“Trick or treat!” Everyone probably heard this expression during the children's games, in which the fearless Robins Hoods or some "robber Cossacks" acted.
But for Americans, these are words related to the eve of All Saints Day, the famous sinister Halloween. It is with cries: "Trick or treat!" - small Yankees wandering the streets, dressed in intricate costumes and hiding faces under frightening masks. They may enjoy homemade cakes, sweets, or other sweets. But the then-debutant of American cinema, Michael Dougherty, who shot the film “Trick or Treat” according to his own script, thinks very differently. Four plots are masterfully woven into a single impeccable line. Special effects, of course, are so-so: the budget of the picture is clearly not blockbuster. And the most famous actor from the entire ensemble is Dylan Baker, who plays Steven. In the filmography of Dylan - more than 100 films and series, including the cult "Requiem for a Dream" and the thriller about the next case of psychologist-detective Alex Cross, "And the Spider Came." The rest of the artists ... Their surnames are unlikely to say something even to avid moviegoers.
Black humor and gloomy atmosphere
Nevertheless, the low-budget “Trick or Treat” of 2008, which didn’t get into the rental but was immediately released on video in 2009, is capable of catching the viewer. Maybe a gloomy, moment-appropriate atmosphere. Maybe camera work. Maybe a good portion of black humor. And the main characters picked up extraordinary. An ordinary school teacher hides the “double bottom” of his soul, which is very unusual for the profession. The young beauty in search of the perfect lover turns out to be a monster. A group of slobs who have conceived a harmless rally is faced with a real horror. Well, and the wife, a decent housewife, absolutely does not share her husband's unhealthy interest in Halloween. The connecting link of all episodes is someone infernal, appearing here and there. This is an ominous little man with a pumpkin head. Who is hiding behind this familiar symbol of the eve of All Saints Day - the authors will reveal this secret only in the very ending of the film.
To be continued…
The film "Trick or Treat" will remind someone of the thriller "City Legends" in style. Someone will find parallels with other horror stories, such as “Tales from the crypt” or the series “Masters of Horrors”. Now it has become fashionable to shoot almanacs consisting of several mini-horror films. This path was “trampled down” by “Z / L / O” and its sequel, only in these works each separate piece of a terrible “pie” was shot by its director. And last year - also in Halloween - a fresh little picture came out, created by the same type. It was called "All Saints' Day." Also a curious look at the old topic. But what you should not draw parallels with at all when watching the movie “Trick or Treat” is the Halloween franchise, which glorified artist Jamie Lee Curtis and one of the most famous movie novelists Michael Myers in his eerie snow-white lifeless mask. Dougherty thriller DVDs, however, have earned more than $ 2 million in the United States. This is probably why the director is preparing a sequel in 2015.