#21 - Trick 'R Treat (2007)

There are few horror movies that embody the spirit of Halloween; that fall atmosphere, the kids going trick-or-treating, that feeling like you're walking past a graveyard all evening.  Halloween (1978) did a good job of it, taking us through a day with Laurie Strode as she was being stalked by Michael Myers.  There were other stories besides Laurie's, interwoven with hers, and that's what made Halloween such an excellent Halloween movie, still played every Halloween, to this very day.

Trick 'R Treat (2007) begins at the end of Halloween night, and flashes back over the course of the evening, telling a bunch of different stories from a bunch of different characters, all interwoven into the fun and horror of Halloween night.  There's the story of Laurie, a virgin looking for her first date.  There's the story of Steven, local school principal.  There's the story of Emma and her husband, heading home after a night of partying.  There's the story of Mr. Kreeg, retired bus driver.  There's the story of some kids, looking for Jack-O-Lanterns, in order to play a little Halloween prank.  And of course, there's the story of Sam, a little kid out Trick-or-Treating, all by his lonesome...

Trick 'R Treat is probably the best anthology of horror stories I have ever seen.  Most anthologies focus on each separate segment with some sort of over-arching tale to try and wrap the stories together, like a bunch of ghost stories being told around a fire on a camping trip.  Trick 'R Treat weaves back and forth between the stories of everyone in the entire movie, something I normally hate, because it's usually so hard to follow.  That's not a problem here, because each story focuses on its own set of main characters.  You might be a little confused going into this movie, but you'll understand every little detail coming out of it.

Trick 'R Treat is a well-made, beautifually acted movie that for some odd reason, went directly to video.  Anna Paquin (True Blood) is Laurie, Dylan Baker (Dr. Connors from Spider-Man) is Principal Wilkins, Leslie Bibb is Emma, and Brian Cox is Mr. Kreeg.  Everyone seemed just right for their chosen roles, and the plot of this whole interwoven story is just incredible.  I caught this on SyFy, so there's a good chance they'll play it again at some point.  I also have it on DVD, because this movie is good enough to own.  I've watched this movie every October since it came out, and just like John Carpenter's 1978 movie, this is one of my Halloween traditions.

Trick 'R Treat drips with atmosphere, from the streets lit with Jack-O-Lanterns and littered with dead leaves, to the kids out trick-or-treating, and the adult-themed parties going on around them.  There's a a big deal made about the traditions of Halloween, and one kid even mentions watching Charlie Brown, one of my favorite yearly traditions around Halloween.  Watch this movie for the atmosphere and the scares, the creepiness and the horrific details, and for crying out loud, keep your eyes open for little Sam.  You never know when he's going to come Trick-or-Treating at your house.  And keep those lanterns lit!

That's all for tonight.  Other horror movies to watch.  :-D