"'What's the point? They're all the same, some stupid killer stalking some big-breasted girl who can't act and is always running up the stairs when she should be running out the front door, it's insulting.'- Sidney Prescott, Scream"
Trick 'r Treat (2009)
Submitted by TheCommune on 10/15/2009
Written and directed by Michael Dougherty
Featuring Anna Paquin, Tahmoh Penikett, Rochelle Aytes, Dylan Baker, Lauren Lee Smith, Quinn Lord, Brett Kelly, Moneca Delain, Isabelle Deluce, Leslie Bibb, Jean-Luc Bilodeau
Review by Lis Fies
Warner Brothers apparently had no idea what a rare and wonderful cash cow it had acquired in Trick r' Treat, and made the totally bone-headed decision of releasing this stellar movie straight to DVD instead of giving it what would have been a smashingly lucrative theatrical release supplanting tired warhorse SAW this Halloween season. Not that Hollywood is known for understanding or respecting thriller/horror material and its fans, but their throwaway treatment of Trick 'r Treat is shockingly dumb even for them...
To add insult to injury, they've printed a woefully inadequate amount of DVDs to supply the awesome word of mouth, to the point that it's difficult to find a copy to buy or rent anywhere except in Blu-ray. Look in the trades this November for higher-up suits to be committing hare-kari, and their MBA clone replacements to be giving writer/director/executive producer Michael Dougherty a franchise he richly deserves (and I'll bet a real producer credit to boot). Not that Dougherty needs it. He's got more genre treats on the way for us in 2010.
Trick 'r Treat achieves a delightfully fun, scary and subversive tone that can best be described as the embodiment of all your childhood wonder and fear from our favorite holiday. While there isn't enough gore to make the 'hounds happy, there's a middle-of-the road here achieved in this five-story anthology that has something to please every kind of horror fan, with a genius interlocking narrative device of that creepy little dude featured on the DVD cover and in the commercial and terrifying extended scene released last year. (Have fans named him yet? Could we start a movement for him to be called Cloth-head? No? Just me?)
While the five stories feature a lovely array of characters (including children) graphically getting their comeuppance for not celebrating Halloween to the letter of the lore, of particular highlight for Pretty/Scary viewers is the breathtaking sequence featuring Anna Paquin. Love or hate the Academy- award bestowed blinky phenom, there's little doubt after her sexy turns as Rogue in X-MEN, Sookie in TRUE BLOOD and now this incredible gem that she is a genre girl with a capital G.
I really hate to ruin it for you, and hasten you to find a copy before anyone else does. Suffice it to say, she sets out to lose her virginity on Halloween night, and parts of the tale will delight every kind of Pretty/Scary reader there is. Her sequence gets a 5 star rating. The rest of Trick 'r Treat? A solid four stars. A tip of the hat and all kinds of respect.to Michael Dougherty
And no, making Trick 'r Treat the star of their lame corporate website does nothing to make up for too little too late. The WB deserves to get egged and TP'd for leaving fans stranded without a Treat copy this Halloween. Boo to them for not playing with Halloween spirit. Those execs should be looking out for Cloth-head under their bed come this 31st.
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Gorgeous
Hate to sound like a silly critic or something, but I would best describe this as visually stunning, the scenes are so richly set that you feel like you're there. This is what all of us pretty scary girls wanted Halloween to be like.
man, two main problems: 1)
man, two main problems:
1) Dancing sexy werewolf women that I hated. Just that part - the rest of that segment was cool,
2) I don't think they should have shown the pumpkin mutant boy's face. How about a simple, plain pumpkin underneath, whith no face?
Altogether, a gorgeous looking movie with fucking great atmoshpere
I don't understand the hype
I don't understand the hype for this movie. I've been hearing about it for ages, it built up my hopes so high that anything short of gold raining down on me from my television screen was a let down.
It was a really good movie, but still..
Also: I prefer direct to release as well. With the Saw phenom still running rampant, I get scared if a decent horror movie is released to theaters.
Excited to see this...
Who knows why they shelved this. I saw a few scenes at Fangoria and it looked awesome! I couldn't believe he said it'd been in the process of getting released for 3 years! (I think that's what he said anyway...)
Actually, now that I'm reminded of it, I asked him while I was getting his signature what advice he would give another filmmaker from his distribution ordeal and he couldn't come up with ANYTHING! I was hoping he could share his experience so that the rest of us could hopefully avoid the same thing...
Regardless, can't wait to see the film...
couldn't agree more
This movie restored my faith in horror after the overrated and moronic PARANORMAL ACTIVITY nearly destroyed it. How Warner Bros. could possibly think this was less worthy of a theatrical release than some of the other dumb shit they've released this year (ORPHAN, etc.) is completely beyond me. I really hope people catch on to this film and that Dougherty gets the credit he deserves for making a smart, original, and wildly entertaining flick...
For me the straight to DVD
For me the straight to DVD release is better, since I don't live anywhere near a movie theater, but I know what you mean. It would be nice if people had a real Halloween movie in theaters to go see on Halloween. A couple years ago my friend and I were in another country and decided to go see one of The Grudge sequels in the theater on Halloween night. The theater was filled with high schoolers who were making fun of the movie the entire time, just straight up laughing at the "scary" scenes. I tried to find the humor in it too, but mostly the movie just annoyed the piss out of me, especially that Japanese ghost that yowls like a cat and makes the mean face.
Trick r Treat looks cool though, but wasn't there already a movie called Trick r Treat? The stills are purty - looks very well done. The last good horror anthology I saw was Tales From The Darkside, The Movie, which I think was supposed to be Creepshow 3.
This is a great film, and a
This is a great film, and a beautifully shot one at that! A shame it didn't see wide theater time.