Lady in White (1988) User Reviews

dark memories

[lee_eisenberg · 7/10 · 30 April 2011]

If you're expecting a typical slasher, you'll be disappointed. Frank LaLoggia's "Lady in White" is a more subtle horror flick, with limited violence and no sex or nudity. It depicts a boy who witnesses an apparition of a murder and then tries to find out what happened. The movie makes a lot of use of shadows to elicit its horror, and the answer to the mystery slowly but surely evolves. Moreover, it's also interesting to see a horror movie seen from the eyes of a child, as opposed to horny teenagers. Of course, there's no shortage of comic relief, especially from the boy's grandparents. This movie isn't any kind of masterpiece, but I still enjoyed it.

Starring Lukas Haas (the Amish boy in "Witness"), Len Cariou, Alex Rocco (Moe Greene in "The Godfather") and Katherine Helmond.

Decent

[mOVIemAN56 · 6/10 · 27 July 2006]

I was able to see Lady in White today on TV. At first I was just mildly interested in what I believed to be a kids movie. Once I realized this film was no children's film, I was sucked right in.

Frankie is a young, smart child of an Italian family in the town of Willowpoint Falls. He has a great imagination and is able to express it on Halloween while in school. Afterwards however, Frankie is locked into the school's coat room for the night by two bullies and witnesses something remarkable. He witnesses the ghost of a little girl being killed by the hands of an unknown man 10 years prior. The ghost begins to follow Frankie and he sort of befriends her as he attempts to discover who killed the little girl and 10 other children in the town.

Lukas Haas is exceptional in the lead role of Frankie. He is sweet, fun-loving, and extremely enjoyable to watch on the screen. Haas does a fine job in his portrayal of the haunted boy and brings out his character quite easily. Alex Rocco also does quite well in his supporting role of Frankie's father. You are able to tell, even without it being talked about, that he is a good, kind man and father. That he is always looking out for his sons with the loss of his wife. Rocco shows his acting ability well.

Originally I thought this film to be a children's film and was quite convinced it was until I saw the coat room sequence. The acting of the little girl as she is killed by the invisible force is shocking and terrifying. I was truly frightened by the scene and knew it was no longer a children's film. My only complaint, which is a large one, is the lack of emphasis on the Lady in White. SHe is barely shown the whole film and it confused me slightly why they named the film after her.

Age does show on this film with the cheesy special effects. However the story is able to overthrow the poor special effects. The acting is solid, the story is well thought out and the characters are quite enjoyable to watch.

3 out of 5 Stars

A near-perfect ghost story

[BandSAboutMovies · 8/10 · 20 January 2019]

If all Frank LaLoggia had made was the utterly bizarre Fear No Evil, he'd still be a filmmaker to celebrate. Luckily, he also gifted us with this film, a ghost story that bombed on initial release but has gone on to be a celebrated film, one that's just as much about growing up as it is about murder.

Horror author Franklin "Frankie" Scarlatti (as an adult, he's played by the director, but in the film itself, it's Lukas Haas) is on his way back to Willowpoint Falls and relates the story of how way back in 1962, over Halloween, he was attacked and nearly strangled to death by a mysterious figure in black. Even more frightening, he witnesses the death of a young redhead girl, who has ties to the mysterious lady in white, an urban legend that all of the schoolboys live in fear of.

The police arrest the school's black janitor, Harold "Willy" Williams, for the killings and the way the town reacts to this forms the moral backbone of the film. There's also a lot about family, with father Angelo (a welcome Alex Rocco), his adopted brother and the near comical shenanigans of Frankie's grandparents.

Along the way, Frankie becomes obsessed with bringing closure to the redhead girl's ghost, solving her murder and bringing her back to her mother. There's also the matter of the real or unreal lady in white (Katherine Helmond from TV's Who's the Boss?).

The film has a really great scene where the killer reveals himself within the foggy woods as the lighting in the scene progressively grows darker, a really interesting camera trick that is all but forgotten in our CGI era. In fact, all of the night scenes in the woods almost feel like an otherworldly affair, as if shot just outside our reality.

LaLoggia wrote, directed, produced and scored this film, which was based on the legend of the Lady in White,a woman who roams Durand-Eastman Park in Rochester, New York searching for her daughter. It's a place hat the auteur knows well, as he grew up there and filmed much of the movie on location.

It's a shame that LaLoggia didn't get to make more films, because of the two I've seen, he is able to tell a simple story that still feels intensely personal and nuanced. He's teased several projects over the years, including being attached to the Cannon Spider-Man movie that never got off the ground. Here's to another film coming from him, someday, someway.

This is a bit of an underrated gem from the 80s

[kevin_robbins · 7/10 · 26 September 2022]

Lady in White (1988) is a movie that I watched for the first time in a long time on Tubi last week. The storyline follows a young man who gets locked in his school and is almost murdered one night by someone looking for something in the school. That night he also saw a ghost which must be tied to what his would be killer was looking for. The young man starts researching who the ghost is; and indirectly, who tried to kill him.

This movie is directed by Frank LaLoggia (Fear No Evil) and stars Lukas Haas (Inception), Len Cariou (Blue Bloods), Tom Bower (Out of the Furnace), Alex Rocco (The Godfather) and Jared Rushton (Big).

This is an entertaining addition to the horror genre that aged pretty well. I really enjoyed the ghost effects in this; and while the special effects are dated, they still worked for me. I loved the depiction of the 60s, down to the Bela Lugosi Halloween costume. The depiction of the town and town's people were perfect for this era also. The woman in the window was very creepy throughout the picture. There's also a target practice scene that made me uncomfortable and set up the ending perfectly. I really enjoyed the storyline and the ending; and while being fairly straightforward and a bit predictable, everything was fun to watch unfold.

Overall, this is a bit of an underrated gem from the 80s. I would score this a 7.5/10 and strongly recommend it.

The Ghost Knows

[romanorum1 · 7/10 · 31 March 2017]

On a beautiful autumn day, a writer in a taxi stops and steps out into a cemetery in Willowpoint, NY to visit a pair of gravestones. Prompted by his driver's skeptical question he tells his story in flashback, the mode of the rest of the movie.

On 31 October 1962, Frankie Scarlatti (Lukas Haas) is a typical nine-year old with a warm and loving family: widowed father Angelo (Alex Rocco), brother Gino (Jason Presson), and two grandparents. Grandma (Mama Assunta = Renata Vanni) goes to great lengths to stop grandpa (Angelo Bertolini) from smoking. There are also family friend Tony (Jack Andreozzi) and "Uncle" Phil (Len Cariou), who was originally an orphan as a youth but raised by Angelo's family. Halloween day is festive in school as kids are allowed to wear costumes. With a taste of the macabre, Frankie in his Dracula outfit reads his "pre-hysterical monster" story to his classmates. "I really liked your story, Frankie, I wish I was as weird as you," says a girl in braces. After school two of Frankie's friends, Donald and Louis, play a sadistic prank on him and lock him in the school cloakroom and run away. While he's alone at night, a translucent apparition of a red-haired, ten-year old girl (Melissa Ann Montgomery = Joelle Jacobi) appears. She struggles with an invisible assailant before dying and being carried away. In the struggle an object falls to the floor into a vent grate. Leaving but quickly returning to find the object, the assailant – now a visible man whose face cannot be seen because of darkness – quickly discovers Frankie (wearing his Halloween mask) and tries to strangle him. Frankie loses consciousness, but is rescued and revived when his father Angelo arrives. Is this coincidence or did the killer let him live? The police on the scene arrest the black school janitor (Harold Williams), found drunk in the school basement. He is accused of serial murders: the deaths of eleven children during the past eleven years. Melissa, who perished in the cloakroom, was the first victim.

After recovering, Frankie goes to the school cloakroom and removes the floor grate to locate the missing object that the murderer searched for in vain. He retrieves a jack, a barrette, and a ring. Meanwhile the ghost sometimes returns, as during the Christmas holidays. Later Frankie overhears a conversation between Angelo and Sheriff Saunders (Tom Bower) about the serial murders; Saunders believes that Williams is a scapegoat. Then Frankie confines to Phil a summary of the recent events that affected him. He says that the ring must belong to the killer and that he must have returned for it. The conversation is interrupted by Angelo for dinner time. Phil keeps the information provided by Frankie to himself.

Frankie and friends Donald and Louis "visit" the spooky house by the cliff, inhabited by eccentric recluse Amanda (Katherine Helmond), the aunt of Melissa Ann Montgomery. Frightened, Donald and Louis flee, leaving Frankie behind. Soon he too flees and runs into brother Geno, who was out searching for him. He tells Geno about the ring, not knowing that Geno found it and said nothing. When they return to their room, Melissa's ghost appears to them. Frankie explains to Geno that she is the daughter of the Lady in White (Karen Powell), who "haunts" the area. Melissa's ghost leaves at 10:00 pm and is carried to the shoreline by the invisible man who throws her over the edge of the cliff. Then a female white robed spirit appears and plunges herself over the edge. Meanwhile Harold Williams is released for lack of evidence. Wrongly believing him to be the serial killer, a woman who lost her young son violently shoots Williams to death in front of his wife.

SPOILER ALERT FROM HERE ON: Back at home, Geno compares the high school ring of his father with the one found in the cloakroom. Comparing and correctly surmising that the rings are of the same year of graduation, he checks out initials MPT (P=Phil) and realizes that Phil is the owner and murderer! In the meantime, Phil and Frankie are practicing archery in the woods. Frankie becomes tipped off when Phil whistles the same tune heard by Frankie when he was locked in the cloakroom. The boy runs away but is caught. Phil says he did not know who Frankie was in the cloakroom because his face was covered by the mask. But he still wants the ring. Coincidentally Phil is clubbed from behind by reclusive Amanda, who takes Frankie to her house. Nonetheless Phil catches up to them and struggles with and kills the woman. Then he tries to throw Frankie off the nearby cliff. The ghost of the Lady in White appears and throws Phil off the edge, however. In Frankie's presence, the translucent ghosts of both mother and daughter reunite lovingly in the sky. But Phil climbs up the cliff and seizes Frankie's leg. Coincidentally and in the nick of time, Angelo's rescue team arrives; Phil plunges to his death.

Frank LaLoggia, a good but rare filmmaker, wrote, produced, and directed this eccentric, well thought out but flawed flick. The plot has holes and too many coincidences, such as when Amanda is suddenly around to save Frankie. Why did Phil wait so long to retrieve his ring? And why could he not locate it? The music selection is puzzling and should have been eerie in keeping with the atmosphere. We never discover the murderer's motivation, although the fact that he was a serial killer is enough. The racial subplot is heavy-handed and unneeded. Nevertheless the nostalgia piece and set-designs are certainly well done. And well-drawn are the characters that inhabit the small town and the local businesses. Warmly portrayed are the comforts of a strong family and the characterizations of the Italians (autobiographical?). In short, the movie deserves redeeming high marks for its old-time nostalgia, likable characters, and encompassing atmosphere.

I enjoy this movie every time I watch it!

[paradisegirl1966 · 10/10 · 7 February 2008]

I just don't know what it is but this movie is like an "Old Friend" to my older sister and I. We always watch it together and now my 6 1/2 yr old watches it with us. I think because it's "scary,but not too scary" and YES we always end up singing that song for day's after we watch it.

When ever we ask people "have you seen this movie" they are alway glad we told them about it..it's one of those movies you either never heard of, or never thought to watch and once you do your glad you did.

I love the Halloween theme and the "Little Sleepy Town" feeling you get in this movie. Grandma & Grandpa are by far my favorite's in this film, There is such a "Loving Closeness" between them.

It's just a good "anytime" movie.

A Decent Ghost Story

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 17 February 2010]

This is a nicely done, embracing effort that has some visual elements mindful of ET. The young people are really quite believable. There are bullies, unpredictable brothers, secrets, and lots of love in a family missing a mother. This draws us into a small town which sits on the fringes of an unnamed city. A young boy sees a ghost after being locked in an elementary school cloakroom. He comes to realize it is the restless spirit of a little girl who longs to find her mother. This sets things up nicely. Unfortunately and tragically, the black janitor of the school is blamed for the assault and then charged with the murders of twelve other children. This is absurd because anyone with common sense could see that, while he could have committed the assault, he couldn't have been charged with a capital crime. The movie involves the young boy putting together the pieces, including a class ring found in a heating vent. This is a nice enough story. It's weakness is that it gets too sappy at times. I really got tired of the grandpa and his excuses to smoke. They were just overly cute. Still, it's pretty captivating and works pretty well.

Very Atmospheric

[birdsong-4 · 8/10 · 23 January 2006]

Despite a few plot gaps, this is a very charming, atmospheric movie. The view is through the eyes of the main child-character, Frankie Scarlatti, and we see what he sees. This is a wonderful ghost story, not a horror film at all. Lukas Haas' character, Frankie, is vulnerable, yet determined to get at the heart of the mystery. Katherine Helmond is touchingly effective in her role as the grandmother of the murdered girl. My only complaint is that I get no clues from the plot or characterizations about what caused the killer to act. Yet I can suspend belief long enough to go with the childlike curiosity into the mysterious story. This is what I call a "little movie", no splashy special effects or over-the-top story lines, just a simple, sweet movie.

film with an identity crisis

[thomandybish · 26 May 2001]

The problem I see with LADY IN WHITE is that it tries too hard to tackle several unrelated themes withing a horror movie framework. The prologue with the adult main character returning to his old hometown and the ensuing exposition about his brother and father made me think of STAND BY ME, which LADY IN WHITE is definitely not. Also, the subplot involving the African-American janitor's wrongful arrest and the subsequent events that lead to tragedy inject a race relations/civil rights theme that really is superfulous to the main plot. What's going on here? Is the filmmaker trying to make a horror film, or a coming of age film, or a social commentary on prejudice? The film could have been complex enough without all these other elements, and the heavy-handed way in which he uses them in film makes for a very muddled, busy state of affairs.

Give it a chance; you'll be surprised!

[vlt22-170-260692 · 7/10 · 8 November 2019]

Hard to explain what's special about this movie, but it is. The exposure of the tragedy of racial prejudice and injustice is just one element.

Epilogue Needed!

[Billy_Crash · 5/10 · 13 March 2009]

I was amazed that this film was even made because it was like "A Christmas Story" meets "M" (with the Hardy Boys thrown in). A big mix of parent-cringing darkness and family fun.

This could have been phenomenal, but a couple of weird and stupid things happened. Most importantly, at times we'd go from daylight to darkness on a whim. Scenes would continue as if they were outrageously and illogically stretched over time. When Franky is trying to escape at the end this starts before twilight then suddenly it's 10pm. Ridiculous.

Spoiler follows:

What's worse, was the film needed an epilogue after the drawn out climax. It would have been great to see the husband who's wife shot the janitor, go and visit the surviving wife to apologize - as well as the rest of the town. And the movie should have finished where it began - at the cemetery with the adult Franky. Since we never returned to that, then it shouldn't have been part of the beginning.

Why independent movies are so weird?

[Efenstor · 9/10 · 1 August 2008]

What makes a good mystery? First of all, weirdness. I've seen a lot of ghost-movies but only a few come close to the beautiful weirdness of this independent movie. Over 4000 people gave their pennies to make this movie come true and it was really worth it. Just like Taboada's "Hasta el viento tiene miedo", LaLoggia's "Lady in White" is an absolutely astonishing movie in every part of it, starting from the visual style to the plot. Of course, like in every movie made on low budget it has pretty bad special effects, sometimes so bad that you want the movie to be remade, but in fact, this is the kind of movie that's totally impossible to be remade without ruining its incomprehensible glamor. Once finished watching, someone would think that it's the plot that makes this movie so unique, but for a movie-lover it's not too hard to remember at least a couple of other flicks with similar plots but miles weaker than "Lady in White", so it's obvious that everything: acting, direction, music, design, photography; so well fit together so they create a potion of pure imagination incredibly interknit with an almost touchable reality. It's the best movie that can be called a screen version of a Christmas story told by the fire by your grand. More than worth watching.

Unfortunately this movie has not been released on DVD in Russia (just as "Hasta el viento..." and many other amazing fantasy movies), so I can share my admiration with only a few people.

"Even in death, she couldn't rest."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 16 November 2021]

The story has sort of a Stephen King/"Stand By Me" vibe going for it, touching on ghostly themes but not really approaching true horror territory unless you want to consider the human monster revealed at the very end. Young Lukas Haas is the principal player here portraying Frankie Scarlatti, the butt of practical jokes by two schoolboy friends, who inadvertently set him up as a principal in a murder mystery that unfolds with the story. Frankie begins seeing the ghost of a ten year old girl who was murdered a decade earlier, who calls out for him to help find her mother. The phantom Melissa Anne Montgomery (Joelle Jacobi) first appears when Frankie becomes trapped in his school's cloak room, courtesy of his scheming pals. The picture segues in a different direction for a bit when the school's black janitor is arrested for attacking Frankie while locked in the storeroom, as the script attempts a look at jumping to conclusions and racial injustice. A happy ending with that scenario doesn't last long, as a grieving mother makes the wrong choice to seek her own brand of revenge.

The identity of the murderer who stalked young kids over the past decade is eventually revealed when Frankie hears the man hum a tune that was associated with the ghost of Melissa. It's all the more horrible since the guy was a long time friend of the Scarlatti family. The title of the picture actually represents two different women in the story - the ghostly apparition of Melissa's mother (Karen Powell) who committed suicide over her daughter's death, and the resident of a creepy old cottage (Katherine Helmond) who has a hand in saving Frankie before he's threatened one final time. If the ending of this film looks familiar, it was utilized once again with slight variation at the finale of 1993's "The Good Son".

Saturday morning cheesy feel

[lhhung_himself · 4/10 · 21 November 2007]

I was more than a bit disappointed with this one after reading the reviews here. It feels like a stretched out ghost story that might be told at a campfire with the cheap cheesy feel you might get from one of those movies shown on Saturday morning. Not the ones that make it to Monster Theater in the afternoon but the ones in the morning for the really little kids. No scarier than Casper the Friendly Ghost with the same cuddly family values to please any squeamish adults that might be watching.

Also it takes itself a bit too seriously and is not quite bad enough to be campy, just staying in the predictable and cheesy range of mediocrity.

It's obvious why this one has remained forgotten.

Interesting ghost story

[seandchoi · 7/10 · 13 July 2000]

I suppose _Lady in White_ can be viewed as a horror film. It is a supernaturalistic ghost story that relies on mood and suspense to generate its scares, rather than gratuitous and explicit gore. And while some of the special effects seem dated by today's standards, that didn't really detract from my interest in the film. Creative camera work and moody score on a couple of scenes actually gave me chills. I also think that this is a film that fans of good mystery should also find to their liking. Overall, this is a good film from a relatively unknown director, Frank LaLo

somewhat lame but I enjoyed it.

[SpeedyFromTheBerks · 6/10 · 6 June 2006]

LADY IN WHITE tackles a ghost story, comedy, racism and family in a movie that doesn't quite deliver all the goods but I liked it for what it was.

Young Frankie Scarlatti, upon having a trick played on him by two smart ass classmates, is locked in the cloakroom (closet-whatever you want to call it) of his school and witnesses the murder of a little girl. Only thing is, what he is witnessing is the girl's ghost being murdered as what happened 10 years ago replays right there before Frankie's eyes. Suddenly, the man who did this returns to look for the school ring he lost that night he murdered the young girl because he knows that the school's heating system is being renewed and if the ring is found he'll certainly be caught and sent to jail. That's when he spots Frankie and starts to strangle him. But somehow Frankie survives and his father shows up and Frankie is carted off to the hospital. The police automatically haul off the black janitor of the school to jail because he was the only one in the building at the time these events happened. He was there because he got drunk and fell asleep. Makes sense to me. Anyway, the young girl's ghost returns and helps Frankie (and even his older turd of a brother) figure out who the real culprit is. Unfortunately for the janitor, this is too late. In one of the most shocking scenes in a movie like this, the janitor is shot to death outside of the Court House, after he is let free, by one of the dead children's mothers (this killer killed quite a few kids). What I mean by shocking is that this scene doesn't really fit a movie of this nature but would of been more suited for a much more riveting film. LADY IN WHITE is not riveting by any means what-so-ever but I sure did enjoy myself while watching it.

Help me find her!

[hitchcockthelegend · 8/10 · 20 October 2010]

Lady in White is directed, produced & written by Frank LaLoggia. It stars Lukas Haas, Len Cariou, Alex Rocco, and Katherine Helmond.

Lady In White arrived to no great fanfare in 1988, it got a limited release in theatres and promptly vanished from the public view. However, it did find a cult following thanks to the burgeoning success of the VHS home format. It seemed that, for home viewings at least, there was a market for a good old fashioned ghost story with a mystery killer kicker at its core. 1988 was the year that cash cow blood movies really started to bang the horror fans over the head. There were sequels for Elm Street, Critters, Friday the 13th, Fright Night, Hellraiser, Halloween, Poltergeist, Phantasm, Living Dead and Killer Tomatoes. But in amongst all that grue and lazy film making were two smart atmospheric movies splicing fantasy realms with their horror. One was the magnificent Paperhouse, the other was of course Lady In White.

It would be foolish of me to claim that Lady In White is flawless because that simply isn't the case, the rubbish score and its budgetary restrictions mean it simply hasn't aged as well as the afore mentioned Paperhouse. Suffice to say this isn't a film for everyone, and certainly not for those who drooled spittle over Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers or Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood. But LaLoggia's ambition and genuine affection for his story lifts this far above many of 1988's tepid releases.

Plot sees Lukas Haas play Frankie, a young boy who as part of a bully prank gets locked in the school cloak-room on Halloween night 1962. Whilst there he observes the ghostly apparition of a young girl, from where he then learns how she sadly became a ghost in the first place. First as he witnesses her murder, then as he is attacked by the unknown assailant who has returned to the cloak-room for some incriminating evidence he left behind. Surviving the attack (one of the film's itchy flaws since the killer must closely know him to let him live), Frankie embarks upon a mission to uncover the story behind the little girl's murder. It's a story that involves ghosts wandering around searching for closure, a serial child killer and the potentially wrongful incarceration of the school's black janitor. All of which is set in the delightfully named Willowpoint Falls; which by day has ethereal charm, but by night oozes with creepy hues.

It's using this home town feel of small Americana that gives the film its solid base to build from. LaLoggia knows that we have seen all too many ghost stories framed around the creepy mansion formula, so he sets this up in and around an everyday life that most can identify with. This Capraesque type town has a very human feel to it, thus the dark secrets that unravel gain added chills. It's an approach that David Koepp's criminally undervalued Stir Of Echoes would harness in 1999. LaLoggia's movie also benefits from strong performances from the principal actors, with Haas (unassuming with commonsense child mannerisms) & Rocco (emotionally tortured but stoic father) playing out two of the best turns in the horror calendar year.

Guessing the killer isn't hard, and in fact he shows up rather too early. While the motive(s) for the monstrous acts that are committed here are never given (he just does it it seems). But this is a clever and well made film. The monsters lay not with the ghosts that glide in and out of Frankie's life, but in the maniac that kills children and the racist undertones that bubbles behind the surface of Willowpoint Falls' pretty facade. Factors that sadly over 30 years on still trouble society greatly. 7.5/10

'80s curio

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 3 August 2021]

Here's one I've been wanting to catch up with for a long time: Frank LaLoggia's LADY IN WHITE, the 1988 ghost story starring WITNESS child star Lukas Haas in his first lead performance. It's one of those films I remember seeing bits and pieces of on television all the time as a kid, but for the last couple of decades it's been very tough to track down. The story begins on Halloween in 1962 when Frankie (Haas) is locked a school closet overnight by a couple of pranksters. He witnesses a ghostly crime play out and nearly ends up being strangled by a serial killer himself, while the subsequent narrative progresses as a whodunit.

It's a little bit unwieldy as a film, with all kinds of diverse influences: Spielberg, Stephen King, and a general '80s era milieu. It explores small town bigotry and racism as a backdrop while also serving as a coming of age drama. Not really a horror, although certainly a ghost story. The special effects have dated here but the closet scene is a real wowzer, full of imagination and creativity, so it's a shame things tone down after that. Haas is a likeable lead and I think if the writing had been a bit stronger and if they'd cut out twenty minutes from the flagging midsection or so this could have been something really special. Nice to catch up with it though!

Expectations Should Be Exceeded

[BaronBl00d · 8/10 · 22 November 2009]

Picture a sleepy rural community by the sea where children play in fields, family members work together and a ghost appears to a young boy to receive aid in finding peace. These are some of the story lines of Lady in White. the picture was directed by Frank LaLoggia and he gives it a picturesque Ray Bradbury kind of tone, mood, and setting. It was as if I were transported back into some aspects of my childhood as the film centers on the point of view of a young boy named Frankie Scarlatti. The story is not grandiose by any means: you will know the identity of the killer fairly quickly just by instincts. The real power of the film for me was the presentation of the film - the creepy moments with the Lady in White, Katherine Helmond as a crazed woman obsessed with candles, and the claustrophobic atmosphere of a little school room. The rural setting is wonderfully portrayed and the resolution to the story has heart and scares. I was impressed with the acting all around from Lukas Haas as Frankie, to Alex Rocco as his father giving a great performance and certainly one not his general type, Len Cariou as a family friend, and Helmond as well. This is at its core a ghost story and one of the better ones I have seen of late. It is family-friendly yet eerily frightening. This is one of those perfect films to watch on a cold, winter evening.

Patchey Ghost Story

[Theo Robertson · 6/10 · 14 January 2006]

On FILM 88 legendary British film critic Barry Norman reviewed two " horror " movies. One was HELLBOUND:HELLRAISER 2 and the other was LADY IN WHITE . Barry hated HELLBOUND which is unsurprising since he is notoriouslyintolerant of gore and violence but he did praise THE LADY IN WHITE but after finally seeing it I have to admit it's a very patchy movie

Much of the problem lies in the film trying to say a little too much . It's set in Willowpoint Falls in 1962 and of course the civil rights campaign is just getting in to flow which means there's a subplot that isn't actually needed . If it'd been set in 1988 you'd have a much more streamlined story . Considering the title of the movie the title character doesn't make an appearance until well into the second half of the running time and up till then GIRL IN PINK would have been a more appropriate title

In fact nothing much at all happens until a subplot featuring a ring comes to the fore and when it does the story becomes compelling and exciting and a little bit disturbing . Unfortunately this doesn't happen until something like 15 minutes before the credits start rolling which gives you an idea of how much potential is wasted and that's a great shame

to the faithful departed.

[dbdumonteil · 18 January 2003]

When you see where the Halloween topic has been through,the likes of Carpenter's stuff,it's a wonder one can make a non-gore ,adult,clever movie on such a hackneyed subject.

The main theme in "lady in white" is the fear of losing our dear ones,a fear which dwells in every child.Not only the young hero-played by a sensitive actor-lost his mother at such an early age but remember that Phil suffered the death of both his father and his mother too.Even the ghost (the little girl) cannot find peace of mind because of her splintered childhood.The black children will experience this terrible fate.

The spirit of HALLOWEEN is the core of the movie who could be dedicated to our faithful departed.

It's amazing to see Lucy Lee Flippin,resuming her schoolteacher career,which she began in "little house" as Eliza-Jane Wilder,Laura's sister in law.

"Lady in white" is a movie one can recommend .It paved a reliable way for "the sixth sense".Its incredible several moments will make your watching worthwhile.

In All, a Bush-League Effort

[chron · 4/10 · 27 August 2006]

I get the sense that this is a Frank LaLoggia vanity project. As writer and director, it's clear that this movie is his creative vision. The story idea is quite good, but this fails on multiple fronts.

The acting is good by the young actors, particularly Lukas Haas. He is most likely best known for his role in "Witness." He is a fine young actor, who is hampered by poor direction. In fact, all in this movie are hampered by poor direction. Even the timing of the dialog is off in places.

For starters, this movies tries to be a comedy and a horror flick, perhaps with a little coming-of-age thrown in, but accomplishes none of them well. Technically, the filming and editing are pretty bush league. It looks like those after-school specials from the 1960's. There are numerous obvious continuity errors.

If you are looking for an entertaining horror flick, this isn't it.

Perfect for Hallowe'en

[skallisjr · 8/10 · 11 October 2005]

This film combines elements from many other genres, and makes itself unique. It is a ghost story, a murder mystery, a nostalgia film, and a family drama.

The story is centered on Frankie, a successful novelist of horror stories. He returns to his home town in the Northeastern United States, during autumn, and the basic film is a flashback.

Within the film are hints that make it more intriguing. Frankie sells greeting cards, and from them gets a typewriter, presaging his career as an author. His schoolwork reflects this, as he writes a frightening short story to spook his schoolmates -- and his teacher. A couple of his classmates trick him into going into the coat closet as the school is closing, and lock him in.

After trying to get out, he eventually falls asleep, and wakens to the sight of the ghost of a young girl, who is condemned to relive, as it were, her murder. Later, the murderer comes into the closet and nearly strangles Frankie to death.

Frankie has a near-death experience, but is revived. He then experiences a number of unusual events, such as seeing The Lady In White, a ghost of a woman seeking her missing daughter. Much of the story is seen in the context of an Italo-American family, with mild comedic incidents.

Major spoiler: The identity of the murderer is a bit easy to figure out, particularly with him whistling an early Bing Crosby song that Frankie (and the audience) knows is connected to the little girl's ghost.

The film delivers on all its fronts, and is perfect to watch after the Trick-Or-Treaters have finished.

Excellent independent film

[cstotlar-1 · 7/10 · 10 January 2011]

I enjoyed "Lady in White" in general. Lucas Haas' performance was wonderful and the acting in general was of very high quality. It took the film a long time to get started. In fact it dragged in the beginning with not much of anything compelling to care about. I realize this is in keeping with the concept that nothing very much ordinarily happens in a town of the kind we see but the point is belabored. The music was simply not very good. It was heavy-handed and not always necessary. Sometimes it actually got in the way. I suppose the director/actor/composer wore one hat too many.

Curtis Stotlar

Concept is imaginative, but the execution bad.

[Flint-13 · 5/10 · 27 June 1999]

This story of a boy who slowly uncovers the secrets behind the deaths of a number of children in a small community attempts to address too many issues, and consequently has trouble in tying the sub-plots together. The scenes of harsh reality conflict with the unconvincing surreal ghostly images. It could have been a lot better, and this possibly states a strong case for not having a writer/director/producer, but allowing the diversification of creatives to produce a more coherent feature.