Trick 'r Treat Review

At long last, I picked up my Blu-Ray of Trick 'r Treat on Tuesday! After waiting (literally) years for this movie, I wondered if it could live up to my own built up expectations. Well, I can honestly say that it actually far surpassed them, which is an extreme rarity when it comes to films for me!



I won't get into spoiler territory, but I will say that Michael Dougherty has crafted a phenomenal film, filled with love and affection for the Halloween season. Every scene is chocked-full of the trappings of this wonderful holiday, and you'd be hard-pressed to find another movie that could so easily put you in the spirit. The legends and lore that are the backbone of Samhain are on display here, creating a fun, scary joyride through the mythology that led to All Hallow's Eve.

Central to the proceedings is Dougherty's finest character, Sam. Sam is, quite simply, the Spirit of Halloween. He is cute, mysterious, mischievous, vengeful, playful, creepy and downright vicious! He truly embodies everything that Halloween can be, and that just makes him such a delightful character. He takes his place alongside Dracula, The Wolf-Man, Michael Myers, Freddy, Jason etc as a true big screen boogeyman...but also fits in nicely with Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny!




Sam first made his debut in animated form, in a short film Dougherty did in college called "Season's Greetings" (a favorite of mine, which is included on the disc with the film!). Rendered in live-action, he retains his cute-but-demonic aspect. While he isn't always the focus of the four interwoven stories, he is present in all of them. He enforces the rules of Halloween, and punishes severely those who break them!

If you are a fan of horror, you'll enjoy this...but I also recommend this flick for anyone who just loves Halloween. It isn't a movie you want to show younger kids (at least not until they're older), but teens will love it. It is scary, cute, funny, creepy, sexy and just plain fun...in other words, it is all the things Halloween itself is! This is easily the best film centered around the holiday since John Carpenter's 1978 masterpiece, and in many ways this film is far more all-encompassing, since it focuses on the lore and magic of All Hallow's Eve itself. I give this flick my highest possible recommendation! See it soon...or Sam may be paying you a visit!!