Ghastly ghost gives fair scare

You all remember the Tooth Fairy. After about an hour or so of dreadful pulling and wrestling with that baby tooth, you finally placed it snugly under your pillow. During the night, you could hardly sleep for anticipation of the Fairy coming to bring you mad cash. The townspeople in "Darkness Falls," however, saw a completely different side of her. A cast of young actors and actresses portray the terrorized townsfolk of the coastal town of Darkness Falls. According to the film, legend has it that more than 150 years ago a local woman named Matilda Dixon was wrongfully hanged for the kidnapping and killing of two children. Her ghost then began to haunt the town every time a child lost its final baby tooth. Just after losing his last baby tooth and conveniently asking his friend Caitlin to the local school dance, Kyle Walsh (Chaney Kley) becomes Matilda's next victim. Twelve years later - nine of which Kyle spends in a mental hospital because of Matilda's tormenting - Caitlin's little brother Michael (Lee Cormie) is haunted by the same ghost. The now grown Caitlin ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer's" Emma Caulfield) must call on Kyle to help save her brother from the evil ghost's spell. Kyle returns to Darkness Falls for the first time since the attack and is not received happily. A fight at a local bar leads to Kyle's old schoolmate falling prey to Matilda. Kyle is accused of killing the man and is thrown in jail. From here the story takes several confusing twists. Although the cast is young and their faces are relatively unknown, they still do a decent job delivering this movie. The flick is chock-full of jumpy moments that leave the audience feeling fearful and unsettled. Unfortunately, appalling special effects and a ridiculous looking ghost leave the audience searching for something more. I went into the theater a bit skeptical, having no grasp on the plot of the movie beforehand, but I came out pleasantly surprised. There were absolutely no actors that I recognized offhand. The acting, however, seemed strangely effortless. The PG-13 rating also turned me off, as I assumed that no horror movie could possibly scare you with such a non-restrictive rating. But after a black cat, a car wreck and an unexpected final scene, I must admit I was a little stirred. The writers also did a fine job by adding a few comedic elements to pull the entire movie together. If you're into scary movies and don't mind terrible special effects, check out "Darkness Falls." Rating: C+