rigs and devices to get in all the little crevices of Istanbul. Even if you’re not a cat person, the film is still worth watching as you become fully immersed in Istanbul’s history and culture. And who knows? You might also walk away with a newfound appreciation of cats. This film would also be appropriate for any little animal lovers in your family.
It is available to rent on Amazon here.
