Trick 'r Treat

No tricks here, just a treat.

Trick 'r Treat is written and directed by Michael Dougherty. It stars Dylan Baker, Rochelle Aytes, Anna Paquin and Brian Cox. Music is by Douglas Pipes and cinematography by Glen MacPherson. Trick 'r Treat plays out as an anthology of four Halloween related stories. One tiny figure with a burlap sack over its head links the film together.

Warner Brothers kept it on the shelf for two years, a mistake since it happens to be a delightful little frightener that appears to be made with a love of omnibus shockers from back in the day. It's never overtly scary or bloody, but it has a twisted slickness that is rather pleasing in this day and age of poor horror remakes and boorish cash cow sequels. Neatly performe...

A better-than-expected horror anthology with some creepy good Halloween scares.

I love anthologies. A well told short story is better than a long story arc or a drawn-out character study way more often than not. So, when Trick 'R Treat came along, it proved to me that while it's not something the majority of the population wants to see, there are filmmakers out there who still value the format.

It's too bad then that Trick 'R Treat wasn't more of a treat. It looks great and it has its entertaining moments. I mostly enjoyed the story of an odd girl who gets her revenge from some unlikely assistants and a man who has to deal with a strange trick or treater. Unfortunately, these stories aren't the most original things you'll ever see. They are more a tribute to urban legends and other Halloween clichés. The wa...