TRICK 'R' TREAT (2007)

 

DIRECTED & WRITTEN by Michael Dougherty

STARRING - Dylan Baker as Steven

Rochelle Aytes as Maria

Quinn Lord as Sam / Peeping Tommy

Lauren Lee Smith as Danielle

Moneca Delain as Janet

Tahmoh Penikett as Henry

Brett Kelly as Charlie

Britt McKillip as Macy

Isabelle Deluce as Sara

Jean-Luc Bilodeau as Schrader

Alberto Ghisi as Chip

Samm Todd as Rhonda

Anna Paquin as Laurie

Brian Cox as Mr. Kreeg

Leslie Bibb as Emma

Connor Levins as Billy

James Willson as Alex

Patrick Gilmore as Bud the cameraman

C. Ernst Harth as Giant Baby

Christine Willes as Mrs. Henderson

Richard Harmon as Vampire Kid

Laura Mennell as Allie

PLOT - It's Halloween night in the town of Warren Valley...but this year is no ordinary Halloween.

For this is the year that real monsters come to town.

From a friendly neighbourhood serial killer to a coven of werewolves, right down to a group of undead trick or treaters - these are their stories...

Overlooking it all is the strange pumpkin headed trick or treater known only as Sam. Who or what is Sam ? You really don't want to know...

THE STORIES -  Trick 'r' Treat is an anthology movie with a difference. Rather than it being a straight up collection of chillers that's maybe linked by a central narrator or wraparound story, instead this movie goes down the route of having the stories blend in and out of each other. 

So for example, you'll get a character from one tale then appear in the next story whilst maybe spotting other characters who you'll meet later just hanging out in the background. It's basically Tarantino's Pulp Fiction but set on Halloween with spooks and monsters.

The main figure linking all this is Sam (Quinn Lord) a little creature with a sackcloth mask over his head who initially appears to be a kid trick or treating but turns out to be something a lot, lot worse.

Despite the stories intersecting frequently I'm still going to discuss them individually like I do with all anthology movies (it's easier that way). Right, time to dive in...

OPENING - it's late on Halloween night, the evening is winding down for another year. A young couple - Halloween fanatic Henry (Tahmoh Penikett) and his complaining Halloween hating girlfriend Emma (Leslie Bibby) arrive home after a fancy dress party. Emma starts to take the decorations down, but she's forgotten one simple, basic rule - NEVER BLOW OUT THE LIGHTS OF A JACK'O LANTERN UNTIL NOVEMBER THE FIRST...

A simple little cautionary tale about respecting the traditions of Halloween. This story sets up things nicely, it introduces us to Sam and let's us know that despite his diminutive stature he's willing to kill in the name of Halloween and is a force to be reckoned with. Bibby is suitably dislikeable as a character to make it a punch the air moment when Sam teaches her a gory (and seasonally appropriate) lesson.

THE PRINCIPLE - An obese trick or treater - Charlie (Brett Kelly) falls foul of the local serial killer after smashing pumpkins and stealing candy. The killer is none other than the principle of the local school - Steven (Dylan Baker) who now has the problem of disposing of Charlie's body on the busiest night of the year...

A beautifully dark comedy (which considering it's main character is a child killer takes a lot of guts). Dylan Baker is great as the evil (but incompetent) killer headmaster - he's funny, snarky, evil and seems to be having a really bad night. It's a memorable character he gives us, especially seeing as he effectively acts as the surrogate to Sam in this section, in that Steve is the one enforcing the rules of Halloween whilst Sam is elsewhere. We'll see more of Steve and just what's occurring with his next door neighbour in a later story...

THE HALLOWEEN SCHOOL BUS MASSACRE - A group of trick or treaters plan to play an unkind trick on new girl at school, the socially inept Rhonda (Sam Todd). The prank involves invoking an old town legend about a group of special needs kids who where murdered by the driver of the school bus who was paid by the children's parents to do away with thier unwanted burden. However - the cruel teens are about to discover that some urban legends are more than just stories...

This is probably the darkest segment in the film as it loses the quirkiness of the previous stories and concentrates on telling a moody and atmospheric ghost story about revenge from beyond the grave (which doesn't get it's denouement until the very last scene of the film). 

The young cast are all excellent and the ghost children are particularly unsettling in their vintage Halloween costumes. This is probably my favourite segment of the entire film.

SURPRISE PARTY - A gang of young women are getting ready for the town's Halloween carnival. They're choosing costumes and picking dates for the evening.

The only member of the group who isn't enjoying the prospect is Laurie (Anna Paquin) who is still a virgin and is being pressured by her older sister to lose her virginity that night.

When Laurie picks the wrong date - a mysterious killer dressed as a vampire - it's soon time for the girl's deadly secrets to be revealed...

Future Suki Stackhouse Anna Paquin gives an excellent performance as the virginal Laurie (hhmmm, I wonder what movie that name is a homage to...). At first she's nervy and self conscious but as her eventual true nature is revealed she becomes more overtly sexual (and sexier) in her performance.

We also get the return of inept serial killer Steven - this time decked out in a vampire costume - who's up to his old tricks again, but this time he meets his match in Laurie.

With it's scantily clad girls, Paquin's sexualised performance and the overall "coming of age" vibe, this twisted take on Little Red Riding Hood is the sexiest story in the mix. Another good 'un.

SAM - From a Halloweened up Red Riding Hood to a spooky season version of A Christmas Carol for this final entry.

Veteran actor Brian Cox plays Mr. Kreeg - a miserable old bugger (and Steve the serial Killer's next door neighbour) who absolutely detests the Halloween season and anything to do with it. Kreeg is the type of arsehole who would set his dog on little kids out trick or treating or stick razor blades in their sweets. He's basically the Ebenezer Scrooge figure of this story.

It's not long before everyone's favourite guardian of Halloween - Sam - decides to take the old fart to task over his disdain for the season. Cue twenty or so minutes of Sam and Kreeg kicking the shit out of each other. It's like a Loony Tunes cartoon on acid with violence that'll make you wince in places.

Cox is wonderfully crusty as Kreeg and we finally get to see what Sam's hiding under his burlap sack.

Naturally, as with old Ebeneezer, Kreeg learns the error of his ways and embraces the true spirit of Halloween...but there's a wicked twist to this final tale (one that ties into The School Bus Massacre) that'll leave you realising that there's no such thing as a happy ending...

Great stuff which ties up everything neatly and suitably creepily.

SFX - Lots of lovely old school practical FX (which considering this movie was made in 2007 at the height of the CGI period of movie making is no small achievement in itself) . The Werewolves, zombies and gore all look top notch (you'll never look at a pumpkin's innards in quite the same way ever again) and of course the star of it all is Sam.

Cute, mischievous and creepy all at once - it's no wonder he's become an iconic mascot of Halloween in his own right.

SEX & VIOLENCE - Whether it's a fat kid literally puking his own guts up, a bunch of sexy werewolves tearing horny guy's throats out or Sam murdering someone with a lollipop sweet, this film has you covered.

RATING - Creepy, spooky, autumnal and a little bit cheeky - this film - more than any I've ever seen - TRULY captures the spirit of Halloween.

I really can't fault this on any level. A perfect watch for All Hallows Eve (Now where's the oft mentioned Trick 'R' Treat 2 that they've been talking about making ? Come on - it's been nearly TWENTY YEARS for crying out loud !!!!!)

5 little Pumpkin demons out of 5.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!!

ART - 

Below - Cover art to an issue of the Trick 'R' Treat comic series - like the movie it's an anthology in the vein of the old EC comics, but it doesn't have the clever interconnectivity of the movie. Just straight forward tales (still a good read though).