Trick 'r Treat (2009, Michael Dougherty)

For those of you who follow any sort of horror film news, you have most certainly heard something over the last two years about a film called Trick 'r Treat. As you can see from the poster above, Trick 'r Treat was supposed to be released October 5 2007. Written and directed by the co-writer for Superman Returns (Michael Dougherty) and produced by that film's director (Bryan Singer), Trick 'r Treat was a throwback to the old horror anthologies like Creepshow, Tales from the Crypt, Black Sabbath, Vault of Horror, Trilogy of Terror and so many others that have been scaring the poop out of fans for years. As happens so often though, the film was delayed and then it was shelved. Something about not knowing how to market it or some horseshit. Regardless, almost two years to the day and Trick 'r Treat has finally been released (direct to video unfortunately). I have read so many positive reviews for the film and given the buzz for the film's long delayed release, it seems as though the delay has actually helped the film find the audience it may not have had if it were released two years ago with the small advertising it most likely would have been given.

As I mentioned before, Trick 'r Treat is a horror anthology made up of a few different stories. Instead of separate stories shown back to back, they are all intertwined and feature interactions between characters from each part. The stories include a young couple who learn the dangers of blowing out the candles in a jack o lantern, a college girl looking for the right guy on Halloween night, a school principal who has a few issues, a bunch of kids going to the sight of a school bus crash with an "offering" and a recluse who finds an intruder in his house.

One thing is for certain, Trick 'r Treat will become one of my yearly Halloween movies. Everything about the film exemplifies the fear, nostalgia and fun I feel around Halloween. The fun costumes, the decorations and the uncertainty of what you'll see is all abound in this wonderful film. I'd call it an instant classic. The characters are all fun and though I didn't really think the film was that scary, it was a little nerve wracking and tense in many scenes. The writing, directing and how the stories fit together like a puzzle were all great. It's a fun watch that I think a lot of people will connect with. I know I did.

RATING: 5/5