Night of the Living Dead / Carnival of Souls (1962)

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: In director George Romero's NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, seven people secluded in a Pennsylvania farmhouse face relentless attacks by reanimated corpses seeking to eat their flesh. The group, which includes a married couple and their daughter, a pair of young lovers, and an African American man, try to keep their sanity as the living dead try endlessly to enter the house until they are laid to rest by burning or a severe blow to the head. As they listen to news reports of the zombie plague taking over the eastern United States, the ever-decreasing band of survivors loses ground in their battle to both keep peace with one another and stay alive.

Romero's low-budget, homegrown classic went from being unable to find a distributor to becoming one of the most influential horror films of all time. Aside from its visceral impact years before realistic gore became the fashion, the film is also important for its portrayal of a black man as the protagonist during a time when race relations were an extremely sensitive issue in the United States. Romero's choice for the ending of his film also made a shocking and bold statement about the issue.

CARNIVAL OF SOULS: Made in 1962 in Lawrence, Kansas for very little money, Harvey's CARNIVAL OF SOULS has become legendary for it's ability to create a tensely creepy atmosphere with virtually no special effects. A young woman (Hilligoss) is involved in a car crash when her car falls off a bridge while drag racing with some friends. After she pulls herself from the river, she moves to a new town to take a job as a church organist. Meanwhile, a distinctly eerie and hollow-faced man in a black suit seems to be following her wherever she goes. The effective organ score enhances the film to great effect.