Director/writer Stefan Avalos managed to get recognized for his 1998 debut film, The Last Broadcast, due to the fact it was quite similar to that years huge indie hit The Blair Witch Project but came out before. Six years later he returns with his sophomore effort, The Ghosts Of Edendale.

Young couple Stephen Wastell and Paula Ficara decide to move to Hollywood in order to become screenwriters and buy a house in the Hollywood Hills neighbourhood of Edendale. Everybody there seems quite friendly and at first they're happy, but soon Ficara is seeing all sorts of ghostly visions (which are decent CGI effects) and things get even more bizarre when she goes away on a modelling job for five days only to come back to a boyfriend who's acting oddly and it turns out may just be possessed by a spirit.

While this never quite achieves the creepiness it could have and the scripting feels sloppy at times, there's still is a few cool images scattered throughout the movie (such as the ghostly child in their bedroom closet) and it's not a complete loss as Avalos has tried to give his location an interesting backstory (which works for the most part) and has delievered a solidly directed low-budget movie.

The main problem I have with the movie though is the script. It just feels like certain events are too forced and unconvincing (the boyfriend's possession is the main one, and it's never explained how he became that way), the story structure is a bit sloppy, and the pace at first is just a bit too leisurely.

Generally underwhelming, The Ghosts Of Edendale, could've been worse - but it also could've been much better, therefore it's mostly passable entertainment. (Chris Hartley, 10/14/04)

Directed By: Stefan Avalos.
Written By: Stefan Avalos.

Starring: Stephen Wastell, Paula Ficara, Andrew Quintero, Keith Fulton.

Picture Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen.

Picture Quality: This was shot digitally which means the transfer is for the most part decent although it does look a bit soft at times and during moments with lots of movement on screen it can get a little fuzzy.

Extras: They've certainly packed the movie to the hilt with features as we get a trailer, a behind-the-scenes featurette, an effects featurette, a "remaking of a scene" featurette, 7 deleted scenes with optional commentary, an effects art gallery, a "music track" commentary with composer Vincent Gillioz, and a commentary track with Avalos and producer Marianna Connor. If you're a fan of the movie or just want to learn a bit more about low-budget filmmaking then this is a good batch of features.