Trick or Treat (1986)

Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

I have absolutely never seen anything like this movie before. You have to see this movie.

Eddie Weinbauer (Marc Price), an awkward high school student, faces relentless bullying from the "cool" kids. Eddie retreats into his private world of heavy metal. When Eddie's idol, Sammi Curr (Tony Fields), is killed, Eddie is beyond devastated. Things seem as bleak and dark as they can get - until Eddie begins hearing Sammi's voice speaking directly to him on his latest album. It seems that Sammi doesn't want to be dead. He wants Eddie to help bring him back to life, regardless of how many people have to die.It's difficult for me to explain my reasoning, but I've always found Trick or Treat an effective little horror film. For whatever reason, it creeps me out. It might be the demonic nature of the subject matter or Tony Fields' incredibly effective performance or the atmosphere director Charles Martin Smith creates - I'm not sure. Whatever, this is a film that fills me with a real sense of unease. Another big plus for me as far as the film goes is the performance of Marc Price. It's hard to imagine Skippy from Family Ties giving a performance like this. You'd never know he was capable based on his time on television. He plays Eddie as a complicated, multi-layered character. He makes Eddie seem "real". Whether it's a scene where he's being bullied or a scene where he's defiant and confident with the strength he gets from Sammi or a scene where he's running scared, Price delivers. It's good stuff.A couple of other things I'll mention before I end this: 1. Gene Simmons is fantastic. I've seen him do some other things, but here, he's really good. I can't, however, say the same for Ozzy. 2. I got a real kick out of seeing Elaine Joyce in the film as Eddie's mother. She was always a favorite of mine from the 1970s-era game-show circuit.

When I first saw the movie, I still in Grade 5 or 6. There are several scenes that I still remember to this day, even though I never new what the title of the movie was. I was pleasantly surprised when I watched Trick or Treat, and realized it was the movie I had been searching for a long time. The memorable scene from my childhood(spoiler alert) was the toilet scene. Despite its age, it was fun to watch even now. Who would not want to see a metal listening nerd get revenge, and also get the girl? Who would have thought an evil rock star could be so bad ass? Who would imagine a rock star playing a priest bashing the music? Other strong points of the movie is the relatable characters such as Eddie, and his friend. The special effects were cool too. And the music before the climax literally rocked. In short, it was a great movie for Halloween.

TRICK OR TREAT is one of those 1980s films that has dated in the best way imaginable. It sits as a perfect snapshot of that decade, exploring the hard rock genre and the media links that associated it with Satanism and the black arts. Everything about the film, not least the soundtrack, has dated, and yet these are all positive aspects for me. It's one of the most '80s-feeling '80s films out there.The plot is predictable indeed, but it's the atmosphere which is strong here so I didn't mind. Marc Price is well cast as the high school outsider, who decides to get revenge on school bullies by summoning up the undead spirit of a recently-deceased rock star in order to get revenge. Except Price isn't really a villain after all, and he soon finds himself with a real fight on his hands. The acting is quite acceptable, although the female characters are badly written. Watch out for future DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES star Doug Savant as the chief villain.One of the most surprising things about TRICK OR TREAT is that it was directed by Charles Martin Smith, the geeky one out of THE UNTOUCHABLES. Still, Smith does a good job, and the '80s-style special effects are very well handled. There's not a lot of gore on offer here, but plenty of black comedy. A crucial set-piece has been based on CARRIE's famous prom scene although it doesn't come close to that moment in the De Palma classic. Watch out for cameos by Gene Simmons and Ozzy Osbourne, the latter particularly amusing as a vicar!

Fun little flick! Fans of 80's horror and metal will cherish it. Unfortunately, its releases so far are hugely inadequate. This cult favorite desperately needs a properly restored DVD/Blu-ray with remastered picture and sound! And if possible, commentary, trailers, TV spots, featurettes, music videos, original theatrical artwork poster cover, etc.So I ask- what can be done to expedite the process of music and movie licensing nonsense in order to get Anchor Bay or whoever to out a proper release? Should we write to Fastway's label or whoever owns DEG movies? Come on Anchor Bay or Blue Underground, get on this! Maybe we should write to Mark Price? Any suggestions would be welcomed.