Logo

Cool News

"TRICK 'R TREAT. Smell My Feet. Sign My DVDs for Me." - Director, Composer, Author Signing Event this Friday in LA!

Published at:  Oct 07, 2009 7:52:15 PM CDT


Greetings! ScoreKeeper here with a quick announcement about a cool CD/DVD signing event this Friday in Burbank that should smack you in the face with Halloween spirit.

I just wrapped up a phone interview with Michael Dougherty, director of TRICK 'R TREAT (2009), and the film's composer, Douglas Pipes, who told me that they, along with Marc Andreyko (author of the graphic novel), will be at Dark Delicacies in Burbank, California, this Friday, October 9th, at 7PM to sign DVDs, soundtrack CDs, and books respectively.

I wasn't going to have the interview ready in time to get this news out there so I thought I'd drop a quick note announcing it.

I first saw TRICK 'R TREAT two years ago and have been aching to write about it ever since. It's a delicious Halloween film sporting an impeccably toned score by MONSTER HOUSE (2006) composer Douglas Pipes. I've got this interview I'll be posting in the upcoming weeks along with a full review of the score just in time for Halloween.

If you're in the Los Angeles area this Friday night, swing by Dark Delicacies with your TRICK 'R TREAT Blu-rays, DVDs, CDs, or graphic novels signed.

For more information check out the at Dark Delicacies website.









ScoreKeeper!!!









    + Expand All

    Readers Talkback

  • Oct 07, 2009 7:57:26 PM CDT

    Sign my balls.

    by hint_of_smegma

    They need the stimulation. Trick R treat was really as awesome as we were told, by the way. Fantastic fun.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 07, 2009 7:58:02 PM CDT

    netflix is baaaaacked up for this film

    by daniel_larussos_gonna_fight

    Damn you Netflix

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 07, 2009 8:35:36 PM CDT

    ??????

    by rivercross

    Why did this not make it to theatres?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 07, 2009 8:39:22 PM CDT

    I'll be there

    by meadowe

    After I get my Trick 'r Treat stuff signed I'm gonna head out to my local In N Out and show off to the cool people at my school. Then get heckled by them and then get my revenge on them on the 31st.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 07, 2009 8:46:14 PM CDT

    I'm out of the loop w/ this movie. What is it comparable to?

    by yackbacker

    HALLOWEEN (Carpenter-style)? SAW? I'm completely in the dark.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 07, 2009 8:54:48 PM CDT

    Trick 'r Treat is a respectable attempt...

    by kurdt420

    to bring back the magic of Tale from the crypt and Creepshow. Where it fails is in the story telling. The stories are rushed and you don't really get to know any of the characters. If they had fleshed the stories out a little more, the twist ending might have been more effective. Unfortunatly, it ends up being a an R rated version of the Goosebumps novels aimed at tweens.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 07, 2009 9:06:13 PM CDT

    Kind of it's own thing in this age Yack

    by industrykiller!

    It's got alotta Creepshow, a bit of The Gate, and....I dunno....other good stuff. It's very 80's but isn't trying to be a throwback on any technical level, only in that the atmosphere and tone is a bit less of actual horror and more mischievous and fun. It's got some flaws, but like those wonder filled horror films of yesteryear it's got so much obvious heart and passion that you can't help but like it. There are some absolute classic scenes though, (film mascot) Sam vs. Brian Cox's crazy old man will go down in the pantheon. It's genius.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 07, 2009 9:12:08 PM CDT

    This movie is proof -

    by professor_monster

    - people are starving for anything even halfway decent. this is pretty forgettable movie, if it had been released before lazyman filmmaking became in vogue (thanks to Kevin Smith and his ilk) - now a movie like this has it's fans thanks to the terrible state movies are in today. I rank this thing somewhere between Beerfest and Dr Giggles. Piss and shit at the same time.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 07, 2009 9:19:06 PM CDT

    Sam v Cox is the highlight of the film

    by kurdt420

    but I can't go as far as calling it genius. While watching it, I couldn't help but be reminded of Richard matheson's "Trilogy of Terror" and william hurt in Stephen King's "battleground". They all have the same basic story, but it has been done before and much better.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 07, 2009 9:42:39 PM CDT

    Underwhelming to say the most

    by reposseser

    I did like it though. But again, it was underwhelming. The stories themselves, while entertaining, were nothing much more than several set pieces rather than actual storylines with a point.

    The characters basically had zero depth, which is why everyone seems to love Sam - he was practically the only one in it that had any character to speak off.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 07, 2009 9:52:19 PM CDT

    All right!

    by nostairway

    Ozzy Osborne and Gene Simmons are hilarious in that! What, that's the wrong movie? Fuck!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 07, 2009 9:53:06 PM CDT

    Its a fun flick

    by geekgasm

    I watched it last night and I really enjoyed it. I also want to fuck Michael Dougherty while Bryan Singer watches. Oh yeah.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 07, 2009 10:12:34 PM CDT

    Industry, I like your take on movies generally

    by yackbacker

    So I'm going to check it out. But thanks to the gang for chiming in. My expectations will be measured.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 07, 2009 10:16:04 PM CDT

    Captures the Halloween spirit

    by kolchak

    WAY better than any anthology horror film I've seen.

    Probably the best since the "Halloween Candy" episode of Tales from the Dark side that Tom Savini directed.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 07, 2009 10:22:52 PM CDT

    kolchak

    by geekgasm

    I'm going as Carl Kolchak for Halloween. I have the hat and everything.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 07, 2009 10:47:00 PM CDT

    Boy, I wish the DVD release actually KICKED ASS...

    by d.vader

    And wasn't some shitty throwaway without any extras, made exclusively by Warner Bros... *ahem*

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 07, 2009 10:50:33 PM CDT

    YackBacker

    by ditch brodie

    I'd say in regards to story structure it's like a non-linear Creepshow and in regards to tone it's like Fright Night.

    Reply to Talkback

  • You CAN'T find it any goddamned place. Every Best Buy in town either sold out or didn't order any copies. Or maybe WB only sent each store 2 DVDs. Assholes.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 07, 2009 10:54:43 PM CDT

    I was pissed ...

    by geekgasm

    ... to find out that the Blu-Ray had an audio commentary, deleted scenes, and some other stuff. Damn WB.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 07, 2009 11:15:36 PM CDT

    Yeah Diddy Vader, I agree re: DVD releases

    by yackbacker

    WB and most studios for that matter are so awfully cheap when it comes to extras. The promise of Blu Ray is that it will hold more capacity for groundbreaking extras, but no studio is going to invest a million bucks into producing new material... I say buy digital copies and keep them on an external hard drive/media player. I'm *this* close to getting the Western Digital HD Media Player (sells for under $100 from Amazon).

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 07, 2009 11:21:09 PM CDT

    Ditto Yack

    by industrykiller!

    The only thing I can remember us strongly disagreeing on is the first Transformers, but that's water under the bridge. I'll say this, the story about the children on the bus, while set up in a very cool way, has pretty tepid resolution that for me brought the film to a halt, but the rest of the film is wonderfully completely drunk on Halloween and capturing that spirit. As I said don't expect a flat out horror film, it's more the kind of horror that a kid could totally watch and fall in love with, like they made in the late 70's and 80's. Someone mentioned Tales from the Crypt and that's very apt, but without the cheesiness.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 07, 2009 11:23:37 PM CDT

    I've been trying to download Trick R Treat, Yack

    by d.vader

    Its fucking disgusting to see WB put all the extras you'd normally find on a regular DVD on Blu-Ray instead, leaving DVD with virtually nothing (an animated short? That's it?). Fuck, I was annoyed when they went the "2-Disc Special Edition" route with DVDs, but this is just embarrassingly ridiculous, giving the average consumer nothing, forcing them to upgrade if they want something they've been getting normally for the past 10 years. So, for the first time in my life, I've decided to download the movie. I'm not going to give WB my money by buying a shitty DVD release, bc lord knows (and my bank account too) that I'm not "upgrading" to Blu-Ray.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 07, 2009 11:30:47 PM CDT

    JUST watched it from Netflix

    by tomcruise1

    I was lucky to get it today already on Netflix before they got backed up and let me tell you, this movie is pretty damn over rated man. It aint bad, but it's forgettable. http://sickpicks.blogspot.com/

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 08, 2009 12:50:52 AM CDT

    Ok, just watched it and it was good

    by yackbacker

    I actually liked the non-linear style a lot. The Sam v. Brian Cox thing was almost Raimi-esque without the being too stylized. I did note a continuity error that bugged me though- Dylan Baker's story- how did they get "pumpkin head" into the basement? I don't want to spoil the scene for anyone who hasn't seen it yet, but one minute Baker is dealing with a lingering problem and the next... well the head shows up in his basement... that annoyed me.
    I kinda wish it wasn't so much with the tits because the stories themselves are appropriately scary for 10-13 year olds. I don't have kids, so I don't really care that much, but it seemed a bit over the top that they went so far with certain elements.
    Oh, and this is the second movie to co-star Brian Cox and Anna Paquin- the first being... first one to answer that one right gets my undying respect.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 08, 2009 12:57:12 AM CDT

    And the girl who played Rhonda the idiot savant...

    by yackbacker

    She was excellent. In fact all of the acting was awesome. Industry, I agree that the school bus story was probably the "scariest" set-up in the whole movie. I didn't mind the resolution too much, but it did seem a little too convenient.
    Overall, I liked the psychological stuff. And it is a fun Halloween movie, overall a Joe Dante/'80s tribute, which I completely support.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 08, 2009 1:02:32 AM CDT

    fun flick

    by gdeo

    saw this at last weeks long beach comic con!it was fun.
    met Michael and Marc at Golden apple comics last night...very cool dudes!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 08, 2009 1:05:41 AM CDT

    Digital Vader Disc

    by yackbacker

    Have you tried Amazon.com? If you're looking to download, there are many "unofficial" places to get the movie too.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 08, 2009 2:07:50 AM CDT

    It was okay.

    by melikeemovies

    I have to kind of agree with Professor Monster. I got TRICK 'r TREAT from Netflix yesterday. Watched it twice to make sure I wasn't missing something after all the hype. Yeah, it had a few moments of black comedy but it wasn't the least bit scary. The stories didn't even seem to have a beginning, middle and an ending; stuff just happened. It was a nice looking film, but I wasn't impressed with it. Anyone wanting to rent it from Netflix...I will be sending my copy back tomorrow!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 08, 2009 2:09:53 AM CDT

    You'd think this was the bestest movie ever

    by lockesbrokenleg

  • Oct 08, 2009 3:53:13 AM CDT

    It's just that it could have been a Halloween staple Locke

    by industrykiller!

    The saddest thing is Dougherty envisioned it as an annual Halloween film event. With new stories every year being directed by new directors. It would have been a great way to bring this kind of lost horror storytelling back and given a creative outlet for established directors or a platform for up and comers. It's obviously not an Oscar contender but it's about as good as this type of film get's and it's certainly got it's heart int eh right place, which is more than I can say for the crap Platinum Dunes cynically churns out or Saw 18. It also means that directors won't even try to make films like this anymore, which is a shame because it's probably the best thing I've seen in years int he realm of horror. They just don't make 'em like this anymore.
    Glad you enjoyed it Yackbacker. Interesting catch on the head thing, considering he spends the entire segment trying to conceal the body. Funny. As for the tits, I think it is sort of a movie for 13 years olds, or even younger, tits or not. It's just the kind of movie a kid would catch on cable late at night when their parents were out of the room. It's that added bit of adult danger that made horror films of that era extra special for impressionable youngsters. I remember watching Tales from the Crypt as a child and being blown away byt he fantastic elements of the stories and intrigued by the sex and violence. Part of being a kid is finding that stuff for yourself.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 08, 2009 3:53:38 AM CDT

    Yackbacker

    by ranma627

    That would be Spike Lee's 25th Hour. Brilliant fucking movie.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 08, 2009 4:00:21 AM CDT

    Very mediocre film....

    by karl childers

    Thank God for Netflix.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 08, 2009 5:07:09 AM CDT

    Is this any good.

    by themanwhocan

    Drag Me to Hell was hyped to bits and was just predictable mehh. The talking goat was the only cool thing in it, and that only lasted 2 seconds. IS Trick r Treat AS Good as its been hyped up to be? cos it doesnt sound to good according to the talkbacks.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 08, 2009 5:11:52 AM CDT

    What! one talkbacker said the tone is like FrightNight!

    by themanwhocan

    Which was fucking terrable, fuck that!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 08, 2009 5:30:00 AM CDT

    Trick R Treat IS fun, but...

    by jack burton

    You need to temper your expectations. The atmosphere and cinematography are all great. Sam is both cute and creepy, and most of the stories work well. Acting is solid, and the twists worked well. It's not all that scary, but there are some good suspense scenes and it is surprisingly violent, especially against kids. I really liked it and would have liked to see a series of movies. As it stands it's fun if you like 80's horror or especially anthology movies. Don't expect it to give you nightmares, though.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 08, 2009 6:28:07 AM CDT

    Short, Sweet and Fun

    by arturo

    A good fun horror thats got a kind of 80's vide, but lets face it, we have all seen better....

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 08, 2009 7:07:55 AM CDT

    A lot of fun

    by scudd

    It doesn't bring anything new or revolutionary to the table, but it's a fun way to spend a couple of hours if you're a genre fan.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 08, 2009 7:09:03 AM CDT

    The Man Who Can, can fuck off.

    by hint_of_smegma

    Fright Night terrible? With one statement, you've lost all credibility in life. Family and friends, if you have any, will avoid you now. Strangers will give you odd looks. Stray dogs will urinate on your leg when you stand still for more than a few seconds. And all because you put out such terrible karma with an obscene statement like that.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 08, 2009 7:16:26 AM CDT

    I don't get people complaining about this.

    by hint_of_smegma

    No-one said it was the best movie ever, so acting like it has disappointed you somehow on THAT level strikes me as very, very odd. We did get a new film to add to our patheon of horror(comedies) that have a bit of life and passion in them. It's moaning and bitching about how your own inflated expectations weren't met somehow that is the reason we're force-fed shit like Saw over and over. Nope, Trick R Treat wasn't the best horror ever - but it's certainly among the best Halloween themed flicks, and it's a hell of a fun, well made movie. I'll take this any day over the drivel spewed by Tarantino post-JB, or by the now evidently mad Cameron - and certainly over 98.9 % of the other 'horrors' being released because it was a great time, had a lot of practical effects that looked great and didn't come off like a checklist of cliches. It looked gorgeous, the cinematography was excellent for a horror and it really made me feel like a young'un again reading old horror comics like Scream. Great stuff.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 08, 2009 7:31:38 AM CDT

    Watched it last night

    by ihaveseeneveryepisodeofprisonbreak

    It was OK! Highly overrated though, maybe it was all the hype since 07. Perhaps I need to watch it again before I return it. And it was really boring at 1:22 minutes. Oh an this is no Creepshow, or Carpenters Halloween. Hell this is not even Halloween 3. At least that had Tom "Thrill me" Atkins

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 08, 2009 7:45:37 AM CDT

    Hint of Smegma = Brian Singer

    by professor_monster

    with a name like that he HAS to be

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 08, 2009 8:19:14 AM CDT

    Mash-up of Creepshow, Pulp Fiction and Twilight Zone.

    by bizarroasimovlives

    Not SAW gory but still a great tribute to the Halloween season.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 08, 2009 8:21:18 AM CDT

    Professor Monster - at least spell his name correctly.

    by hint_of_smegma

    And another thing - I don't understand how Bryan Singer is a figure of derision around here. The guy directed Usual Suspects, the two good X-Men's, the good Apt Pupil and the nowhere-near-as-bad-as-it's-painted Superman Returns and the admittedly forgettable Valkyrie. He's produced Trick R Treat and House. He's batting a higher average than most of the directors who get fellated around here. Guess this site really has become a place where it's only cool to slag people and movies off, especially when they're actually quite good.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 08, 2009 8:32:52 AM CDT

    Good new horror film

    by samuel fulmer

    Pros-Low budget but some care went into it (good cinematography, camera, acting, effects), good score, something different from most new horror films (anthology).

    Cons-Overhyped much in the same way Battle Royale was (the AICN gate keeper pump it up more because they get to see it and you don't for a number of years), comic book begining that makes no sense other than paying some kind of homage to Creepshow (I wondered if this was based off a comic book while watching it, which it isn't), and the little red riding hood episode was kind of lame/predictable.

    Since there are so few new horror films that aren't total train wrecks I'd still consider it good. Doesn't stand up to the classics, but it's decent enough.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 08, 2009 8:35:25 AM CDT

    Bryan Singer is a figure of derision-Yep

    by samuel fulmer

    It's called Superman Returns. I don't really hold it against him because I've never been a huge Superman fan, but it was preaty obviously terrible. Since most of the people posting on here are genre/comic fans, that's why all the venom towards him. In all honesty I'm more mad at him for crapping on Apt Pupil than I am Superman.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 08, 2009 8:38:01 AM CDT

    Scene with old guy and the Kid

    by samuel fulmer

    Was anyone else thinking Fred Gwynn and the kid in Pet Sematary?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 08, 2009 8:43:52 AM CDT

    Absolute rubbish, Sam.

    by hint_of_smegma

    Superman Returns was NOT a 'bad' film, by any means. It had it's problems but it was a decent film - certainly miles better than Superman 3 and 4, so quite why people bitch about it I really don't know. Venom exists alright but it really seems more like infants jumping on a bandwagon to shout 'look at me, I'm cool, I can swear about a director whose got a mostly great record too because that's edgy'. He's NOT a bad director, he's got a good record, and created some very successful projects. Again, don't get the vitriol at all. There's no substance to it at all.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 08, 2009 9:56:33 AM CDT

    Look at the brain on ranma627!!!

    by yackbacker

    You're doubly correct- it was the 25TH HOUR and that movie is amazing-- Spike films NYC better than any other director I can think of working today. Sidney Lumet may be the king, and Scorsese may be up there as well, but those guys are past their prime. If I want a NYC movie tomorrow, I'm calling Spike.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 08, 2009 10:38:46 AM CDT

    Why is Bryan Singer a figure of derision?

    by geekgasm

    Among fanboy circles, its because he's GAY. Fanboys generally hate fags. Plain old homophobia.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 08, 2009 10:56:11 AM CDT

    I'd be willing to bet that's most of it, Geekgasm.

    by hint_of_smegma

    Fucking idiotic thinking if you ask me.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 08, 2009 11:09:35 AM CDT

    Who cares if Singer is gay when his SUPERMAN movie is bad?

    by yackbacker

    It is a bad movie. The characters are poorly drawn- Superman is not a stalker. And the premise that he decided to ditch Earth for a few years without telling anyone is absurd. That's something a teenager does, not Earth's greatest hero. But Singer thinks in terms of teenager emotions, which is why X-MEN was more in his wheelhouse. And Lex Luthor's plot to destroy all of the East Coast to make money selling new real estate is beyond stupid- who's going to pay for it once you knock out all of the US's financial sector/government? Oh yeah, because the rest of the world won't suffer from that calamity either... moronic.
    And the son thing is an emotional cheat. What a tired, lazy story choice to give the "loner hero" a kid, forcing him to reconsider his own happiness and his role in the world. And the Jesus-narrative was so painfully heavy-handed. The best part of that entire movie: Parker Posey- she was the only thing with any life to it. Lois Lane, anorexic intrepid reporter for the Daily Planet was awful.
    So, no- Singer's sexual preference is completely irrelevant. Quit with the bullshit strawmen.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 08, 2009 11:32:49 AM CDT

    Geekgasm sounds like Jimmy Carter

    by samuel fulmer

    on people that don't blindly agree with every thing Obama says. I guess that must explain why most people think Gus Van Sant's Psycho is bad too.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 08, 2009 12:32:17 PM CDT

    Samuel Fulmer, you think Battle Royale is overrated?

    by d.vader

    I'm just shocked, shocked at that opinion.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 08, 2009 12:48:33 PM CDT

    Mike Dougherty announced more sequels are happening

    by yackbacker

    And that makes me happy.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 08, 2009 1:26:20 PM CDT

    D.Vader-Finally saw B. Royale recently

    by samuel fulmer

    And it was a strong concept for a movie, but the execution was a little on the cheesy side. Not horrible by any means, but not that great either. Much like Trick 'R Treat, it's a decent little cult item blown up by those who get to see it way in advance of everyone else as something much more.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 08, 2009 1:58:17 PM CDT

    I finally saw Battle Royale recently too

    by d.vader

    After years and years of yearning to see it, I finally found a copy. And honestly, it was better than I expected. It wasn't as 100% serious as I thought it would be, but I wouldn't say any part of it was cheesy. It was wholly enjoyable for me, and brought to my mind memories of high school cliques and thoughts and wonderings of who would betray their friends to survive, who would stick together, and who wouldn't have the guts to play. I loved it. Saw a copy of the book at a friend's house over the weekend and perused a few pages; what I read seemed to be faithfully recreated onscreen.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 08, 2009 3:03:54 PM CDT

    So, if you're a fanbiy, you must hate everything cool right?

    by lockesbrokenleg

    And like shit like Dawn of the Dead?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 08, 2009 3:09:10 PM CDT

    Thought TRICK R' TREAT was fun.

    by lastofthev8interceptors

    It's no CREEPSHOW by any stretch but it'll be fun to watch every year around Jack O' Lantern time. Sam's a pretty cool little character too.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 08, 2009 4:34:38 PM CDT

    Let me repeat..."

    by skimn

    I agree with the poster that said the early Tales From The Crypt were much better. Its more like Dougherty filmed some good ideas but didn't give them enough time or character development to flesh them out. I really didn't care what happened to any of the characters because they were sketched so quickly. Although the overlapping time frames was clever it defeated the purpose. On a side note, according to the extras, Brain Cox wanted his character to resemble John Carpenter (stringy long hair, thin nose), so extra kudos to him. An okay B-. And I do give it credit for putting kids in danger (such a no-no nowadays), maybe thats why Warners was skittish on a theatrical release.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 08, 2009 4:40:50 PM CDT

    Yack - about SR. Utter crap you talk.

    by hint_of_smegma

    And this is exactly the problem I have with people slagging off SR - it seems mostly without merit. Lex Luther and the real estate deal? Guess you forgot the original Superman movie had him trying to blow California off the map so he ended up with primo oceanfront property to sell? Kal-El goes to find the remains of his world to see if anyone was left, how does that not make sense? He didn't tell anyone and that's your problem? Maybe he should have held a press conference so every criminal on the planet knew he was going to be gone for several years, eh? As to the son motif, it was started in the original and Singer only carried it to the logical conclusion. Having a kid is something the majority of us have to deal with and accept the changes of, so if it's an overused cliche, no more so than any other. Superman's a stalker? Because he goes to see the woman he loves after having to accept she's moved on? He does some pretty creepy things in the first two as well. Really, nothing you say so far hasn't been criticisms you could level at the first two movies, so the hate against Singer makes no sense other than it seems some people have decided they're going to hate him, end of. It was NOT a bad film, by a long shot. It was the third best out of 5 so far....so whatever strawmen reason you want to shoot down, I do have to wonder why. Your comments so far haven't given me any genuine reason.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 08, 2009 7:34:39 PM CDT

    Trick R Treat SUCKS

    by kirbymanly

    I went to the AICN screening last year that was hosted by Mori and walked out feeling completely let down. I rented it last night with a friend who was excited to see it and we both agreed...complete crap on a stick. There's absolutely nothing original in the sotires, you can see the endings coming from a mile away, it has no idea what tone it wants to use...uhhhg. Massive let-down.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 08, 2009 7:40:33 PM CDT

    Superman Returns is complete garbage.

    by professor_monster

    Singer had no angle on that film - no real take on how to do it. He needed to understand that he was dealing with an American symbol of strength and prosperity - not a metaphor for closeted homosexuality as was the case in x-men. It would have been more interesting to see what happened to the american dream that once made normal men reach new heights and had immigrants rushing here to start new lives where if you could dream it - you could do it, these were the blocks that the man of steel was built. A so/so gay director who kept boy toys on set and made damm sure to club the idea of parenting and the American family over the head. striking a cord for triangles and rainbows everywhere, would not and cannot understand any of these things, so he watched Superman the movie and simply remade it - forgetting the values and wholesome goodness that Donner and Mankowitz made sure not to lose. If the movie had truly been good - they wouldn't have had to keep it at the bo for months over making sure it took in as much as possible before getting it to dvd. you should really expect more from your storytellers - everyone - EVERYONE has a Superman story, even the kid on the street - these guys are supposedly pros and this was the best they could do?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 08, 2009 10:22:43 PM CDT

    Smegma

    by yackbacker

    1) Lex Luthor's plan was dumb in SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE and it's even worse in SUPERMAN RETURNS. It's beneath the brilliance of the character.
    2) The "son motif" is something Singer invented as a lazy storytelling gag. Superman is the last son of Krypton, but there was no "circle is now complete" bullshit in anything related to Superman in any other iteration of the character. Singer wanted to be provocative and it backfired.
    3) Superman is not in SUPERMAN RETURNS. The hero, the man who chose to be a protector of Earth was swapped out for a creepy, selfish, unfocused guy who would rather spend time peeping through Lois' house to watch her with her fiance than to maybe investigate more pressing matters, like "where's my arch fucking nemesis?"And no, citing the other movies doesn't cut it because a) they are flawed as well and b) they're set amidst different circumstances. Awful.
    4) Superman running away without telling Lois he was leaving was an unnecessary storytelling gimmick to set-up tension with the two characters. He didn't need to hold a press conference, but when you hear stuff like "Superman didn't show up at his arch-nemesis' trial to testify" you slap yourself on the forehead. Super-selfish-man, indeed. No, it's contrived garbage by Singer to create drama.
    Aside from the soundtrack and the SFX, the movie is a total waste of time. The pacing is awful (the best action sequence was in the beginning of the second act?!?!), the characters were poorly written and it failed to show respect to the characters. Go forth and question my motives all you like. Lots of people agree with me, and those that don't are entitled to their opinions as well.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 09, 2009 1:44:26 AM CDT

    I'd say 3.75 out of 5

    by castlemonster

    It's a welcome addition to the Halloween classic category but the werewolf story was not only beyond familiar but, aside from a little nudity, basically worthless. The idea of the school bus still being in the quarry with all of the corpses was pretty out there and that segment was exactly filled with surprises, either. Creepshow is a little better. Too bad there isn't a decent DVD version of Creepshow. Or Fright Night, for that matter. Or Fright Night 2.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 09, 2009 2:42:07 AM CDT

    Yack I actually disagree about the Superman stalker case

    by industrykiller!

    The guy is just wondering if everything he heard about Lois' new life is true and wanted to see for himself. It's not that creepy at all. It's not like he lingers there for hours and jerks off on the front lawn. He sees that it's true and then he bounces. I mean what was he going to do show up at the door as Clark? That would just be silly when he can take 5 minutes to check the scene. Hell if later on he had told Lois "I flew by the other night just to see if what I heard about you and your new husband and child is true she wouldn't have said "Whatt he fuck you creepy fucking stalker asshole!". Mind you I'm not defending the film as a whole, which isn't good at all, but I think that's just sort of an unfair character gripe as any vulnerable human being (figuratively speaking) would have done the same, just to see it with their own eyes. The term stalker is a little strong.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 09, 2009 2:45:26 AM CDT

    Let me put it this way Yack

    by industrykiller!

    If at the end of Castaway Tom Hanks had driven to the front of Helen Hunts house and from his car just observed her and her husband hanging out together for a minute, just to see it with his own eyes so he could process that it was true in order to move on, and then drove away, would you be calling him a stalker? I doubt it.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 09, 2009 4:21:50 AM CDT

    Castlemonster, the Blu Ray for Creepshow...

    by kirbymanly

    ...is AMAZING picture-wise! Don't let anyone on this site *cough* tell you any different. As a matter of fact, after watching "Trick R Treat", my friend and I popped it on afterwards and drank in the horror-love.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 09, 2009 7:30:52 AM CDT

    Yack - please.

    by hint_of_smegma

    Singer did not 'invent' the father-son motif in the Superman movies at all, it was there and pretty heavily promoted from the first movie. Hence the repeat of the dialogue "The son becomes the father", hence Kal-El finding out he now has a son, hence the years spent at the Fortress learning who he was from his real father's computer ghost image, hence the mission to Krypton's remains to search for any possible survivors - it's all about links to family. And it's those links to family, both his real and his human family that are the grounding for the Superman character. I think Singer actually did a great job of following in Donner's footsteps on that one. As to your other comments, why on Earth would he immediately upon returning begin some quest to find Luthor...? You complain because his immediate actions were concerned with reconnecting to his human life - the only one he now knew he had - rather than obsessively chasing down a criminal? Come on, you're just reaching for things to hate about the movie with a comment like that. Oh, and 'Earth's Protector' happily gave up his powers to have a selfish life of happiness with Lois in the second movie, resulting in the human race very nearly getting enslaved. Having him be very realistically coming to terms with the love of his life moving on BECAUSE of his own actions, again, is a very human thing that happens to a lot of us. Nothing about that detracts from the film. Nothing in it showed disrespect to the characters, quite the opposite - the film was all about their characters. Frankly, with you stating the only thing that didn't bug you was the FX, what am I to think other than you wouldn't have been happy unless the film was two hours of Supes blowing things up with heat vision, deflecting comets with his pinkie and backhanding Lois for being a bitch? I know we all have opinions, but again Yack, the comments you've given to defend your position on the film smack of obsessive hatred for other reasons, rather than thought out critiques because the reasons you've given seem to be the opposite of what was actually in the movie.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 09, 2009 10:10:25 AM CDT

    One thing is clear

    by yackbacker

    Intelligent people can disagree. I am honest in my critiques as you are too. Beyond that, all we can hope for is another SUPERMAN movie that we can all enjoy.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 09, 2009 10:50:51 AM CDT

    True enough.

    by hint_of_smegma

    However, I do think it's a shame people give Superman Returns more grief than it deeserves. I think it;s going to be a long while before we get another Superman movie though, and I have a feeling when we do, it'll be very different from anything we expect right now.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 10, 2009 9:01:20 PM CDT

    I guess nobody went or at least didn't post they did

    by meadowe

    I forgot all about it, I needed to replace my headphones.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 11, 2009 1:38:39 AM CDT

    I liked this flick

    by chrighton

    Scratch that, I love it. It's a great anthology - it's fun, has tons of atmosphere, shot amazingly well and Sam is a great character. Puts me in the Halloween spirit. I'll be watching this every October.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 12, 2009 1:25:47 AM CDT

    just saw this film yesterday

    by cloudrider`

    and i waited a long long looong time to watch this movie due to the hype perpetrated by AICN. and guess what? they done it again - hyping another undeserving crappy ass movie!

    this film is nowhere near as creative n fun as this site proclaimed it. the studio got it right this time, straight to dvd is where it belongs.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 12, 2009 1:56:19 AM CDT

    and Yack, i agree on superman returns

    by cloudrider`

    stalker is a bit too strong, but everything else i agree with you.

    Hint_of_Smegma:
    "I'll take (trick r treat) any day over the drivel spewed by Tarantino post-JB, or by the now evidently mad Cameron"

    clearly, the guy is not right in the head. "evidently" mad??? avatar is not even out yet, nimrod!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 14, 2009 3:53:43 AM CDT

    TrT is pretty good.

    by natecore

    I'm not saying all of Trick r Treat was GOLD, but what worked really
    worked. Its more Goosebumps than Nightmare on Elm Street and a bit too
    bubblegumish. Its a good watch, but its a far distance from the brilliant fun of Drag Me to Hell.

    Reply to Talkback

User Login

Forgot password? Retrieve it here

or register as new user

Quick Talkback Form

Please login to post talkback