Trick 'r Treat (2007)

Five interwoven stories that occur on Halloween: An everyday high school principal has a secret life as a serial killer; a college virgin might have just met the guy for her; a group of teenagers pull a mean prank; a woman who loathes the night has to contend with her holiday-obsessed husband; and a mean old man meets his match with a demonic, supernatural trick-or-treater.

Director:

Michael Dougherty

Writer:

Michael Dougherty

Stars:

Anna Paquin, Brian Cox, Dylan Baker

6 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dylan Baker	...	Steven
Rochelle Aytes	...	Maria
Quinn Lord	...	Sam / Peeping Tommy
Lauren Lee Smith	...	Danielle
Moneca Delain	...	Janet
Tahmoh Penikett	...	Henry
Brett Kelly	...	Charlie
Britt McKillip	...	Macy
Isabelle Deluce	...	Sara
Jean-Luc Bilodeau	...	Schrader
Alberto Ghisi	...	Chip
Samm Todd	...	Rhonda
Anna Paquin	...	Laurie
Brian Cox	...	Mr. Kreeg
Leslie Bibb	...	Emma

Storyline

Five interwoven stories that occur on the same block, on the same night. A couple finds what happens when they blow a jack o' lantern out before midnight, a high school principal has a secret life as a serial killer, a college virgin might have met the right guy for her, a group of mean teens play a prank that they take too far, and a hermit is visited by a special trick or treater.

---

Plot Keywords:

werewolf | halloween | serial killer | woods | mask | 

---

Taglines:

They were started to protect us...

---

Genres:

Comedy | Horror

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for horror violence, some sexuality/nudity and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

The look of Brian Cox's character is based on Halloween (1978) and The Thing (1982) director John Carpenter.

---

Goofs

When the school principal is making a jack o' lantern with the bully, the knife makes the sound of brushing against metal, which wouldn't happen while making a jack o' lantern.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Halloween Commercial Man: During the spookiest time of the year there are a few guidelines all ghosts and goblins should follow. Always stay on sidewalks. Never go to a strangers house, and never go out alone.
[the B&W commercial cuts]
Emma: [Sarcastically] This was a great idea, honey. Really. It's just magical. It makes me wish every night was Halloween.
Henry: I'm sorry Em. Wait, wait. Not yet.
Emma: What?
Henry: You're supposed to keep it lit.
Emma: Why?
Henry: Ancient tradition?
Emma: Henry, it's Halloween, not Hanukkah. Baby, I'm lit and you're lit.
[...]

---

Connections

Referenced in Nostalgia Critic: Top 11 New Halloween Classics (2014)

---

Soundtracks

Cue
from Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island (1998)
Written by Steven Bramson

User Reviews

Threadbare on Scares

After watching Trick R' Treat, I felt something was simply missing: from beautiful set decoration to conceptual camera angles, this is, by its cover, the perfect direct-to-DVD horror movie. But considering what could be lacking from such a film, I ventured to the heart of the story and finally realized that Trick R' Treat is, simply put, devoid of any scares.

Don't get me wrong: this movie is anything but boring. From pumpkin-faced terrors to blood-sucking creatures, this movie has its share of creeps. Not only that, but each of the separate story lines (there are 4 total) are woven together so slickly that there are bundles of shocks you won't see coming.

But none of this can make up for the fact that Trick R' Treat is, at its best, only creepy; a movie that used the same layout and attained the same tone as "The Twilight Zone Movie." I was eagerly awaiting the moment when it would break off from creepy and truly get scary, like John Carpenter's "Halloween." But sadly, Trick R' Treat's clever story never dishes out the scares.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Warner Bros.

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 November 2015 (Latvia)

Also Known As:

Trick or Treat

Filming Locations:

Ladner, Delta, British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Legendary Entertainment, Bad Hat Harry Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

82 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1