TRICK OR TREAT (4K) and a Band Called Fastway

TRICK OR TREAT (4K UHD)

1986 / 97 min

From Synapse Films

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

For a brief time in the early 80s, Fastway was a hard rock band getting a lot of attention and I was a huge fan of their Zeppelinesque debut album, which totally kicked ass. However, fame is fickle and fleeting. Unable to sustain the momentum, Fastway quickly faded into obscurity, but not before making one last stab at remaining relevant by creating the songs for 1986’s Trick or Treat.

The heavy metal aspect is what got me interested in seeing the film. As much as I’ve always liked horror, the genre was becoming pretty rote at the time, with seemingly every producer and studio trying to establish a franchise with their own Freddy Krueger or Jason Voorhees. But in addition to Fastway, Trick or Treat had a bit of cultural timeliness going for it. This was the era of satanic panic, when countless religious groups, vote-baiting politicians and bored housewives singled out popular music - metal, in particular - as an insidious influence on impressionable kids.

So the consequences of playing a record backwards is a tailor-made concept for a horror movie, which Treat or Treat pulls-off pretty well. It’s got a story that’s initially similar to Carrie, where metal-loving teenager Eddie Weinbauer (Marc Price) is subjected to constant bullying by his peers. His one respite is the music he loves, especially shock-rocker Sammi Curr (Tony Fields), who once graduated from the same high school.

When his idol unexpectedly dies, Eddie is devastated, at least until a local DJ, Nuke (Gene Simmons), gives him the only vinyl pressing of Curr’s last record. And when played backwards, Eddie discovers messages from Curr urging him to strike back at his tormentors. He initially does, developing new-found self-confidence, but when Curr himself returns from the dead (via his music) to commit more than just harmless pranks, Eddie feels responsible and tries to stop him.

When you drag your bare feet across the carpet.

Unquestionably a product of its era, Trick or Treat is loaded with the usual 80s horror trappings…the awkward protagonist, douchebag bullies, clueless adults, the bitchy hot girl, the sympathetic hot girl (who Eddie is smitten with), the goofy sidekick, a little gratuitous nudity, creative death scenes (though atypically light on the blood and gore), and of course, the murderous villain obviously created to become a horror icon. Though that never actually happened, Sammi Curr is a pretty cool bad guy, especially during his performance at the high school dance, where Fields lip-syncs a bitchin’ Fastway anthem while blowing up teenagers with a guitar.

Elsewhere, there are nice humorous touches, an engaging performance by Price and some brief satiric jabs at moralists who publicly condemn this kind of music, mainly through an ironic cameo by Ozzy Osbourne, playing a preacher. Then there’s Fastway’s music, which sounds more like hair metal than the bluesier tunes of their early records, but definitely reflective of the genre back then (and “After Midnight,” which plays during the end credits, remains one of the band’s best songs).

With all that going for it, Trick or Treat probably should have connected with its target audience more than it actually did. At the very least, with solid direction and creative effects, it was better than the glut of other heavy metal horror flicks being cranked out at the time. Instead, the film (and Fastway’s soundtrack) kinda came-and-went without much notice. 

Over the years, however, it’s earned a pretty sizeable cult following, but didn’t get a decent home video release until Synapse Films got hold of it. This 4K UHD release boasts excellent picture and sound quality, especially the latter (considering the basic premise, that seems appropriate). But the best part is the abundance of bonus materiel, especially a feature-length retrospective documentary covering all aspects of the film, as well as its legacy. I can’t imagine Trick or Treat fans not loving this release.

And if you’re a hard rock fan who’s never heard of Fastway until now, do yourself a favor and track down their first album (I think it’s still in print). Then put it on and play it loud.

EXTRA KIBBLES

ROCK & SHOCK: THE MAKING OF TRICK OR TREAT - This is an excellent and lengthy retrospective documentary featuring director Charles Martin Smitt, actor Marc Price, screenwriter Joel Soisson and others.

FEATURETTES - In the Spotlight: A Tribute to Tony Fields features family members fondly recalling Fields’ life and tragically brief career; Horror’s Hallowed Grounds: The Filming Locations of Trick or Treat features Sean Clark.

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By director Charles Martin Smith and filmmaker Mark Savage.

AUDIO INTERVIEWS - Featuring producer Michael S. Murphey and writer Rhet Felsher.

AUDIO CONVERSATION - Featuring authors Paul Carupe and Allison Lang. Their book, Satanic Panic: Pop Culture Paranoia in the 1980s, is an excellent read. 

MUSIC VIDEO - “After Midnight,” by Fastway, though the video features only Tony Fields (RIP) and Fastway guitarist Fast Eddie Clarke (RIP).

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