This is my favourite modern anthology film with a cult following and a promise of a sequel once Godzilla has finished…
The movie opens with husband and wife Emma and Henry, who are returning home from the town festival. Emma, who doesn’t like Halloween, begins taking down the decorations on their front yard straight away. Henry, who loves Halloween, goes inside, leaving Emma alone with an unseen attacker. We are then introduced to the other characters;
- Steven Wilkins – the school principal.
- Macy, Sara, Chip, Schrader & Rhonda – a group of trick or treaters.
- Laurie, Danielle, Maria & Janet – four young women looking for dates.
- Mr. Kreeg – Wilkins’s recluse and grumpy old neighbour.
- Sam – The spirit of Halloween.
I first watched this a couple of years ago and it quickly became a Halloween favourite. Now I watch it every year along with the first three Halloween movies, Hocus Pocus and It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.
Fun Fact: I dressed up as Sam for Halloween 2017
I made the whole thing from scratch! The fabric, unfortunately wasn’t long enough to make a full footie pyjamas, so I had to make a onsie and boots. The headpiece was made out of paper mache and burlap. I need to remake it because it’s falling apart from storage and it wasn’t very strong to begin with. I was advised to use a paper lantern as a base, which is a great idea. Other than that I’m really happy with how it turned out. I love the lollipop and the onsie is unbelievably comfy! One of the best things about it was how much it freaked people out. I wore it to our local comic book shop for Halloween Comic Fest, then kept it on for a Halloween party that night. I got a lot of comments and compliments.
Anyway, moving on…
The characters are all different and provide a great variety of stories, some of which connect. There are some great twists and surprises. Also, Sam is the cutest little thing ever! Even without his mask. Yes, I’m strange that way.
I don’t want to give anymore away, I want you to see it for yourself. It’s a shame you don’t get many horror anthologies, especially if they can be this well made. I’m hoping that the demand for a sequel will hurry Michael Dougherty up, since the Godzilla films could go on for some time, and fans won’t want to wait that long. I hope other horror directors will eventually see the potential in doing their own anthologies. For now there are still TV series like Masters of Horror which has hour long episodes by various horror directors.
Where to watch: Justwatch
Linsey Loves Horror 