Blu-ray Review: Trick ‘r Treat
Trick ‘r Treat (Blu-ray Review) (2009)
Directed By: Michael Dougherty
Cast: Dylan Baker, Anna Paquin, Brian Cox, Leslie Bibb
Review by: Marc Patterson
Any good comedian will tell you that the joke is never about the joke. It’s all in the storytelling and the delivery. Trick ‘r Treat is a film that exemplifies the art of delivery.
Interweaving four separate stories into a larger 82 minute framework, Trick ‘r Treat wastes no time with wasteful set-ups, instead diving head first into horror that is sure to make you cringe, laugh, and gasp in delight all at once. It bobs and weaves between a high school principal who has a penchant for sadistically punishing kids who don’t respect the holiday, to four nubile young girls out for a good time on Devil’s night, to a group of trick ‘r treating kids, and back to a curmudgeonly old man who gets a visit by Sam, a pseudo “ghost of Halloween present”. All the while keeping the film fully stocked with plenty of good old fashion fright gags and jump scares that, regardless if you see them coming, still manage to work, really well.
The film is brimming with lavish sets and creative and original characters, making it a real visual treat to watch unfold. Michael Dougherty maintains an excellent sense of pacing in his play, presenting each story in a unique manner, while cleverly and smartly intertwining them with each other, all wrapped up within a fun and frightening setting that makes a film that you’re going to enjoy watching time and again.
A lot of time has been spent by countless critics and fans praising this film, and for good reason. Quite honestly, Trick ‘r Treat is a fantastic film and an instant holiday classic. Even better, unlike other films that rage onto the scene with widespread accolades and undue hype, Trick ‘r Treat is still a relatively unknown title. Sure, every horror fan worth their salt knows about the film, but I have a lot of Halloween-loving friends who enjoy horror films and who still haven’t heard about this treasure. Yes, there is a difference, and we are fanatics.
The Blu-ray looks great, but having seen it twice now, I have to say my biggest frustration lies in the non-existent top menu. You pop the disc in and it goes straight into trailers that I don’t want to see, and then straight into the film. Try to push your way by the trailers and you’ll have to inevitably bring up the menu to scene select your way to the beginning of the film. It’s a messy experience to say the least, and I haven’t yet been able to properly pop the disc in, get settled in and hit play in order to fully enjoy the film. Now, to access the extras you just bring your menu screen up. And the extras are pretty nice.
The special edition I purchased comes with a digital copy, which at this point I just about consider as something that should be standard with all Blu releases. You get the animated short upon which the film is based, that Michael Dougherty created in film school (also available online). Only here, the short comes with an optional commentary track. It’s a short five minute affair, but fun to watch to get a sense of the origins.
The real meat and potatoes of the extras is the featurette, How Did Many of Our Scary Season Traditions Start, which takes a historical romp through time, exploring the roots of trick ‘r treating, jack o’ lanterns, and the name of the holiday itself. Of course, the whole time it drops in behind the scenes footage from the making of the film, so it really plays out more like a History Channel special meets a making of featurette.
If at this point you’re at all unclear as to whether or not this is worthy of a purchase, the answer is a resounding yes. Go out, grab this up, and begin a new holiday tradition. My recommendation? Watch it with all the lights turned out, except for the dim orange glow of some cool holiday lights. The magic will literally fill your living room.
