Trick or Treat (1986)

A bullied teenage boy is devastated after the death of his heavy metal idol, Sammi Curr. But as Hallowe'en night approaches, he discovers that he may be the only one who can stop Sammi from making a Satanic comeback from beyond the grave.

Director:

Charles Martin Smith

Writers:

Rhet Topham (story), Michael S. Murphey (screenplay)

Stars:

Marc Price, Tony Fields, Lisa Orgolini

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Marc Price	...	Eddie Weinbauer
Tony Fields	...	Sammi Curr
Lisa Orgolini	...	Leslie Graham
Doug Savant	...	Tim Hainey
Elaine Joyce	...	Angie Weinbauer
Glen Morgan	...	Roger Mockus
Gene Simmons	...	Nuke
Ozzy Osbourne	...	Rev. Aaron Gilstrom
Elise Richards	...	Genie Wooster
Richard Pachorek	...	Ron Avery
Clare Torao	...	Maggie Wong-Hernandez (as Clare Nono)
Alice Nunn	...	Mrs. Sylvia Cavell
Larry Sprinkle	...	Marv McCain
Charles Martin Smith	...	Mr. Wimbley
Claudia Templeton	...	Hysterical Survivor

Storyline

Hard rock idol Sammi Curr burns to death in a hotel fire. His biggest fan, Lakeridge High School student and resident metal head Eddie Weinbauer is devastated by the news and turns to local radio DJ "Nuke" for emotional support. After a heated discussion about the deceased rock star, Nuke presents Eddie with a rare demo record, the last ever recorded by Sammi and the only copy in existence. Overwhelmed by Nuke's generosity, Eddie accepts the gift without hesitation, unaware of it's dark role in things to come. After constant humiliation and a near drowning at the hands of school bully Tim Hainy and his sports jock friends, Eddie becomes enraged and vows revenge on all those who have wronged him, much to the dismay of love interest, Leslie and best friend, Roger. Alone in his room with feelings of rage and retribution racing through his mind, Eddie places the new record onto his stereo and is shocked to discover that he can communicate with the deceased rock star when it is rotated ...

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Plot Keywords:

halloween | heavy metal | sound played backwards | trick or treaters | hard rock | 

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Taglines:

A deadly obsession turns into a spine tingling horror!

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Genres:

Comedy | Horror | Music

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Eddie's best friend Roger is played by Glen Morgan, his only acting stint. He went on to be a prolific writer/producer for The X-Files (1993), Final Destination (2000), and Final Destination 3 (2006), and to direct the Black Christmas (2006) remake.

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Goofs

In the scene where Eddie is doing his laundry and watching a news report, there is a 5-second shot of the TV screen he is looking at. At the left-hand side of the screen a reflection of the film crew is visible.

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Quotes

Sammi Curr: [to Eddie] You should be loyal to your heroes... they can turn on you.

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Crazy Credits

A brief clip with Ozzy Osbourne as Rev. Aaron Gilstrom appears after the end credits.

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Connections

Featured in Best of the Worst: Carnosaur 2, the Skateboard Kid 2, and Future Zone (2017)

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Soundtracks

The Haunted House Of Rock
Performed by Whodini
Courtesy of Jive Records
Composed by Jalil Hutchins, Pete Harris and Nigel Green
Published by Zomba Enterprises Inc. (ASCAP)

User Reviews

How Much More Metal Can It Be? None, none more metal

TRICK OR TREAT is a fine example of Hollywood jumping on the "backwards messages in metal music" bandwagon that Tipper Gore and her Washington Wives kick-started in the mid-'80s (other, less successful entries in this mini-genre include the awful BLACK ROSES and silly THE GATE). I was a sophomore in high school when TRICK OR TREAT came out and couldn't wait to see it. It seemed to disappear from video stores by the end of the '80s, but I finally picked up a budget-priced DVD copy a short while ago and it brought back many pleasant metal memories from back in the day. Any teenage metal nerd could relate to the trials of Eddie "Ragman" Weinbauer (Marc Price of "Family Ties")in this film as he is persecuted by the preppie "beautiful" people in his high school for his heavy metal fashions and musical taste. Eddie's favorite rock star is Sammi Curr (who looks a lot like Tommy Lee of Motley Crue), who is killed in a hotel fire early in the movie. Eddie is inconsolable till he receives a test pressing of Sammi's final, unreleased album from a radio DJ (Gene Simmons of Kiss in a brief cameo). Eddie soon discovers that this LP, when played backwards, allows him to communicate with the undead spirit of Sammi Curr himself! Soon Sammi is giving Eddie advice on how to get even with his preppie torturers but when the messages escalate in scariness ("Waste'em ALL... no false metal!") Eddie tries to destroy the album, which results in Sammi coming back to life via Eddie's stereo speakers. Sammi rampages to the big dance at Eddie's high school and takes the stage to rock the crowd and disintegrate a few unlucky "false metallers" before Eddie arrives to save the day and the girl of his dreams. (SIGH) No, it's not terribly scary in 2006, it wasn't even scary in 1986, but TRICK OR TREAT is a movie that will bring a smile to the face of any 1980s metaller and has a kick-ass soundtrack courtesy of the cult band Fastway. Well worth seeking out if you've ever banged your head or have a taste for B-grade horror movies (or both, like me).

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 October 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

Trick or Treat

Filming Locations:

DEG Film Studios - 1223 North 23rd Street, Wilmington, North Carolina, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,912,687, 26 October 1986

Gross USA:

$6,797,218

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$6,797,218

Company Credits

Production Co:

De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1