31 Films for Halloween, #11; Trick 'R Treat (2007)

-

Horror lends itself naturally to anthological format.

Horror comics being a perfect example.

It makes sense; horror is easier to pull off in short form than in long form due to its need to maintain suspense and build terror.  So there is no shortage of horror anthology films. But there is one every Real Horror Fan knows:  Trick 'r Treat (2007)

It's hard to articulate exactly why.  It's not the scariest, nor the funniest. But it has two things going for it.

First, Sam Hain, an adorable but deadly Halloween mascot.

He's just trying to safeguard traditions.

Second, the fact that, unlike many such films, the segments are all presented as if they were happening in the same town at the same time, and each has little hints of the OTHER ones going on in the background.  The effect is very satisfying and will remind you of "Mystery Train" (1989), if you've seen "Mystery Train".

And, if you haven't seen "Mystery Train', why HAVEN'T you seen "Mystery Train"?
Stop would you are doing right now and watch "Mystery Train".

See Trick 'r Treat, even if only to get the stamp in your Horror Fan passport.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How To Be Fabulous: Soap

-
Image
Like many skills and attributes, Being Fabulous seems mysterious and inaccessible from the outside or like some sort of magical inborn ability.  But, although such abilities are certainly aided by natural aptitude, Being Fabulous (like most of them) is much more a learned skill than people realize.   Because, in case you have never met one, babies are not fabulous. Amazing, perhaps, but not fabulous.  Some people say they SUCK, but I won't believe such a calumny until I see it in person. The world is not made of "wizards/gay people" and "muggles/straight people". It is made of people.  It's made of people who make choices designed to improve the aesthetics (and therefore the quality) of their immediate environment and experiences and those who do not. Your romantic and sexual preferences do not matter. So, this is the first of future posts that will simply EXPLAIN how to be fabulous.  And, mostly, it's a matter of how you approach things; it's about
Read more

Friendly Cows

-
Image
The Circle of Fifths is central to composing, or even understanding, any music complicated enough to include a key change. Not that anyone understands car gearshifts anymore, but they are a useful metaphor.  Just as you can't slam from first gear to fourth gear without it being pretty jarring, you can't jump from one key to another in music randomly without it being jarring.  In a car, you have to transition via neutral or other gears in between.  That's kind of how music works and the circle of fifths is like a gearshift that let's you do so. With three times the number of gears, and different ones for leaded and unleaded. Metaphors aren't perfect. Most songs, even ones that have nothing but melody, have chords (a group of notes played simultaneously).  Those chords are based on the notes of the melody of the song (the melody is the "tune"; the part of a song you would whistle).  Sometimes the chords are performed, sometimes not; but even when they are no
Read more

Throw This Letter Away

-
I already have a blog for discussing comic books .  This blog is for everything else that remains. First up, a mystery: If Billy hadn't yet married that girl, then why did she get an official letter when he died? Billy, Don't Be a Hero by Mitch Murray & Peter Callander The marching band came down along Main Street The soldier blues fell in behind I looked across and there I saw Billy Waiting to go and join the line And with her head upon his shoulder His young and lovely fiancee From where I stood I saw she was crying And through her tears I heard her say Billy, don't be a hero, don't be a fool with your life Billy, don't be a hero, come back and make me your wife And as he started to go she said, Billy, keep your head low Billy, don't be a hero, come back to me The soldier blues were trapped on a hillside The battle raging all around The sergeant cried, "We've got to hang on, boys! We've got to hold this piece of ground" I need a voluntee
Read more