Warner Bros. | 2009 | 82 mins. | Rated R
Written and directed by Michael Dougherty (who wrote Superman Returns an X2) and based on his short film Season’s Greetings, Trick ‘r Treat was originally slated by Warner Bros. for a October 5, 2007 release, and then the studio announced the date had been pushed back. In the end, for reasons never fully explained, Trick ‘r Treat was given a direct-to-DVD release on October 6, 2009. However, unlike so many throwaway films that go the direct-to-DVD route, Trick ‘r Treat as produced by Bryan Singer (Superman Returns, X-Men) is well worth seeing. With Halloween approaching, horror fans should find this offering entertaining, fun and scary.
The story takes place over the course of one Halloween night in the small town of Warren Valley, Ohio. Trick ‘r Treat follows four intertwining stories as the townspeople go about celebrating the holiday in different ways. First, we meet Henry (Tahmoh Penikett) and Emma (Leslie Bibb), a couple with very different opinions on Halloween; he loves it, she hates it. They are returning home dressed as Flash Gordon and a robot respectively; because Emma hates Halloween, she wants the plethora of decorations in their yard and on their porch taken down that evening. Wanting to enjoy the holiday as long as he can, Henry successfully lobbies to take the decorations down the next morning.
We also meet Steven Wilkins (Dylan Baker), a high school principal, who catches a neighborhood kid smashing jack-o-lanterns and stealing candy. Wilkins sits the kid down and gives him a lecture about rules and respect on Halloween. Wilkins then hands the kid a piece of candy. Moments after eating the treat, the kid starts to vomit blood; Wilkins tells him the first rule of Halloween, “always check your candy…” Steven’s neighbor is Mr. Kreeg (Brian Cox), an old curmudgeon with a dark secret in his past that has come back to haunt him.
We also follow a group of adolescents as they play a prank on the weird girl from their school (Samm Todd) and an older group of 20-something girls, who set out to help Laurie (Anna Paquin) find a special someone with whom to share her first time. Without really giving anything away, all of these characters run into each other at one point or another, but don’t realize they are destined to be forever connected.
The thing connecting them all together is a small figure in a circular, burlap sack Halloween mask that makes increasingly freakish appearances throughout the movie. Named Sam, he upholds Halloween traditions with an iron grip, and sees that those that don’t follow them are appropriately disciplined (sometimes very harshly). Sam is wonderfully creepy and surprisingly original; the reveal of his real face is one of the most horrifying and best moments in the entire film (Granted, the moment is somewhat ruined by the image on the DVD cover).
Michael Dougherty has already proven he’s a talented writer with his work on previous screenplays; with Trick ‘r Treat he successfully weaves four stories (they’d probably be considered vignettes) into one cohesive story. Further, unlike a lot of horror films Dougherty has also provided some character development, which adds to the overall strength of the project. Lastly, he knows how to effectively build tension to create a genuinely scary moment. Trick ‘r Treat is genuine horror, not camp, and things aren’t always what they seem.
There’s a full-screen presentation offered as well as a widescreen version. Much of the action takes place outside at night, However it’s always easy to make out what’s happening. Blacks are solid, a nice contrast against the bright carnival colors and harvest tones. The picture is clean, with a layer of grain that’s especially evident in the scenes where mist is prevalent. The style changes a bit during the gold-tinged flashbacks to a tragic incident from the past, but that section looks appealing too.
The Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track works well for the film. From the shrill sound of screaming at the high end to rumbling growls at the low end, the dynamic range is strong and wide. In the final sequence, as Sam scurries around inside a house, the use of stereoscopic movement to track his whereabouts makes the scene scarier. The presentation also leaves the dialogue sounding crisp and clear.
The only special feature is the original short film Trick ‘R Treat: Season’s Greetings, with optional commentary by writer/director Dougherty. This three-and-a-half minute, hand-animated piece stars Sam, a character Dougherty created long before he wrote the feature film. As Dougherty explains in his commentary, he put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into the animation, and it became the inspiration for the longer version. While this is interesting, it would have been nice to hear a commentary on the feature.
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