Wow, what a great movie.  It was a perfect blend of horror and comedy for anyone who's really a fan of Halloween.  There's not a whole lot of films about Halloween (mostly ones that take place on it), so I was happy to see one that dealt with a lot of the mythos surrounding it.

I can definitely see why the studios didn't have the guts to release this in the theaters.  It's been a pretty standard taboo for mainstream films to leave kids alone when it comes to the horror genre, and this film spits all over that.

And aside from all that, the film had some of the best twists I've seen in a long time.  It took your expectations for horror films and turned them against you in the best possible way.

I watched this with a large group of people and everyone had a blast.  There were screams, laughs and gasps a plenty.  I don't think anyone was really unsatisfied by the end.


(Oh yeah, and both Dylan Baker and Brian Cox are awesome in this.)

Quoted from dresseme Wow, what a great movie.  It was a perfect blend of horror and comedy for anyone who's really a fan of Halloween.  There's not a whole lot of films about Halloween (mostly ones that take place on it), so I was happy to see one that dealt with a lot of the mythos surrounding it. I can definitely see why the studios didn't have the guts to release this in the theaters.  It's been a pretty standard taboo for mainstream films to leave kids alone when it comes to the horror genre, and this film spits all over that. And aside from all that, the film had some of the best twists I've seen in a long time.  It took your expectations for horror films and turned them against you in the best possible way. I watched this with a large group of people and everyone had a blast.  There were screams, laughs and gasps a plenty.  I don't think anyone was really unsatisfied by the end. (Oh yeah, and both Dylan Baker and Brian Cox are awesome in this.)

Agreed. This movie was great. And, you know this movie could've made $12 million at the box office, so it's obvious they didn't want to bother with the MPAA because you can't do anything with kids. Blah, blah, blah, all that bullshit.

It was a really good movie as I had it in my mind to be for years. Made it to 2nd on my '09 movies list. =)

And, of course Dylan Baker was awesome. He's awesome in anything. He was even kicking ass in Changing Lanes. All hail Dylan Baker. Lol.

Wasn't it supposed to come out last year?

Quoted from Aaron Wasn't it supposed to come out last year?

It was supposed to come out in 2007, but didn't for the above listed reasons.

Ahh ok. Well they could have as an NC-17 but yeah, that's risking it money wise. I heard Saw VI got an NC-17 overseas.

This is easily on of the best Halloween themed horror films since... well, "Halloween". The four stories come together so well and all of the twists hit all of the right notes. I particularly loved the "Little Red Riding Hood" segment. It was pretty effin' brilliant. As already mentioned, Dylan Baker and Brian Cox are awesome.

~Zack~

You all have got to be kiddin' me, right? Please tell me this is some elaborate scheme you all've hatched to get new comers to go sit through this snooze fest... Albeit not as bad as the abomination that is/was and will always be Creepshow 3 -- Trick r' Treat was shallow, mindless and basic at every step and turn.

I think the only thing it offered was a cohesive hub story that intersected with one another. That was, for the most part, cleverly done.

I can't tell you one story that was worth the salt or sum of its parts, though. The typical vampire/werewolf affair was here, and it was so obvious the path they were taking... More so cause rarely are women ever wolves in movies. Yes, Ginger Snaps and Howling 2... but by and large and 10 for 10 - Men are always the wolfs. Women are always vampires and to have them try to lead us down that path was mind numbing to say the least.

And I never got the gist of Sam... was he an alien or a mutant pumpkin demon?

2 out of 5 for me.

Quoted from Baltis. The typical vampire/werewolf affair was here, and it was so obvious the path they were taking... More so cause rarely are women ever wolves in movies. Yes, Ginger Snaps and Howling 2... but by and large and 10 for 10 - Men are always the wolfs. Women are always vampires and to have them try to lead us down that path was mind numbing to say the least.

Of course that part was obvious. The important twist in that story was that it was Dylan Baker. Made it all the more special, despite being the weakest story of the four.

Quoted from Baltis. You all have got to be kiddin' me, right? Please tell me this is some elaborate scheme you all've hatched to get new comers to go sit through this snooze fest... Albeit not as bad as the abomination that is/was and will always be Creepshow 3 -- Trick r' Treat was shallow, mindless and basic at every step and turn. I think the only thing it offered was a cohesive hub story that intersected with one another. That was, for the most part, cleverly done. I can't tell you one story that was worth the salt or sum of its parts, though. The typical vampire/werewolf affair was here, and it was so obvious the path they were taking... More so cause rarely are women ever wolves in movies. Yes, Ginger Snaps and Howling 2... but by and large and 10 for 10 - Men are always the wolfs. Women are always vampires and to have them try to lead us down that path was mind numbing to say the least. And I never got the gist of Sam... was he an alien or a mutant pumpkin demon? 2 out of 5 for me.

Wow, Baltis didn't like something.

Now that's typical.

Quoted from dresseme Wow, Baltis didn't like something. Now that's typical.

Believe me, I'm waiting to be wowed myself... The Wrestler was the last good film I think I've seen. Last good horror movie... Couldn't even tell you. I think the last horror movie I actually seen was "The Strangers" and it was ballz beyond belief.  I'm not trying to rain on your alls parade here... If you liked it, awesome. Maybe you're expectations are set so low due to the wave of junk bunk shit you see but mine is still set high.

It's like this... I'm the kinda guy who watched Star Wars 4, 5 and 6 all my life thinking they were 1, 2 and 3... Then watched as the real 1, 2 and 3 came out flooded with better tech, weapons, gadgets and space ships. I wondered, if this is years and years before the events in 4, 5 and 6 why is everything better? Where did all that tech go? Why aren't there cities to the heavens and dual bladed light sabers in the future?

Now, take that theory and run the hands of the clock backwards... If the times can only make things better... Why aren't horor movies up to the standards of the 60's, 70's and 80's?  I haven't seen 1 good "NEW" horror movie in 10 years. Hell, I haven't even seen 1 good "NEW" concept or idea in 20 years. That's scary... Scary cos' I'm old and scary co's nobody cares that we haven't had a good one in so long.

That's my dollar and change.

Quoted from Baltis. Believe me, I'm waiting to be wowed myself... The Wrestler was the last good film I think I've seen.

I may not agree with where you hold your standards, but you've at least picked a damn fine film to be your "last good film".  


I guess I feel like if you just gave some stuff a little more slack, you would enjoy yourself a lot more.

Down with Zack here, a great, great Halloween movie. I'm very disappointed that this didn't make this to theaters. Would have made a bundle. It's got all of these holiday traditions that I have heard of before but never really acted upon it, mainly because I didn't really know much about them. Like blowing the candle out in a jack-o-lantern after midnight, or giving gifts to those who passed away. I like doing those types of things. But this movie has really made me pumped for Halloween.

What I loved most about this movie was how everything tied up together. I love movies like this (like The Signal), where you have different stories with different characters, and they all tie up in the end. It must be complicated to start these things off and be able to finish them once the movie ends. Or at least I find it complicated.

I thought the acting was great, and I loved how they added in all sorts of Halloween monsters. Zombies, werewolves, vampires, serial killers, and one that I am not too familiar with, but I believe was The Great Pumpkin? The kid with the burlap sack for a mask? But it was nice to see how each story turned out, and i was hoping to get to know each of the characters some more (except the old man at the end, I didn't really like him). They were getting interesting, and the next thing you know, their story ends and you move up to another.

So, who cares if children die in this movie? At least they don't go into graphic detail about how each one dies. It's all off-screen stuff. Sheesh, America, grow up. It's just a movie and it's all fake. This is a great movie, really brings you out into the Halloween spirit, and I wish my town was like this, where everyone gets together for the holiday and really makes something of it.

I just wish I got to see more of Britt McKillip's character, even if she was a bitch. I just loved her in Dead Like Me, though.

Sean


P.S> Who was Dylan Baker burying in the hole he dug? Couldn't have been the kid we saw at the beginning of his story. Looks like they were dressed in a clown costume?

I am with Balt in that I had hoped for more, but I enjoyed it more than he did.

I enjoyed the retro, 80's feel it had, and really wish they had done more with the kids and the school bus -- the best segment by far -- though I can understand why they held back.  Still a shame they did, though.

But I found lots of it predictable, too -- I mean, little red riding hood?  C'mon.  Anybody who did not see that coming from a mile away does not deserve to watch horror films.

And while I really liked the burlap-head kid quite a bit, once the mask came off, I was disappointed.

Overall, though, I would step away from Balt and say this felt fresh enough -- though I am of a similar mind and understand exactly where he is coming from.

It is not a great movie, but it's a good movie, and entertaining for fans of the genre -- and definitely scores points from me for making a Halloween movie that is actually about Halloween.

It certainly deserved better than straight-to-video.  Those guys are idiots.

I say see it.  If you are the type that thinks you might like this movie, then you probably will like it just fine.

I keep hearing good things about this film, and it would normally be a film I'd watch, but I am SICK and tired of Horror-Comedies for the time-being.

Then again, I'm also tired of remakes, so I guess American Horror is pretty much dead to me...at least for now.

I'll watch it once I lighten up and get in a good mood, which might really take a while with that aberration known as "A Nightmare on Elm Street" coming out next year.

No more Drag Me To Hells. No more Slithers. Give me a good, serious, original Horror film. I'm sick of having to look at the International market to find ONE damn good Horror film to watch.

But I'm rambling now.

--Julio

Quoted from ReaperCreeper I keep hearing good things about this film, and it would normally be a film I'd watch, but I am SICK and tired of Horror-Comedies for the time-being. Then again, I'm also tired of remakes, so I guess American Horror is pretty much dead to me...at least for now. I'll watch it once I lighten up and get in a good mood, which might really take a while with that aberration known as "A Nightmare on Elm Street" coming out next year. No more Drag Me To Hells. No more Slithers. Give me a good, serious, original Horror film. I'm sick of having to look at the International market to find ONE damn good Horror film to watch. But I'm rambling now. --Julio

But, it's not really a horror comedy. Dylan Baker's story is intentionally funny, but the rest, I think, are funny accidentally.

WOW!!!

Let me say this again…

WOW!!!

IMO, this movie is pure genius on all levels.  I mean seriously, everything about this worked.  It left me in a rare situation of wanting more.  Damn, I loved this movie.

Why in the fuck this wasn’t released theatrically is a mystery that I’ll never understand.  First of all, the creative POWER behind this is obvious.  The writer of X-Men 2 and Superman Returns…and even the very decent effort in Urban Legends: Bloody Mary...obviously a Hollywood powerhouse.  Bryan Singer…c’mon?   What the Hell?

Close to 90% Tomato approval, and actually close to 100% positive reviews across the board…this would have easily grossed $40 Million plus at the Box Office alone.  I seriously don’t get it at all.  Probably one of the major Hollywood fuck ups of all time.

As I said earlier…everything worked here.  Attention to detail, actor’s performances, production values, story, script…literally everything was top notch and spot on, IMO.

As far as I can tell…at this point…I’d seriously say this is one of the best movies I’ve ever seen, all said and done.  It just worked on all levels and IMO was a kick ass flick, and one I’ll buy and watch over and over.

Personally, I loved the non standard structure…and the  meandering (at first) feel.  The tie ins were so well thought out and played out.  DAMN!  I JUST LOVED IT!

More than a little surprised that Balt and Bert weren’t more enamored.

This will become a classic for sure.  I can’t wait for the sequel, cause it just begs for such.

BTW, I had no clue what was going down in the Red Riding Hood episode.  I was very surprised and happy with where that one went.  Pumpkin Boy (Sam) was amazing, and I was thrilled with his reveal.

Blue Ray DVD package was awesome!  Great missing scenes, great extras…SHIT…just great across the board.

Rent it!  See it!  Enjoy it!  Michael Dougherty is a frickin genius!  We’ll be seeing alot of him in the future.   He’s a force to be reckoned with.  Pure genius, IMO!!!!

10 out of 10!!!!

Quoted from Baltis. You all have got to be kiddin' me, right? Please tell me this is some elaborate scheme you all've hatched to get new comers to go sit through this snooze fest... Albeit not as bad as the abomination that is/was and will always be Creepshow 3 -- Trick r' Treat was shallow, mindless and basic at every step and turn.

I should say more, but Balt summed it up perfectly. After half an hour I was thinking why the hell did I get this?! Yep, I know lots of you loved it and the 'reviews' meant I had high expectations but c'mon it was mind numbing drivel. How about some suspense guys - it's the only way 'horror' will work for me. Then again, maybe my expectations were just too high. This movie just fails to deliver imo.

Mind numbing drivel?  Are you sure you rented the right DVD, Libby?  Maybe you had the terrible 1986 "Trick or Treat", instead of the outstanding 2009 "Trick 'r Treat"?

You didn't experience any suspense?  There was loads of suspense in every single story!

What horror movies have worked for you?

Amazing!

Quoted from Dreamscale Mind numbing drivel?  Are you sure you rented the right DVD, Libby?  Maybe you had the terrible 1986 "Trick or Treat", instead of the outstanding 2009 "Trick 'r Treat"? You didn't experience any suspense?  There was loads of suspense in every single story! What horror movies have worked for you? Amazing!

MAJOR SPOILERS PEPPER THE BELOW RANT:

I have to disagree, Jeff... What suspense? The only suspense I could see was when the fat kid was sitting on the principals porch. That was more tension than suspense even.  I thought and think "Trick r Treat" is a shallow attempt at replicating "Creepshow" and a failed one... "Trick r Treat" is almost the "Monsters" of tv syndicate, to where as "Tales from the Darkside" still dominates.  While the production was high, I won't argue... The stories were all weak. The lead through on the Vampire/Werewolf/Stalker story was absolute junk. You can see it a mile a way... The lead through with ol' buddy being the bus driver who killed the kids in story 3... you could see it a mile away. But what I want to know, how does  bus driver rate the pay scale to live right next to the principal? Please, little plot holes add up to one big train wreck here.

I know a lot of you loved it and that's fine... Love it for what it is and not what it isn't. This movie didn't not do anything new. IT didn't not recreate the horror genre or set it on its ear. It was a simple excercise in ground we've all treaded before.  The stories, all of them, lacked originality. They lacked scares... They lacked punch.  Hell, even the ending wasn't worth it.  We knew, at least I did, what was going to happen when we saw the newspaper clipping in ol' buddy's house. I knew the kids were going to be coming for him... And why? Because of sloppy writing and a blinding need to overshadow.

As I said, while the production might've seemed high... The writing was typical and a stage 1 affair. This didn't deserve to make it to theaters. It should've been offered for free on Comcast on Demand, in all honesty. Hell, it might've been... I hadn't checked mine in awhile.

Quoted from Baltis. But what I want to know, how does  bus driver rate the pay scale to live right next to the principal? Please, little plot holes add up to one big train wreck here.

If these are the questions that run through your head when you watch a movie...you really need to lighten up.

Balt, this is based on a comic, so it's not all going to play completely realistic...just like Creepshow didn't either.

But, in answer to your question about how the old bus driver lives next to the Principal, you have to remember that the bus driver was never seen or heard from again after the accident, 30 years ago.  And he was paid by the parents of each child to carry out their wishes.  How much money was that?  We don't know.  What has he been doing for the last 30 years?  We don't know.  Like Dressel said, this kind of thing shouldn't even come into play.

I don't ever want to knock anyone based on what they like or don't like, because it's each person's perogative to like whatever they want to like.  Most things can go both ways, and it's easy to understand why some will like them and others won't.  I just don't see this movie as one of those things.  It was so well put together, and actually quite unique, at least in terms of recent competition.

Keep in mind, if you're judging this by Creepshow, you're going back almost 30 years, and you're using a very revered film that pretty much everyone remembers.  If Trick 'r Treat is even in the same breath as Creepshow, it's certainly done something right, IMO.  

Quoted from dresseme If these are the questions that run through your head when you watch a movie...you really need to lighten up.

He doesn't need to lighten up. No movie is going to be universally loved. Some will like a movie and some won't. There's no changing either's opinions...

Quoted from Mr. Blonde He doesn't need to lighten up. No movie is going to be universally loved. Some will like a movie and some won't. There's no changing either's opinions...

Ha, I don't care what he thought of the movie.   It doesn't change the fact that I loved it.

But yes, he does need to lighten up nonetheless.  

EDIT: And if we're comparing this to "Creepshow", go for it.  I saw almost every turn that movie was going to take when I watched it for the first time about a month ago.  I mean, talk about predictable.  Who wouldn't have been able to guess what was in the Crate and what was going to happen with it?  (And it should be noted, these criticisms are coming from someone who LIKED the movie!  I just saw everything coming, but didn't really mind all that much.)

Quoted from dresseme Ha, I don't care what he thought of the movie.   It doesn't change the fact that I loved it. But yes, he does need to lighten up nonetheless.   EDIT: And if we're comparing this to "Creepshow", go for it.  I saw almost every turn that movie was going to take when I watched it for the first time about a month ago.  I mean, talk about predictable.  Who wouldn't have been able to guess what was in the Crate and what was going to happen with it?  (And it should be noted, these criticisms are coming from someone who LIKED the movie!  I just saw everything coming, but didn't really mind all that much.)

There is no way you could have known, given a first time watch, that the monster inside the crate was that of a Mutant Baboon origin. Implausible. A revenge story is only going to go one way... With the done wrong getting the right of way in the end.  So by that token, yes... Creepshow was predictable. All the EC comics are predictable when you read them too. Tales from the Crypt are predictible... I don't think watching "They're Creeping Up on You" is going to yield any other result other than the guy being consumed by his biggest fear.

Creepshow was never put under a microscope and herald as the greatest flick of all time, either. You all are praising this "Trick r Treat" like it's a reinvention of horror and it's not. It's a typical, 5 dollar dvd you'd see in a Walmart stock bin.  It's not original. It's not cutting edge... It uses every tactic we've seen for the last 40 years + and tries its best to make it into a workable movie.  I seen shades of Scream, Black Christmas, Halloween, Gore Gore Girls, Creepshow, Tales from the Crypt, Vault of horror, Every zombie movie ever made... I seen bits of Howling 2 in it. I seen a little Vampyris in it.   And that's the short list... Hell, I even seen a few nods to Mausoleum in it.  

What's this tell you? It tells you that A - Nothing is new and shocking or B - I've seen it all already and if I've seen it all... many others have to.  Dressle you're making this movie out to be something it's not. You keyboard commando yourself around the board and lobby against any who oppose you and in turn people don't wanna speak out against you and end up going with the flow.  I can dig that... I just won't be one of those guys.  The movie wasn't worth piss n' a cat dish.  I love that you liked it. I do... I love that you have turned this movie on to others here who might not have see or heard of it, that's tops.  But you've done everything short of give this movie the Life time achievement award.

And I think about a mardryd of things while watching movies... Why should I limit my thoughts to that of others? I like to look at tiny aspects and flaws in movies so I don't make the same mistakes in my own. If I watch a movie, I almost always watch it more than once... I usually don't pass too much judgment upon the 1st viewing. It's the 2nd and 3rd and 4th and so on that gets my mind working over time.  Sorry you're not the same... I bet your also the same type of person who'd shush someone in the room for talking or eating pop corn too loud too.  

As for you, Jeff... I can see where that makes sense. In that light and chain of events, sure. It could happen. But looking at the guy in question. Looking at his house and how grounded in the community he appeared to be... It's still a hard one to swallow. And any movie that uses the anthology theme is going to strike a huge contrast to Creepshow and Vault of horror and so forth and so on. Those movies paved the way for shit holes like Camp fire Tales and Trick r Treat.

On a final note, and then I'm done here... I am not saying you all shouldn't like this movie. I love that you all do. It gives two sides of the story for others who might be on the fence about it. It gives a debate to those who haven't seen it to check it out and be their own voice when finished.  So for that, I'm not mad at ya guys. "ha" Not even you Dressle...  I am a bit harsh in the movies I like. I hold a very tight, high standard, unless it is something that is endearing to me since childhood... movies like Karate Kid, Labamba, Pretty n Pink and so forth and so on will always have a place in my heart... regardless of how out of whack they might seem today.  But when I watch a movie it has to meet a certain level to resonate with me and this one just didn't.

Want a good movie... go watch, if you haven't already, Surveillance. That is the best movie I've seen in a long time, save the Wrestler.

I watched this without reading any reviews or comments, I didn't even realise there was a thread about it here and I must say that I was plesantly surprised. I thought this was well above average for horror films nowadays and probably one of the strongest straight-to-dvd movies I've watched in years. I didn't think it was one of the best films I've ever seen by any stretch of the imagination but going into it not knowing a word about it, it did surprise me.

I must add I only watched it because the chick from True Blood was in it, yet I still never seen some of the twists coming. I guess I was kinda off-the-ball that night.

I'll be blunt instead of babbling on as per normal and dancing around the point instead of cutting to the chase and saying what i think of this movie, verboseness can be a difficult thing to.. What? Oh yeah, right. Three words for you... "Bag of shite."

A bag of shite, huh?  Yeah...right.  If this is shite, could you enlighten us with 5 or so horror movies from 2009 (theatrical or DTV) that blow this away?  I'm just curious what works for you, if this doesn't.

I watched it again last night.  Second viewing was alos awesome!  Caught a few things I didn't notice the first time around.  The attention to detail and fantastic here, and everythgin is so well tied together.

My only complaint, as I said before, is that I wanted more.  The werewolf scene could have gone on a bit longer and "showed" a little more.

Bring on Trick 'r Treat 2!!!!!  Please!!!!

This one seems like Paranormal activity in that audiences are split down the middle about it. Anyway, I think I've heard enough good that I'll check it out. Anthology stories have never been about originality to me. They're meant to have a classic, old-timey vibe to them. That's how I've viewed them anyway which is what makes Creepshow and Tales from the Crypt fun to me. If I wanna lower my standards, this is generally what I'm drawn to. Dumb and fun. Not just dumb like it seems everything else that came out last month is. Then again, I haven't seen this yet so I'll come back with opinions to spare.

Quoted from Dreamscale A bag of shite, huh?  Yeah...right.  If this is shite, could you enlighten us with 5 or so horror movies from 2009 (theatrical or DTV) that blow this away?  I'm just curious what works for you, if this doesn't.

No because they haven't made any decent horror movies for years.

The horror porn of Hostel and Saw is just plain dull, and somewhat perverted to me.

The best ones in my humble are The Exorcist, Rosemary's Baby, Psycho, The Shining, The Thing, Nosferatu eine Symphonie des Grauens, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Dawn of the Dead, Alien, The Wicker Man and The Birds.

Hitchcock knew how do horror. His films has design and tension.

The newest film on that list was made in the early eighties. The shite they make now and have the balls to call Horror is designed for fourteen year olds as they are the ones who pack the cinemas, not for adults.

RV

We agree that most movies nowadays suck indeed, but we don’t agree much further than that.

Hostel was an amazing film.    The Descent was an amazing film.  Eden Lake was an awesome flick.  Wolf Creek and Rogue were awesome.  Hell, even the original Jeepers Creepers was great.

Exorcist was lame (for it’s time, it worked for sure, but it’s pretty weak).  Rosemary’s Baby was indeed a very good film, but again, it’s too long ago to stand up nowadays.  Pyscho, as I’ve said before, isn’t really much when you look at it now or compare it to modern day movies (yes, in its time, it was great indeed).  The Shining was another example of a missed opportunity with a Stephen King novel…highly over rated and pretty dull for the most part.  The Thing is a great flick for sure, and one that holds up very well, even with Rob Bottin’s dated effects.  Invasion of the Body Snatchers with Donald Sutherland was a great flick, but again, pretty dated at this point.  Alien and Aliens are classics, but too sci-fi for me to call actual horror.   Both Dawn of the Dead’s are great movies, but they’re zombie flicks, and that kind of says it all.  Original Wicker Man is great fun and the fact that it’s so dated and downright odd makes it a great experience.  The Birds?  Oh boy…completely over rated and so lame in terms of holding up.

Hitchcock was indeed the man in many ways, but you’re going back an awfully long way to a completely different world of film making.

I would agree that most horror movies suck and may be intended for a younger, stupider audience, but that doesn’t mean that everything falls into that category.  I truly believe that each and every movie should be viewed and graded on its own merits.  If it sucks, then it sucks.  If it doesn’t, then don’t throw it into the pile.

People may not love this film or think it’s great, but saying it sucks or is a bag of shite is just downright wrong and incorrect.  It has so many things going for it and works on so many different levels.  It’s smart, witty, funny at times, scary, and even horrific.  There’s a lot of intelligence behind this and it totally shows.  It’s far from a hack job and that alone should be acknowledged.

Guess we agree to disagree here, R.  That’s OK.

Quoted from Dreamscale Hostel was an amazing film.    The Descent was an amazing film.  Eden Lake was an awesome flick.  Wolf Creek and Rogue were awesome.  Hell, even the original Jeepers Creepers was great.

Someone check Jeff's pulse and stat levels...Cos' I don't think he's coherently sane anymore. There is no way in hell someone sane would say these things.

Hell, Jeff... You saying Kubrick's Shinning wasn't timeless is cause for concern. The music alone is scary as shit. The shinning has an errie, ominious feeling that just cannot be matched. No movie, in the history of the world, has the same vibe, mood or feeling to it. The Shinning is absolute gold.  It's unsettling. It's obscure. It's off kilter. It's vauge and it has enough subtle oddities going on that you could assume the place is haunted... Or, you could assume it's all in Jack's head.

Kubrick did a bang up job on a King book that was flawed to begin with. King's movies never translate well... in this instance, they, pun aside, "SHINED"  The mist, ever see that puddle donkey piss? Ballzy ending aside, a complete ass rash on the film of humanity.

Balt!  C'mon, man!  You're saying you don't think any of those movies were good?  None of them?  Not just a little?  I'm surprised.

I actually agree with the films he mentioned. Maybe amazing is a bit strong on a couple of them, but I thought they were all good.

And you can call me insane if you like. It wouldn't be the first time.  

Quoted from Dreamscale Balt!  C'mon, man!  You're saying you don't think any of those movies were good?  None of them?  Not just a little?  I'm surprised.

As much as Balt and I disagree in terms of Trick 'r Treat, I have to completely agree with what he said regarding your movies.

Not that they're bad (but, to me, they are) but we differ a lot compared to them.

Seriously, nothing happened in Hostel. Sure, the first half was a bit better, but I almost turned it off out of boredom.

The Descent... Well, I personally thought it was overrated. Much like Paranormal Activity, actually. Nothing personal to anyone who liked it, of course. =)

Haven't seen Eden Lake. Haven't seen Rogue. I'll just completely skip over Wolf Creek.

And, Jeepers Creepers? If were going strictly on stupid, entertainment value, 2 was more enjoyable and "less bad" than the original.

Sorry, Phil. =(

-Sean

EDIT:

Quoted from Baltis. Hell, Jeff... You saying Kubrick's Shinning wasn't timeless is cause for concern. The music alone is scary as shit. The shinning has an errie, ominious feeling that just cannot be matched. No movie, in the history of the world, has the same vibe, mood or feeling to it. The Shinning is absolute gold.  It's unsettling. It's obscure. It's off kilter. It's vauge and it has enough subtle oddities going on that you could assume the place is haunted... Or, you could assume it's all in Jack's head. Kubrick did a bang up job on a King book that was flawed to begin with. King's movies never translate well... in this instance, they, pun aside, "SHINED"  The mist, every see that pile donkey piss? Ballzy ending aside, a complete ass rash on the film of humanity.

Now, I have to disagree with Balt.

Now, yes, The Shining was amazing, I believe. Some of the best camerawork I've ever seen and brilliant performances, led by ol' Jack.

As for The Mist... Well, to put it simply, 2007 was a pretty good year for King short stories.

1408 was enjoyable. Won't win any Oscars, but I thought it was a fine movie. Not to mention, it was my birthday movie, so maybe I'm more attached simply because of that. Not sure.

And, The Mist. I'm really surprised that all people talk about of it is the ending. I thought it was a great movie. It's one of those movies that truly benefitted from being in black and white. They should've released it that way, but they didn't. I'm just glad they did it that way on the DVD.

-Sean

Quoted from Dreamscale Balt!  C'mon, man!  You're saying you don't think any of those movies were good?  None of them?  Not just a little?  I'm surprised.

Wolf Creek was watchable... It was entertaining. So, yes... I take back some of it.  As for best horror movie in the last 10 years, g'luck with that one. Oh, wait... nope. I know one.

Disappearance.

That is the best horror movie made in the last 15, actually. I absolutely love it and feel it beat a lot of movies to the punch. It has just enough Twilight Zone - just enough Twin Peaks - Just enough horror and suspense to be considered great by me.  Also, a close runner up for me would be Dagon. Super class flick. Lovecrafts best adapted work... Easily.

Quoted from Mr. Blonde As much as Balt and I disagree in terms of Trick 'r Treat, I have to completely agree with what he said regarding your movies. Not that they're bad (but, to me, they are) but we differ a lot compared to them. Seriously, nothing happened in Hostel. Sure, the first half was a bit better, but I almost turned it off out of boredom. The Descent... Well, I personally thought it was overrated. Much like Paranormal Activity, actually. Nothing personal to anyone who liked it, of course. =) Haven't seen Eden Lake. Haven't seen Rogue. I'll just completely skip over Wolf Creek. And, Jeepers Creepers? If were going strictly on stupid, entertainment value, 2 was more enjoyable and "less bad" than the original. Sorry, Phil. =( -Sean EDIT: Now, I have to disagree with Balt. Now, yes, The Shining was amazing, I believe. Some of the best camerawork I've ever seen and brilliant performances, led by ol' Jack. As for The Mist... Well, to put it simply, 2007 was a pretty good year for King short stories. 1408 was enjoyable. Won't win any Oscars, but I thought it was a fine movie. Not to mention, it was my birthday movie, so maybe I'm more attached simply because of that. Not sure. And, The Mist. I'm really surprised that all people talk about of it is the ending. I thought it was a great movie. It's one of those movies that truly benefited from being in black and white. They should've released it that way, but they didn't. I'm just glad they did it that way on the DVD. -Sean

I forgot about 1408... silly me.  I did enjoy that one.  Cusak was brilliant in it, as he was in Ice Harvest.  So scratch "all" kings movies. I do like Creepshow,, 1408, the Shinning and a couple others here and there... The Mist, though... just cheese, man. The effects were ballze to me. They looked like videogame effects to me. Very low Chroma key masking going on.  I thought the movie was best outside. It pissed me off how clumbsy it was while inside the store... I hated the religious nut who kept preaching and preaching.  I know the book was even more in depth about it, but this was just audible and pissed me off.  I also didn't like how the characters went back and forth from their positions. It showed a lack of polish in the writing.

Thomas Jane, yea... awesome. He did great. I think he's a strong actor who needs more roles, but the rest of the cast suffer from an identity crisis at times. The most unsettling shot was when they were in the rover and that huge thing lumbered over them... IT was brilliant. It also had the mist covering up a great deal of the shoddy effect work and all you could really see was a vauge understsanding of it's structure... I love that feeling. The feeling of what the hell is it? What is it thinking, if anything? Where did it come from? Where is it going?  Those 10 seconds were gold.

The rest of the movie... blah.

I'm a huge Stephen King fan...always have been, always will be.  The Shining didn't do it for me at all.  I'm not saying in any way that it was a bad film, but IMO, it's hugely over rated and for the most part, very, very dull.  Not including the best part of the novel, the snow creatures, was a HUGE mistake, IMO.

I'll watch Shining every once and a while, cause there are some good scenes and I think the performance of little Danny is awesome.  Just way too long, way too slow, and the scenes with the old hag in the tub didn't come off like they did in the novel.

I actually really liked The Myst.  Defintely not great, but a well crafted movie that worked on a number of different levels.  Biggest problem with it was the piss poor CGI with the tentacle kill early on.  You've got to nail your first reveal, and they sure didn't.

Not familiar with Disappearance, but I'll look into it now.

Dagon was pretty weak, and suffered from absoltely terrible effects and CGI.  It had a good feel to it early on, but much like all Lovecraft's stuff, got way too whacky for me.

Quoted from Baltis. Also, a close runner up for me would be Dagon. Super class flick. Lovecrafts best adapted work... Easily.

Totally agree with this. Dagon is criminally, criminally underrated. On par with Reanimator in terms of sheer enjoyability and probably the most successful in capturing Lovecraft's work on film. Wouldn't call it the best horror movie of the decade but definitely top ten, even amongst non horror movies. CGI was awful though and didn't really fit with the overall old school style.

Consequently, I agree with all of Jeff's pics except for Hostel and Jeepers Creepers. I liked Hostel but didn't think it was amazing. Jeepers Creepers was okay but I think I hated more than I liked. Wolf Creek wasn't amazing but I think the character was so I'll let that one pass as such. I also loved the minimalist look overall. I'm surprised that style isn't emulated more often.

As for the best of the decade, it's hard to say. I'd say Audition but it's not really horror and even with the label, I don't think it has all the requirements that the "best horror" moniker would entail. It's definitely better than whatever film does take the prize though.

For the sake of argument, I'll throw out Martyrs, Session 9 and Dog Soldiers. Martyrs, I didn't like the first time I saw it but the movies that garner that kind of reaction are almost always better than the ones I enjoy the first time around. Such is the case with Martyrs. Plus creepiest "secret organization" movie I've seen, personally. I don't think they'll ever top the idea on that one. Session 9 was also creepy as fuck and Dog Soldiers was just fun. Dagon might make a good #3 or 4 though.

Quoted from Dreamscale    Not familiar with Disappearance, but I'll look into it now.

Do so, man... It's sharp. It has a nice twist ending that can't really be called predictable because you don't know if it is or not. You actually don't know what happened to be honest.  That's the kind of shit I like. Writing so good that it's up to you to fill in the gaps yourself, but strong enough to know what it really is.  That sums up Disappearance to me.

Other class act movies

American Gothic is another one... It's a bit older, but I just watched it again the other night and it still holds up. It works for what it was and is.

Dead Birds is another one... It's in the style of an anthology type film and it kinda pissed me off cause it took a few ideas I had once had. Not a lot like them, but kinda like them. Good flick, though.

Nomads... Another older one. Brilliant. Check it.

Also I encourage everyone to check out Survalence... Don't miss that one.

Quoted from Dreamscale We agree that most movies nowadays suck indeed, but we don�t agree much further than that. Hostel was an amazing film.    The Descent was an amazing film.  Eden Lake was an awesome flick.  Wolf Creek and Rogue were awesome.  Hell, even the original Jeepers Creepers was great.

Ahem...

Quoted from Jules in 'Pulp Fiction Allow me to retort...

Jeepers Creepers is an utter waste of film and time. I want my two hours back. Hey, the other films are okay, not bad. But they're a bit crap and certainly don't stand up to repeated viewings, unlike...

Quoted from Dreamscale Exorcist was lame (for it�s time, it worked for sure, but it�s pretty weak).  Rosemary�s Baby was indeed a very good film, but again, it�s too long ago to stand up nowadays.  Pyscho, as I�ve said before, isn�t really much when you look at it now or compare it to modern day movies (yes, in its time, it was great indeed).  The Shining was another example of a missed opportunity with a Stephen King novel�highly over rated and pretty dull for the most part.

Exorcist - lame.
Rosemary�s Baby - too long
Pyscho - isn�t really much when you look at it now

The Shining - dull.

I don't fucking think so. If you don't think they are good horror movies then you'll get no no biscuits in my house to go with your tea. Actually gimme that cup and get the fuck out!

Quoted from Dreamscale The Thing is a great flick for sure, and one that holds up very well, even with Rob Bottin�s dated effects.

Oh yeah, those CGI effects blow The Thing away. Completely. Now gimme some Meths and Bog Cleaner bartender. I ever time about when I was in a porn film? Or that mercenary stint in Borneo? No, well....

Quoted from Dreamscale Invasion of the Body Snatchers with Donald Sutherland was a great flick, but again, pretty dated at this point.

Shelf-life. So important. Better stop talking about that Jesus and Mohammed fella then. They're so dated. Hmm, yes darling, pass me that scarf and daffodil. And pass the Vas babe.

Quoted from Dreamscale Alien and Aliens are classics, but too sci-fi for me to call actual horror.

Oh God forbid you mix style and genres. What the fuck are you on? No I don't want any.

Quoted from Dreamscale Both Dawn of the Dead�s are great movies, but they�re zombie flicks, and that kind of says it all.

Does it? Original horror movies stetching the style. OH no, never do. The dead walking the earth. Oh cos there's been a load of bad ones since that makes these poor. What?

Quoted from Dreamscale Original Wicker Man is great fun and the fact that it�s so dated and downright odd makes it a great experience.

Back to shelf-life. Better check the fridge luv. Shelf-life is so important.

Quoted from Dreamscale The Birds?  Oh boy�completely over rated and so lame in terms of holding up. Hitchcock was indeed the man in many ways, but you�re going back an awfully long way to a completely different world of film making.

Contradiction in terms. Shelf-life. Utterly wrong.

Quoted from Dreamscale If it doesn�t, then don�t throw it into the pile.

See above.

Trick 'r Treat is an average movie - at best. It's okay and I didn't feel robbed when I saw it but I've seen a few movies lately and it was way the worst.

Quoted from Dreamscale People may not love this film or think it�s great, but saying it sucks or is a bag of shite is just downright wrong and incorrect.

Quoted from Dreamscale Guess we agree to disagree here, R.  That�s OK.

To clarify....

Quoted from Mark Kermode Opinions are like arseholes. Everybody's got one and they think theirs is the only one that doesn't stink.

I'm sticking up for some classic box office monsters that have stood the test of time. You're sticking up for new films that will long be forgotten in ten years.

RV out.

Balt, a few things then I have to complete my Soul Shadows script.

Disappearance is a made for TV movie with (of all actors) Hary Hamlin and Susan "Laurie Partridge" Dey! Huh?  I'm not going to knock a movie before I see it, but I can't say I have high hopes here.

American Gothic with Rod Steiger?  Didn't like it...didn't hate it, but defintely didn't like it.

Dead Birds - with Henry Thomas?  Nope, didn't like it.  Actually took me like 4 tries to get through it.  Didn't hate it, but defintely didn't like it, either.

Nomads with Pierce Bosnan?  Nope, sorry, but again, definitely not something I liked.  Had a great premise but was pretty weak, IMO.

One otehr thing.  You mentioned the music in The Shining.  What about teh music in Trick 'r Treat?  I thought it was awesome!  Creepy, atmospheric, and the best use of MM's Sweet Dreams ever.

Quoted from Dreamscale Balt, a few things then I have to complete my Soul Shadows script. Disappearance is a made for TV movie with (of all actors) Hary Hamlin and Susan "Laurie Partridge" Dey! Huh?  I'm not going to knock a movie before I see it, but I can't say I have high hopes here. American Gothic with Rod Steiger?  Didn't like it...didn't hate it, but defintely didn't like it. Dead Birds - with Henry Thomas?  Nope, didn't like it.  Actually took me like 4 tries to get through it.  Didn't hate it, but defintely didn't like it, either. Nomads with Pierce Bosnan?  Nope, sorry, but again, definitely not something I liked.  Had a great premise but was pretty weak, IMO. One otehr thing.  You mentioned the music in The Shining.  What about teh music in Trick 'r Treat?  I thought it was awesome!  Creepy, atmospheric, and the best use of MM's Sweet Dreams ever.

You won't like it. I can tell from the films you really like that you enjoy more viseral horror films.

Quoted from Dreamscale Balt, a few things then I have to complete my Soul Shadows script. Disappearance is a made for TV movie with (of all actors) Hary Hamlin and Susan "Laurie Partridge" Dey! Huh?  I'm not going to knock a movie before I see it, but I can't say I have high hopes here. American Gothic with Rod Steiger?  Didn't like it...didn't hate it, but definitely didn't like it. Dead Birds - with Henry Thomas?  Nope, didn't like it.  Actually took me like 4 tries to get through it.  Didn't hate it, but definitely didn't like it, either. Nomads with Pierce Bosnan?  Nope, sorry, but again, definitely not something I liked.  Had a great premise but was pretty weak, IMO. One otehr thing.  You mentioned the music in The Shining.  What about teh music in Trick 'r Treat?  I thought it was awesome!  Creepy, atmospheric, and the best use of MM's Sweet Dreams ever.

Yes, it was a made for tv flick... but that's what makes it even better. It smokes the ass of modern big budget horror films of its time. That's the beauty in it.  But there is no gore. No blood beyond a few dabs and some skin hanging on a wall. There is nothing crude or abtrusive about it.  It is, for all intense and purposes, a Twilight Zone-like movie with a pretty damn good hook.

As for the others, Nomads was awesome. It was brilliant and ahead of its time. 28days later and so many others took from it.  Dead Birds was sharp too... it was just different.  I can see Unsettling horror isn't your thing... As you say you don't like the Shinning.  That's a shame.

Trick r Treat had decent ambiance, sure... but It wasn't stand out and won't be in my head like the big orchestra hits of the shinning or the piano plinks of Halloween... but I'm a musician too. Things tend to stick with me.

C'mon now, RV.  Let's play nice here.

Your constant remarks to shelf life and the like are confusing my pea sized brain.  I think we're talking about 2 completely different things here.

I've recently watched both Pyscho and The Birds.  I was literally shocked at how poorly they have held up in terms of just about everything.  Sure, you can say they were cutting edge at the time they were released, but in terms of what we're used to nowadays, they are both paper thin.

There are numerous movies that do hold up well.  Alien and Aliens are perfect examples.  Another one we haven't discussed yet is the original "Omen".  A true classic and one of the best horror movies of all time, IMO.

I don't want to knock obvious classics, but when you say the only great horror movies you can come up with are flicks from the 60's, or from revered directors, I'd say you've obviously missing something.

It is only a matter of time before Nixon comes in here and blasts you guys for getting way off topic.

But I hope he lets what is here stand, if only for a few good recommendations that others might have missed.

"Dead Birds" was pretty good.  Not great, but like "Trick ‘r Treat", certainly worth a look for fans of the genre.

As for this side list, I will add "Three Extremes", a super Asian compilation.  See it.

I have to groan a bit at your list, too, Dreamscale.  I found Hostel laughable, and most American horror has grown stale of late.  Asian horror was promising for a while, but they, too, are only repeating themselves now.  [Note to Japan:  Stringy-hair female ghosts are not scary anymore.]

Back on topic, "Trick ‘r Treat" is a solid, average horror.  It is not reinventing anything, but it is good enough to warrant a watch.

Time to wind up the side-bar conversations, though.

Psycho was great, but The Birds were truly for the birds IMO.

Omen was also great, but The Exorcist was way better. That one is really fantastic!!

I agree with both Alien films, but don't consider them horrors. More like thrillers.



Edit: Sorry Bert. I was typing mine up while you were posting.

The Birds is a fantastically made movie. The craftmanship in it is extraordinary.  If you watch it again - watch for the bird like movements from Tippi.  Also watch the rivalry between Tippi and the mother and notice that they have exactly the same hairstyle. That's a very small detail but this movie has tons of details like that.  

Quoted from bert I have to groan a bit at your list, too, Dreamscale.  I found Hostel laughable, and most American horror has grown stale of late.  Asian horror was promising for a while, but they, too, are only repeating themselves now.  [Note to Japan:  Stringy-hair female ghosts are not scary anymore.] Back on topic, "Trick ‘r Treat" is a solid, average horror.  It is not reinventing anything, but it is good enough to warrant a watch.

Amen to that. You wouldn't watch it again though, would you?

Quoted from DS Another one we haven't discussed yet is the original "Omen".  A true classic and one of the best horror movies of all time, IMO. I don't want to knock obvious classics, but when you say the only great horror movies you can come up with are flicks from the 60's, or from revered directors, I'd say you've obviously missing something.

I like The Omen. It had some moments. And guess what, revered directors directors tend to make great movies. They know how to create tension and not just throw a load of blood around. Funny that.

Oh and I still think Trick 'r Treat is a bag of pooh. And I'm right too.

OK RV, so there are like 5 or 6 horror movies in the last 50 years that you'd call good to great?  And all the other ones bite?  Is that what we're talking about here?

So, if The Exorcist is a 100, Turistas about a 25, and The Being a 1, where would Trick 'r Treat rate?

0.5, at a push.

HaHa!  Funny...I hope you're kidding around.

No matter what you thought of it, you seriously can't be saying it's one of the worst movies of all time, can you?  I have this funny feeling you don't watch too many horror movies...and probably don't like the genre as a whole.

LOL. Not that I'm a part of this argument but there's no way this movie's worse than Turistas. 25 is mighty generous, don't you think, Jeff? Anyway, this one's at the top of my Netflix cue. Will be checking it out after Gutterballs.

Quoted from Dreamscale C'mon now, RV.  Let's play nice here. Your constant remarks to shelf life and the like are confusing my pea sized brain.  I think we're talking about 2 completely different things here. I've recently watched both Pyscho and The Birds.  I was literally shocked at how poorly they have held up in terms of just about everything.  Sure, you can say they were cutting edge at the time they were released, but in terms of what we're used to nowadays, they are both paper thin. There are numerous movies that do hold up well.  Alien and Aliens are perfect examples.  Another one we haven't discussed yet is the original "Omen".  A true classic and one of the best horror movies of all time, IMO. I don't want to knock obvious classics, but when you say the only great horror movies you can come up with are flicks from the 60's, or from revered directors, I'd say you've obviously missing something.

For me the best horror film of all time. It was truly extraordinary at the time.

I think there are different kinds of people who like horror films. The "true" horror fan doesn't tend to enjoy the slower, less vicious films whereas people who don't generally like horror seem to prefer them.

Horror films age very quickly. The Birds is so melodramatic now that it seems awful. It's one of the few films that seems totally in need of updating.

Psycho was revolutionary. It scared people in a way that's almsot impossible now, by killing off the "main" character. It's hard to imagine how much that upset peopel at the time, it completely wobbled their sense of morality and caused a huge outcry. now it seems incredibly tame.

The Exorcist is a film that I never enjoyed. even as a kid it seemed weak and repeat viewings have never revealed to me the fuss that was made over it. Maybe you have to be extremely religious to get it.

The Shining is boring. There I said it. I believe Stephen King said he didn't like it, that Kubrick didn't undertsand the horror genre. I don't really agree with that, but I can understand why he said it. It's like a horror film for people who don't like horror. One of those films that I end up merely looking at the set design and such because I've lost interest in it. On paper it should be right up my street, but it  just doesn't hold together for me. About as scary as an episode of Futurama.

My favourite horrors of recent times have been the Ring, Juon, Kairo and the Orphanage. Going back a bit, I'm a big fan of Dario Argento.

I find the modern US horrors to be quite awful if the truth be told. They are just assualts on your phsychology, with little effort made on the story. I'm sure I would have liked them more as a kid, but they seem somewhat perverted and, without wanting to sound too anal, a bit of a symptom of a Western society that has forgotten the importance of human life. I read a recent article about the evolution of horror films, about how they've moved from taking a look at the problems in society to essentially saying that people are evil. There is a bleakness and a dirtiness to them that is hard to watch.

I haven't even seen Trick r Treat. Sorry Nixon.

It's a worthy debate about horror films though. Important in screenwriting terms I think.

Turistas was not good by any means, but it had an opportunity to be decent.  The premise was good and the build was decent.  It just fell all to shit with that walk through the jungle and what followed.  Terrible cinematography, horrible lighting, bad acting, and cartoonish villains sealed the deal.

I'll stick around a 25 or so.  

Dec, I thrilled that I'm not completely alone here.  Your comments are spot on, and I completely agree with about The Omen, The Shining, The Exorcist, and The Birds.  You're also correct about why Psycho worked.  More films should follow the same concept, but everything is so cookie cutter now, it seems almost impossible.

Nothing is set in stone when it comes to art and entertainment.  Thank God!

Quoted from Dreamscale HaHa!  Funny...I hope you're kidding around. No matter what you thought of it, you seriously can't be saying it's one of the worst movies of all time, can you?  I have this funny feeling you don't watch too many horror movies...and probably don't like the genre as a whole.

No it ain't one of the worst. But then it would have to sink pretty low to be so.

I watch a lot of movies, regardless of style and genre. There's only two types of movie in my book - good and bad.

And TrT ain't good.

RV

EDIT: I was typing just before you posted Wes. I think I've said my bit so I'm off to watch the Exorcist and The Shining again.

Lets keep this about the movie in the title and not about the genre as a whole. We had this discussion before in its own thread.

Quoted from Old Time Wesley Lets keep this about the movie in the title and not about the genre as a whole. We had this discussion before in its own thread.

Agreed.  It was a very old thread, though.

Quoted from Dec It's a worthy debate about horror films though. Important in screenwriting terms I think.

If someone were so inclined to start a new thread, say in General Chat, about this topic, I would not delete it.

But it is about time to wrap up this conversation here, unless it pertains to the film in question.

Fair notice that deletions will follow here, on this thread, for fresh posts that are off-topic.

Okay. This post's about the actual movie so lay off, mods!

So... Pretty underwhelming. Felt like an R-rated Goosebumps but not that R-rated. Gore was pretty minimal. There were a couple things I liked. The principal and his son, razorblades in candy and the Pumpkin creature but all were pretty underdeveloped. The characters were slightly better than most American horror movies but still pretty much archetypes of the genre. Brian Cox and Dylan Baker did well with their characters but none of it was particularly impressive. Honestly, the whole movie felt so smug in being maybe a couple notches above mainstream American horror but it was still mediocre. There was also a considerable lack of structure. While I don't mind stories melding together, the transitions were nonexistent. No good. The killing kids didn't impress me either. Eden Lake did it way better and with a little more conviction. In the end, I sort of enjoyed the first and last stories. The middle ones both sucked. Especially hated the troupe of teenage girls. I don't give a rat's ass how many scholarly essays about adolescence and "the last girl" you can get out of them; I prefer my horror movies slut free. I guess porn just isn't enough for some people.

Also, while my sentiments aren't as intense as Balt's or RV's, I'm surprised at how great people think this movie is and even more surprised by the people themselves. It's not so much that I think you guys have higher standards so much as it is I think you guys have neglected infinitely better horror movies to put this one on a pedestal.

Wow, I'm shocked again.  Totally shocked.

The "lack of transitions" was part of the beauty and genius on display here.  All the stories melded together because the timeline was very well thought through and made complete sense.  This was simply a number of things going on in in 1 small town, on 1 night.

James, you didn't like the young kids in the quarry, either?

You didn't like the werewolves?

Damn, very surprised again.

Quoted from Dreamscale The "lack of transitions" was part of the beauty and genius on display here.

I disagree.  The transitions were largely of the sort where one group of people "just happen" to walk past another group of people on the same street -- or "just happen" to drive past another group of people -- cue new story.  Oh, and viewing part of another story through a window.  Eh.  That last one was OK, I guess.

At least, that is all that I can recall.

Sure, there were transitions -- but they were servicable, at best.  I think you may be giving them too much credit because they simply made any effort at all -- which is understandable, given the state of horror today.

The transitions were not particularly clever, and IMO they were pretty far removed from "genius" territory.

EDIT:

Quoted from James McClung Felt like an R-rated Goosebumps but not that R-rated -- Honestly, the whole movie felt so smug...

For the record, I am pretty much on-board with this assessment.

Quoted from Zack This is easily on of the best Halloween themed horror films since... well, "Halloween". ~Zack~

If that were true, you're not saying much.

The first seven minutes before the credits was a waste of time with bad acting and dialogue. The girl pretty much listed his hobbies for the camera and it didn't feel natural.

After the credits however I thoroughly enjoyed this flick... probably more than I usually do with this genre.

Yeah, I could nitpick about quite a few things that made no sense or were great leaps in logic but at the end of the day it was a pretty fun movie and entertains better than most in this genre.

Quoted from Dreamscale Wow, I'm shocked again.  Totally shocked. The "lack of transitions" was part of the beauty and genius on display here.  All the stories melded together because the timeline was very well thought through and made complete sense.  This was simply a number of things going on in in 1 small town, on 1 night.

I can sorta understand how someone would feel that way. I was really expecting more of a Creepshow angle. Nevertheless, I felt given the loose structure, none of the stories were really committed to as they needed to be. That might have more to do with the overall approach to the movie than structure though. In any case, I'll say this is a matter of opinion.

Quoted from Dreamscale James, you didn't like the young kids in the quarry, either? You didn't like the werewolves? Damn, very surprised again.

SPOILERS...

The kids at the quarry? Pretty much a huge let down for me. Waterlogged zombie children in an abandoned quarry on Halloween night. Lotta potential here. Don't know what to say. The legend felt pretty half-assed. Not enough detail. I especially couldn't suspend my belief that every child's parent would have a hand in this. After that, I hated that the whole thing was supposed to be a prank and I hated that the lead girl wanted to press on after the girl got hurt. Some cliches work. Some don't. Never been a fan of this one. In the end, the zombie kids were only around for like two or three minutes. Lots of squandered opportunities I felt, despite a handful of cool visuals (namely the elevator at the top of the quarry).

MORE SPOILERS...

The werewolves? Like I said, I hated the characters and have never been a fan of the virginity subtext in horror movies. Why horror directors incorporate this theme into their movies so often is beyond me. Besides, Ginger Snaps did the whole coming-of-age werewolf angle way better. Not one of my favorites but a lot more attention to detail. Moving along, the exposition was especially on the nose in this one. The same cannot be said for the other stories. With all that going on prior to the twist, I really didn't care when it was finally revealed. If anything, I was sad to see the principal go. Besides, the transformations seemed more like vampires with a couple of werewolves thrown in than a whole pack.

All of this goes back to the movie feeling smug. It didn't seem like the writer was pandering to the audience but it did seem like he was stopping where he thought it'd be just enough for them. That's no way to ruffle feathers in this day and age. Visually, the movie was pretty decent and appropriately simple for the style of story. Let me reiterate that I thought it was mediocre, not awful.

Nothing like putting Christmas to bed by unearthing a Halloween movie thread.
I have a new Halloween tradition involving this film.
For 2009 and 2010, Michael Dougherty hosted a screening of the film at the Beverly.
There's a costume contest and lengthy Q & A with the writer/director.
It doesn't hurt that its a double feature with a showing of a clean print of Creepshow.

The photography on the film looks super on the silver screen.
Interestingly enough, this film is the spec script Dougherty would show to agents.
He carried it around for years while building his career. So keep those specs handy!
Bryan Singer liked it so much, he went to Legendary pictures and asked for money.
They put up $6 million and Warner Bros. matched, per Superman contract stipulations.
All Dougherty wanted to do was create a Halloween movie people would want to revisit.
He's a giant Halloween holiday fan, celebrates the holiday the entire month.
He shows us pictures of his house, wall to wall decorations that Del Toro would envy.
Warner Brothers NEVER told him why they chose to shelf the film. NOT ONE WORD.
EVER. To this day, no executive has answered that question. Unbelievable business.

It's fascinating that the Pulp Fiction style intercutting was all post.
Dougherty did a linear cut and the film was flat. I think the re-edit helped lots.

Most modern horror films underestimate the audience's love of revenge.
We all love to see the jerks, cheaters and killers get their comeuppance.
Creepshow knew that in spades and Trick 'r' Treat does a nice job too.

E.D.

This may have been mentioned earlier, but there was some talk that the lack of a release was WB's retribution for the disappointing performance (and quality) of Bryan Singer's Superman film.  

Regardless, Trick 'r Treat managed to be that rarest of horror films - a good anthology.