TRICK ‘R TREAT (2007) - 10/31/2024
The best Halloween movie ever
There are many films that people think about when they think of Halloween. Traditionally, people deem this time of year as scary season and want to gorge on a mass selection of horror films: old and new, schlocky and gruesome. But the thing is, a lot of these traditional horror films have very little to do with actual Halloween.
A Halloween movie falls into the spectrum of holiday films that you want to enjoy to capture the full essence of the season. While they may not be as controversial as what a Christmas movie entails1, there are still very few to select from that actually hit the parameters. People will automatically turn to Carpenter's Halloween as the definitive selection, which is totally understandable. While it defined a genre - and perhaps created it) - Halloween has grown from scary to campy (you see a lot more of this in its threequel). There are other films like Donnie Darko or E.T. that take place on or around Halloween, but Halloween is not a major catalyst for these events, they happen during that time period2. This is where Trick ‘r Treat comes in.
The 2007 cult classic is not known to many people for idiotic reasons. It’s not some bad, schlocky movie that they didn’t think they could sell to the public - on the contrary. This film is excellent stylistically, story-wise, effect wise, and pretty damn scary. The cast is absolutely stacked for 2007 (Anna Paquin, Brian Cox, Dylan Baker, along with a slew of other “that guys”) that all play an incredible part in a non-linear, semi-anthology film that intertwines its multiple story lines. The graphic novel presentation in the opening credits places you perfectly in the world, keying you in on the tone and style of this movie, thus setting you in a familiar place while also preparing you for some potentially otherworldly shit that is about to go down. So why isn’t this film bigger?
The reason you may not know about it is because of Rob Zombie. When this film was originally set to be released in late September/October 2007, Rob Zombie was the new, hot-shot horror director with films like House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects who was set to release his remake of Halloween. On paper, it had all the makings of a hit - a built in fan base for a beloved classic, a director whose musical fan base and horror fan base may turn out to see a gory, updated reboot. So, Warner pushed this film to January, and then scrapped the theatrical release for a direct-to-video release. Halloween in its opening weekend did well, but the Rob Zombie version has seemingly been forgotten to time. But in that same span since Trick ‘r Treat’s release, it has become a popular Halloween classic more than ever thanks to streaming.
The only other comparable Halloween classic to me in this regard is Hocus Pocus3. While obviously not an outright horror film, Hocus Pocus is scary as shit when you see it when you’re two years old, living in the woods that greatly resemble that of the Sanderson sisters, which then gives you nightmares for a year straight. Hocus Pocus also has its entire story based around the functions of Halloween. It’s lovable, and well done, and funny, and really gives you that warm, fall, spooky feeling. But Trick ‘r Treat is just slightly better because of the actual horror aspect of the film (and 14 years of effects advancements). Which is why, when October 31st reels its head, this is the film I will always turn on.
You can have Die Hard if you want, but not before recognizing that Psycho is, by the same definition, a Christmas film.
Again, see Die Hard.
Sorry Halloweentown. You are not a good movie at all. But I still do appreciate all Disney Channel Originals.