Trick ’r Treat (2007) d. Michael Dougherty (USA) (82 min)
Writer/director Dougherty and producer Bryan Singer deliver a blood-soaked candy basket to horror fans everywhere with this cleverly structured, EC comics-flavored anthology piece, offering up four interlocking stories all taking place in the same neighborhood over the course of Halloween night. With stalwart high-profile ensemble members as Anna Paquin, Brian Cox (both X-Men 2 veterans, which Dougherty scripted and Singer directed), Leslie Bibb, and Dylan Baker lending able support, this is a well-acted and gorgeously photographed celebration of all things midnight and monstrous.
Despite the long and fumbling path that Warner Brothers took with the film’s distribution, i.e. no theatrical release despite wildly enthusiastic critical reviews and film festival audience response (I was fortunate enough to see it on the big screen when it screened in Chicago), it has since become a word-of-mouth smash on home video and an October favorite, providing the happy ending Dougherty and Co. deserve.
Shout! Factory brings this October favorite to high-def with a Collector’s Edition Blu-ray packed with supplements that should have fans drooling in anticipation. A quartet of new mini-docs, “Tales of Folklore and Fright” (the origins of the project), “Tales of Mischief and Mayhem” (production stories), “Sounds of Shock and Superstition” (scoring the film), and “Tales of Dread and Despair” (its infamously clunky distribution) properly celebrate The Little Horror Anthology That Could, with the effortlessly cheerful Dougherty revealing the endless challenges he and the TrT creative team faced bringing his passion project to life.
There are also oodles of never-seen-before storyboard and concept art offerings, as well as the animated 3-minute short film, “Seasons Greetings,” which originally introduced the burlap-headed stocking-footed character of “Sam” (played by 9-year-old Quinn Lord in the feature) to audiences in 1996.
The audio commentary (featuring Dougherty, composer Douglas Pipes, concept artist Breehn Burns, and storyboard artist Simeon Wilkins) has been ported over from the original 2009 DVD release, along with the 30-min “Lore and Legends of Halloween” featurette exploring the origins of the holiday and the source of its ensuing traditions. Also included are FX comparison shots for select scenes, deleted scenes with optional commentary by the director, and the theatrical trailer.
Trick’r Treat is available now on Blu-ray from Shout! Factory and can be ordered HERE:
https://www.shoutfactory.com/product/trick-r-treat-collector-s-edition?product_id=6863
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