4K UHD Review:  Synapse Films/Red Shirt Pictures’ Trick or Treat (Special Edition) 

The long-out-of-print cult metal horror masterpiece Trick or Treat is now available in an upgraded 4K UHD from Synapse Films and Red Shirt Pictures, loaded with special features.  

The Film

It’s hilarious to this reviewer that the director of Trick or Treat is Charles Martin Smith who played Terry the Toad in American Graphitti and Treasury Agent Oscar Wallace in The Untouchables.  Though Smith directed the Pilot for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, he is as adept a horror director as any of the greats.  He brings a style and sense of humanity ala Carrie to Trick or Treat that makes for such a highly entertaining and truly wonderful horror film. 

Eddie Weinbauer aka Ragman (Mark Price) to put it mildly is a looser at his high school picked on by just about everyone include jock Tim (Doug Savant).  His only solace is the heavy metal he listens to, specifically local musician done good Sammi Curr (Tony Fields).  When Ragman learns of Curr’s untimely death, it sends his world spinning.  Ragman is given some reprieve when local Radio DJ Nuke (Gene Simmons at his very best) gives him a special advanced vinyl copy of Curr’s final album Songs in the Key of Death.  Though this is truly a “special” vinyl with powers far beyond anyone could imagine.  After one particularly embarrassing run-in with Tim, Ragman unlocks something supernatural – Sammi Curr from beyond the grave!  Curr has but one purpose – to exact revenge on Ragman’s bullies.  But Ragman gets more than he bargains for as Curr’s vengeance isn’t simple games, it’s quickly turning into a matter of life and death … for everyone.  

Trick or Treat is made from the Nightmare on Elm Street or Shocker variety of horror films that blends the horror with fantastical elements so well with a healthy dose of the darkest of humor.  The result is a highly entertaining horror film that’s light on the gore but heavy on the atmosphere and special effects.  Director Smith working with cinematographer Robert Elswit creates an astute visual language that isn’t your average run of the mill horror film.  They create a film that’s a visual treat and fun to watch that has more in common with something like Demons or Demons 2 than it does with Slaughter High.

Adding to the entertainment quotient is the cast and cameos that fill the film.  Price is truly wonderful as Ragman, the unexpected hero of the film.  His chemistry with Lisa Orgolini is unexpected in the best way.  Adding in the wonderful cameos by Gene Simmons and Ozzy Osbourne who are doing anything but phoning it in.  Though it’s Tony Fields as Sammi Curr that’s truly great as the vengeance spirit of heavy metal that should have been a horror icon along with Jason and Freddy. 

Trick or Treat is one of the truly entertaining and great undiscovered horror films of the 1980s that deserves to be rediscovered.    

The Transfer

The 4K restoration from the original 35mm camera negative mastered in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) and approved by Director of Photography Robert Elswit is nothing short of perfect.  There isn’t a blemish, scratch or speck of dirt through the entire runtime of the film.  The color, contrast, and black levels look to perfectly represent the film’s theatrical origins.  The Dolby Vision/HDR encoding does wonders for the film, which generally takes place at night.  The nighttime scenes are luminous in the best way possible. This is a revelatory transfer that will have fans slow clapping as I’m sure Trick or Trick has never looked as beautifully sharp and radiant as it does on this 4K UHD.  

The Extras

They include the following;

• Audio commentary with director Charles Martin Smith, moderated by filmmaker Mark Savage
• Audio interviews with writer/producer Michael S. Murphey and writer Rhet Topham, moderated by film historian Michael Felsher
• Audio conversation with Paul Corupe and Allison Lang, authors of Satanic Panic: Pop-Cultural Paranoia in the 1980s
• Rock  & Shock: The Making of “Trick or Treat” 
• In The Spotlight: A Tribute to Tony Fields 
• Horror’s Hallowed Grounds: The Filming Locations of “Trick or Treat” with Sean Clark
• “After Midnight” music video
  Theatrical Trailers, TV Spots and Radio Spots
• Still Gallery featuring optional audio interview with still photographer Phillip V. Caruso
• Vintage electronic press kit

The all-new Audio commentary with director Charles Martin Smith, moderated by filmmaker Mark Savage opens with Savage introducing the director and how he got involved with the project.  Some of the details include Smith’s feeling that Never Cried Wolf really was what interested in directing – though he went to film school for directing; his lack of love of horror films but loved sci-fi; the casting process – including specifically what drew them to Mark Price as the lead; the importance of the prep in pre-production but the small budget was an issue for their aspiration; lessons learned from Carrol Ballard; the casting and directing of Gene Simmons; the casting and directing of Lisa Orgolini and Doug Savant; working the first few days – and the people that helped him through it like Robert Elswit, which led to a discussion of the various Cinematographers they interviewed and how Elswit was chosen; a discussion of back masking that plays a large part of the film; the production schedule and long hours; the music in the film and how Fastway got involved and the difficulty in working from two countries; working and collaborating with Makeup FX supervisor Kevin Yagher; working with Ozzy Osbourne; a discussion of his career post-Trick or Treat; a discussion of the post-production process; the influence of MTV Music Videos and Bob Fosse’s Cabaret were visual influences; and much more.  Savage is a great host providing prompts to Smith with great discussion points leading to a wonderfully informative commentary track. 

The second all-new Commentary that’s listed as “Audio interviews” with writer/producer Michael S. Murphey and writer Rhet Topham, moderated by film historian Michael Felsher, begins with Felsher discussing that this track is consisting of two interviews recorded separately.  Some of the details include how they developed this script’s unique story; where Joel Soisson and Murphey met, writing films, and eventually became producing partners at New Line Cinema culminating in Nightmare on Elm St. Part II; how Trick or Treat became a project; how Rhet Topham came on as writer; the hiring Charles Martin Smith as director; the casting process; the process of getting Gene Simmons and Ozzy Osbourne; Rhet Topham began to his career experimenting with short films and how Earthquake inspired his moving forward into filmmaking; how he became involved with Trick or Treat – the sale of his script; a discussion of what survived his screenplay drafts; how 976-EVIL was a response to the changing of his script; the work of Tony Fields; how he ended up working with Robert Englund; and much more. The two interviews divide the track around the 55-minute mark.  Both interviews are great and informative.  

The third and final all-new Commentary track is with Paul Corupe and Allison Lang, authors of Satanic Panic: Pop-Cultural Paranoia in the 1980s.  The conversation opens with the duo introducing themselves and what Satanic Panic (which was all discredited) was and where Trick or Trick came within the era.  Some of the other details include the various cases of wrongfully accused criminal cases of child abuse – including the McMartin trials, and the Memphis 3, et. al.; the state of Christianity in the 1980s and how they were shifting because of physical media and spreading their own rhetoric; the various personalities of the Satanic Panic and what brought them to prominence; and much more.  This is the most fascinating of the three tracks because it discusses a topic that is unfortunately still relevant today. Corupe and Lang bring levity and information to this topic. 

Rock & Shock: The Making of “Trick or Treat” (81:16) – is an all-new feature-length retrospective documentary.  This is like an old school featurette length documentary that covers every aspect of the production from the cultural context in which it was made (Back Masking, the Heavy Metal craze, the political storm about music censorship led by Tipper Gore) to the misguiding release and rise to cult classic status.  Some of the details include how DEG and Dino DeLaurentis had an idea about a Halloween movie – he had no concept of the Holiday.  A Stephen King treatment – to which they thought was horrible; Penelope Spheeris was originally attached as director and how Charles Martin Smith became attached; the casting of the film – including how screenwriter Glen Morgan was cast, Gene Simmons – who shows up here and in true Gene Simmons fashion discusses his role and the other tell stories about the (in)famous Musical Legend; the tragedy of actor Tony Fields who played Sammi Curr; stories from the Production – in Wilmington NC; the Makeup work by Kevin Yagher; the music – by Fastway; the score by Christopher Young; a Fantasy sequence that was before being shot; the reason why the film became a cult oddity; and much more. This documentary produced by Red Shirt Pictures is one of the best making-ofs of recent memory, recalling the great making-of documentaries of the heyday of DVD, produced long form docs. Featuring interviews with director Charles Martin Smith, actors Marc Price, Glen Morgan, Elise Richards, and Larry Sprinkle, writer/producer Joel Soisson, costume designer Jill Ohanneson, assistant set costumer Francine Decoursey, construction foreman Tom Jones, Jr., special make-up effects artist Everett Burrell, music executive producer Stephen E. Smith, composer Christopher Young, and Gene Simmons. 

In The Spotlight: A Tribute to Tony Fields (15:07) – a wonderful ode to the actor that played Sammi Curr the villain of Trick or Treat, who unfortunately passed away in the early 90s.  Filmed in 2023, friends and family gather at his old high school to share memories of the late actor’s personal and professional life.  

Horror’s Hallowed Grounds: The Filming Locations of “Trick or Treat” with Sean Clark (26:31) – everyone’s favorite horror internet show that traces the various locations used by cult and iconic horror film, covers this cult classic filmed in and around Wilmington, North Carolina.  Clark does a great job of showing us just how the locations have changed since the film was made close to 40 years prior.  

“After Midnight” music video (3:46) – which appears to be restored or at the very least been put through an AI clean filter and resolution enhancer.  

Theatrical Trailers (3:26) – two theatrical trailers

TV Spots (1:06) – two 30-second TV spots 

Radio Spots (2:00) – four 30-second Radio spots which play over the actual cover letter that the spots appeared with.

Still Gallery (24:28) – the gallery consisting of 183 still photos taken by on-set photographer Phillip V. Caruso has two options.  One can be played with the score by Christopher Young.  The other option is an audio interview with Caruso where he discusses the film with film historian Michael Felsher.  Some of the details include how he approaches his work as on-set photographer; how he got his start as an on-set photographer; how he got the job on Trick or Treat; working with Charles Martin Smith; working with the various actors and musicians like Tony Fields, Ozzy Osbourne, and Gene Simmons; and much more.  

Vintage electronic press kit (5:09) – the EPK is VHS quality – looks into the story and themes of the film.  It does feature some B-Roll Footage and featuring some great interview footage from Ozzy Osbourne, Gene Simmons, director Charles Martin Smith, star Mark Price, and others.  

The Final Thought 

Synapse Films and Red Shirt Pictures went all out for this 4K UHD edition of Trick or Treat filling this with an overwhelming amount of special features and a truly wonderful restoration.  HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATIONS!!! 

Synapse Films’ 4K UHD Edition of Trick or Treat is out March 11^th