Retrospective: Trick 'r Treat

“Halloween is the one night of the year when all bets are off. Anything can happen” –Michael Dougherty 

Every now and then a film comes along that gets it right. These movies make you say, “Yes! That’s how it’s supposed to be!!” and make you wish you had directed them because they are so in line with your own sensibilities. Trick r’ Treat is that movie for me. Writer/ Director Michael Dougherty’s declaration of love to all things Halloween perfectly depicts everything about the holiday we all love so much. Trick r’ Treat is simply the best Halloween themed film since, well, Halloween. Yet in a sense it actually is a better Halloween film for the simple fact that it's all about the Holiday itself. This is why it has become tradition for myself and many others to watch it every October. 

One of the things I love about Trick r’ Treat is it provides us with different perspectives of the holiday from various stages of our lives. From a young child who is fascinated and excited by the traditions of Halloween taught to him by his father (however demented he may be) all the way to the elderly man who has become disenchanted and bitter towards "All Hollows Eve" and the annoyances he feels it brings. Dougherty weaves all the age group's stories together with ease and makes them feel organically intertwined while thoroughly exploring various subjects of Halloween lore. 

Trick r’ Treat is set in the fictional town of Warren Valley, Ohio. At the center of town a huge Halloween Parade takes place where the streets are filled with costumed people enjoying the sights and sounds. The air is visibly cold and damp, the sidewalks paved with colorful yellow, orange and red leaves, Jack O Lanterns illuminate front yards and porches-- THIS is Halloween. The care and attention to detail that the production design is handled with might be easily overlooked by a regular viewer, but to anyone who truly holds Halloween near and dear to their heart, the moment those opening credits start to roll you instantly fall in love with the film. 

The film begins with a couple returning home after a night out at the parade. It is here that we are first introduced to the fact that Trick r’ Treat is all about the preservation of Halloween's ancient traditions and the respect it deserves as the husband tells his wife not to blow out the candle in the Jack O’ Lantern. As a lifelong Halloween enthusiast, Trick r’ Treat came along at the perfect time for me. I have always loved the holiday, but being in a warm climate took some of the oomph out of the holiday, especially since I grew up with the traditional brisk-autumn-pumpkin-patch Halloweens. As my enthusiasm and spirit waned to the point where I hardly even decorated anymore, I was still anticipating seeing the little anthology movie about Halloween that had been making so much noise throughout the Horrorsphere. I remember running around to different stores to find it the day it was released. I came home, made some popcorn, turned it on, and once it was all was said and done, I was blown away by how enjoyable it was. As soon as it was done, I restarted it from the beginning and decided to break out my box of Halloween stuff and decorate my apartment while the film played in the background. It was like a shot of Halloween adrenaline that has flowed through my veins ever since. 

There are a lot of things in Trick r’ Treat to love, whether it be the tragic backstory of the “Halloween School Bus Massacre” that is used by a group of adolescent kids to play a cruel prank on the class outcast Rhonda; the aforementioned story about the murderous school principal Mr. Wilkins and his son Billy who have a much more sinister way of celebrating the Holiday than most; or the “pack” of beautiful women on the prowl for their next meal...er…date. There is something for everyone in the film: younger kids, adults, gorehounds, and fans of the spooky. All of these things fit the bill of iconic Halloween themes and ideals, however ask any fan what the best thing about the film is and you will get the same answer: "Sam". 

Throughout the film, we are provided glimpses of a small creepy figure dressed in orange footie pajamas, hiding his face in burlap mask with buttons for eyes. It isn’t until the final act that we discover just who this mysterious little character is when he enters the home of the Halloween despising, candy stealing Mr. Kreeg, and proceeds to torment him until he finally heeds the rules of Halloween. Writer/ Director Michael Dougherty said it best: “Every Holiday has a cool mascot, Halloween is the only one that didn’t have something. There’s a lot of iconic images but there wasn’t just that one mascot character.” For him, Sam was the opportunity to create one such character. Sam is one of the coolest creations I have seen: a mini pumpkin headed demon born in a pumpkin patch who dresses up in orange footy pajamas and a burlap sack mask; a perfect Halloween character that I will forever be jealous that I didn’t create myself. Sam is essentially Halloween's version of the "Ghost of Christmas Past," the enforcer of the holiday’s traditions and rules. While he may not be fully acknowledged as Halloween's official mascot, for serious horror and Halloween fans alike, he is definitely held in high esteem and is loved right up there with Michael Myers and Jack Skellington in terms of Halloween iconography. 

Michael Dougherty believes in the spirit of the holiday and did his utmost to present it in Trick r’ Treat so that it can be further appreciated and preserved for future generations. Whenever I’ve spoken to people about this film, everyone agrees the filmmaker's get what makes Halloween special and have created a vision of it that is timeless while still being contemporary. The world presented here is one I find myself wanting to visit every October and spend the night exploring regardless of what creatures lurk throughout: I want to wander through the Halloween Parade, I want to walk the dark streets with a lit Jack O’ Lantern, hike through the foggy pumpkin patch as I make my way to the haunted rock quarry that is site of the School Bus Massacre. Of course I would like to avoid being eaten alive by beautiful werewolf women, but I suppose there are worse ways to go. After all, it’s in the spirit of Halloween.

Dissecting Fear: An Interview with Marc Shoenbach / Sadist Art Designs

One of the best thing about doing what we do here at TrueHorror.net is meeting new, like minded people. This website has opened up so many doors for new friendships and collaborations that I would have otherwise never made. For that I am extremely grateful. It is especially cool when those new people are on the same wavelength as you when it comes to things you enjoy creating. As many of you know we love creating our own faux movie posters here as well as ones for existing films. Which brings us to Marc of Sadist Art Designs. The New York based artist specializes in creating custom poster art for media design and has a special love for retro horror and art house stylization. I remember being put on to Marc's work by a mutual pal, Uncle Tnuc and was really impressed by just how perfectly it captured the style of 80's horror poster art. What he creates would feel right at home in the horror section of any video store in the 80's. He has done work for Fangoria and countless independent horror films who are all looking for that magical retro touch. Thanks to his chosen field, I expected to get a unique perspective on the subject of VHS cover art and horror posters and he did not disappoint. From the get go Marc has been a supporter of TrueHorror.net and has just been an all around cool dude, so we are happy and appreciative to have him contribute to our ongoing "Dissecting Fear" series of interviews. Now while Marc doesn't scare easily, he still provides insight into his love affair with horror films while displaying his love of the F word. We are also happy to share some pieces of Marc's work that represents what Sadist Art Designs is all about. 

As a child what horror film and/or character scared you the most and why do you feel they had this effect on you.

Michael Myers. Hands down. Halloween II was the first horror film I ever saw when I was 4. My older brother, who was about 13 then, had also been fascinated by the boogieman. Around that time in the early 80's, my family had just gotten cable TV and Halloween II was the film HBO had been showing on repeat as was common to repeat movies on cablte TV back then. While Myers scared the fuck out of me, I couldn't help but be captivated by his presence. That emotionless mask gave me nightmares that really fucked me up. Back then, though I think the childhood innocence masqueraded the true fear, and like so many horror fans today, is what made horror and being scared a good feeling, not one to shy away from but to embrace. Yeah thanks a lot Michael!

Crying Skull poster design inspired by Halloween II opening sequence by Sadist Art Designs

Do you have an example telling of an instance or two where this fear really manifested itself and had an impact on you or your behavior? 

Of all the horror movies I had been watching back then, the only time I had ever been affected by it was by one dream. Only one. At the time, my second oldest brother (two years older than me) had shared a room with me. I remember one night I dreamt Michael Myers had come inside our room! But he had brought a friend, this stranger fucker wearing a hawaiian shirt and yellow dishwashing gloves. Myers worked on my brother while Dishwashing Gloved Man choked the fuck out of me! Horror movies don't usually scare me. Just that one time. It's mostly the local news that haunts me. 

What horror movie VHS covers or posters scared you as a kid and why do you feel the poster or cover had this effect on you?

I wouldn't use the word scared. Because like I said, horror movies don't scare me. They fascinate me. I'm much more scared about tales of kidnappings, hijackings, and home invasions...and house fires. But, VHS titles affected my life so profoundly as you can imagine. Covers like Friday the 13th part IV, Return of the Living Dead1/III, Chopping Mall, and Halloween II to name just a few, were truly pieces of art that left etchings on my brain. Hell, I make a living now trying to recreate those feelings of nostalgia it brought me. 

Do you have a specific example of a time you may remember that you have come across one of these VHS covers and have it have an effect on you when you were younger?

Hmm...Covers that are more simplistic that are shrouded in blackness give me the creeps. FT13IV, Bloody Birthday, Halloween I/II...something about that blackness around it, that void is what scares me. I don't know why. It's like, I think about all that darkness and I imagine whats lurking in the shadows. You ever see the cover of Halloween the paperback? The one with the boy in a ghost sheet with a jackolantern as a fucking head? he's surrouonded by all this blackness! Lots of 70's and 80's horror paperbacks do this. Creeeeepy!!!

What is your definition of "scary" when it comes to modern horror films these days? So many people are quick to say a film isn't scary but each person has a different definition of "scary" and what that means. 

Movies that use primitive fears to scare their audiences will always be the most effective. Night Of The Living Dead works really well despite the unbelievability of walking zombies. This has a lot to do with the notion of feeling trapped and confined in a place where all this madness is going on outside and the is the idea of "Whats out there and how many of them are there?!" The beginning of "Scream" played with this concept really well too. That idea of being vulnerable. Remember Drew Barrymore was in the living room on the phoen with the creep (Ghostface) ? Look at those large ass windows with no shades! She was a sitting duck, man!

What do you NOT consider scary or not like in your horror films?

Unless treated really carefully, like The Changeling or The Sentinel, ghost stories do nothing for me.

What do you look for or want to get out of horror films these days?

Oy. I haven't been to a modern horror movie in quite a while. I stick with the oldies. I just want to have fun and I wanna dig the characters. While I didn't love "It Follows" like everyone and their mothers, I thought the group of kids and their relationships worked well. I like realistic relationships in modern horror. The Innkeepers did this really well. 80's films didn't as much. But that is okay, they were cheese and they get a pass!

What is your favorite recent horror film and why?

I really dug The Innkeepers and The House of the Devil. Haha, does the latter count? I also thought Cloverfield was fan-fucking-tastic. I loved Tusk too!

Lastly, do you feel these is a certain way or mindset to have to watch a horror film as far as it being effectively frightening?

Stay off your fucking phone if you want to be scared! If you're watching a fun one, post #nowwatching posts on Instagram to get involved in the horror community. Just remember, part of the experience of being scared is putting yourself in the characters situations. So pop some popcorn, kill the lights, and enjoy!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here is a batch of some of Marc's fantastic work. Below it you will find links to all Sadist Art Designs online presence. 

You can also follow Marc and Sadist Art Designs on Instagram for plenty of cool horror goodness and behind the scenes looks at the making of his posters : @sadistartdesigns 

Website: http://sadistart.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sadist-Art-Designs/304932762906811

Deb Raises Hell

Well it took a while, but we finally got around to doing a Hellraiser themed photoset. It wasn't exactly pre-planned, it just kind of happened and sometimes those result in the coolest images. In this particular instance, Deb and I were hanging out kicking around ideas, thinking we could probably do something cool if we put our minds to it. We eventually landed on Hellraiser. There are so many ways you can go about doing something related to those films, the obvious route would normally be something cenobite related. However that requires alot of prep, makeup, and time. All of which on this particular evening we didn't really have. What we did have was some candles, some prop replica prints from Hellraiser II and the iconic Lament Configuration puzzle box. So Deb, who is a big fan of the films, landed on this one particular scene from Hellraiser II as inspiration. It was a fun way to spend an evening and resulted in some pics that while relatively simple, are still very different from other stuff we have done on the site. It was fun trying to figure out how to do something a bit more with them during the editing process, which is when we decided to add some of the blue electricity so prevalent in the films when the puzzle box is activated. Deb is always a pleasure to shoot with and be around and its great to get her input on anything we work on. I have a feeling these won't be the last Hellraiser themed shots Deb and I do, so I consider these to be part 1 of this photo set, hopefully we can get a little more bloody and weird in round 2. Till then though, hope you guys enjoy these as much as we do. 

Alternate Wardrobe image 1

Alternate Wardrobe image 2