Today's prompt was anthology and I had to with my favorite Halloween anthology, 2007's Trick'r'Treat. It's a perfect anthology. While I didn't choose it as my selection I would also recommend 2015's Tales of Halloween, which in my headcannon is a sequel.
Plot
This anthology includes four interwoven stories on Halloween and is set in the fictional town of Warren Valley, Ohio.
Review
This is an amazing horror flick and I'll talk about why in a second. However, I want to say that it's as memorable as it is because of its iconic villain, Sam. Sam appears to be a normal kid with a burlap sack and orange pajamas. However, he is some sort of spirit/demon tied to Halloween traditions, which he enforces violently. His design is simple, but fantastic and I'll admit I'm a Sam fanboy and have lots of Trick'r'Treat merch with him.
While standalone horror anthology stories are fine, I think one of Trick'r'Treat's strengths is how the stories are interwoven and the tale is told in a non-linear fashion. For example, beginning of the movie is also chronologically the end of the movie. However, you see the incitement of that scene at the actual end of the movie from a different perspective. The various characters appear in the background of other stories and it makes it feel like one shared tale. I'll discuss the different segments:
Introduction - A couple come home from a Halloween party and the wife blows out a jack-o'-lantern against her superstitious husband's wishes. She pays for this with her life. This scene is short, but sweet and sets the mood and tone of the film. Don't fuck with Halloween traditions.
Principal - School Principal Wilkins kills an overweight vandal child, Charlie, with poisoned candy, remaking "You should always check your candy." He spends the rest of the segment trying to deal with the body, his cranky neighbor, and his energetic son. There is some great tension in this one and Dylan Baker plays Wilkins and a frustrated killer well.
Halloween School Bus Massacre - Four kids play a prank on an autistic savant named Rhonda, while visiting a site of a local urban legend. A school bus driver was paid by a family to dispose of their developmentally disabled children. In the end, the massacred children return and only Rhonda survives. This is probably my favorite story in the movie. Much like the opening vignette, the moral here (other than don't be an asshole) is to not let your jack-o'-lanterns' go out.
Surprise Party - Laurie, played by Anna Paquin, is a self conscious early 20 something preparing to party with her sister and friends. Dressed as Little Red Riding Hood she is stalked by a vampire. In the end she is revealed to be more than she seems and the vampire is a character from earlier in the film. While not a bad segment at all, I think this might be my least favorite story in the movie. Again, it's not bad by any means, I just enjoyed the others better.
Sam - Kreeg, Principal Wilkin's grumpy neighbor, returns as the star of the segment. He experiences more and more odd Halloween phenomena until he is ambushed by Sam. He struggles with the Halloween creature until Sam eventually leaves. There is a big reveal at the end of this one, which is foreshadowed if you pay close enough attention. This is where we truly learn Sam is more than he seems. The confrontation between Kreeg and same is a good one and Kreeg is played immaculately by Brian Cox.
Conclusion - A heavily bandaged Kreeg is giving candy to trick-or-treaters. Principal Wilkins son Billy is sitting on his porch giving out candy. Rhonda is seen pulling a wagon full of jack-o-lanterns. Laurie and her friends drive by laughing. Finally the couple from the beginning of the film are seen arriving home, when Sam sees one of them breaking Halloween tradition. The final scene is... well I'll let you watch the movie.
This is one of the greatest Halloween movies of all time and its definitely one to watch this October.
In Your Game
I'm going with something a little different today. These spells are inspired by the rules of Halloween mentioned in the movie and can be used in your What Shadows Hide or We Die Young games.
Level 1
Always Check Your Candy
Duration: Instant Range: Touch
A razor blade appears in a treat you touch. It is disguised and unless someone is actively checking the candy or sweet they will not notice it. If a creature eats the item they take 1d4 damage. Clever casters can also use this to make a makeshift blade. Treat this as a knife that breaks if the wielder rolls a natural 1.
Jack-o-Lantern's Protection
Duration: Until candle goes out Range: Touch LIGHT
The lit jack-o-lantern produces and protective aura for all creatures within 30 feat. Creatures gain Toughness: Evil +3 and Undead and Outsiders have disadvantage on all rolls while with the aura.
This spell immediately ends if the the candle goes out. For purposes of targeting the jack-o-lantern to extinguish the candle treat it as have an AC of 10 and 1 HP.
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First Time View: 2
Total Watched (Including Non-Challenge Horror Movies): 8
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