In honor of the witching season, we’ll profile a new Halloween-centric title every day throughout the month of October.
…GIVE ME SOMETHING GOOD TO EAT!
Article by Adam Mast
Michael Dougherty’s TRICK ‘R TREAT is second only to CREEPSHOW as the best horror anthology ever committed to film. Not only that, but it is the absolute personification of Halloween. In fact, TRICK ‘R TREAT is to Halloween as A CHRISTMAS STORY and IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE are to Christmas.
I suppose TRICK ‘R TREAT isn’t a horror anthology in the traditional sense. It’s made up of a handful of stories, but there aren’t actual breaks between each vignette. Each tale pretty much blends into the next with various characters floating throughout. In that regard, TRICK ‘R TREAT sort of plays like a Halloween version of PULP FICTION.
The stories here are all Halloween-based and revolve around a college student (played by Anna Paquin) who may have finally met her soul mate, a principal who leads a secret life, a prank gone horribly wrong, and a mean old fart (gleefully played by Brian Cox) who meets his match in the form of a creature of the night; A creature that deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as iconic boogeymen like Freddy, Jason, Michael, Chucky, Pinhead, and Leatherface.
Again, TRICK ‘R TREAT oozes the essence of Halloween for pretty much its entire brisk running time. The look of it…The style of it. It’s clear that Dougherty (a screenwriter by trade–he penned SUPERMAN RETURNS for director Bryan Singer) loves this holiday and it’s even more clear that he has an undying passion for the horror genre.
I love TRICK ‘R TREAT for a whole myriad of reasons, one of which is Dougherty’s reluctance to resort to CGI overload. There’s a ton of practical make-up effects work here and it gives this cinematic treat a much welcome throwback feel.
Oddly enough, TRICK ‘R TREAT was supposed to be released in 2007, but for whatever reason, Warner Brothers held on to the movie and eventually sent it straight to DVD in 2009. This is a similar fate that almost befell THE CABIN IN THE WOODS. Thankfully, for that picture, Lionsgate came to the rescue and gave it a proper theatrical run.
Like THE CABIN IN THE WOODS, TRICK ‘R TREAT has garnered cult status through the years. So much so in fact, that Dougherty has been given the greenlight for a sequel. That’s right! A movie that Warner Brothers pulled from its schedule and dumped straight to DVD 2 years later, has garnered enough love and support to warrant a follow-up. First up though, Dougherty will treat us to a Christmas-themed horror movie called KRAMPUS on December 4th. Not surprisingly, it looks awesome!
I can’t recommend TRICK ‘R TREAT enough. While every film on this Countdown is worthy of your time, this is one of maybe two or three titles that is best experienced on Halloween night. Trust me on this. If you haven’t seen it, do your self a favor and grab a copy immediately!
COUNTDOWN TO HALLOWEEN
October 29th-“The Shining” – Click Here
October 28th-“Alien” and “Aliens”– Click Here
October 27th-“The Cabin in the Woods”– Click Here
October 26th-“Blood-O-Ween”–Click Here
October 25th-“Horror-Fest/Guerilla 2015” Recap–Click Here
October 24th-“Jaws”– Click Here
October 23rd-“Frailty”– Click Here
October 22nd- “Psycho” – Click Here
October 21st-“Killer Klowns From Outer Space”– Click Here
October 20th- “Horrorfest 2015” – Click Here
October 19th- “Hocus Pocus” – Click Here
October 18th-“The Exorcist”– Click Here
October 17th-“Prince of Darkness”– Click Here
October 16th- “The Omen” – Click Here
October 15th-“Dawn of the Dead”– Click Here
October 14th- Student Bodies”–Click Here
October 13th-“Habit”–Click Here
October 12th- “The Twilight Zone” – Click Here
October 11th- “Creepshow” – Click Here
October 10th-“Shaun of the Dead“-Click Here
October 9th-“Invasion of the Body Snatchers”– Click Here
October 8th-“The Final Girls”–Click Here
October 7th-“Something Wicked This Way Comes”–Click Here
October 6th- “We Are Still Here”–Click Here
October 5th-“Evil Dead II: Dead By Dawn”–Click Here
October 4th- “Phantom of the Paradise“-Click Here
October 3rd-“Poltergeist“-Click Here
October 2nd-“The Babadook“-Click Here
October 1st-“John Carpenter’s The Thing“-Click Here
