Ray Bradbury appears to be the presiding influence over this nostalgic fantasy-thriller about childhood and ghosts, written, directed, produced, and scored by Frank LaLoggia (Fear No Evil). Set in a small town in the early 60s, the plot centers on the apparition of a little girl to the ten-year-old hero (Lukas Haas) while he’s locked in the school cloakroom during Halloween. Although a bit overextended, the results are something rare: an evocative, poetic horror film without a trace of gore (and in this respect closer to a Val Lewton 40s B, like The Curse of the Cat People, than to contemporary models). The Italian-American family detail is nicely handled, and much of Russell Carpenter’s photography is exquisite. With Len Cariou, Alex Rocco, and Katherine Helmond. (JR)