TRICK ‘R TREAT

For the many of you who watch John Carpenter’s HALLOWEEN with reverence on its titular holiday, you’re going to have a new companion piece for years to come. Yes, TRICK R TREAT is that good, and while it will never replace Carpenter’s film, you’ll have a wonderful double feature to go with your Halloween candy.

You may already know that Michael Dougherty’s project was shelved for more than two years. There’s speculation as to why, but I can say this: it certainly was not based on the quality of the film. TRICK ‘R TREAT tells a set of interweaving stories set in small town Ohio. It starts off with a couple heading home to some horrific results, and never lets up from there. You’ll find homicidal neighbors, werewolves, a busload of special needs ghouls and the movie’s mascot, Sam. Unlike CREEPSHOW, characters cross over from one tale to the next, creating a uniformity of story, and an effect much like that of PULP FICTION, with a touch of the old Amicus stories. Like Romero’s work, the movie revels in being gleefully creepy, in the vein of VAULT OF HORROR or ASYLUM, with Sam serving as a silent Cryptkeeper.

This is a stylish movie, both in performances and settings. Dylan Baker is pitch perfect as an odd school principal, humorously channeling the ghost of Paul Lynde (of course, this may be because we watched this immediately immediately following the PAUL LYNDE HALLOWEEN SPECIAL); Brian Cox is inspired as his curmudgeonly neighbor, and several others round out the cast with above average performances. For a movie that relies on a creepy atmosphere, the set pieces are beautiful. A spooky bog and a woodlands party both sport lush cinematography and genuine ambience. Clearly Dougherty, for a first time director, knows how to create an old Universal rolling fog with the best of them. TRICK ‘R TREAT relies little on CG, and a lot on old fashioned atmosphere.

Sadly, the DVD itself offers little in the way of extras. Dougherty’s Halloween-inspired cartoon is here; it’s a witty little piece, even if I guessed the payoff. The cartoon gets a commentary by Dougherty, which includes a nifty tidbit about his blood. But the feature itself gets no commentary, and this is criminal, as I really would have enjoyed listening to the director discuss his labor of love at length. Folks, you don’t even get a trailer on this one. A shame.

What’s no shame for the end of this month is that you can finally add a new film to your Halloween viewing, and a high quality one at that. You now may be speaking the name “Dougherty” right next to “Carpenter” every October.

-- Phil Fasso and Mike Cucinotta

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