Hello ladies and gentlemen, your pal Muldoon here with my thoughts on a new horror anthology film complete with short stories from some of the bigger horror names out there. With fun decorations, cavity laden candies, and parties galore – Halloween is hands down my favorite time of the year, and I don’t think I’m alone there. Each night in October I do my best to find a movie that encapsulates a sense of Halloween cheer, be it HOCUS POCUS, TRICK ‘R TREAT, or the incredibly obvious John Carpenter’s HALLOWEEN. There’s something about watching a crazy story that takes place in an overly Art Directed setting (with an abundance of over the top decorations everywhere) that pulls me into a nostalgic sense of joy. Fortunately my childhood memories don’t include serial killers, murderous pumpkins, goblins with guns, or demons – that’s where Epic’s TALES OF HALLOWEEN comes in. This collection of Halloween shorts is a sadistically good time. With so much talent condensed into a running time of just 92 minutes, it’s a perfect film to get you in the Halloween mood. I had the opportunity of seeing the film after I shared a clip here a few weeks back. I enjoyed the movie so much that I reached out to Neil Marshall for a super quick chat about the movie. Here, for what it's worth, are my thoughts on the movie itself.
Right from the opening credits, a pop up book style animation, you know exactly what you’re in for, a tale to sit back, enjoy, and not take too seriously. What follows is ten stories that interweave into what equates to a genuine experience, something that will pull you back to being a kiddo and reading SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK well after your bedtime. If you’re going into this film with the idea of “I’ve seen it all. Impress me” then it will happily smack you on the back of the head and remind you “This is fucking fun! Relax and enjoy the ride!”
First off, Adrianne Barbeau is a radio host. That’s our first real introduction into this world of frightening fiction, a call back to one of Carpenter’s greatest films, with a legend in her own right. The filmmakers behind this decision clearly have their hearts in the right place, especially with her kicking the whole shebang off. It’s a tone setter than helps establish the meta-fun of it all.
From here on I’ll tip toe through a few of the shorts as it’s slightly tricky to lump them all into one big review (as opposed to one big movie, which clearly works here). There are cameos everywhere, a fun little “who’s going to pop up next?” thrill of “I have no clue what can come my way, and I like it.” The first film kicks off the theme of “don’t be an asshole or else you’ll get your comeuppance 10 fold.” The effects worked in this twisted, and disgusting story of “Sweet Tooth,” a boogeyman who’s terror grew out of a childhood of hypocrisy and subtle emotional abuse. Glorious guts galore.
Next up is hands down my favorite of the film, featuring none other than Brad Majors himself, Mr. Barry Bostwick. This short is injected with a level of humor that would make Troma blush, with cartoony sound effects beautifully highlighting the absurdity of the visuals on screen. In this story, we see a prank gone awry transformed into a unique learning situation wherein an old man shows a young kid what the true meaning of “trick” is. The night is filled with hilariously heinous acts that had me in stitches. Tonally, this one takes the cake – it had me laughing while watching some rather insane visuals. I’d want a full feature out of this, but realize it works best as a short. It’s short, incredibly enjoyable with saturated colors and fun decorations – but leaves you with a “Whoa, did not see that coming.” I loved it.
Boom! Next up is Trent Haaga and company smoking weed and drinking booze in a rather nice house, all while taking turns handing out candies to the trick or treaters. This story contains an epic singular shot that I’m still trying to wrap my head around, an impressive take that must’ve been a bitch to nail. Aside from that, it contains a few “Whoa!” style jumps that, even after the previous story, completely caught me off guard.
Next up is a quick showcase of why it’s important not to be an utterly evil asshole, with Noah Segan, Booboo Stewart, and Grace Phipps. With such a frantically shot foot chase filling the bulk of the film, this one felt like it had to be the shortest story of the film. Without digging into the individual run times, that just tells you how Bam! Bam! Bam! it is. In other words, the story is very to the point and does an excellent job at not lingering on any specific point too much. This story grabs your attention and doesn’t let go until it’s ready. (Kickass special effects!)
Up next is a story I couldn’t really get into, despite my massive respect for the filmmakers. I’m not sure exactly what my issue was other than perhaps it wasn’t as outlandish as the stories before it. I fully believe quite a few folks out there will be “What are you talking about? That’s the best one!” Well shot, well acted, I just couldn’t get into it.
That brings us to our next tale, a war between neighbors featuring James Duval as a guy who’s new to the neighborhood, a classic suburb that is set in its ways, and just wants to throw a party. This story is a fun tale of what happens when compromise goes out the window and two folks can’t come to a simple agreement. (There’s blood). Fun story that pays homage to the tame decorations of yesteryear met with the over the top Post SAW/HOSTEL world of more “gore! gore! gore!” It’s a silly fun story with an ending I wish I had seen in the Seth Rogen flick of the same vein… (There’s blood!).
Next up: it’s slasher time, but with an incredibly odd twist. I won’t say anything more than “animated stop motion clay alien.” This one most of all is a love letter to EVIL DEAD 2 and is simply a pleasure to witness (keeping in mind dismemberment is prevalent here). It’s utterly bizarre and far from predictable.
Time for everyone’s favorite Infantata, Mr. Ben Woolf as “Rusty Rex,” a “child” who’s kidnapped for ransom. With the two main characters, this story screamed “ABBOTT AND COSTELLO KIDNAP A CHILD FOR MONEY,” a film we sadly never got. The slapstick silliness here is complimented by some fantastic makeup work on Rusty. This story contains John Landis, who must deal with a horrible burden that was thrust upon him due to his own poor judgment in his past, something he’s able to weasel himself out of perfectly without any real consequence. Fun film about being careful what you wish for.
Last stop on this wild ride takes us to a wrap-up that involves serial killer squash on a rampage. This is our last stop on the tour of terror and loads the cameos on, serving after serving. Pat Healy pops up and reminds us why he’s so damn likeable. He plays it straight and rocks every moment he’s on screen. Gore, potty humor a la Adam Green, and featuring one of the most badass writer/director/producer/editors/childhood heroes out there: Joe Dante, make this the perfect ending to an already satisfying journey.
In case you can’t tell, I absolutely loved this movie and will happily shout it from the rooftops. This is a perfect way to welcome in the Halloween spirit, with an amalgam of enjoyable stories. Yes, this is worth the price of admission and yes, I’d suggest you give it a shot when it hits theaters and VOD on October 16th. Clearly if nothing mentioned above did anything for you, chances are it’s not for you. Flipside, if the idea of a Halloween anthology perks you up, this film does not disappoint.
- Mike McCutchen
"Muldoon"
Mike@aintitcool.com
