Happy Horror Classic: Trick 'R Treat (2009 film)

Welcome to Happy Horror Classic.  From time to time, I'll repost something I have from the earlier version of my site on here, as it was there, under the title.  Today, since we're getting close to Halloween, I thought I'd bring you my review of the somewhat recent Halloween-themed anthology, Trick 'R Treat, that I posted in 2010.  As you'll see, I did a lot worse that October than I did this year.  So, enjoy this blast from the past, unedited, for your perusal!

You know, there are rules, you should be more careful. You might upset someone. - Henry

So, you're all probably wondering "What happened to the three weeks you promised us?  Why did we just get those guest video game reviews (amazing as they were)?"  Well, I'll come clean with you.  I had this whole month planned out, every day had something I was going to cover... but when it came time to do them, I just kept putting them off.  Some of it was lack of forethought (some of the movies I'd scheduled I didn't actually have, some of them I still don't).  The third week was a complete disaster, there was no way I was going to get that one out on time.  So, here's what I'm going to do.  Once October and November are over (because I have something planned for November, and this time I DO have the movies in hand to cover it!) I'll do what I can to get the movies I would've covered in those three weeks covered, and the three Hall of Fame entries up, as well.  So, with that proclaimed, let's get on with the review, and back on track!

A few years ago, I read about this movie in ToyFare Magazine, as one of a crop of horror movies that was going to be coming out soon.  The synopsis for Trick 'R Treat sounded interesting, and I waited to see when it was coming out... and waited... and waited.  Later, I found out that the studio was sitting on the movie, and it was unlikely to see any kind of release any time soon.  Well, two years later, in 2009, it was finally released, direct to DVD.  Was it worth the wait?  Pull up a chair and, like Mr. Owl says, let's find out!

Trick 'R Treat opens on a street.  We see a pair of legs cross in front of a car (whose driver has to slam on its brakes to avoid hitting the crosser), the owner of the legs pulling a wagon, as a couple come up the sidewalk.  The woman, Emma, wearing a bulky cardboard box-like robot costume starts complaining and starts taking the outfit off on the sidewalk, then bends down to blow out the jack o' lantern in front of the house.  Her boyfriend, Henry, warns her not to, that it's breaking tradition, and she scoffs at his reason and blows the pumpkin out anyway.  After they enter the yard, she starts to tell him to start taking the decorations down, but he doesn't want to, telling her Halloween's not over yet.  Finally, she caves in and tells him to go inside while she starts taking the stuff down, not realizing that she's being watched...

This movie is actually a bit of an anthology.  It tells five different stories based around the traditions of Halloween.  The stories sort of weave together throughout the film, touching on each storyline at different times, and even showing characters from other storylines in the background.  While I normally give a brief summary of each of the storylines (like I did with last year's reviews of Tales from the Crypt and Vault of Horror), I don't want to do it this time for fear of spoiling some things in the film.  By the end of the film, however, everything comes together.

That is a lot of pumpkins.

The film has a really great cast to it.  Brian Cox plays Mr. Kreeg, a crotchety old man who has an encounter with a VERY persistent trick or treater.  He's been in a lot of films, including The Ring, the original Hannibal Lecter (or Lecktor, as it was spelled in the film) in Manhunter, Red Eye, and this year's new release Red.  Leslie Bibb plays Emma, the woman with no respect for Halloween traditions in the opening.  She was also in The Skulls, Wristcutters: A Love Story, Law-Abiding Citizen and the Iron Man films.  Dylan Baker plays Mr. Kreeg's neighbor, the school principal with a bit of a secret of his own.  He's been in quite a few movies, himself, including Fido, Spider-Man 2 and 3, and Hide and Seek with Robert De Niro and Dakota Fanning.  Anna Paquin plays Laurie, a teen girl trying to find a date for a party and ends up walking alone through the woods dressed as Little Red Riding Hood.  She's been in a ton of things, including the X-Men series, Open House, the True Blood TV series and the upcoming Scream 4.

All in all, I really enjoyed the film and have no problems giving it a perfect 5 out of 5.  Stay tuned for the Big Three reviews I always do at the end of the month.  Until next time, take care of yourselves, and this is Red Hawk signing out!