After her mother is brutally murdered by a hammer wielding psycho, traumatized young Ellie (Patterson) finds herself shoveled off to the Deere Youth Home...where sadistic headmistress Deere (Grahame) dispatches her charges and stores their bodies in the cellar freezer!

A nasty hammer claw goreing sets the stage (similar in tone to Carpenter's POV Halloween starter), the story unfolds at a nice clip with some odd touches including a kid tied and starving in the attic.

1940s film noir vet Grahame gives a delightful latter day performance as the warped orphanage director, while Patterson is sympathetic as the frightened but savvy Ellie who discovers Deere's secrets...as well as her own.

Definitely worth seeking out.