TRICK ‘R TREAT
US, 2008, 84 minutes, Colour.
Dylan Baker, Quinn Lord, Anna Paquin, Brian Cox.
Directed by Michael Dougherty.
Trick ‘r Treat is a compendium film, four stories about the celebration of Halloween in a small Ohio town. The stories are interwoven – and the screenplay moves to later and earlier in the evening, in the vein of comic strips which the credits bring to mind.
Dylan Baker portrays the principal of the school, who is a serial killer, lives next door to an eccentric old man, Brian Cox, who is terrorised by a strange peeping tom creature. Baker also stalks a young girl in the forest. She is played by Anna Paquin, one of a group of girls who pick up some dates and go into the forest – and turn into werewolves! There is also a story about a group of teenagers in the town who go to find the truth behind something which has happened in the past, a tragic accident in a rock quarry. Eight children were killed when their bus crashed. There is also a framing story where a wife and husband arrive home, she wanting to put away all the decorations for Halloween which she loathes while her husband goes into the house – and she is attacked by a spirit of Halloween.
The film has its scary moments, some gory moments – but is mild compared with many of the horror films that proliferated from 2000 onwards. The film was written and directed by Michael Dougherty, who wrote a number of films, including Superman Returns, for the producer of this film, Bryan Singer.
1. The popularity of Halloween stories? Audience knowledge of the background? The pagan legends? The spirit of Halloween and destruction? (The lack of knowledge about the Christian origins of the evening of All Saints’ Day?)
2. The town, Halloween Night? The houses, the streets, the quarry, the forest? Creating atmosphere? The musical score?
3. The trick or treat custom, the children collecting, their Halloween masks? Sinister and comic?
4. The story of the couple, the wife not liking Halloween, the husband and his going inside, watching the video? Misunderstanding his wife’s screams? The wife and her cleaning up, the monster, the attack on her, her being put on the posts? The later flashback introducing this story again?
5. Steven, at home, his son calling out, the fat boy and his greediness, his being sick, taken into the house, Steven killing him? His son? The next-door neighbour and his calling out? Steven going into the forest, stalking the girls, the encounter with Laurie, her enticing him, her brutality towards him? His falling in the group of the girls, their glamour, the dead boys, their dates? Laurie and her sexuality, virginity, attack on Steven? The girls all turning into werewolves?
6. The prank story, the group of teenagers, life in the town, banding together, Rhonda the outcast? The prank, going to the quarry, the memories of the accident, the dead children? The terror, the monster? Rhonda helping them?
7. Mr Kreeg, his terrifying the children with the mask over his dog? His lonely life, the interiors of the house, watching television? His seeing Steven in the garden? The children and his gifts? The later monster arriving, attacking him in the house, his desperation? His bandages – and the children thinking that this was his Halloween mask?
8. A variation on the Halloween traditions? The horror stories? For a broader audience than those who just like slasher horror films? The value of a compendium of stories?
