Trick 'r Treat
2008
Directed by Michael Dougherty
I wanted to see this at the Toronto After Dark film festival, but it was sold out well in advance. Apparently Trick 'r Treat had some positive buzz, but I had never heard of it before. Anyway, it's out on video now so I had a chance to watch it.
It's a horror movie in the tradition of George Romero's underrated Creepshow, basically a series of short horror stories put together in a comic book pastiche. Trick 'r Treat has the added conciet of being a series of interconnected tales occurring in the fictional town of Warren Valley, Ohio, on Halloween night. Normally I hate it when movies attempt the overlapping stories gimmick; however, Dougherty has made the most of it and the narrative device works out quite well. In fact, despite some typical horror fare, Trick 'r Treat is actually rather clever and some of the dialogue definitely rewards repeat viewings.
Like Creepshow, TRT maintains an old school horror sensibility. It's a breath of fresh air for horror fans who are fed up with the torture porn phenomena sweeping the genre these days. Also like Creepshow, TRT is not likely to scare the shit out of horror afficionados, or even most casual viewers. Its virtue lies mainly in its storytelling.
Warren Valley is clearly not your regular town. Residents seem to take Halloween very seriously. Tahmoh Penikett (take note B-Star G fans) begins the movie explaining the ancient tradition of keeping your jack-o-lantern lit until the night is over to his skeptical wife. "You should be more careful," he says. "There are rules. You might upset someone." In Warren Valley, dead souls are closest to the living on Halloween, and those who choose to ignore the rules get duly PWNED.
The great thing about TRT is that it does all the little things right. The lighting and cinematography are excellent. The effects, costume and makeup are pretty classic - definitely a throwback to better, non-CG times. The writing is sharp. There are some solid performanc
es from a good cast: Brian Cox is pitch-perfect as a grumpy old bastard beset upon by a weird little dude in a pumpkin costume; Dylan Baker, as a psychotic principal, turns in his funniest and creepiest role since Happiness; and yeah, Anna Paquin is in there too, but I couldn't stop thinking of her as Sookie Stackouse - see if you can manage it.
TRT keeps its tongue firmly in cheek. Nice to see some humour creeping back into popular horror since Drag me to Hell came out earlier this year. Everything ties nicely together in the end. There's a few surprises to be had as well, but mostly expect a solid, enjoyable, and well-executed film. My only complaint really is that it could have been scarier. But at least you can watch it with your girlfriend without her having a heart attack (ahem, The Descent!) Destined to become a Halloween cult favourite.
7.5
2008
Directed by Michael Dougherty
I wanted to see this at the Toronto After Dark film festival, but it was sold out well in advance. Apparently Trick 'r Treat had some positive buzz, but I had never heard of it before. Anyway, it's out on video now so I had a chance to watch it.
It's a horror movie in the tradition of George Romero's underrated Creepshow, basically a series of short horror stories put together in a comic book pastiche. Trick 'r Treat has the added conciet of being a series of interconnected tales occurring in the fictional town of Warren Valley, Ohio, on Halloween night. Normally I hate it when movies attempt the overlapping stories gimmick; however, Dougherty has made the most of it and the narrative device works out quite well. In fact, despite some typical horror fare, Trick 'r Treat is actually rather clever and some of the dialogue definitely rewards repeat viewings.
Like Creepshow, TRT maintains an old school horror sensibility. It's a breath of fresh air for horror fans who are fed up with the torture porn phenomena sweeping the genre these days. Also like Creepshow, TRT is not likely to scare the shit out of horror afficionados, or even most casual viewers. Its virtue lies mainly in its storytelling.
Warren Valley is clearly not your regular town. Residents seem to take Halloween very seriously. Tahmoh Penikett (take note B-Star G fans) begins the movie explaining the ancient tradition of keeping your jack-o-lantern lit until the night is over to his skeptical wife. "You should be more careful," he says. "There are rules. You might upset someone." In Warren Valley, dead souls are closest to the living on Halloween, and those who choose to ignore the rules get duly PWNED.
The great thing about TRT is that it does all the little things right. The lighting and cinematography are excellent. The effects, costume and makeup are pretty classic - definitely a throwback to better, non-CG times. The writing is sharp. There are some solid performanc
es from a good cast: Brian Cox is pitch-perfect as a grumpy old bastard beset upon by a weird little dude in a pumpkin costume; Dylan Baker, as a psychotic principal, turns in his funniest and creepiest role since Happiness; and yeah, Anna Paquin is in there too, but I couldn't stop thinking of her as Sookie Stackouse - see if you can manage it.TRT keeps its tongue firmly in cheek. Nice to see some humour creeping back into popular horror since Drag me to Hell came out earlier this year. Everything ties nicely together in the end. There's a few surprises to be had as well, but mostly expect a solid, enjoyable, and well-executed film. My only complaint really is that it could have been scarier. But at least you can watch it with your girlfriend without her having a heart attack (ahem, The Descent!) Destined to become a Halloween cult favourite.
7.5
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