Thursday, October 31, 2013

First Reaction: Trick 'r Treat (2007)

It’s a real shame that when prolific screenwriter Michael Dougherty (X2, Superman Returns) released his debut film, Trick r’ Treat back in 2007, it went straight to DVD even with Bryan Singer’s stamp of approval and producer cred. But of course, in the tradition of Halloween, we must respect the “dead” and even possibly resurrect them. And thanks to Beyond Fest, that’s what they did by bringing the film to the big screen with a Q&A with the cast, moderated by the wacky Seth Green. Even as a novice Horror fan, I can say that Trick ‘r Treat should easily be considered a Halloween staple film along side John Carpenter’s Halloween and even my childhood favorite like Hocus Pocus! Four different and terrifying stories are strung together by the presence of Sam, a diminutive child whose head is covered in a potato sack and although, that doesn’t sound very daunting, the imagery will surely cause you to wet your pants. Trick ‘r Trick can come off as another daffy halloween film but its knit tight screenplay that intertwines these different stories tells one of the most exhilarating, unconventional, and compelling halloween stories to date. Any fan of the holiday can appreciate the film’s hardcore allegiance and respect to the ideology of Halloween. B+