Unseen Terror 2013: Day 31

Eddie Weinbauer's an awkward high schooler who finds solace in heavy metal, and in one particular man named Sammi Curr: a devil-worshipping, free-spirited rock star. But when Curr dies under mysterious circumstances, Eddie is devastated. Soon afterwards, he receives a copy of Curr's final and unreleased record from a friend. Upon playing it backwards, he discovers that the deceased rocker is speaking to him from beyond the grave, in the hopes of being resurrected, but he will require a few sacrifices first.

We've reached the end of this year's countdown, and if you're wondering why in the world I chose to close out with 1986's Trick or Treat rather than the masterful and more respected Rosemary's Baby, the only explanation I can offer is that metal-related pictures, especially in the horror field, are hard to come by. Thus, I'm not going to say this took top priority, but upon discovering that this little "gem" was ready for viewing on the internet via Youtube (like quite a few of this year's entries were), I bumped it to the end, figuring we could end it with a bang or a fizzle, depending on if I liked it or not.

And I think that after a late night viewing, I believe that I fall somewhere in the middle, which I suppose would result in a relatively loud "pop" more than a bang or a fizzle, but nothing more. For starters, Trick or Treat's soundtrack is mostly comprised by the now-defunct heavy metal outfit Fastway, an offshoot of NWOBHM legends Motorhead (and a band that would house Dave King of future punk stalwarts Flogging Molly). As cool as that sounds, I kind of wish Christopher Young (Hellraiser) had decided to score more than just a few select scenes and pieces that weren't done by the outfit themselves, as the Fastway songs tend to grate after some time and, as stupid as this might sound, start to seem very out of place about a horror film dealing with heavy metal. As much I adore this music, I think most who are equal fans of both horror and the genre of music showcased here (primarily hard rock and glam metal) would admit that it just isn't very scary. Now, if the filmmakers and writers had decided to wait a few more years and let it focus on the burgeoning Norwegian black metal scene, THEN we could have had something unique, or possibly even genuinely unsettling.

Supposedly, Blackie Lawless was offered to play Sammi Curr, the villain of the picture, but I can't find any real proof of this rumor beyond a couple of random searches. Considering that the resemblance between the two is pretty uncanny, it wouldn't have shocked me though to determine that this fact was confirmed. Instead it goes to a former dancer from Solid Gold, which is obviously much more fitting casting considering the heavy metal love that show always showed it, which is absolutely none. Come to think of it, the only remotely decent casting Trick or Treat seemed to get right was the cameos of Gene Simmons (Kiss) and Ozzy Osbourne, as a Rock DJ and anti-rock and roll crusader respectively. They look like they're having a ball for the total of the five or so minutes we see of them, especially given that the latter was in the peak of his popularity around this decade's time.


On a technical level, especially by what would come about in the latter half of the 80s when it comes to horror, this isn't a very good film. The acting isn't anything special, and the effects work is nothing to write home about. But it does have an odd little charm to it that lands it firmly in the coveted "so bad, it's good" category. And sometimes that isn't a bad thing whatsoever, especially since those results still produce general happiness and a great deal of smiling faces, even if they have to include the use of alcohol to produce such results. After all, if you can find a sillier horror film involving an undead rock star firing electricity out of a guitar at an audience of unsuspecting folks, then I'm all ears.



Tomorrow, I'll be back for a post-marathon recap and some other thoughts from throughout the month!