Imagine – the year is 1986, and you’ve just finished teasing your locks and coating it with the full can of hairspray. It’s Halloween, you’re headed to a party, and the heavy metal is blasting… but suddenly, a demonic electricity-harnessing entity bursts from your hi-fi system! We’ve just described Charles Martin Smith’s Trick or Treat, a hair-raising slasher film that envisions a campy, Satanic-worshipping metal star named Sammi Curr (Tony Fields) who comes back from the dead to murder all of the naysayers by having his final cursed recording played on All Hallow’s Eve. The concept sounds satirical but is played pretty strait-laced here, focusing on the bullied protagonist Eddie (Marc Price) who is simply misunderstood at school due to his obsession with heavy metal and its connections to Satanism.
It’s hard to shake the feeling that Trick or Treat is inspired by some of the best slashers in the genre. The script – from an amalgam of writers including Michael S. Murphey, Joel Soisson, and Rhet Topham – melds the magic of Halloween‘s holiday setting with the supernatural qualities of Freddy, specifically cribbing from A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge with the teen angst and unlikely romantic tension from its main characters (though this film would pre-date Dream Warriors‘ metal-tinged themes). Here Smith leans into the Satanic Panic of the ’80s and the culture war targeting those into these more niche bands – there’s even a scene where Eddie’s mom (Elaine Joyce) recoils in disgust at the records Eddie keeps in his room. The counterculture at play also becomes the main motivation for Trick or Treat‘s villain Sammi Curr, a renowned rock star whose theatrical antics and Satan-leaning imagery ultimately lead to him becoming ostracized; in his death, he vows to seek vengeance on effectively everyone, even those who worshipped at his altar.
Trick or Treat is a fun film, but it does get bogged down in its first half with some weak characterization and bullying. It takes quite a while for the demonic Sammi Curr to appear, and once he does the film leaves his powers and even his overall machinations too vague to put him in the same realm as someone like Freddy. Curr’s ability to harness electricity and radios while also relying on his cursed music being played in order to mount the attack is a lot more nebulous than Freddy’s powers, which are apparent right from the very first scene and set the expectation for the future. Curr, on the other hand, has a variety of powers including wielding his guitar as an electricity-shooting weapon, appearing as a greenish mist and then a full-bodied demon, and even being able to reach into TVs to grab unsuspecting victims. The variety and inconsistency can leave the viewer with the feeling that the perceived rules of the film are ever-changing.
With that said, once Trick or Treat gets going, its rollicking momentum keeps viewers from tuning out. The film’s last half never lets up, combining inventive kill sequences involving the cursed recording with the Halloween festivities at the school dance party. Fields’ presence is substantial, and in a different reality his Curr character could certainly have been a horror figurehead with a bit more craftsmanship of his supernaturality. The heavy metal songs performed by Fastway are also expertly used throughout the film, which heightens the nostalgia for contemporary viewers “reliving” an era they may never have experienced.
While the uneven pacing is an issue, Trick or Treat rocks more often than not, and it’s certainly a rather unique experience in the slasher subgenre. Interestingly, the metal aspect may appeal to even more viewers now than it did at the time; it’s a time capsule of a period where social anxieties kept people from truly enjoying the appeal of something as over-the-top as the theatrical hair and heavy metal bands of the time, and Trick or Treat takes it to its natural tongue-in-cheek extreme by bringing to life that Satanic worship. Whether it effectively promotes or shames the metal scene is left to the viewer to decide.
For a more extensive discussion about this film, listen to our episode of Blood and Black Rum Podcast on Trick or Treat!
4K UHD
Synapse Films, partnered with Red Shirt Home Video, originally released Trick or Treat on 4K UHD with an exclusive limited edition featuring three different slipcover versions. For those that missed that more expensive option, they have also released a standard edition with a new reflective slipcover that collects a majority of the extra features but leaves out the Blu-ray and CD from the three-disc set.
Synapse and Red Shirt have provided a new 4K transfer of the original 35mm camera negative with Dolby Vision approved by Director of Photography Robert Elswit, and the results are stunning. Trick or Treat features a moderate grain scale that appears very filmic with no evidence of any encoding issues or compression. Level of detail is often exceptional, with background elements appearing distinctive even in dark or smoky sequences. Skin textures and makeup effects are prominently displayed and used widely throughout the film, including close-ups of Eddie, his bullies, and Sammi Curr; stubble and facial contours all look exceptional. The film employs many atmospheric effects including smoke, fog, and fire – all of these are managed well, and even the film’s bluish tints look great with the Dolby Vision HDR. Greenery often pops in backdrops without suffering from oversaturation. Black levels are deep but never obstructive. This is a fantastic transfer, and likewise the best home video version available for the film.
For audio, the original DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo track is included for purists, but Synapse/Red Shirt have also worked on a new 5.1 surround sound mix for this release. As expected, this new mix keeps dialogue pushed to the center but moves music score and sound effects to the surround speakers for a more enveloping experience. This is a robust inclusion and I appreciated the new mix, especially considering the musical score is highly prevalent in the film. Both options are a great way to watch. English subtitles are also included.
The extras really shine here as well. Of course, this is something that Red Shirt Pictures does quite well, and the standout here is the new feature-length documentary on the movie called “Rock & Shock.” It collects interviews with a majority of cast and crew and runs through all facets of the production, even the film’s release and its cult legacy status; it’s well-edited and crafted to give a comprehensive overview. For those looking to hear straight from the crew, there are new audio commentaries with director Charles Martin Smith (moderated by Mark Savage), and writer/producer Michael S. Murphey and writer Rhet Topham. Writers Paul Corupe and Allison Lang also contribute an audio commentary/conversation that focuses more heavily on the Satanic themes and panic of the ’80s era; though it’s described as a “conversation” it does run the full length of the film.
There’s also a nice tribute to late actor Tony Fields included; primarily this features a gathering of people who knew him providing interviews and memories, as well as archival footage. The UHD collects a Horror’s Hallowed Grounds episode from Sean Clark on the filming locations for the film that was released in 2022. For archival items, there’s a music video for Fastway’s “After Midnight,” theatrical trailers and TV spots, radio spots, a vintage EPK, and a still gallery.
This one-disc standard edition does come with reversible cover artwork and a reflective slipcover.
Extra Features
- NEW Limited edition o-card available on the FIRST PRESSING ONLY!
- NEW 4K restoration from the original 35mm camera negative mastered in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) and approved by Director of Photography Robert Elswit
- NEW Lossless English DTS-HD Master Audio of the original 2.0 theatrical mix and 5.1 surround sound mix
- NEW Audio commentary with director Charles Martin Smith, moderated by filmmaker Mark Savage
- NEW Audio interviews with writer/producer Michael S. Murphey and writer Rhet Topham, moderated by film historian Michael Felsher
- NEW Audio conversation with Paul Corupe and Allison Lang, authors of Satanic Panic: Pop-Cultural Paranoia in the 1980s
- NEW Rock & Shock: The Making of “Trick or Treat” (1080p; 1:21:16)
- NEW In The Spotlight: A Tribute to Tony Fields (1080p; 15:07)
- Horror’s Hallowed Grounds: The Filming Locations of “Trick or Treat” with Sean Clark (1080p; 26:31)
- “After Midnight” music video (1080p; 3:46)
- Theatrical Trailers (1080p; 3:26)
- TV Spots (1080p; 1:06)
- Radio Spots (2:00)
- NEW Still Gallery featuring optional audio interview with still photographer Phillip V. Caruso (no chapter breaks; 24:28)
- Vintage electronic press kit (1080p; 5:09)
- NEW Reversible cover artwork
- Region free for worldwide playback
Verdict
If you weren’t able to snag the 3-disc deluxe edition, this standard package of Trick or Treat on 4K UHD is still well worth the price, featuring an immaculate transfer and plenty of extras. The only things you’re really missing out on are the CD and the unique slipcovers. Recommended.
