They're in the corner of your eye, just out of sight. When you turn to look, they're gone. The shadows of the past linger on, waiting for the time to reemerge into what we call 'reality'. Call them memory, call them ghosts, their presence can be sensed by a few - the few who are touched by madness. The specters come a-haunting in GHOSTS OF EDENDALE, an impressive independent thriller by writer/director Stefan Avalos.

Off to a new life in California drive, are former model Rachel and her boyfriend Kevin. Both hoping for writing careers in Hollywood, the couple moves into a cozy place in Edendale up in the hills outside of L.A. Strange things happen from the first; the former homeowners have left all their belongings behind, including a fridge of rotting food. Neighbors trundle over to help Rachel and Kevin settle in, seemingly very friendly. Over a take out dinner on the deck, one of the neighbors - Justin - reveals the whole community is 'in the biz', and they're confident Kevin and Rachel will fit in. Rachel feels a chill and goes in for a sweater. But when she opens the closet in her search, she is startled by a deformed boy, who vanishes in a blur. Rachel also hears voices echoing inside the house. She doesn't mention this to Kevin, but confesses in a call to her sister Rose later that she's 'seeing them again'. Rachel is upset because California is supposed to be a new start for Kevin and her. Faces appear in the wooden fence surrounding their yard...waiting...

The couple begins to settle in. Rachel learns that Edendale was originally the location for some of Hollywood's first studios during the silent movie era. Kevin suffers from writer's block. When Rachel gets an opportunity to do one more modeling job, a reluctant Kevin reminds her of the mental problems she's had previously. To appease him, Rachel fires up their new outdoor hot tub. As they're bumping ugly, Rachel sees the faces in the fence and freaks. Kevin decides it was just an animal or something, not one of Rachel's hallucinations. In the morning, all appears calm. On the way to the airport however, Rachel keeps seeing things out of the corner of her. It seems ghosts are walking up the Edendale hill...

Kevin returns home alone, just as the area is hit by a tremor. Suddenly exhilarated, Kevin begins to write like a man possessed (uh oh! foreshadowing!) When Rachel returns a few days later, Kevin has quit smoking, gone on a diet and started working out. He's also writing constantly. Rachel finds his new behavior somewhat confusing, and becomes jealous because now she's the one with writer's block. After a shower, Rachel hears the voices again. When she sees Kevin wearing a cowboy outfit, she's relieved, until he pulls off his bandana. Underneath is the face of a rotting corpse. She screams, but was it nothing but a bad dream? The next day, again all seems right with the world. Rachel unearths an old spur while working in the garden. Giving the piece to Kevin, she's kind of weirded out when he cries tears of joy thanking her for finding it. That night, the couple goes to their first 'Hollywood' party. As Kevin goes networking with Julian, host Nolan reveals some more of Edendale Hill's history to Rachel. Famous silent actor/cowboy Tom Mix once owned a ranch on the very spot where they live. Consigned to 'Wild West' shows when the movies went to sound, Mix was preparing a comeback with four big shot producers - the '4 Horsemen' - when the actor met an untimely death. Their dream of a return to the 'glory days went unfulfilled...so far. Kevin's script - a western - is given the green light, even if it's by a novice and is still unfinished. Rachel finds this to be deeply disturbing but the worst is yet to come as the shadows of the past return to their old haunts...

GHOSTS OF EDENDALE is a very effective psychological thriller. The acting is first rate by leads Stephen Wastell and Paula Ficara. Paula is incredibly believable as Rachel - you can't help but feel for her as bit-by-bit Rachel's world descends into madness. Stephen is just eerie as Kevin becomes more inhuman the longer he stays on 'The Hill'. The supporting cast is well written, so even the role players have distinctness that adds to the film's total effect. The writing is solid, with enough revealed to keep things interesting without gobs of exposition, and the twists and turns of the plot keep the viewer riveted to their seat. The editing (by Avalos, naturally) is brisk and well paced to match the writing. The music score adds a further dimension by capturing the feel of the old era films. For a small budget movie, GHOSTS OF EDENDALE makes the very most of it's limited budget. The special effects are creepy and clever - the climactic scene is a successful combination of all the film's elements. To reinforce the film's homage to the silent era, sepia gels are used most efficaciously. The picture quality itself is very good (I won't quibble on some of the outdoor shots, which are a little grainy, but it doesn't really impact overall viewing). Audio is fine - clear and distinct. The production has taken to heart all the lessons of low budget filmmaking; therefore, much thought went to proper sound and adequate lighting.

Big boy Warner Brothers has released GHOSTS OF EDENDALE on DVD, and they haven't skimped on the extras. The audio commentary by Avalos and producer Marianne Conner is well worth a second look at the film - their dialogue is insightful and entertaining. There is a fun behind the scenes featurette, and a look at the creation of some of the special effects. Avalos hosts a segment showing the evolution of a scene; how it changed several times during production to get it 'just right'. There are 7 deleted sequences to check out, plus the obligatory trailer. If you're a music fan, the score is available to listen to as a discrete track (with commentary, if you wish.) GHOSTS OF EDENDALE also has a few other surprises you'll have to search for. A fine load of worthy extras for a fine film.

Hollywood is always in the habit of 'redoing' the past - look how many remakes are in the film pipeline. GHOSTS OF EDENDALE is a response by the ghosts of past - you want to mess with us, we'll mess with you. Creepy, moody, with great story, acting and effects, this intense thriller takes you on a twisted ride that winds up in the very depths of madness. To paraphrase a film whose title I forget, sometimes the dead don't stay dead no matter how deep they're buried. They return to glory in GHOSTS OF EDENDALE.