TRICK ‘R TREAT (2007)
Section of the cinematic cemetery: Halloween-themed, semi-supernatural horror anthology
Cause of (premature) death: The one-of-a-kind treat was chucked aside by distributors like a half-open Tootsie Roll. After doing extremely well on the festival circuit (it nabbed the Silver Award at the Toronto After Dark Festival that year), it got a legitimate theatrical release date: October 5, 2007. But it never got to see that date through, presumably because production companies don’t know how to market a creative, Halloween film for adults. So it remained unreleased until eventually coming to DVD in 2009.
What its tombstone would read: Werewolves, vampires, angry kiddie ghosts, serial killer principals and small pumpkin-headed things went bump in the Halloween night.
Why it needs to be revived: It’s Halloween embodied. It’s not just because of the theme, name and setting, but also due to the general feel of the film. Like my favourite holiday, it’s both over-the-top fun and undeniably creepy, luring you into that false sense of security before scaring you silly. (Occasional emphasis on the silly. But only occasional.)
Unlike some anthology flicks (I’m looking at you, Tales from the Darkside), each section of Trick ‘r Treat is equally enjoyable, in its own, fucked-yet-festive way. As its name suggests, it’s the perfect bag of cinematic loot, filled with a little something for every one of your friends. There’s the traditional, Michael Myers-style slasher stuff, encounters with not-so-friendly ghosts, multiple monster mash-ups and even the traditional, crotchy old dude who don’t even think of asking for candy. Together, these tricky tales makes for the best seasonal horror movie since John Carpenter’s original Halloween. And I love me some Laurie Strode.
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