A Thomas Bess review of:
Directed By: Mike Dougherty
Starring: Dylan Baker, Anna Paquin, Brian Cox, Samm Todd, Quinn Lord, Tahmoh Penikett, Leslie Bibb
Run Time: 82 minutes of pure candy-coated awesomeness.
Before I get into the review itself, I’d like to take a moment to thank my buddy Stone Cold for providing a projector and outdoor screen so that I could watch Trick ‘r Treat in a manner at least sort of like the way it was meant to be seen, I.E. in a packed theater at midnight. Sure there were only three of us, it was outside and way too damned hot to even be allowed to be called October, but dammit I had a lot of fun and appreciate the effort. Anyhoo, like the suddenly everywhere Paranormal Activity (saints be praised!) Trick ‘r Treat is a movie I’ve literally been waiting years to see. After endless hemming and hawing by the suits over at Warner Brothers it’s finally been released on DVD and while the wait was most definitely worth it, I’m still very disappointed at being robbed of the opportunity to see this in a creaky old theater with a horde of like minded genre fans. But no need to focus on the bad, not when there’s so much orange and black goodness to be had.
This is a rather difficult film to summarize as it’s presented anthology style, but not in the vein of say Creepshow (also awesome by the way) where all the segments are told individually. No, in Trick ‘r Treat we’re treated to four or five stories taking place over the course of Halloween night. Characters from different arcs cross paths with others in clever ways and for the record, it does jump back and forth on the timeline through the course of the story, so if you’re one of those folks trying to keep track of things on an internal clock, be prepared for some mental gymnastics. The segments themselves all have to do with various bits of Halloween lore — in the introduction a couple (Penikett and Bibb) learn why you should always keep the Jack-O-Lantern lit. After that Dylan Baker reminds us to always check our candy, Anna Paquin and friends go looking for the perfect dates with hair-raising consequences, a group of jerky tweens learns that pranks aren’t the best way to celebrate and finally, a cranky old man (Cox) tangles with the demonic Sam, (Lord) a toddler sized monstrosity with a sack over his head and some very creative uses for candy. While there isn’t really a main character to speak of, Sam serves as a silent sort of Crypt Keeper host type, usually showing up when some lesson has been learned or is about to be learned. And trust me when I say, the lessons imparted on this Halloween night are done so spectacularly entertaining fashion.
So what’s good? First and foremost in my mind is the cinematography. Even if everything else in the film was terrible (and that’s not the case at all thankfully) I would have TrT on my frequent watch list because every frame is just so damned pretty. Living as I do in a locale where fall exists for a grand total of three weeks (if that) it was a delight to see this picturesque horror movie town all decked out for the annual Halloween Festival. Sure there’s all manner of psychos, monsters, revenants and other horrors prowling around every corner, but that didn’t stop me from wanting to climb inside and take a walk, just to see what I could find. It’s like Norman Rockwell by way of Graham Ingels and it is very much a feast for the eye. Also in the movie’s favor is it’s gleefully sardonic sense of humor. You don’t have to be with any of the characters for very long to know that something bad is probably going to befall them and while part of you wants someone to warn them away from whatever path they’re on, another part of you demands that they carry on and ultimately pay the price for whatever Halloween transgression they might be guilty of. Finally, I could probably ramble on for pages about the greatness that is Sam, but for now I shall have to be satisfied in saying he really deserves his own flick. The little burlap-headed freak is one of the neatest, stick in your imagination designs I’ve encountered in quite some time and it would be most satisfying to learn more of his back story, presumably while he’s tearing through a horde of wayward teenagers.
So what’s not good? In my eyes, there’s nothing wrong with Trick ‘r Treat, but in putting on my reviewer hat (It’s a deerstalker in case you were wondering) I take note of a couple things that might bother some folks. Number one being, it’s not particularly scary. Certainly there are some startling moments and terrible things are happening on this All Hallows Eve, but the humor effectively takes the worst of the edge off the fright. Also, those viewers in search of a straight forward linear narrative may be put off by how the camera flits between more than one story at a time — and if you’re looking to make deep, emotional connections with the characters, you’d best seek entertainment elsewhere. While likable (or repugnant or terrifying, depending on who they are) the folks in these stories are broadly drawn. They’re more like the central figures in some demented fable or parable, reminding the audience why it’s a bad idea to smash pumpkins or steal candy or generally disrespect the ground rules of Halloween.
In the end, should you see it? If you’re looking for something in the traditional And Then There Were None slasher formula or don’t like a movie that’s more entertaining than frightening, I’d say stay away. You’d most likely end up disappointed and really, at this point I’m in no mood to hear another IMDB poster bitch and moan about how over hyped everything is these days, so just do yourself a favor and stay clear. However, if you’re a sucker for Halloween (the holiday, not the movie. Though if you were a fan of one, I presume you’d be a fan of the other, so it could be both) and atmosphere and campfire style stories where rotten people get what’s coming to them, I’d say pick this flick up post-haste. While Paranormal Activity is the scariest movie of the year, Trick ‘r Treat is the most fun, no question.
Til next time, always remember that the calls are coming from inside the house.
Tom Bess has sideburns that are so big they might be considered a beard shaving accident from afar. He blames his current mental state on Stephen King, Mike Nelson, Seth McFarlane and Vince McMahon but bears them no ill will. He passes his time writing movie reviews, but will flee the interwebs forever as soon as Allison Mack starts returning his calls.
