Arrow Video Brings the Ultimate Presentation of ‘Trick ‘r Treat’ to 4K for Halloween [Review]

The bungling of Trick ‘r Treat by Warner Bros. — shelving it after well-received festival screenings before unceremoniously dumping it straight to DVD in 2009 — is well-documented, but had it received a traditional theatrical release and underperformed, there’s a chance it may have never entered the cultural zeitgeist. Instead, its authentic cult roots allowed it to blossom into the contemporary classic we celebrate today.

Trick ‘r Treat stands alongside the opening credits of Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers as a felicitous distillation of the Halloween atmosphere on celluloid. Sam, the impish demon played by 7-year-old Quinn Lord that serves as the film’s mascot, personifies the tricks and treats of Halloween while serving as the connective tissue between segments.

Writer-director Michael Dougherty — in his feature debut after making a name for himself as a writer on X2: X-Men United and Superman Returns — evokes Pulp Fiction with his expertly crafted nonlinear anthology narrative with interwoven segments. Each story celebrates Halloween from a different perspective, from childhood activities to adolescent mischief to young-adult partying to ornery twilight years.

First, principal Steven Wilkins (Dylan Baker, Spider-Man 2) teaches young Charlie (Brett Kelly, Bad Santa) a lesson in carving more than just pumpkins. Next, a group of teenage trick-or-treaters learn the truth behind the local urban legend of the Halloween school bus massacre. Then, 22-year-old Laurie (Anna Paquin, “True Blood”) ensures her first time is special at a surprise party like no other. Finally, Sam teaches neighborhood curmudgeon Mr. Kreeg (Brian Cox, “Succession”) to obey the rules of Halloween.

Arrow Video has newly restored Trick ‘r Treat in 4K, approved by Dougherty, with Dolby Vision. A stark contrast to the grungy torture-horror of the era, Glen MacPherson‘s (Rambo, Resident Evil: Afterlife) cinematography embraces a colorful, heightened reality that pops with HDR. Douglas Pipes‘ (Krampus, Monster House) playful yet ominous score sounds massive with the original DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio track.

Dougherty sits down for a new commentary moderated by Dead Meat’s James A. Janisse and Chelsea Rebecca, who are well-versed in interviews not to mention friends with the filmmaker. The casual conversation covers the evolution of the film and points out influences ranging from The Changeling and The Howling to The Exorcist III and Halloween III.

Perhaps most notably, Dougherty confirms that the long-gestating sequel — first announced in 2013! — is written (with his Krampus collaborators Todd Casey and Zach Shields) and storyboarded, but getting it made within the studio system has been complicated. He recognizes that the first film was lightning in a bottle and does not want to compromise his vision for the sequel just to get it made. That said, there is still momentum moving forward.

The disc features new interviews with Lord, now 25, who reminisces about his time as Sam; MacPherson, who reveals he initially turned down Rambo to shoot Trick ‘r Treat and discusses the techniques and inspirations he employed; production designer Mark Freeborn (“Breaking Bad,” “The X-Files”), who comments on the film’s visual consistency; costume designer Trish Keating (The 6th Day, Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight), who relished the creative opportunity; creature designer Patrick Tatopoulos (Independence Day, I Am Legend), who details working on the werewolves, including one that was reused in Underworld: Rise of the Lycans; plus Freeborn plays tribute to special makeup effects designer and Sam puppeteer Bill Terezakis (Freddy vs. Jason, Rise of the Planet of the Apes), who passed away in 2021.

A previous commentary with Dougherty, Pipes, conceptual artist Breehn Burns, and storyboard artist Simeon Wilkins is included, striking a good balance between informational and humorous. Dougherty also leads a four-part making-of documentary from Scream Factory’s 2018 Blu-ray edition — “Tales of Folklore & Fright: Creating Trick ‘r Treat,” “Tales of Mischief & Mayhem: Filming Trick ‘r Treat,” “Sounds of Shock & Superstition: Scoring Trick ‘r Treat,” and “Tales of Dread & Despair: Releasing Trick ‘r Treat” — with input from Burns, Wilkins, Pipes, and film historian Rob Galluzzo.

Other archival extras include: “The Lore and Legends of Halloween,” a 27-minute documentary narrated by Cox focusing on the traditions that spawned Halloween and how they tie into Trick ‘r Treat; 17 minutes of deleted and alternate scenes with optional commentary by Dougherty; Season’s Greetings, the 1996 animated short that introduced Sam with optional commentary by Dougherty; a VFX comparison of the school bus scene; six Easter- and Christmas-themed FEARnet promos; Sam O’Lantern, an hour-long Yule log-esque video of a jack-o’-lantern accompanied by ambient sound; four galleries (stills, storyboard and concept art, behind the scenes, and the Trick ‘r Treat comic book “Monster Mash”), and the trailer.

Arrow’s limited edition set comes with a reversible cover featuring new art by Sara Deck and the original poster, a booklet containing new writing by Becky Darke and Heather Wixson, a double-sided foldout poster, and six postcard-sized art cards.

Trick ‘r Treat is a rare modern movie that managed to disrupt the established horror canon, arguably seizing Creepshow‘s throne as the quintessential anthology and giving John Carpenter’s Halloween a run for its money as the definitive Halloween viewing. This year and every spooky season hereafter, Arrow Video has delivered the ideal way to witness Sam’s autumnal exploits.

Trick ‘r Treat is available now on 4K Ultra HD.