Fresh and Exciting

Best movie ever!

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Beginning with the self-castration of a young boy who has just been chastised by his mother for dressing up as a girl, attention then focuses on Lily (Kelen Coleman). Lily is deaf, and currently grieving over the death of her sister Michele (Sarah Sculco). Teaching art classes at Cassadaga University, Florida, Lily happens upon Mike (Kevin Alejandro), the father of one of her pupils. Naturally, the two attractive characters begin a relationship as Lily takes steps to contact her dead sister.When creepy and unpleasant things start happening to Lily, (often involving maggots), people have a difficult time believing her. Well, they would, wouldn't they? By this time, though, she very much has our sympathy.Considering how sensitively all the characters are introduced and built-up (Lily is very appealing, Mike is a decent man, little Michelle avoids completely any trace of brattish-ness troubled juvenile characters are often prone to), I was surprised how horrific certain scenes were here. The most interesting of these however, involves the young cross-dresser having grown up to be a murderer who turns his victims into marionettes. With this being one of a two-strand story - the other involving Lily's spectral encounters - it isn't developed as much as it might be. Having said that, events are never predictable, like a great many horror hauntings are, and for that, I love it.The pay-off at the end is very satisfying, with twists built upon twists in a very carefully built-up way, and elements featured throughout coming together well (don't miss the post-end-credits sequence also). I hope we hear more from Director Anthony DiBlasi, who makes such a good job of Bruce Wood & Scott Poiley's story (unsurprising to hear in the extras that the project was originally two separate ideas melded together). From Coleman too, who puts in a terrific performance and is thoroughly watchable throughout. A word too, for Lee Grimes astonishing make-up effects. Really enjoyed this.

"Cassadaga" is a supernatural thriller that has a lot going for it, but also had loads of missed opportunities.Kelen Coleman stars as Lily, a young deaf woman art teacher. Kelen is the best part of the film -- attractive and charming, she is instantly likable and easy to root for, which is important in a film like this. Early on, she suffers a horrible tragedy, the loss of her younger sister, and she moves on to take a fellowship at a college in the title town.It's there that the film makes it first misstep. After setting Lily's situation up, the film has her immediately jump into bed with the first guy she meets. And, of course, he is a doting single father, heroic paramedic, and former sports star -- the Triple Crown of Douchery. The setup parts of the film are dragged down by this unpleasant "romance" and the film only really starts to take off when he exits the scene.During an early date, Lily goes to a psychic to speak with her dead sister but ends up calling an apparently malevolent ghost. She also starts to see and hear things and general act a little crazy to those around her. Eventually, she starts to tie the spirit to the girl who lived in her room previously who went missing years ago, and also to a shadowy killer who likes to make human marionettes...As I said, "Cassadaga" has a lot going for it. Kelen is charming and easily carries the film. There are some creepy parts, and the killer's actions are suitable horrific (although "Criminal Minds" had a similar killer who was waaay creepier). But lots of missed chances, too. As I mentioned, the "romance" hurts the film. Lily's deafness is occasionally used to good effect (the audio goes silent), but other times it's almost ignored -- she can flawless read lips, sometimes characters aren't look at her, etc. Also, the killer appears to be an expert ventriloquist (although that's not explored) and Lily would be immune to that. And no matter what happens to Lily, nobody thinks to bring her to, you know, a doctor or hospital. And finally, the killer's identity is easily deduced using Roger Ebert's "Law of Economy of Characters."Even with it's problems, though, "Cassadaga" is worth checking out. Don't be afraid (or pulled in, whichever may be the case) of its poster, which promises a grisly time. The killer is a very minor part of the film.

The makers had a great concept, but sadly failed to really go anywhere with it. It could have been a cool, sick horror movie, but the truly disturbing part of the story (which is also what the movie is advertised for) completely stays in the background. We hardly get to know or see anything about the killer and his work and thus are left with many unanswered questions, most importantly: his entire background story is hardly worked out. But also, for a character this sadistic he chooses a very unimaginative way of actually killing his victims.The side story about Lily being haunted is completely superfluous and adds nothing to the movie, but it takes a lot of time and attention away from what should have been the actual storyline. To top it off, the movie derails even more in the end with an utterly inept cop and other ridiculous twists that the writers clearly needed to bring the movie to its end.Had they focused on what this movie should have been about - a psychopath serial killer turning his victims into marionettes - it could have been great, but in stead we got a fairly bland ghost movie with a twist. It sucks that this concept is now ruined for future movies, because there was great potential there. But Cassadaga failed to deliver in all aspects.

Another entry in the After Dark legacy and another one without shock value. The positive thing is the fact that the ghost isn't done with CGI. But again it doesn't has much blood to see and when the ghost appears it is never scary or has any jumpshots. The acting was okay. And you quickly are involved with the characters but what annoyed me the most is the fact that the deaf person talked normal. People who are deaf can't talk like a normal person. The séance where things go wrong is maybe the strongest part. We do fall in some emotional scene's that really doesn't add a thing towards the story. But we don't have only a ghost we also have a killer. All part of the ghost that appeared before her, a woman being killed. So in fact we have a romantic part that takes way too much time in Cassadaga, and that is suddenly stopped towards the end of the flick. We have the mystery of the ghost and a serial killer walking around in Cassadaga. And that's where this flick fails a bit. The combination of those events doesn't work. I'll give it a six due not using CGI for the ghost and here and there some low gore shots.Gore 1/5 Nudity 0,5/5 Effects 3/5 Story 2/5 Comedy 0/5