Trick 'r Treat
Encyclopedia
Trick 'r Treat is a 2007 American horror film
written and directed by Michael Dougherty
, and based on his short film Season's Greetings. Originally slated for an October 5, 2007 release, it was announced in September 2007 that the film had been pushed back. Warner Bros. Pictures
and Legendary Pictures
released the film direct to DVD
and Blu-ray on October 6, 2009 in North America, October 26 in the UK and October 28 in Australia.
of four Halloween-related scary stories. One common element that ties the stories together is the presence of Sam (Quinn Lord
), a mysterious pint-sized trick-or-treater
wearing shabby orange pajamas with a burlap sack over his head. He makes an appearance in all the stories as a 'friendly-reminder' to those who break Halloween traditions.
Opening
Emma (Leslie Bibb
) and Henry (Tahmoh Penikett
) have set up numerous ghost-scarecrows for Halloween in their yard. After returning home from a Halloween party, Emma tries to blow out a jack-o'-lantern
by their fence, but Henry tells her not to because it's against tradition; she blows out the jack-o'-lantern anyway. While Henry is inside waiting for Emma to take down the decorations, she is murdered with a large knife-like pumpkin lollipop by an unknown assailant. Later, Henry goes outside and finds Emma's severed head, with the giant lollipop in its mouth, hung up on one of the ghost-scarecrows.
The Principal
Steven Wilkins (Dylan Baker
), the town principal, poisons Charlie (Brett Kelly) (a boy caught stealing candy from Wilkins' porch) killing him. Charlie throws up large amounts of blood before being dragged into the principal's house. Wilkins buries Charlie in his backyard, along with another body, and has a run-in with his neighbor, Mr. Kreeg (Brian Cox), and his dog. After finishing the burial, Wilkins sees Kreeg screaming from his window, begging for help; Wilkins disregards this. Later, Wilkins helps his son Billy (Connor Christopher Levins) carve a "jack-o'-lantern" in their basement, which is revealed to be Charlie's severed head. The sequence ends with Billy saying, "But don't forget to help me with the eyes."
The School Bus Massacre Revisited
Five kids, Macy (Britt McKillip
), Schrader (Jean-Luc Bilodeau
), Sara (Isabelle Deluce
), Chip (Alberto Ghisi), and Rhonda (Samm Todd), a savant, journey to the local rock quarry where Macy tells them the local urban legend of "The Halloween School Bus Massacre". Thirty years ago, a school bus
containing eight children, all mentally challenged
and disturbed to the point of needing to be chained to their chairs, crashed into the lake at the bottom of the quarry; the bus driver, who was bribed by the parents to "end their burden" by killing the children, was the only one who survived. As the group investigates the quarry, a prank meant for Rhonda instead turns deadly when the legend proves to be true. After Macy kicks a jack-o-lantern into the lake the school bus children return from the grave. Schrader and Rhonda hear the screams of the others and Schrader - thinking it's another prank - goes to back to find them. After he does, Macy informs him that the legend is real and they need to leave. As the School Bus children chase them, they manage to grab hold of the chains which Sara is wearing as part of her costume, ultimately she is dragged away and killed. Meanwhile, Rhonda has locked herself in the elevator leading out of the quarry. Despite the others begging her to open it, she takes her revenge for the prank and rides it up herself, leaving Macy, Schrader and Chip to their deaths.
Surprise Party
Laurie (Anna Paquin
), a self-conscious 22-year-old virgin
, goes into the woods after deciding to separate from her group of promiscuous friends. There, she is attacked by a vampire, while her sister Danielle (Lauren Lee Smith
) and her friends Maria (Rochelle Aytes
) and Janet (Moneca Delain) party nearby at a bonfire with men they picked up along the way. The vampire's body suddenly drops from a tree onto the party and Laurie appears. The "vampire" is revealed to be Principal Wilkins in disguise
wearing fake fangs. The girls at the party, along with Laurie, suddenly transform into werewolves and devour their dates along with Wilkins.
Meet Sam
Kreeg, a cantankerous, Halloween-hating, curmudgeon lives alone with his dog, Spite. Kreeg shows his disgust for Halloween by scaring away trick-or-treaters. While in his house, Kreeg is attacked by Sam. During the struggle, Kreeg rips off the sack over Sam's head to reveal his head to be a cross between a jack-o-lantern and a skull. Kreeg runs to his window calling for Mr. Wilkins to help him, but is tackled by Sam. Kreeg gains the upper hand when he manages to fire his shotgun
at Sam, seemingly killing him. As Kreeg dials 9-1-1, Sam attacks him again, stabbing at him with a large pumpkin sucker which lodges in a candy bar sitting on Kreeg's chest. Finally receiving his treat, Sam proceeds to eat the candy bar and then leaves the house. Meanwhile, pictures burning slowly in a nearby fireplace show a class photo of the children from the "School Bus Massacre" and the bus driver, revealed to be Kreeg himself.
Conclusion
Bandaged and bruised from his encounter with Sam, Kreeg answers his door to give candy to trick-or-treaters. While on his porch, he sees Sam go to Emma and Henry's house just as she is blowing out the jack-o'-lantern. Rhonda walks across the street and is almost hit by the laughing, human-form werewolf girls in their vehicle. Young Billy Wilkins is sitting on his porch handing out candy wearing a "Principal Wilkins" costume. Kreeg then walks back inside when there's another knock at the door. He opens the door to find the kids from the School Bus Massacre standing there with their bags outstretched, saying, "Trick r' Treat". The ending is rendered as comic book pages showing the bus driver's fate at the hands of the undead children.
' Butt-Numb-A-Thon
film festival
in Austin, Texas
, on December 9, 2007. Subsequent screenings included the Sitges Film Festival on October 7, 2008, the 2008 Los Angeles Screamfest
on October 10, 2008, a free screening in New York sponsored by Fangoria
Magazine on October 13, 2008, and another free screening in Los Angeles co-sponsored by Ain't It Cool News
and Legendary Pictures
on October 23, 2008. The film was also screened at the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con, the Montreal Fantasia Festival
on July 29 and 30, 2009, the film festival Terror In The Aisles 2 in Chicago, IL
on August 15, 2009, and the After Dark film festival in Toronto on August 20, 2009 at The Bloor
.
's Halloween
as traditional October viewing and I can't imagine a single horror fan that won't fall head over heels in love with it." The film earned 10 out of 10 from Ryan Rotten of ShockTilYouDrop.com. It also earned an 8 out of 10 from Bloody Disgusting
, who later ranked the film ninth in their list of the 'Top 20 Horror Films of the Decade', with the article saying, "[It's] so good that its lack of a theatrical release borders on the criminal." IGN
attended a screening of the film and concluded, "This well-crafted Halloween horror tribute is a scary blast.", rating it 8 out of 10 overall. Based on 17 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes
, the film has an overall "Fresh" approval rating from critics of 85%, with an average score of 7.7/10; the site's critical consensus states "An deftly crafted tribute to Halloween legends, Trick 'r' Treat hits all the genre marks with gusto and old fashioned suspense."
partner Wildstorm Comics
had planned to release a four-issue adaptation of Trick 'r Treat written by Marc Andreyko
and illustrated by Fiona Staples, with covers by Michael Dougherty
, Breehn Burns
and Ragnar. The series was originally going to be released weekly in October 2007, ending on Halloween, but the series was pushed back due to the film's backlisting. The four comics were instead released as a graphic novel
adaptation in October 2009.
.
Dougherty helped create a short promotional Easter
trailer for Fear.net's Trick 'r Treat 24-hour marathon for 2011's Halloween. The trailer showed a family's Easter celebration turning into one of horror, with Sam watching the chaos outside whilst wearing rabbit ears. Several more shorts have been created during various holidays including Father's Day
, and another relating to back to school, all directed by Dougherty and featuring Sam from the starring roles to cameos.
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
written and directed by Michael Dougherty
Michael Dougherty
Michael Dougherty is a screenwriter who is known for his work with Dan Harris on the scripts for Bryan Singer's films X2 and Superman Returns.-Early life:...
, and based on his short film Season's Greetings. Originally slated for an October 5, 2007 release, it was announced in September 2007 that the film had been pushed back. Warner Bros. Pictures
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
and Legendary Pictures
Legendary Pictures
Legendary Pictures is an American film production company, whose parent company, Legendary Entertainment, is based in Burbank, California and was founded by Thomas Tull in 2004...
released the film direct to DVD
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
and Blu-ray on October 6, 2009 in North America, October 26 in the UK and October 28 in Australia.
Plot
The film is an anthologyAnthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
of four Halloween-related scary stories. One common element that ties the stories together is the presence of Sam (Quinn Lord
Quinn Lord
Quinn Edmond Julian Lord is a Canadian child actor probably best known for playing Sam in Trick 'r Treat. His career started in 2004.-Films:-Television:-External links:**...
), a mysterious pint-sized trick-or-treater
Trick-or-treating
Trick-or-treating or "Guising", is a customary practice for children on Halloween in many countries. Children in costumes travel from house to house in order to ask for treats such as candy with the question "Trick or treat?"...
wearing shabby orange pajamas with a burlap sack over his head. He makes an appearance in all the stories as a 'friendly-reminder' to those who break Halloween traditions.
Opening
Emma (Leslie Bibb
Leslie Bibb
Leslie Louise Bibb is an American actress and former fashion model. She transitioned into film and television in late 1990s. She appeared in television shows such as Home Improvement , before she appeared in her first film, the comedy Private Parts , which was followed by her first show The Big Easy...
) and Henry (Tahmoh Penikett
Tahmoh Penikett
Tahmoh Penikett is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his roles as Karl "Helo" Agathon on the Sci Fi Channel's television series Battlestar Galactica and as Paul Ballard in Joss Whedon's Dollhouse'.-Early life:...
) have set up numerous ghost-scarecrows for Halloween in their yard. After returning home from a Halloween party, Emma tries to blow out a jack-o'-lantern
Jack-o'-lantern
A jack-o'-lantern is typically a carved pumpkin. It is associated chiefly with the holiday of Halloween and was named after the phenomenon of strange light flickering over peat bogs, called ignis fatuus or jack-o'-lantern...
by their fence, but Henry tells her not to because it's against tradition; she blows out the jack-o'-lantern anyway. While Henry is inside waiting for Emma to take down the decorations, she is murdered with a large knife-like pumpkin lollipop by an unknown assailant. Later, Henry goes outside and finds Emma's severed head, with the giant lollipop in its mouth, hung up on one of the ghost-scarecrows.
The Principal
Steven Wilkins (Dylan Baker
Dylan Baker
Dylan Baker is an American actor, known for playing supporting roles in both major studio and independent films.-Early life:...
), the town principal, poisons Charlie (Brett Kelly) (a boy caught stealing candy from Wilkins' porch) killing him. Charlie throws up large amounts of blood before being dragged into the principal's house. Wilkins buries Charlie in his backyard, along with another body, and has a run-in with his neighbor, Mr. Kreeg (Brian Cox), and his dog. After finishing the burial, Wilkins sees Kreeg screaming from his window, begging for help; Wilkins disregards this. Later, Wilkins helps his son Billy (Connor Christopher Levins) carve a "jack-o'-lantern" in their basement, which is revealed to be Charlie's severed head. The sequence ends with Billy saying, "But don't forget to help me with the eyes."
The School Bus Massacre Revisited
Five kids, Macy (Britt McKillip
Britt McKillip
Brittney "Britt" McKillip is a Canadian actress and musician best known for her role in the movie Scary Godmother: Halloween Spooktakular and its sequel Scary Godmother: The Revenge of Jimmy as Hannah Marie, and for her role as Reggie Lass in the cable series Dead Like Me, the film Dead Like Me:...
), Schrader (Jean-Luc Bilodeau
Jean-Luc Bilodeau
Jean-Luc Bilodeau is a Canadian actor who has been acting since 2004. He is best known for his role as Josh Trager in the ABC Family channel program Kyle XY. Bilodeau has also appeared in films and television series such as Ill Fated, Trick 'r Treat, 16 Wishes, No Ordinary Family and Best Player...
), Sara (Isabelle Deluce
Isabelle Deluce
Isabelle Deluce is a Canadian actress.Deluce was born in Toronto, Ontario, the daughter of a first cameraman and visited film sets at an early age in Vancouver. At age 10, she began acting in a series of television commercials and completed the three term professional program at Tarlington Training...
), Chip (Alberto Ghisi), and Rhonda (Samm Todd), a savant, journey to the local rock quarry where Macy tells them the local urban legend of "The Halloween School Bus Massacre". Thirty years ago, a school bus
School bus
A school bus is a type of bus designed and manufactured for student transport: carrying children and teenagers to and from school and school events...
containing eight children, all mentally challenged
Mental illness
A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally associated with subjective distress or disability that occurs in an individual, and which is not a part of normal development or culture. Such a disorder may consist of a combination of affective, behavioural,...
and disturbed to the point of needing to be chained to their chairs, crashed into the lake at the bottom of the quarry; the bus driver, who was bribed by the parents to "end their burden" by killing the children, was the only one who survived. As the group investigates the quarry, a prank meant for Rhonda instead turns deadly when the legend proves to be true. After Macy kicks a jack-o-lantern into the lake the school bus children return from the grave. Schrader and Rhonda hear the screams of the others and Schrader - thinking it's another prank - goes to back to find them. After he does, Macy informs him that the legend is real and they need to leave. As the School Bus children chase them, they manage to grab hold of the chains which Sara is wearing as part of her costume, ultimately she is dragged away and killed. Meanwhile, Rhonda has locked herself in the elevator leading out of the quarry. Despite the others begging her to open it, she takes her revenge for the prank and rides it up herself, leaving Macy, Schrader and Chip to their deaths.
Surprise Party
Laurie (Anna Paquin
Anna Paquin
Anna Helene Paquin is a Canadian-born New Zealand actress. Paquin's first critically successful film was The Piano, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1994 at the age of 11 – the second youngest winner in history...
), a self-conscious 22-year-old virgin
Virginity
Virginity refers to the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. There are cultural and religious traditions which place special value and significance on this state, especially in the case of unmarried females, associated with notions of personal purity, honor and worth...
, goes into the woods after deciding to separate from her group of promiscuous friends. There, she is attacked by a vampire, while her sister Danielle (Lauren Lee Smith
Lauren Lee Smith
-Early life:Lauren attended Henry James Cambie Secondary School. Smith was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The stepdaughter of a documentary filmmaker, Lauren travelled around the world with her family. When she was 14, her family moved to Los Angeles, California...
) and her friends Maria (Rochelle Aytes
Rochelle Aytes
Rochelle Aytes is an American actress. She was born in New York City and attended LaGuardia High School. She graduated with a BA in Fine Arts from State University of New York Purchase College.-Career:...
) and Janet (Moneca Delain) party nearby at a bonfire with men they picked up along the way. The vampire's body suddenly drops from a tree onto the party and Laurie appears. The "vampire" is revealed to be Principal Wilkins in disguise
Disguise
A disguise can be anything which conceals or changes a person's physical appearance, including a wig, glasses, makeup, costume or other ways. Camouflage is one type of disguise for people, animals and objects...
wearing fake fangs. The girls at the party, along with Laurie, suddenly transform into werewolves and devour their dates along with Wilkins.
Meet Sam
- This segment takes place at the same time as "The Principal"
Kreeg, a cantankerous, Halloween-hating, curmudgeon lives alone with his dog, Spite. Kreeg shows his disgust for Halloween by scaring away trick-or-treaters. While in his house, Kreeg is attacked by Sam. During the struggle, Kreeg rips off the sack over Sam's head to reveal his head to be a cross between a jack-o-lantern and a skull. Kreeg runs to his window calling for Mr. Wilkins to help him, but is tackled by Sam. Kreeg gains the upper hand when he manages to fire his shotgun
Shotgun
A shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...
at Sam, seemingly killing him. As Kreeg dials 9-1-1, Sam attacks him again, stabbing at him with a large pumpkin sucker which lodges in a candy bar sitting on Kreeg's chest. Finally receiving his treat, Sam proceeds to eat the candy bar and then leaves the house. Meanwhile, pictures burning slowly in a nearby fireplace show a class photo of the children from the "School Bus Massacre" and the bus driver, revealed to be Kreeg himself.
Conclusion
Bandaged and bruised from his encounter with Sam, Kreeg answers his door to give candy to trick-or-treaters. While on his porch, he sees Sam go to Emma and Henry's house just as she is blowing out the jack-o'-lantern. Rhonda walks across the street and is almost hit by the laughing, human-form werewolf girls in their vehicle. Young Billy Wilkins is sitting on his porch handing out candy wearing a "Principal Wilkins" costume. Kreeg then walks back inside when there's another knock at the door. He opens the door to find the kids from the School Bus Massacre standing there with their bags outstretched, saying, "Trick r' Treat". The ending is rendered as comic book pages showing the bus driver's fate at the hands of the undead children.
Cast
- Dylan BakerDylan BakerDylan Baker is an American actor, known for playing supporting roles in both major studio and independent films.-Early life:...
as Steven Wilkins - Rochelle AytesRochelle AytesRochelle Aytes is an American actress. She was born in New York City and attended LaGuardia High School. She graduated with a BA in Fine Arts from State University of New York Purchase College.-Career:...
as Maria - Anna PaquinAnna PaquinAnna Helene Paquin is a Canadian-born New Zealand actress. Paquin's first critically successful film was The Piano, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1994 at the age of 11 – the second youngest winner in history...
as Laurie - Brian Cox as Mr. Kreeg
- Quinn LordQuinn LordQuinn Edmond Julian Lord is a Canadian child actor probably best known for playing Sam in Trick 'r Treat. His career started in 2004.-Films:-Television:-External links:**...
as Sam / Peeping Tommy - Lauren Lee SmithLauren Lee Smith-Early life:Lauren attended Henry James Cambie Secondary School. Smith was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The stepdaughter of a documentary filmmaker, Lauren travelled around the world with her family. When she was 14, her family moved to Los Angeles, California...
as Danielle - Tahmoh PenikettTahmoh PenikettTahmoh Penikett is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his roles as Karl "Helo" Agathon on the Sci Fi Channel's television series Battlestar Galactica and as Paul Ballard in Joss Whedon's Dollhouse'.-Early life:...
as Henry - Brett Kelly as Charlie
- Britt McKillipBritt McKillipBrittney "Britt" McKillip is a Canadian actress and musician best known for her role in the movie Scary Godmother: Halloween Spooktakular and its sequel Scary Godmother: The Revenge of Jimmy as Hannah Marie, and for her role as Reggie Lass in the cable series Dead Like Me, the film Dead Like Me:...
as Macy - Isabelle DeluceIsabelle DeluceIsabelle Deluce is a Canadian actress.Deluce was born in Toronto, Ontario, the daughter of a first cameraman and visited film sets at an early age in Vancouver. At age 10, she began acting in a series of television commercials and completed the three term professional program at Tarlington Training...
as Sara - Jean-Luc BilodeauJean-Luc BilodeauJean-Luc Bilodeau is a Canadian actor who has been acting since 2004. He is best known for his role as Josh Trager in the ABC Family channel program Kyle XY. Bilodeau has also appeared in films and television series such as Ill Fated, Trick 'r Treat, 16 Wishes, No Ordinary Family and Best Player...
as Schrader - Leslie BibbLeslie BibbLeslie Louise Bibb is an American actress and former fashion model. She transitioned into film and television in late 1990s. She appeared in television shows such as Home Improvement , before she appeared in her first film, the comedy Private Parts , which was followed by her first show The Big Easy...
as Emma - Patrick GilmorePatrick Gilmore (actor)Patrick Gilmore is a Canadian actor best known for playing the role of Dale Volker in the science fiction series Stargate Universe. He has also been seen in other science fiction shows such as Battlestar Galactica and Eureka, as well as playing Trennan in Riese...
as Bud The Cameraman - C. Ernst HarthC. Ernst HarthCary Ernst Harth is a Canadian actor.Harth was born in Galt, Ontario, Canada. He got his first taste of acting in grade school when the drama club cast the school's largest child to play Santa in their Christmas pageant. Harth was just a kindergartner at the time...
as Giant Baby - Christine WillesChristine WillesChristine Willes is a Canadian television, theatre and film actress who is best known for her roles as Delores Herbig on the Showtime comedy-drama Dead Like Me and Gladys the DMV demon on the CW supernatural drama television series Reaper...
as Mrs. Henderson
Release
The first public screening took place at Harry KnowlesHarry Knowles
Harry Knowles is known for his website called Ain't It Cool News. Knowles is a member of the Austin Film Critics Association.-Biography:...
' Butt-Numb-A-Thon
Butt-numb-a-thon
Butt-Numb-A-Thon is an annual film marathon held every December since 1999 in Austin, Texas.It is hosted by Harry Knowles of the Ain't it Cool News website in celebration of his birthday. This mini-festival shows 24 hours of vintage films as well as premieres.-Event admission:The marathon is...
film festival
Film festival
A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. More and more often film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings...
in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, on December 9, 2007. Subsequent screenings included the Sitges Film Festival on October 7, 2008, the 2008 Los Angeles Screamfest
Screamfest Horror Film Festival
Screamfest Horror Film Festival is the largest horror film festival in the United States. Some of the largest horror online publications have called it the "Sundance of Horror". Previously held at Loews Universal Studios Cinemas, Universal CityWalk, the festival is now held annually at the...
on October 10, 2008, a free screening in New York sponsored by Fangoria
Fangoria
Fangoria is an American magazine devoted to horror and exploitation films, which has a number of associated brands:* Fangoria Comics* Fangoria Films* Fangoria RadioFangoria may also refer to:* Fangoria , a Spanish electro pop band...
Magazine on October 13, 2008, and another free screening in Los Angeles co-sponsored by Ain't It Cool News
Ain't It Cool News
Ain't It Cool News is a website founded and run by Harry Knowles, dedicated to news, rumors and reviews of upcoming and currently playing films and television projects, with an emphasis on science fiction, fantasy, horror, comic-book and action genres...
and Legendary Pictures
Legendary Pictures
Legendary Pictures is an American film production company, whose parent company, Legendary Entertainment, is based in Burbank, California and was founded by Thomas Tull in 2004...
on October 23, 2008. The film was also screened at the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con, the Montreal Fantasia Festival
Fantasia Festival
Fantasia International Film Festival is a genre film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996...
on July 29 and 30, 2009, the film festival Terror In The Aisles 2 in Chicago, IL
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
on August 15, 2009, and the After Dark film festival in Toronto on August 20, 2009 at The Bloor
Bloor Cinema
The Bloor Cinema is an independent theatre in The Annex district of downtown Toronto, Canada, located at 506 Bloor Street West, near its intersection with Bathurst Street and the TTC's Bathurst station....
.
Critical reception
Despite only a handful of public screenings, the film has been reviewed extensively by online journalists and bloggers, especially in the genre/horror communities, and reviews are unanimously positive. Dread Central gave it 5 out of 5 stars and stated "Trick 'r Treat ranks alongside John CarpenterJohn Carpenter
John Howard Carpenter is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, editor, composer, and occasional actor. Although Carpenter has worked in numerous film genres in his four-decade career, his name is most commonly associated with horror and science fiction.- Early life :Carpenter was born...
's Halloween
Halloween (1978 film)
Halloween is a 1978 American independent horror film directed, produced, and scored by John Carpenter, co-written with Debra Hill, and starring Donald Pleasence and Jamie Lee Curtis in her film debut and the first installment in the Halloween franchise. The film is set in the fictional midwestern...
as traditional October viewing and I can't imagine a single horror fan that won't fall head over heels in love with it." The film earned 10 out of 10 from Ryan Rotten of ShockTilYouDrop.com. It also earned an 8 out of 10 from Bloody Disgusting
Bloody Disgusting
Bloody Disgusting is a website that covers horror movies with reviews, interviews and news. It is currently run by Brad Miska, and Tom Owen. According to one source, the site has 1.5 million unique visitors and 20 million page views each month. It is widely considered to be the "world's most...
, who later ranked the film ninth in their list of the 'Top 20 Horror Films of the Decade', with the article saying, "[It's] so good that its lack of a theatrical release borders on the criminal." IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
attended a screening of the film and concluded, "This well-crafted Halloween horror tribute is a scary blast.", rating it 8 out of 10 overall. Based on 17 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, the film has an overall "Fresh" approval rating from critics of 85%, with an average score of 7.7/10; the site's critical consensus states "An deftly crafted tribute to Halloween legends, Trick 'r' Treat hits all the genre marks with gusto and old fashioned suspense."
Awards
- 2008 - Audience Choice Award, Los Angeles Screamfest
- 2009 - Silver Audience Award, Toronto After Dark Film Festival
Merchandise
- Sideshow Collectibles created a 15" vinyl figure based on the film's scarecrow-like character Sam.
- National Entertainment Collectibles AssociationNational Entertainment Collectibles AssociationThe National Entertainment Collectibles Association or NECA is an American manufacturer of collectibles typically licensed from films, video-games, sports, music, and television based in New Jersey...
(aka NECA) has licensed numerous categories for the film. Recently a 5½" scale figure of Sam has been released as part of NECA's "Cult Classics" line of movie figures. The figure includes a stand, pumpkins, "candybar," lollipop, sack, and interchangeable, uncovered head. - Palace Press and Insight Editions published a 108-page coffee table book entitled Trick 'r Treat: Tales of Mayhem, Mystery & Mischief. It documents the making of the film, and includes storyboards, concept art, cast and crew biographies, and behind-the-scenes photographs.
Comic adaptation
DC ComicsDC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
partner Wildstorm Comics
Wildstorm
WildStorm Productions, or simply WildStorm, published American comic books. Originally an independent company established by Jim Lee and further expanded upon in subsequent years by other creators, WildStorm became a publishing imprint of DC Comics in 1999...
had planned to release a four-issue adaptation of Trick 'r Treat written by Marc Andreyko
Marc Andreyko
Marc Andreyko is a comic book and screenplay writer, known for writing the 2000s ongoing series Manhunter for DC Comics...
and illustrated by Fiona Staples, with covers by Michael Dougherty
Michael Dougherty
Michael Dougherty is a screenwriter who is known for his work with Dan Harris on the scripts for Bryan Singer's films X2 and Superman Returns.-Early life:...
, Breehn Burns
Breehn Burns
Breehn Burns is an American writer, director, voice artist and animator.He co-created the popular Dr. Tran franchise which has aired on G4TV, is staple of the Spike & Mike Sick & Twisted Festival of Animation and has become a popular internet meme...
and Ragnar. The series was originally going to be released weekly in October 2007, ending on Halloween, but the series was pushed back due to the film's backlisting. The four comics were instead released as a graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
adaptation in October 2009.
Sequel
Dougherty announced on October 8, 2009 that he is planning a sequelSequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
.
Dougherty helped create a short promotional Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
trailer for Fear.net's Trick 'r Treat 24-hour marathon for 2011's Halloween. The trailer showed a family's Easter celebration turning into one of horror, with Sam watching the chaos outside whilst wearing rabbit ears. Several more shorts have been created during various holidays including Father's Day
Father's Day
Father's Day is a celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. Many countries celebrate it on the third Sunday of June but it is also celebrated widely on other days...
, and another relating to back to school, all directed by Dougherty and featuring Sam from the starring roles to cameos.