Trick 'r Treat Blu-Ray Review

Posted by Shawn S. Lealos on 10.08.2009

The best Halloween horror film in over thirty years

Directed By: Michael Dougherty
Written By: Michael Dougherty
Cinematography By: Glen MacPherson
Music Composed By: Douglas Pipes

Cast
Dylan Baker ... Principal Steven Wilkins
Brian Cox ... Mr. Kreeg
Quinn Lord ... Sam
Anna Paquin ... Laurie
Rochelle Aytes ... Maria
Moneca Delain ... Janet
Britt McKillip ... Marcy
Isabelle Deluce ... Sara
Jean-Luc Bilodeau ... Schrader
Alberto Ghisi ... Chip
Samm Todd ... Rhonda
Leslie Bibb ... Emma




The Film

When John Carpenter was making Halloween he stated his goal was to make a different Halloween themed movie every year. After he finished his Michael Myers story in part 2, he went on to make Season of the Witch and it was panned to the point of returning to the Myers story where Halloween has stayed since. I have often wondered what would have happened if that third movie had played out differently. Now that I have seen Trick ‘r Treat, my question has been answered.

For years we have been getting our Halloween fix with the Saw franchise. Each and every year we see a new version of this torture porn and accept that as what a Halloween movie is supposed to look like. Move over Jigsaw because little Sam is exactly what Halloween is supposed to look like. Sam is a little trick or treater, dressed in what looks like a burlap sack with a bag over his head. To be quite honest, he is rather cute and all he wants is candy for Halloween. Oh, and he wants the holiday to be treated with the respect it deserves. If not, Sam will come knocking and you won’t think he’s a cute little guy when he is finished with you.

Trick ‘r Treat is an anthology movie. It bears a strong resemblance of the old EC horror comics and can be set side-by-side with the Creepshow’s of the world. Unlike Creepshow, Trick ‘r Treat interconnects the stories into one larger narrative in much the way Pulp Fiction did. Also like the Tarantino masterpiece, Trick ‘r Treat is also presented out of chronological order and if you watch closely you will see characters from one story passing on through another of the stories. Also like Pulp Fiction, just because a character dies does not mean you won’t see them again thanks to the jumping through timelines.

The movie starts off with a man and woman returning to their overly decorated home on Halloween night. While the man has a strong opinion of the holiday’s rituals, the woman does not seem to care, stripping off her costume in the front yard, blowing out the jack-o-lantern and taking down the decorations that night. In much the same format as a movie like Scream, she is dispatched early thanks to the disrespect she shows towards the rules of Halloween rituals. That is the main setup of the movie as it brings up the history, superstitions and legends of Halloween and punishes those people who trample on that legacy.

The intertwining stories includes a serial killing principal preying on children, a group of girls inviting guys into the woods for a party, a group of children planning a mean spirited prank and a crotchety old man terrorized by a little trick or treater. The actors in this movie are spectacular. Dylan Baker, who I last saw in the very fun horror comedy Fido, plays a completely different character here, a creepy, slimy, disgusting man who happens to be a deranged serial killer. The main character in the story of the girls is Anna Paquin, a nervous, introverted girl who wants her “first time” to be special. The kids are all unknowns but are carried to great performances by first time director Michael Dougherty. Finally, the old man is an almost unrecognizable Brian Cox. Interestingly enough, Cox asked that his character bear a strong resemblance to the master of Halloween movies himself, John Carpenter. It came across as more Jerry Garcia, but it still works.

In a day where torture porn rules (Saw VI comes out in a couple of weeks), Trick ‘r Treat is a call back to the eighties where horror movies were fun and went in unexpected directions. I don’t want to say too much about the story because it is important for you to come into this movie with no knowledge of the plot points. The scenes with Brian Cox were brilliantly fun. The performance by Dylan Baker was masterful and made even more special when he received his comeuppance. The twist in Anna Paquin’s story was a bit farfetched but she has never been hotter. The best part is the story of the kids playing the cruel practical joke and it brings back delightful memories of the old EC Horror comics.

The iconic character in the film is Sam (named after the original Celtic festival Samhain which became Halloween). Director Michael Dougherty has been drawing this character for years. While in film school in the nineties, he made a short animated film of Sam and used it to get his name out. He never believed the character would be brought to a feature length film but, thanks to his friend Bryan Singer (Dougherty co-wrote X-Men 2), he finally got the chance. Despite Singer’s name being attached the movie was put on a shelf for two years, never seeing the light of day outside film festivals. It proves William Goldman’s old saying that in Hollywood, no one knows nothing.

What is best about this film is the surprisingly fun feel without regressing to comedy. The movie is horrific, bloody and disturbing but never once did I feel like turning it off. Maybe it is the gluttony of the torture porn genre numbing me to violent acts simply for the purpose of being shocking. Trick ‘r Treat is a morality tale with everyone who deserves to be punished getting what is coming to them. The morality of the story and the twists and turns of the movie make it a roller coaster ride well worth taking. The fact that Saw can be green lit and be released into large mainstream showings while a movie like this is kept on the shelf for two years and finally pushed off onto DVD is pathetic. The world needs new original horror. Trick ‘r Treat meets that description and I will take one of these over a million Saw’s any day of the week.

The Video

The video is presented in 1080p with the original aspect ratio of 2.39:1. It looks fantastic. Most of the film takes place at night and everything looks amazing, the reds and greens popping with the black levels sharp.

The Audio

The audio is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1, in English, Spanish and French. It sounds perfect. The effects, dialogue and score were perfectly matched.

The Packaging

The Blu-Ray came with a slip cover and the typical Blu-Ray packaging. The Blu-Ray’s actual cover is different than the Blu-Ray cover you see above, as that version is the slip covers art. Also included in the case is a second disc with the digital copy included on it. The menu screens are set up great and everything is clear and organized for optimal viewing. With that said, there is nowhere to make audio or video changes to the film unless you do it with your Blu-Ray controller.

The Extras

Commentary - There is a commentary track led by director Michael Dougherty. He is joined by Breehn Burns (concept artist), Simeon Wilkins (storyboard artist) and Douglas Pipes (composer). The four carry on a great conversation and it remains interesting while always informative. It is a great commentary track and the guys obviously are proud of their finished product.

How Did Many of Our Scary Season Traditions Start - This is a fantastic little feature that looks at the history of Halloween and how each story in the movie ties into that history. It is comprehensive and very interesting.

Additional Scenes - You can watch these with or without commentary. Among the scenes are extended scenes including an interesting one with Anna Paquin and an alternate introduction to Sam.

Trick ‘r Treat: Season’s Greetings - This is director Michael Dougherty’s student film that features the character of Sam. It is under four minutes long and is animated, all hand drawn. The short made festival rounds and eventually was shown on various networks such as MTV.

School Bus FX Comparison - This is a very short side-by-side comparison of the finished school bus wreck and the computer work that was put into it to make the final cut.


The Film: 9.5/10.0
The Video: 10.0/10.0
The Audio: 10.0/10.0
The Packaging: 10.0/10.0
The Extras: 10.0/10.0

The 411: Trick ‘r Treat is a breath of fresh air in the stale world of horror films. There have been some great horror releases this year but they have geared towards the comic (Drag Me to Hell, Zombieland). Trick ‘r Treat is a straight out horror film that both scares and surprises the viewer with its originality. The characters are unique and the script takes them in directions you never expect. The iconic character of Sam could become a legend if the studios stop messing around with this movie. With all the regurgitated horror movie sequels (Saw) and stupid teeny bopper PG-13 wannabe horror movies (The Unborn), it is tragic that a true original like this has been sitting on the shelf ignored for two years. I have no qualms in suggesting that you buy this movie if you love horror. It delivers the best horror movie I have seen in a long time and is the best Halloween themed film since the original Halloween over thirty years ago. There is a new face of Halloween and his name is Sam.

Final Score:  9.5   [  Amazing ]