Trick ‘r Treat [Limited Edition] 4K Ultra HD Review

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

Trick ‘r Treat is the 2007 anthology horror film from writer/director Michael Dougherty. It follows a demon with a burlap sack head and footie pajamas named Sam (Quinn Lord), a who stalks five different people on Halloween and appears as they do bad or break with tradition. The five interwoven stories, which are not told linearly, follow a school principal (Dylan Baker) with a double life as a secret serial killer, young girl (Anna Paquin, X-Men) looking for

Love who turns out to be more than she seems, a group of teens who play a prank that goes disastrously wrong on one of their classmates, and an old man, the principal’s curmudgeonly neighbor (Brian Cox, Succession) who finds himself attacked in his home by the demon Sam.

The film is set in an almost fantasy world with the traditional Halloween décor, with the cinematography making use of the colors of the holiday and autumn, with many scenes bathed in amber and orange light with inky black shadows, lots of jack-o’-lanterns beaming brightly with lamps or candles, and other colors and designs that play into the season. This adds to the atmosphere and the general camp of the film which is often less straight horror than it is dark comedy with a horror twist. Tick ‘r Treat is an enjoyable, but it is not one of the scarier horror films for the spooky season that can be watched. Scares are rare and tension is mild, although there are some shocking twists, but many are played more comedically rather than as straight terror.

Purchase Trick ‘r Treat (Limited Edition) 4K Ultra HD on Amazon.com

The Video

Trick ‘r Treat is a brand new 4K restoration* by Arrow Films, approved by writer-director Michael Dougherty. It is presented in a 2.35:1 HEVC 2160p (4K UHD) Dolby Vision encodement. Originally shot on 35mm in a Super 35 and anamorphic format, the film looks stunning. Arrow rarely disappoints and they have not here. We get a thin and consistent, crisp layer of natural grain, no noise or edge enhancement, and brilliant highlights and colors that really turn the orange and black color palette into an almost three-dimensional image. Shadow details are excellent, which is good for a film that takes place almost entirely in the dark.

*Update: There has been some speculation on social media and certain forums that this is not a restoration from the original camera negative. Per the original booklet from Arrow, this was scanned at 4K/16-bit from the original camera negative at Warner Bros./Motion Picture Imaging. The film was restored in 4K and color graded at Duplitech.

The Audio

Trick ‘r Treat comes with English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and LPCM 2.0 stereo mixes. Both mixes are solid choices. The 5.1 mix is dynamic, clean, and has good extension into the low end. The use of the surrounds for atmosphere is handled well as well as solid sound effects, such as when Mr. Kreeg’s (Brian Cox) dog runs through his house and the sound of his running and barking is panned through all the channels. The score also fills the channels when necessary and dialogue is clear. The 2.0 mix has a wide stereo field and dynamic range that also up-mixes well to Neural:X if you want to go that route for whatever reason.

The Supplements

This Limited Edition release comes packed with collectible materials and bonus content, in keeping with Arrow Video’s  usual high standard for these releases.

Limited Edition Contents:

• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sara Deck
• Double-sided foldout poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sara Deck
• Six postcard-sized artcards
• Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Becky Darke and Heather Wixson

Bonus Features:

• New audio commentary with writer-director Michael Dougherty moderated by James A. Janisse & Chelsea Rebecca from Dead Meat Podcast
• Archival audio commentary by Michael Dougherty, conceptual artist Breehn Burns, storyboard artist Simeon Wilkins and composer Douglas Pipes
• Becoming Sam (1080p; 00:09:30) — A brand new interview filmed for Arrow Video in 2024. Actor Quinn Lord discusses how he landed his role in the film, his collaboration with the director, and relays anecdotes from the shoot.
• The Devil is in the Details (1080p; 00:12:12) — A brand new interview filmed for Arrow Video in 2024 featuring production designer Mark Freeborn, revealing the intricate craftsmanship and creativity behind the scenes.
• If Looks Could Kill (1080p; 00:17:02) — A brand new interview filmed for Arrow Video in 2024 with director of photography Glen MacPherson. Discover the techniques and inspirations behind the film’s iconic look.
• Designs to Die for (1080p; 00:15:31) — A brand new interview filmed for Arrow Video in 2024. Costume designer Trish Keating explores the stunning and evocative costumes that bring the characters to life.
• Bark at the Moon (1080p; 00:08:59) — A brand new interview filmed for Arrow Video in 2024. Join renowned creature designer Patrick Tatopoulos as he delves into the creation of iconic movie monsters.
• Mark Freeborn Remembers Bill Terezakis (1080p; 00:03:20) — A new tribute to the late make-up effects designer
• Archive Extras:
  • Tales of Folklore & Fright, an archival featurette with Michael Dougherty, Breehn Burns and Simeon Wilkins
  • Tales of Mischief & Mayhem: Filming Trick ‘r Treat, an archival interview with Michael Dougherty on the making of the film
  • Sounds of Shock & Superstition: Scoring Trick ‘r Treat, an archival featurette with Michael Dougherty and Douglas Pipes
  • Tales of Dread & Despair: Releasing Trick ‘r Treat, an archival featurette with Michael Dougherty and Rob Galluzzo of the Shock Waves podcast, exploring the film’s release and fandom
  • Season’s Greetings, a short film from 1996 directed by Michael Dougherty with optional director commentary
  • The Lore and Legends of Halloween, an archival featurette narrated by actor Brian Cox
  • School bus VFX comparison
  • Deleted and alternate scenes with optional commentary by director Michael Dougherty
  • FEARnet promos
  • Sam O’Lantern
  • Trailer
• Stills (4K)
• Storyboard and Conceptual Artwork Gallery (4K)
• Behind the Scenes Still Gallery (4K)
• Monster Mash Comic Book set in the Trick ‘r Treat Universe (4K)

The Final Assessment

This is a reference release on 4K and makes me wish we had gotten A Nightmare on Elm Street on 4K from Arrow rather than Warner Bros. Arrow shows how to do a film like this properly and they do it consistently, rarely slipping up. Highly recommended for horror fans.

Trick ‘r Treat [Limited Edition] 4K Ultra HD is out October 29, 2024 from Arrow Video

Purchase Trick ‘r Treat (Limited Edition) 4K Ultra HD on Amazon.com

• Rating Certificate: R (for horror violence, some sexuality/nudity and language)
• Studios & Distributors: Warner Bros. | Legendary Entertainment | Bad Hat Harry Productions | British Columbia Film Commission | Little Sam Films | Arrow Video
• Director: Michael Dougherty
• Written By: Michael Dougherty
• Run Time: 82 Mins.
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Video Format: HEVC 2160p (4K UHD)
• HDR Format: Dolby Vision (HDR10 Compatible)
• HDR10 Metadata:
  • MaxLL: 1015
  • MaxFALL: 424 nits
  • Max. Luminance: 1000 nits
  • Min. Luminance: 0.0001 nits
• Primary Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1
• Secondary Audio: LPCM 2.0 Stereo
• Subtitles: English SDH