Little kids are scary. If movies like THE OMEN, THE SHINING, and now Wicked Pixel's DEADWOOD PARK have taught us anything, it's that little kids are frickin' terrifying. And while those old school classics showcased talent from some of Hollywood's most well-known and well-respected players, director Eric Stanze (of Ice From The Sun and Scrapbook) and the rest of the crew at St. Louis'  Wicked Pixel Cinema, The Little Company That Could, us show that not do they roll with some scary little kids, but they also have an abundance of cinematic vision like their genre forefathers. And while their latest film, DEADWOOD PARK, is far from perfect, it is easily their most ambitious project to date, and offers the viewer a very watchable flick that sports some spooky imagery that will stick with them long after the film is over. 

A Gen-X business dude named Jake (William Clifton of China White Serpentine) returns to his childhood hick town home to find that the town hasn't gotten any less creepy since he was a kid. And for good reason. A rash of unsolved child killings had taken place over a period of time, and the town never really got over it. And to make matters worse, it seems that Jake had never gotten over it either. Because not only was his twin brother the killer's final victim, but he also finds that not long after he arrives in town, he comes down with a severe case of Creepydeadkidaphobia. Yes, Jake sees dead people. And hears dead people. And he doesn't like it much. 

He soon hooks up with a strangely eager, yet pleasingly cute store clerk named Olivia (Lindsey Dee Luscri) who is more than willing to help him find out more about the killings and possibly who the killer was (or is). And even though her father, the sheriff (Bryan Lane of Killers By Nature), seems to have a mad-on for Jake, she uses his resources behind his back, presumably because she's from a small town and she has the hots for the new kid in town. 

As the plot gets deeper, the film jumps back and forth through time, revealing pieces of the puzzle in a very stylized way. This is a pretty cool device, but it also contributes to one of the film's flaws. The film is a mish-mash of genres. It's part ghost story, part mystery, and part... something else. And as a result of trying to do too many things, the film seems to occasionally lose focus, and some of the exposition scenes kind of drag. Trimming a few minutes here and there might have given the film more impact, but perhaps some of the story would have been lost because so many ideas are being introduced. The movie does take an amazingly weird turn into another genre, and the ending is very satisfying if over-the-top is what you're looking for. 

As for the performances, some of the acting has the stiffness of inexperience but yet some of the acting is quite good, even from some of the bit players. The script is clever, and some of the actors really did their lines justice, while others could have used a few more takes had budget and resources allowed. But for the most part, I feel like they did a solid job overall. 

DEADWOOD PARK is a fun, yet somewhat unfocused film that tries to do many things, and for the most part succeeds. The genre-bending nature of the film might turn some folks off, while others might appreciate the different flavors, as this horror sandwich has a few different layers.