Trick 'r Treat
for horror violence, some sexuality/nudity and language.
| Moral Rating: | Avoid—Not Recommended |
| Moviemaking Quality: |
|
| Primary Audience: | Adults |
| Genre: | Horror |
| Length: | 1 hr. 22 min. |
| Year of Release: | 2008 |
| USA Release: |
October 10, 2008 DVD: October 6, 2009 |
HALLOWEEN—Should Christians participate in the this holiday? Answer
What’s wrong with Halloween? Answer
About murder in the Bible
Death in the Bible
Who is SATAN, the enemy of God and all people? Answer
Is Satan A REAL PERSON that influences our world today? Is he affecting you? Answer
SATAN’S STRATEGY—What is one of Satan’s most successful strategies in dealing with followers of Christ? Answer
What are DEVILS and DEMONS in the Bible
What is the Occult?
The Occult—What does the Bible say about it?
BIBLICAL BURIAL SITES—Have the burial sites of any people in the Bible been found? Answer
Burial in the Bible
VIOLENCE—How does viewing violence in movies affect families? Answer
| Featuring | Quinn Lord, Brian Cox, Dylan Baker, Leslie Bibb, Rochelle Aytes, Anna Paquin, Moneca Delain, Tahmoh Penikett, Lauren Lee Smith, Britt McKillip, Isabelle Deluce, Jean-Luc Bilodeau, Alberto Ghisi, Samm Todd, Connor Christopher Levins, Juan Carlos Velis, Brett Kelly, Richard Harmon, Matt Anderson, Amy Esterle, Patrick Gilmore, Jesse Haddock, C. Ernst Harth, Ty Hill, T. Roy Kozuki, Laura Mennell, Caroline Redekopp, Stephane Savoie, Keanen Schnoor, Christine Willes, James Willson, Karen Worrod, Angela Besharah |
| Director |
Michael Dougherty |
| Producer |
Bryan Singer Bad Hat Harry Productions, Legendary Pictures, Little Sam Films, Warner Bros. Pictures, Michael Dougherty, William Fay, Alex Garcia, Dan Harris, Jon Jashni, Peter Lhotka, Thomas Tull, Shayne Wilson |
| Distributor |
 Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company |
“Poison, drowning, claw, or knife. So many ways to take a life.”
Here’s what the distributor says about their film: “It is said that Halloween is the night when the dead rise to walk among us and other unspeakable things roam free. The rituals of All Hallows Eve were devised to protect us from their evil mischief, and one small town is about to be taught a terrifying lesson that some traditions are best not forgotten. Nothing is what it seems when a suburban couple learns the dangers of blowing out a Jack-o-Lantern before midnight; four women cross paths with a costumed stalker at a local festival; a group of pranksters goes too far and discovers the horrifying truth buried in a local legend; and a cantankerous old hermit is visited by a strange trick-or-treater with a few bones to pick. Costumes and candy, ghouls and goblins, monsters and mayhem… the tricks and treats of Halloween turn deadly as strange creatures of every variety--human and otherwise--try to survive the scariest night of the year.
Five interwoven stories that occur on the same block, on the same night. A couple finds what happens when they blow a jack o' lantern out before midnight, a high school principal has a secret life as a serial killer, a college virgin might have met the right guy for her, a group of mean teens play a prank that they take too far, and a hermit is visited by a special trick or treater.”
See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.
The most abhorrent scene in the movie is the planned murder of a group of children with vaguely defined disabilities, who eventually are killed, at the behest of their parents, who have grown weary of the burden of caring for them. This is a snide, grotesque attack on the importance of family values and will only amuse those who are truly depraved. This comes shortly after another child is murdered while out trick-or-treating and these horrible parents suffer no consequences.
There is also evidence of satanism in a couple of scenes. In one, women who have dressed in sexy costumes reveal themselves to be a demonic combination of werewolves and vampires, engaging in erotic dancing during some kind of supernatural ritual. They kill a man who certainly deserves it, but is an example of sexuality being used, not as an expression of love, but as a weapon, something that is present in radical liberal thinking and the supernatural elements in the scene is an evocation of evil. Another scene has a young girl going down an elevator into a surreal world to exact revenge on other youngsters who have played a prank on her. The prank is not particularly cruel and the mechanics of this episode is symbolic of hell offering her the means to accomplish her goal.
The filmmakers also offer information about the origins of Halloween, in a way that is meant to amuse, but also to legitimize the immoral direction the film is taking. I have seen this historical knowledge used to criticize and belittle Christianity, and can sometimes take root in the kind of evil weirdos you might see on one of those TV crime shows.
This film has nothing to recommend it. It isn’t scary, because the awful things that happen are presented in such a cavalier fashion that they are not scary. In other films, there is a more clearly defined morality where evil, in comparison to good, is something frightening. It is also not fun, like “Creepshow.” Is it fun to watch the shrewish wife and the nasty tycoon in that movie, both somewhat cartoonish portrayals, get their comeuppance by way of hideous creatures? Sure it is. Is watching the senseless killing of children fun? CERTAINLY NOT!
This movie is repulsive, callously presented violence and it’s weaselly contentiousness is to be avoided.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Very Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 2