(2008)
Octopunk commented "I love your love of Halloween" after JPX posted the first of 9 (and counting) reviews of the anthology movie that's stormed the Horrorthon blog this month. He was speaking to JPX but he may as well have been referring to the film itself. Octo, Mr. McGee and the almighty Jordan expanded on this idea and discussed how this mere direct to video flick handily captures the spirit of Halloween with its unflinching adoration and dedication to everything the strange little holiday means to us.
There's a band I love called The Faint. They flaunt, rather than apologize for their 80's new wave influences. They may not be trailblazers but they are extremely good at capturing and modernizing the old sound. They do so by using a keen ear and taking advantage of the studio advances that have taken place over the past couple of decades. I don't particularly care for new wave but I adore The Faint because their obsessive enthusiasm is contagious. (They also happen to rock big time.) For me, Trick 'r Treat is the equivalent of The Faint recording a New Wave Greatest Hits album.
Within the first couple of minutes I knew exactly what kind of world I was immersed in. A nagging wife expresses her disdain for Halloween and insists her husband take down the decorations immediately. She might as well have said "I don't deserve to be alive in this movie". Sure enough, she doesn't survive to see the opening credits. In the four, excuse me 50P, five stories presented, Trick 'r Treat scoops as much heady goodness out of the fun scary movies of yore as possible. We're treated to vampires, zombies, slashers, psychos, creeps and walking hands. The whole exercise is slick and polished and the eeriness of fog, swamps, costumes, jack'o'lanterns and urban legends is exploited to maximum potential. Let's hope the unexpected success of this little-movie-that-could will spawn some worthy sequels.
For a more specific breakdown, check out the other 8 reviews. I mainly wanted to get this review posted so I can say "In your face Whirlygirl!"
4 comments:
Love your entire last paragraph (not the Whirly taunt, the one before) for once again nailing the greatness of this flick. Another fun review of this movie.
Well, Whirly?
"scoops as much heady goodness" - nice pumpkin-carving reference, which I've always thought was a VERY appropriate ritual for Halloween.
Take a head-sized vegetable, systematically scoop out its brains, and make it a grotesque mask.
I suppose I'll review this damn thing just to get on the bandwagon.
"Best Trick 'r Treat Review."
Ah, Johnny Sweatpants. It's not your knack of putting things just right I envy, it's the way you can do it with such great word economy. Love the comparison to The Faint.
If you think I'm being sarcastic, I'm not. If the straight praise embarrasses you, I'll also point out that you're weird and smelly.
Ha ha, jsp. You only posted before me because I let you.
Btw, excellent review!
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