“Spider-Man 3″ suffered from the continuing fate of comic book trilogies which is record breaking box office numbers while leaving many fans disappointed over the turn of the series. “Spider-Man 4″ is set to release on May 5, 2011.

Prolific director Bryan Singer takes a turn towards horror as the producer of this Halloween shocker directed by X2 and Superman Returns screenwriter Mike Dougherty. With four interwoven tales concerning a high-school principal who moonlights as a vicious serial killer, a college-age virgin who’s saving… herself for that special someone, a woman whose hatred of Halloween is only exceeded by her husband’s love of the mischievous holiday, and a callous group of teens who carry out an unforgivably cruel prank, this fall frightener mixes Tarantino-style storytelling with the kind of chills that can only occur on the darkest day of the year. Brian Cox, Anna Paquin, Dylan Baker, and Leslie Bibb all star in a Halloween treat that’s sure to deliver a few nasty tricks.

Source: Arrow in the Head

Finally at this year’s Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal, the proverbial blue balls of many horror geeks were finally relieved as the time had arrived to unlock this reborn virgin’s chastity belt.  The results of the drawn out wait also did not prove to be neither premature nor disappointing. Like David Silver or Nick Lachey would say, ‘it was well worth the wait.’

Michael Dougherty has definitely outdone himself as he has skillfully crafted the Pulp Fiction of horror anthologies.  Instead of taking the four separate stories and splicing them together with only a ghastly narrator`s introduction as the sole connection to the stories, Trick ‘R Treat is a broken-narrative tale following five different stories that all take place on Halloween night.

From the film`s prompt yet brutal opening sequence with an unknown being viciously killing a Halloween-hating wife, it immediately launches into a fast-paced story dealing with the grisly consequences and comeuppances that occur on this particular Halloween night.  Viewers are introduced to a murderous high school principal (played by Dylan Baker) who is late for a date, the principal`s miserable neighbour, Mr. Kregg (played by the great Brian Cox) who has a secret past, a group of kids all planning an elaborate prank on a socially inept girl, and a group of sexy dressed girls trying to get their virgin friend (played by Anna Paquin) laid by night`s end at a party in the woods.  All of these stories seem completely different from one another, yet just like an episode of Lost, Dougherty uses the same technique to interweave each character and story into each others, proving that this Halloween tale has planned far more surprises for the audience than initially expected.

Trick R Treat is by far the most viscerally effective horror anthology one has seen since Creepshow. Dougherty achieves this by successfully capturing the spirit of Halloween by setting an unsettling mood and tense atmosphere that perfectly aligns with the craftily scored pieces and the beautifully (yet eerily) shot cinematography used and shown throughout the film.  Although one should not give the writer and director all the credit, as a horror film of this calibre could not be as fun and frightening without its strong cast. Every actor (especially Baker and Cox) nailed it out of the park with their performances and Canuck viewers out there will also get a kick out of all the Canadian talent featured in this film, (*the movie was shot in Vancouver) including Dead Like Me’s Britt McKillip and Christine Willes.

Spoiling any of the special and gore effects would be an extreme disservice for future viewers, but let’s just say they far exceeded this reviewer’s expectations.  The effects even resurrected a movie monster’s image last seen shamelessly giving the middle finger onscreen. Finally, a horror film without the blatant CGI effects for a change!

Trick ‘R Treat is a film horror fans have been infatuated with for over two years now, and they will fall in love with it after watching it. (Personally, I fell in love with it after hearing Tony! Toni! Toné!’s “It Feels Good” song booming in the background. ) It is one of the most entertaining and clever horror films that does not deserve to be labelled as “straight to DVD” fare. In fact, the only reason I could think of as to  why the film has been pushed back for so long is the same reason why fans have yet to see a remake for Battle Royale and Who Can Kill A Child?–too much child killing!  Personally, I am glad to see Trick ‘R Treat not being exploited like Scream was. There will thankfully be no CW infused knock offs and hopefully it will turn into a cult film younger horror fans can discover and discuss about for years to come.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars