Halloween is the perfect night to drop by your local video store, rent something scary and cozy up with an easily-frightened loved one. The problem? By the time you read this, all the classic titles will have long since left the shelves. No Exorcist, Blair Witch or Poltergeist, and forget about Halloween – it’s not gonna happen. Thankfully, Warner Bros has finally released a long-anticipated scream of a film that makes spooky, suspenseful fun look like child’s play. And as a new release, it’s guaranteed to be there.
The story of Trick ‘R Treat – the destined classic in question – is in of itself a kind of strange campfire tale. Brainchild of screenwriter Michael Dougherty, it began as the animated short Season’s Greetings, in which a costumed child goes door to door looking for loot. When a stalker tries to corner him in an alley, he finally finds some, filling his bag with body parts and walking off into the night. The 1996 film went on to win several awards, prompting Dougherty to flesh it out into a feature. Bryan Singer (for whom Dougherty had done script revisions on X2) stepped in as producer, and all was ready for the October 2007 release date. Inexplicably, the studio held off, eventually denying it a theatrical run altogether and leaving the film for dead.
Horror fans – a ravenous lot – gathered up their pitchforks and made sure word of the film’s untimely demise circulated around the net. Trick premiered in Texas at the Butt-Numb-A-Thon Film Festival (I kid you not) soon after and proceeded to travel the convention circuit, generating buzz for its back-to-basics approach to Halloween entertainment. It earned rave reviews just this summer at our very own Fantasia fest, where organizers were forced to come up with a second screening to accommodate the massive overflow of interested parties. Audiences laughed and cheered that night, as the little boy in the costume – named “Sam” in the credits – made his way around a neighbourhood ensuring revellers respect the season of the dead. Clearly, Dougherty’s directorial debut deserved to be seen by the masses, and thanks to the DVD release, finally will be.
The film itself basically breaks down into a series of interlocking vignettes taking place on Halloween. Fans of the X-Men movies have two more reasons beyond Singer and Dougherty’s involvement to check the picture out. The wonderful Brian Cox and Anna Paquin (X2‘s William Stryker and Rogue, respectively) bookend the picture with especially memorable performances. It would be easy enough to say that Paquin, in her virginal Red Riding Hood dress, nearly steals the show by subverting audience expectations, but the clever script gives practically everyone on screen a substantially entertaining twist – to say more would spoil the fun.
The production, filmed in Vancouver, also fittingly features Dead Like Me alums Britt McKillip and Christine Willes in a scene where you can easily pretend they’re still in their short-lived series. Ultimately, it’s the silent, unstoppable Sam who truly makes his mark. Move over Chucky – there’s a new kid in town.
The DVD will surely frustrate hardcore enthusiasts in its utter lack of special features – only the Season’s Greetings short is included, despite being easily viewable online – but the movie on its own delivers everything you need, and then some, for a memorable All Hallow’s Eve. So do yourself a favour and stay in this year … not that it’ll save you.
For those who can’t wait, catch the Trick ‘R Treat trailer.
