Trick 'r Treat (2008)

Director:

Michael Dougherty

Writer (WGA):

Michael Dougherty (written by)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Poison, Drowning, Claw, Or Knife. So Many Ways To Take A Life.

Plot:

Four interwoven stories that occur on Halloween: An everyday high school principal has a secret life as a serial killer; a college virgin might have just met the one guy for her; a group of teenagers pull a mean prank; a woman who loathes the night has to contend with her holiday-obsessed husband.

Plot Keywords:

Jack O Lantern | Halloween | Virgin | Principal | Party

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Dylan Baker	...	Steven
Rochelle Aytes	...	Maria
Quinn Lord	...	Sam / Peeping Tommy
Lauren Lee Smith	...	Danielle
Moneca Delain	...	Janet
Tahmoh Penikett	...	Henry
Brett Kelly	...	Charlie
Britt McKillip	...	Macy
Isabelle Deluce	...	Sara
Jean-Luc Bilodeau	...	Schrader
Alberto Ghisi	...	Chip
Samm Todd	...	Rhonda
Anna Paquin	...	Laurie
Brian Cox	...	Mr. Kreeg
Leslie Bibb	...	Emma

Also Known As:

Terreur à l'Halloween (Canada: French title)

MPAA:

Rated R for horror violence, some sexuality/nudity and language.

Runtime:

USA:82 min

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

USA:R (No. 43759) | South Korea:18 | Australia:MA | Argentina:16 | Canada:14A (Canadian Home Video rating) | Singapore:M18 | Netherlands:16 | Germany:18 | UK:15 | New Zealand:R16

Filming Locations:

Ladner, Delta, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Bad Hat Harry Productions

Trivia:

Most of the Jack O' Lanterns were made out of either foam or ceramic. An on-set joke was that no pumpkins were harmed during the making of this movie.

Quotes:

Chip: You must really like Halloween.
Rhonda: You mean Samhain?
Chip: What?
Rhonda: Samhain, also known as All Hallows' Eve, also known as Halloween. Pre-dating Christianity, the Celtic holiday was celebrated on the one night between autumn and winter when the barrier between the living and the dead was thinnest, and often involved rituals that included human sacrifice.
[awkward silence]
Rhonda: I like your eye patch.
Chip: Oh...

Movie Connections:

References Manhunt (2003) (VG)

Soundtrack:

Cue

A delightful slice of rock solid and creepy Halloween fun

I was pleased to see this heavily hyped film on a big screen for its back story is not the rosiest. Due for release quite a while back its been repeatedly postponed by the distributors (Warner Bro's) and I think is destined to mostly be seen straight to DVD. A crying shame because it really is somewhat awesome and deserves a much bigger audience and the fun of watching it with a crowd. Its an anthology film with a horror comic vibe, telling four interlocking tales all linked by the thesis that one should never mess with Halloween, else Halloween will mess with you. I won't go into any of the plotting ins and outs because it should be kept a surprise but its fine stuff, melding effective creeps, a decent helping of dark humour, some fun bloodshed, grisly at times but used with imagination and restraint, never gratuitous and a neat mean streak. Writer/director Michael Dougherty crafts the film very nicely, the spooks and fun are perfectly balanced, the film is always entertaining and sweetly paced. The non linear structure gives it an unpredictable feel, though one minor complaint is that one of the stories has its impact a tad diluted by being spread out. Still the structure works, apparently it was edited that way from being originally linear because having all the stories one after the other made it feel over lengthy. An immaculate Halloween ambiance is draped over the whole film by the detailed art direction of Tony Wohlgemuth and the evocative cinematography of Glen Macpherson, the film feels every bit a work of late October and is filled with inviting yet spiky charm. Actingwise things are all pretty good, Anna Paquin is on beautiful and wholly watchable form, whilst Brian Cox excels in a role that will instantly endear itself to older anthology horror lovers (a bit of a reference that I shall keep a surprise). Dylan Baker is morbidly amusing as a school principle and whilst I didn't recognise many others all give good value. This was definitely one of the best horrors I've seen in a cinema in some time, a thoroughly fresh, fun and surprising film, with some unexpected spooks and a few memorable "Hell Yeah!" inducing moments, all wrapped up with charm, loving references and sly chuckles. Definitely recommended to folk seeking quirky and entertaining yet pleasingly barbed horror entertainment, dare I say it something of a classic of this decade.