(dir. Michael Dougherty)
 |
| Warner Bros. |
Four different horror stories intersect on Halloween
night in small-town Ohio.
Michael Dougherty’s modern cult classic perfectly
captures the spirit of Halloween. It manages to be funny, horrific, gory,
charming, and more than a little bit twisted, all at the same time. While most
anthology films break up the separate stories by chapter, Dougherty’s stories
weave in and out of one another as he plays with time, and characters from
previous stories will make surprise reappearances in later stories. This gives
the entirety of Trick ‘r Treat this unexpected,
playful element. With only four Halloween stories, Dougherty manages to keep
all the narratives tight and create a rewarding experiences. While I prefer
some of the stories more than others, there’s not a weak link in the bunch.
From serial killers, the undead, vampires, werewolves, and a very special
little guy named Sam, Trick ‘r Treat
blends all of these disparate horror elements together perfectly.
In the same way that the very best Christmas movies
just carry the power of the season in their very aesthetic, Trick ‘r Treat does the same. Everything
from the lighting, the sets, the decorations, costumes, and background
conversations feel uniquely in touch with the spirit of the holiday. For a $12
million budget, the production value on this film is just fantastic and
guaranteed to bring out the holiday spirit.
Scare Factor: 2/5 Trick
‘r Treat is the perfect way to cap off October as it captures but the
scares and fun that make the horror genre so memorable. While we’re still
waiting for the sequel that was promised 2 years ago, we at least have
Dougherty’s Christmas horror story, Krampus, to look forward to in December.
*Available to watch on HBO Go
And that’s a wrap for this year folks! Thanks for
reading and if this month was your introduction to the blog, be sure to stick
around for full reviews of this fall’s awards contenders and blockbusters.
Lastly, if you’ve yet to get your fill of horror, I
co-wrote a list of The 100 Best Horror Movies of the 2000s (so far) so be sure
to check it out!: http://www.audienceseverywhere.net/100-horror-2000s-lists/
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