Cadaverella

I was quite surprised with the outcome of "Cadaverella", as I was certain that it would suck...

Strong writing by Timothy and Jennifer Friend, and directing by Timothy, makes "Cadaverella" an entertaining slice of fairytale pie. The comedic tone is set early by a foul-mouthed narration, but it is the acting that truly sets this film apart from thousands of other low budget Indies. The film's star: Megan Goddard is simply wonderful as the ill-fated Cinder, who's perfect world is plagued by tragedy and misfortune. Kieran Hunter has a strong turn as the (wicked) stepmother and the rest of the cast seem to understand what their character's purpose is supposed to be. Although I was not real fond of the fact that many of the actors played multiple parts, I was able to overlook this because they did them well... Over-all mood and cinematography of the film looks fantastic, and the viewer happily follows "Cinder" through her pathetic set of circumstances. The down side of the film would be it's musical score, which mixes some sort of jazz with rock drums and finger-snaps. It never quite fits what is happening on screen, and I found this disrupting. Another would be a few unnecessary scenes that just didn't need to be there and felt more like filler, perhaps because of the film's short running time. However, these unfortunate mishaps do not make this well crafted, sensationally acted film anything less then great entertainment for your indie buck.

Most people are REALLY exaggerating about this movie. Sure, it's low-budget and the special effects are laughable, but it's actually a rather good movie. Watchable, at the VERY least.

Cinder is probably the least-likable Cinderella character ever. They really picked the wrong character for that role. Her poor coworker would have fit the bill much better. The kills are mediocre, there's a lot of boring filler, and the voiceovers are terribly unbelievable. Most of the characters are more like caricatures, extreme stereotypes and I guess are supposed to be ironic and funny, but come off as uninspired.

Still, worth watching, especially if you like horror versions of fairy tales, or like laughing at bad effects with your friends.

There's a certain whimsical element to the first half hour. Credit is due for the setting and the conceptual basis for the story, and the narration in the opening is reminiscent of Dead Like Me.

However the movie quickly fades into a drama class level of acting that keeps it from being entertaining. Frequent changes in the quality of the filming almost suggest that it was done with several different types/styles of cameras, but to achieve a stylistic effect. Rather it distracts from the scenes, which are not strong enough to survive on their own, let alone with distractions.

If you are a die hard fan of any kind of independent films, you might want to give it a whirl, but I otherwise do yourself the favor of steering clear.

This low-budget feature updates Cinderella for a modern day (and bloodthirsty) audience. Certainly not for all tastes, this dark and twisted fairy tale presents Cinderella as a young librarian awaiting her twenty-first birthday in order to gain access to her trust fund and thus escape her evil stepmother. Unfortunately things go wildly wrong and she ends up seeking bloody revenge from beyond the grave.

Although the low-budget shows at times the acting is topnotch and the film is stylishly presented and overcomes its flaws with its enthusiasm. Be sure and watch through the end credits to get the whole Cadaverella experience. Solid low-budget entertainment that is worth seeking out.

As I am typing this, this movie currently holds an IMDb rating of 3.4, which I think is rather harsh.

While suffering from a rather boring start, I found this one to be dark, endearing and even funny at times, factors which are helped by good acting performances. There is one plot hole another reviewer mentioned about the twins staying the same age after several years, but this is partially explained in the end. As an added bonus, there is some great unexpected gore near the end. As long as you don't mind low budget, I would recommend at least giving this one a chance.

7.5/10