Mean old man Mr. Killup (a marvelously cantankerous portrayal by Roy Poole) finds himself on the receiving end of a hard lesson about tricks and treats when he refuses to be nice and give kids candy on Halloween. Veteran make-up artist Tom Savini does an ace job directing this episode: The compelling story moves at a steady pace, the flavorsome All Hallow's Eve atmosphere hits the spooky spot, the suspense is well developed, and the whole thing concludes on an appropriately dark macabre note. Moreover, the mood gets more eerie and unsettling as the plot unfolds, with loads of icky bugs crawling about and a deliciously creepy goblin (John Edward Allen in excellent make-up) relentlessly tormenting Killup. Michael McDowell's script offers a neat central message about what comes around goes around, with Killup's ultimate fate rating as both fitting and ironic. Poole plays Killup with tremendous lip-smacking nasty relish, thus making the miserable coot the sort one just loves to hate. Tim Choate lends sturdy support as Kiilup's long-suffering son Michael. One of the definite highlights of the second season.
14 Reviews
The old man gets the trick! Good themes and elements from 1982's "Creepshow"
blanbrn15 June 2007
This TFTD episode is well written and the acting is just fine and most should find it scary. On Halloween night a miserable old man is left alone by his son, yet the old man isn't in the Halloween spirit so when kids come for candy he's mean and dumps slim and nasty stuff in their candy! Yet upon answering the door an unexpected guest arrives that being a demon and hairy monster similar to the one in 1982's "Creepshow" just think back to "The Crate" segment. Anyway the man is terrorized and he becomes trapped in having crazy dreams and he even feels the bug itch like E.G. Marshall's character from the "Creepshow" segment "They Are Creeping Up On You". Really overall well done episode one of the better from this series, and the themes and elements are similar to 1982's "Creepshow" like the monster and roaches, I guess when you have George A. Romero writing and directing he will blend his past stuff in.
Now this is what I'm talking about
shellytwade21 January 2022
This is the type of episode that every other episode should have followed as a blueprint. It's a simple idea but it's well shot, spooky and actually makes sense within it's own rules. Perfect watch for Halloween. Savini seems to be responsible for some of the best episodes of this series.
One of the scariest episodes.
TOMNEL8 November 2006
Directed by: Tom Savini.
A lot of episodes of TftD feel very made for TV. This episode feels like a mini movie. It was so well directed, well acted and well done. Monster make-up guy Tom Savini directs this episode about a cranky old man living with his son. His son goes out until morning, and leaves the old man home alone on Halloween night. Of course this old man is rude to all the kids, all until he gets an unexpected visitor. A weird demon type creature stalks him. It is a genuinely scary episode, and though it really doesn't make a lot of sense it's so stylish. Just odd little pictures of random obscurities were thrown in while this man was dreaming. It's the little things that made this a perfect Darkside episode!! My rating: Perfect episode. 21 mins,
A lot of episodes of TftD feel very made for TV. This episode feels like a mini movie. It was so well directed, well acted and well done. Monster make-up guy Tom Savini directs this episode about a cranky old man living with his son. His son goes out until morning, and leaves the old man home alone on Halloween night. Of course this old man is rude to all the kids, all until he gets an unexpected visitor. A weird demon type creature stalks him. It is a genuinely scary episode, and though it really doesn't make a lot of sense it's so stylish. Just odd little pictures of random obscurities were thrown in while this man was dreaming. It's the little things that made this a perfect Darkside episode!! My rating: Perfect episode. 21 mins,
AMAZING!!! I was on the edge of my seat!!!! One of the best!
zaheer6913 October 2011
Warning: Spoilers
A nasty old man hates being disturbed. He is not patient, kind, and he hates children and Halloween because kids constantly disturb him by ringing the doorbell and asking for candy late into the night. His son, Michael, who lets him live with him, even leaves candy with the man, to make sure his home isn't vandalized, and leaves for the night to do some late night paperwork at his office. However, the old man is so unpleasant, that he even refuses to give the candy out. When kids try to t-p his house or spray paint on it because of this, the old man threatens to call 911. Yeah, because old misers who call 911 24/7 on Halloween because they think kids are "robbing" them by asking for candy give the holiday a bad name. Jeez. Well, pretty soon, it's midnight, and the old man has fallen asleep. One more kid arrives, asking for candy, and the old man mixes it with glue, mayonnaise, and honey and dumps it into the kid's bag, calling it "goblin candy". The kid is grossed out by this, of course, and flees. Moments later, the doorbell rings again. He attempts his usual "go away, the police are already on their way" routine, but a very deep and freaky voice answers "trick or treat". That's right, an ACTUAL goblin has now showed up, and will proceed to torment the old man to teach him a lesson. The old man's small house becomes his prison as the beast violently taunts him with hallucinations, horrific Halloween candy bags filled with maggots, and a cockroach infested kitchen. As he wasted all of his candy with the "goblin candy" trick, the man has no way to bribe the goblin, and the man continues to suffer as the goblin appears outside his window, and the man realizes that he is vulnerable. Also, he is cut off from the outside world because the goblin has cut his phone lines and is trapping him inside.
Besides The Last Car, which was about a girl who was trapped on a train to nowhere with strange passengers, or perhaps The Cutty Black Sow, this episode is probably my favorite. I am not usually scared easily, and this one was honestly hard to watch. The close-ups of the static on the TV screen, the leaves blowing across the porch, the weird doorbell, and the creaking porch swing compliment this well-written and highly likable entry in the series. Also, you never really get a good look at the goblin, which only makes it visible by window glimpses and shadows, which makes it very mysterious and horrific. If you love the "claustarophobia" feeling, you will like it, and that is one of the many factors that contributed to it being so scary. See it, (it's online) if you can muster up enough courage.
Besides The Last Car, which was about a girl who was trapped on a train to nowhere with strange passengers, or perhaps The Cutty Black Sow, this episode is probably my favorite. I am not usually scared easily, and this one was honestly hard to watch. The close-ups of the static on the TV screen, the leaves blowing across the porch, the weird doorbell, and the creaking porch swing compliment this well-written and highly likable entry in the series. Also, you never really get a good look at the goblin, which only makes it visible by window glimpses and shadows, which makes it very mysterious and horrific. If you love the "claustarophobia" feeling, you will like it, and that is one of the many factors that contributed to it being so scary. See it, (it's online) if you can muster up enough courage.
Good tale from the darkside.
poolandrews12 November 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Tales from the Darkside: Halloween Candy starts as Michael Killup (Tim Choate) leaves his mean bad tempered old father (Roy Poole) at home alone on Halloween, Michael urges his father to give the children some candy if they come knocking & even leaves some for him. However his father doesn't like trick or treaters & has an intense dislike of Halloween celebrations so either refuses to give them anything or gives them a horrible mixture of household substances, after abusing several trick or treaters in this way he gets a knock on the door from something nasty, something which will teach him to be a little bit nicer in future... if he lives to see the future that is...
Episode 5 from season 2 this Tales from the Darkside story originally aired in the US during October 1985 (four days before Halloween that year in fact), the second of three Tales from the Darkside episodes to be directed by special make-up effects man Tom Savini this is more or less a remake of the very first pilot episode Trick or Treat (1984) which was screened almost two years prior to the day this aired. The script by Michael McDowell has virtually the same story as Trick or Treat, an old man who doesn't like Halloween & teases the local children in a cruel way gets his comeuppance from mysterious supernatural forces & the two episodes are undeniably similar but both very entertaining in their own right. Since both Halloween Candy & Trick or Treat actually try to be scary & tell a straight horror themed story they are two of the more fondly remembered episodes. The twist ending is alright although to me didn't make 100% sense, it's still a nice way to round the story off though as the old man got what he deserved & at a mere 20 odd minutes in length it's short & to the point.
You know thinking about it Halloween Candy is also very similar to the previous Tales from the Darkside episode Parlour Floor Front (1985) in which another mean person get their comeuppance by supernatural means. As usual Halloween Candy is basically set in one location with a very small cast & it's a good example in economics for young filmmakers working on a low budget & what can be achieved. Halloween Candy has a Creepshow (1982) feel about it, the monster looks like the one from The Crate segment & the constant use of cockroaches reminded me of They're Creeping Up On You which also had an old man menaced by bugs which may or may not have been a figment of his imagination. Since director Tom Savini did the special effects on Creepshow & that films director George A. Romero is an executive producer on Tales from the Darkside it's not entirely surprising.
Halloween Candy is a Tales from the Darkside episode which actually tries to be creepy & scary & as such is one of the best remembered stories from the entire series with good reason.
Episode 5 from season 2 this Tales from the Darkside story originally aired in the US during October 1985 (four days before Halloween that year in fact), the second of three Tales from the Darkside episodes to be directed by special make-up effects man Tom Savini this is more or less a remake of the very first pilot episode Trick or Treat (1984) which was screened almost two years prior to the day this aired. The script by Michael McDowell has virtually the same story as Trick or Treat, an old man who doesn't like Halloween & teases the local children in a cruel way gets his comeuppance from mysterious supernatural forces & the two episodes are undeniably similar but both very entertaining in their own right. Since both Halloween Candy & Trick or Treat actually try to be scary & tell a straight horror themed story they are two of the more fondly remembered episodes. The twist ending is alright although to me didn't make 100% sense, it's still a nice way to round the story off though as the old man got what he deserved & at a mere 20 odd minutes in length it's short & to the point.
You know thinking about it Halloween Candy is also very similar to the previous Tales from the Darkside episode Parlour Floor Front (1985) in which another mean person get their comeuppance by supernatural means. As usual Halloween Candy is basically set in one location with a very small cast & it's a good example in economics for young filmmakers working on a low budget & what can be achieved. Halloween Candy has a Creepshow (1982) feel about it, the monster looks like the one from The Crate segment & the constant use of cockroaches reminded me of They're Creeping Up On You which also had an old man menaced by bugs which may or may not have been a figment of his imagination. Since director Tom Savini did the special effects on Creepshow & that films director George A. Romero is an executive producer on Tales from the Darkside it's not entirely surprising.
Halloween Candy is a Tales from the Darkside episode which actually tries to be creepy & scary & as such is one of the best remembered stories from the entire series with good reason.
Just Desert
hellraiser725 August 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Warning do not read unless seen episode.
This is my second favorite tale of the show, it's also it's second story based on a seasonal holiday and Halloween is the perfect one. This tale is also kinda uncannily similar to an anthology tale in the film "Trick or Treat". It really surprised me that this was directed by Tom Savini and it doesn't disappoint, it shows he really is a capable director it's a shame he didn't do a bit more.
I really like the design of the monster the make up effects are top notch as usual from Tom; it reminds me of one of the trolls from "Ernest Scared Stupid" which is cool, it is just gnarly and nasty looking which is part of what makes the monster all the more scary.
The premise is simple which makes it work as the whole episode takes place in just the inside of a house, which in a way makes this almost a bottle episode. This really gives the story just a feeling of isolation and doom, as it's one person with no one to help him while a sword of Damacles constantly is hanging above his head ready to drop at any time.
I really like the suspense where we see things happen and not happen which really keeps us on guard because even in the quiet moment we know it won't be quiet for long. One scary moment I really liked was when the old man's is experiencing a mind frak. It a great sequence because it's literally pulls the rug from under us, we see something happens to the old man but then he suddenly wakes up but even when he awakens we still feel something isn't right and we're right.
Though what really makes this episode unique is your actually on the Monster's side, which is a bit rare in the horror genre. To me the real monster is the old man whom is just rotten inside and out; he is a total glutton and has a rotten attitude to other people including kids when he plays one really cruel prank on a kid by giving him Golblin candy which isn't candy.
The monster you really kinda feel a little bad for as all it wants is a Halloween treat. But the old man being an idiot can't part with even one single candy; if the damn fool just gave the guy some candy then he probably would of been okay. This just all the more makes us one the Monster to win and give the rotten bugger what's coming to him which is his just desert.
Happy Halloween everyone.
Rating: 4 stars
This is my second favorite tale of the show, it's also it's second story based on a seasonal holiday and Halloween is the perfect one. This tale is also kinda uncannily similar to an anthology tale in the film "Trick or Treat". It really surprised me that this was directed by Tom Savini and it doesn't disappoint, it shows he really is a capable director it's a shame he didn't do a bit more.
I really like the design of the monster the make up effects are top notch as usual from Tom; it reminds me of one of the trolls from "Ernest Scared Stupid" which is cool, it is just gnarly and nasty looking which is part of what makes the monster all the more scary.
The premise is simple which makes it work as the whole episode takes place in just the inside of a house, which in a way makes this almost a bottle episode. This really gives the story just a feeling of isolation and doom, as it's one person with no one to help him while a sword of Damacles constantly is hanging above his head ready to drop at any time.
I really like the suspense where we see things happen and not happen which really keeps us on guard because even in the quiet moment we know it won't be quiet for long. One scary moment I really liked was when the old man's is experiencing a mind frak. It a great sequence because it's literally pulls the rug from under us, we see something happens to the old man but then he suddenly wakes up but even when he awakens we still feel something isn't right and we're right.
Though what really makes this episode unique is your actually on the Monster's side, which is a bit rare in the horror genre. To me the real monster is the old man whom is just rotten inside and out; he is a total glutton and has a rotten attitude to other people including kids when he plays one really cruel prank on a kid by giving him Golblin candy which isn't candy.
The monster you really kinda feel a little bad for as all it wants is a Halloween treat. But the old man being an idiot can't part with even one single candy; if the damn fool just gave the guy some candy then he probably would of been okay. This just all the more makes us one the Monster to win and give the rotten bugger what's coming to him which is his just desert.
Happy Halloween everyone.
Rating: 4 stars
Tales from the Darkside:Halloween Candy
Scarecrow-8812 March 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Make-up maestro Tom Savini directed this Halloween themed episode of TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE about a miserable old man who delights in not giving candy to kids and being the most hated neighbor on the block, but he'll get a special visitor who doesn't take no for an answer. Many horror fans might find parallels to the popular modern Halloween classic, TRICK 'R TREAT, as a miser who loathes the idea of giving out "free candy" to kids who "simply ring the door bell" gets a visit from a "Halloween creature" and is tormented in the same manner as he dishes out to children. This is a nice platform for Savini to actually direct a "spookshow", his expertise in the genre benefiting him quite well—not to mention, it doesn't hurt that he worked so closely with directors with the pedigree of George Romero. I like the idea of a "Halloween miser" much in the vein of Ebenezer Scrooge and Savini gets a chance to make your skin crawl (as he did in the EG Marshall tale in Creepshow) with lots of roaches. The impressive monster in this episode is eerily similar to the creature who ripped apart victims in the Creepshow tale, THE CRYPT. The end result of this episode is quite a "treat" as Savini's skills at whipping up a dried up corpse which looks as if it had starved over three weeks into a human skeleton once again proves his excellence at producing the goods in his creating the grotesque.
One of the best of the series
maniscalcomatt3 July 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This episode is directed by Tom Savini, and is one of the best in the entire series. It takes place on Halloween, and involves a bitter miser that hates trick-or-treaters. Then he gets paid a visit by a demon that teaches him a lesson. The evil creature in this episode is in fact the same monster that was created by Savini for the segment "The Crate" in the film Creepshow. The episode has music in between scenes that also gives it the same atmosphere as Creepshow. Given that Tales From The Dark Side is modeled after that film, this entry serves as a good example of the similarities between them, as well as an example of a great episode. The series was produced by George A. Romero, who also produced and directed Creepshow.
Alternative interpretation
dave-4871111 April 2022
Warning: Spoilers
A bunch of reviewers here seem to think the protagonist got his 'just rewards' at the end of the episode. Personally, I think refusing to give kids candy does not warrant getting murdered in a supernaturally horrific way. In fact, between having to deal with the snot-nosed punks in his neighborhood, as well as his unbearably whiny son, I found myself feeling that the old man was by far the most sympathetic character in this episode. I'm choosing to take a different message from this episode: not "if you don't give kids candy you'll die", but rather "people with horrible lives can never catch a break".
A lot of people are eager to believe bitter people lead miserable lives *because* they're bitter, rather than the other way around. The old man was lonely and could barely walk. I don't blame him for being the way he is.
A lot of people are eager to believe bitter people lead miserable lives *because* they're bitter, rather than the other way around. The old man was lonely and could barely walk. I don't blame him for being the way he is.
Brilliant episode otherwise ruined by a muddled ending.
VenusLilithAxe15 October 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Tom Savini and the writer Michael McDowell crafted an effectively creepy and frightening episode. The creature and suspense unfolds in such a manner that is signature to Tom's style and works brilliantly in making the audience wonder how exactly will this episode ends. However, I don't think this episode will be for everyone. The elder Killup is sincerely nasty and seems to have been nasty for years but at the same time the act itself of not giving treats shouldn't warrant bad behavior. Yet, Mr. Killup does other things to warrant a visit from the demonic goblin when he could've just given the candy that his son left! Honestly, I would've loved the episode, if it wasn't for the oddly placed uber dark ending where they attempted to make a case for elder abuse?? Michael, the longsuffering son of the protagonist being accused of neglecting his father was too much for me. I felt it was silly, unnecessary and didn't fit the rest of the premise.
Effective execution but an unjust story
Leofwine_draca1 June 2015
Warning: Spoilers
HALLOWEEN CANDY is a fairly effective episode of TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE, well directed by FX maestro Tom Savini and featuring some memorable, if family-friendly, frightening sequences. The only thing I don't agree with the general direction of the storyline.
The tale features a curmudgeonly old miser who actively hates Halloween and the bratty children he gets calling at his door every year at the end of October. He spends his time assailing them and chasing them off, only to get his comeuppance at the hands of a genuine beastie.
I for one am not a fan of the whole Halloween thing so I was happy to see this old dude scaring off the annoying kids who seek money with the threat of menace. Sadly, though, this kind of attitude leads to horror and death in TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE, so the guy gets his just desserts. It's a shame as I would have liked to see him come out on top instead.
The tale features a curmudgeonly old miser who actively hates Halloween and the bratty children he gets calling at his door every year at the end of October. He spends his time assailing them and chasing them off, only to get his comeuppance at the hands of a genuine beastie.
I for one am not a fan of the whole Halloween thing so I was happy to see this old dude scaring off the annoying kids who seek money with the threat of menace. Sadly, though, this kind of attitude leads to horror and death in TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE, so the guy gets his just desserts. It's a shame as I would have liked to see him come out on top instead.
Disgusting Old Man Fate
claudio_carvalho19 March 2022
The grumpy Mr. Killup is a disgusting old man and a sloppy father. His son Michael was raised with a grudge, but now helps his father. In the Halloween night, he buys candies for Mr. Killup to give to the children, but the old man decides to mock the children instead. But this year he taunts the wrong visitor.
"Halloween Candy" is another creepy episode of "Tales from the Darkside". The wicked Mr. Killup deserves his fate in the end. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Halloween Candy"
"Halloween Candy" is another creepy episode of "Tales from the Darkside". The wicked Mr. Killup deserves his fate in the end. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Halloween Candy"
Ruined Potential
scoobyboobruh31 January 2022
Warning: Spoilers
This episode used to scare me as a kid, but looking back at it now.... it's not so good. The acting, editing, and sound design are all pretty bad. However, I do see potential in this episode. The premise and monster are promising, and the ending is exceptionally creepy. Unfortunately, this doesn't make up for the stuff this episode severely lacks.
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