31 Days of Drafts and Darkness:

"Trick r Treat" (2007)

Note: This film is available on Netflix Instant Streaming right now! Check it out.

We've gone over quite a few spooky films this season. In thirty-one short days, we've featured zombies, vampires, aliens, and werewolves . So now, having gone over so many archetypes and sub-genres of horror, how to wrap up the season? What film do we cap our dark adventure off with? 

How about my favorite Halloween film of all time? 

Whenever I start talking about "Trick r' Treat", I'm utterly shocked at how many people haven't seen it. Few films are so drenched in autumnal color, so deeply in love with a holiday as this one is with Halloween. Many scary movies take place on or around Halloween, but this one is straight-up about Halloween.

All the myths and urban legends are addressed. Always check your candy. Never blow out a Jack-o-Lantern. Even the vile tricks of it's anti-hero/villain Little Sammy stretch back to old Celtic lore surrounding the holiday. "Trick r' Treat" takes pure horror-movie atmosphere and pours it over Halloween like caramel syrup. Then it sprinkles piles of candy-coated dark humor on top. 

If you love Halloween as much as I do, this little horror gem is for you!

The Plot

Naturally, it's Halloween night. We open on a small suburban town in full celebration. Kids are roaming the neighborhood for candy. Adults dress provocatively for parties. Among the festivities wanders Little Sammy, clad in orange pajamas and a stuffed burlap-sack mask. 

Sammy doesn't say much, but boy does he ever love Halloween. Anyone who finds him at their doorstep and gives him candy is left alone. But if you deny him a treat or break one of the holiday's sacred rules, you're in for a rough night.

"Trick r' Treat" tells five parallel stories. The tales often intersect, with characters showing up at different points depending on the clock. Unlike "Creepshow" and "Creepshow 2", these stories are all tightly linked. The outcome of one can affect another. Whenever someone begins to slander Halloween, a price is paid. Those who scheme against children, pull cruel pranks, or break with tradition run into all kinds of misfortune. For some, the night will prove an adventure. For others, it'll be their last. 

But no matter when or where these events take place, Little Sammy is there. Watching in the background. Is he the cause of all the chaos, or simply a witness to it?  

One tale sees a bickering couple debate over whether to blow out a Jack-o-lantern too soon. Another sees a band of trick-or-treaters disrespect the resting place of some lost children. Across town, a young group of college coeds plan a wild Halloween party, but one still needs at date. We also learn that the neighborhood middle school principle is much, much less fond of kids than he appears. He lives next door to an elderly gentleman well-known for being a recluse and hating Halloween. Well, he's about to have a visitor.

The Flavor

"Trick r' Treat" is the sort of horror that wants to utterly scare you, but have you laugh after you're done screaming. Much in how a haunted house attraction, this film celebrates all its terrors. Each jump and creepy moment plays up an old holiday tradition or icon. All the classic creatures are there, from vampires to werewolves to zombies.

Running rampant through all the twisted proceedings is Little Sammy, a chaotic imp hellbent on having the best Halloween possible. That his name bears resemblance to Samhain, the spirit of Halloween, is of course no accident. Sammy is the sort of movie monster/villain that quickly becomes endearing. Using weapons like candy bars fitted with razors and a sharpened lolly pop, Sammy's night features plenty of original, grisly kills. Gory as some of his handiwork gets, it's done with such an inventive and comedic style, so you're suitably spooked without being disturbed.

The cast does a stupendous job, each appearing to seriously enjoy whatever warped role they portray. Without spoiling anything, I can say many skeletons lie in these people's closets. This provides "Trick r' Treat" with many twists and turns. Just when you think you've got a plotline or character pegged, something entirely unexpected happens. The movie knows how to play on audience expectations and toy with it to make for some great reveals.

"Trick r' Treat" loves Halloween, plain and simple. The cinematography frames each little fallen leaf and pumpkin like it were a shrine. Dark humor makes the film just as hysterical as scary, so even moments that would otherwise seem brutal come off lighter.

Here's an example: That I love this movie, despite that it breaks one of my major rules when it comes to horror films, shows you how good a film this is. I cannot stand when horror films kill children. It's just something that bothers me, something that I feel isn't in good taste.

"Trick r' Treat" has no qualms about offing a few kids, but does so with enough tongue-in-cheek awareness to cut much of what disturbs me so much about the idea. It's never overly mean in tone, framing these moments more like dark fairy-tales. The movie is not cold-blooded and handles these moments with enough humor to stop things from getting too disturbing. It knows just the right balance to hit.

 Best Paired With...

Now, I note that point about killing trick-or-treating kids for a reason. Much as I enjoy "Trick r' Treat", it's content does take some sudden dark turns. These moments are some of the scariest in the film, but could easily terrify a young watcher past the point of having spooky fun and well into being genuinely upset. Teenagers are likely fine. Heck, they've been watching folks their own age getting killed in horror movies for years. But keep your little minions away from 'Trick r' Treat'.

However, for literally everyone else, especially on Halloween night, "Trick r' Treat" makes for essential seasonal viewing. In my mind, it's a horror classic. If you're a scary movie fan, you've likely already seen it. If you're just in the mood for a good scary movie to have fun with, "Trick r' Treat" will having you screaming and laughing in equal measure.

Accompanying Brew:

Let's go out with a Halloween bang. Not just any pumpkin ale. For Little Sammy, we'll crack open a double pumpkin ale.

From Sam Adams comes Fat Jack Double Pumpkin Ale, one of their limited release brews. This only comes in wine-sized bottles, so hit up the craft section of your liquor store to find it.

To imagine the flavor of Fat Jack, take all the spicy, sweet, and malty elements of a typical pumpkinhead ale and literally double them. The sweetness is intensely so. The spices blast your tongue. And the roasted malt washes over both with a nutty, rich taste. The brew also features an ABV of 8.5 %, so bear that in mind. This pumpkin kicks.

For's its intense flavor and higher alcohol content, Fat Jack should be enjoyed gradually. This is more a sipping-style brew, so switch the pint glass for an 8 oz. snifter. Although by this point I'm growing weary of pumpkin beers, I had to go all-out for the final day of "31 Days of Drafts and Darkness".

For the raucous celebration of  all-things Halloween to the extreme, both "Trick r' Treat" and Fat Jack pair up perfectly.

Happy Halloween!