By Steven Honeycutt
Lately, I’ve been trying to pin-point what it is about Halloween that makes it so lovely to me. I don’t have any kids so I’m not out trick or treating, and most homes nowadays won’t even give out real candy; the kids have to GET all their candy before the sun even goes down.
Thank God I’m not a kid anymore.
But that’s precisely it! The reason I love Halloween is because of the memories I have of BEING a kid. Halloween, as a child, is a fascinating, very real, very scary holiday. It feels like anything can happen on that one night; the sounds of doorbells and high-pitched “TRICK OR TREEEEAT” calls drifting on the night air. The yellowish glow of jack-o-lanterns, carved with spooky or goofy faces. The smell of the candy in the bag. The crackle of leaves underfoot as you cross the street to stand in line behind the alien, pig and ballerina for candy apples.
Ooooooh boy………..I f@#king love this holiday.
Which is the precise reason why Trick ‘R Treat is the best movie about Halloween. EVER.
Michael Dougherty makes his directorial debut with one of the most gorgeously shot horror movies to date. All the feelings I described above are encapsulated in almost every frame of the film. It’s set on Halloween night, when the fabric between the natural and supernatural is at its most thin. This is an anthology movie (a form severely missed in today’s cinema), meaning there are three or four storylines going on at the same time (hence why this movie is referred to as the Pulp Fiction of horror movies).
Trick ‘R Treat lovingly pays homage to such classics as Creepshow, Tales from the Crypt, The Lost Boys, and so on. Now, the less that is said about the individual storylines, the better. The joy is in seeing where each one will go…..and it’s usually not in the direction you’re thinking. In one, a group of trick or treaters gather jack-o-lanterns to pay respect to a school bus full of kids that plunged into a rock quarry years before. In another, a lecherous school principal carries out his Halloween plans (with hilarious interruptions from his young son). A lonely girl (Anna Paquin, pre-True Blood) dresses as Little Red Riding Hood and meets a mysterious stranger on the way to a party. And finally, a cantankerous old fart is terrorized in his home by an unknown trick or treater……..named Sam.
Oh, Sam………..bless your evil little heart.
The one link to all of these different stories is the character of Sam, a diminutive figure who is dressed in a tattered onesy and wears a freaky burlap sack mask. He is, essentially, the spirit of Halloween incarnate. You see, there are rules to follow on this night:
- Don’t blow out a jack-o-lantern!
- Always check your candy!
Those are just two examples, but breaking any one of them will insure you a visit by little Sam. Dougherty has created the newest iconic horror figure. Sam is always present through the movie, yet his appearances are few. The first time you really get a good look at him it is so sudden and handled so nonchalantly that I actually got chills!
Much has been said about the long road this movie has taken in getting to the general public. Originally slated to be released in 2007, Warner Bros. put the movie on a shelf and promised to release it a year later. Well, 2008 came and went and STILL no Trick ‘R Treat. On the internet, chatrooms were buzzing about this ultimate Halloween movie that only a lucky few had seen at several screenings and festivals. The movie was getting solid reviews across the board and the curiosity hit a fever pitch. Finally, the studio released it straight to DVD (a real shame……this movie would look incredible on the big screen).
But at least we have it now!
Trust me, people. If you are the type of person who claims to love Halloween, then don’t miss this. The movie is amazing. It’s never concerned with being overly gross or scary; it just wants to have fun. And that’s truly what this movie is: fun. The dialogue never gets hokey, the surprises and revelations just keep coming, and the movie never loses sight that it is here to frighten AND entertain you. Mark my word, this has cult classic written all over it and will be a must-see on every Halloween to come.
Happy Halloween, folks.
Behave. Follow the rules.
Or you just might end up meeting Sam.
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- Exclusive Interview: Trick ‘R Treat Director Michael Dougherty (cinemablend.com)
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Lisa Fary's earliest influences are Princess Leia, Rainbow Bright, Astronaut Barbie, and her 6th grade teacher, Ms. Palmer. She's angry that it's 2011 and she still doesn't have a hovercraft, but will accept a jetpack as consolation. That jetpack had better be pink with a rhinestone monogram. 
Great review.
And this movie is pretty badass. You usually can't go wrong when Fangoria Magazine gives you their stamp of approval.
I will admit, I thought the film felt kind of clunky at first (with the opening kill and the serial killer Dad) but it quickly found it's rhythm with the Quarry, "teenagers paying homage to dead kids" story. And then the film has such marvelous connections that I was able to look back on those first two stories and realize how good they were.
And finally, this movie deserves praise for saying something that I have always felt: that Charlie Brown, is indeed, an a-hole.
Actually one more thing: as far as "Best Halloween Movies ever" I think Halloween III does a pretty good job of being a Halloween movie (I don't really include the first film, cause it feels like a slasher fic that just happens to be on Halloween. I think Michael Myers could have done his damage on any other day, as well).
Did it not go to any theatres in America? I got to see it on the big screen at FrightFest in London (one of the lucky few, it seems). It did look pretty incredible. Brian Cox was there to introduce it but thanks to my sucky timekeeping I managed to miss him.