I grew up a fat child in a small town with crushing self esteem issues, a love for gore movies and a sarcastic mind that loved the way people treated me when I started dressing all in black. Every single situation that Eddie Weinbauer (Marc Price, the previously mentioned Skippy) endures in this film…I lived it. If a monster Glenn Danzig could take over shop class and kill my tormentors, I would have gladly welcomed such mayhem and menace.Eddie is a big fan of Sammi Curr, a superstar who went to the same high school Eddie is in, was tormented and bullied the same way Eddie is, became a big star and then died in a mysterious fire. Radio DJ Nuke (Gene "inventor of the devil horns" Simmons, who played a great bad guy in Never Too Young to Die while wearing his girlfriend Cher's clothes) gives Eddie the only vinyl copy of Sammi's satanic masterwork "Songs in the Key of Death."Eddie does exactly what I'd do: he listens to the record and falls asleep. He has a crazy dream about the fire that killed Curr and awakens to the album playing backwards, telling him how to gain revenge on the bullies that torment him.Eddie chickens out though — he doesn't want to kill the jocks who have made his life so rough. Sammi takes matters into his own hands, creating an electric surge that allows him to escape the record and come back to our reality. Eddie responds by smashing his stereo. Sammi's response is as perfect as it gets: "No false metal."Sammi's friend Roger gets involved and unwittingly plays a cassette at the school dance, causing Sammi to leap out of a guitar amp and take the stage. The crowd goes wild before Sammi starts killing audience members, shooting lightning at them and revealing his burned face. I saw this scene at the drive-in this year and the exuberance of hearing Fastaway blasting from car stereos in the fog at 5 AM is an experience I recommend to every single person reading this.Read more at http://bit.ly/2l4iO5c http://bit.ly/2l4iO5c

Marc Price plays Eddie Weinbauer, a hopeless heavy metal dork who gets sucked into the world of the occult when his shock-rock idol, Sammy Curr (Tony Fields, playing an off-brand Alice Cooper) dies in a mysterious fire. A local rock-radio DJ (Gene Simmons) takes pity on Eddie's plight and bestows upon him the only copy of Curr's last recording. To say the production of this recording leaves much to be desired would be an understatement, which is to say nothing of its shoddy song-writing. Perhaps growing tired of its lack of melody or any discernible hooks, Eddie is inspired to start playing the record backwards, and soon discovers that there are Satanic messages/directives back-masked throughout. Soon, he's putting the archetypal school jocks (who feel imported from a "Karate Kid" film) in their place and somehow winning the affections of his cute schoolmate Leslie (Lisa Orgolini). There's also some business about a slobbering demon and ear-melting headphones, but pay no mind."Trick Or Treat" is the sort of film that existed only in obscurity until sometime in the early 2000s when it started cropping up in $5 bargain bins everywhere. Its promise of heavy metal/horror movie debauchery with Gene Simmons and Ozzy Osbourne (who appears in but a cameo) front and center too much to resist, the film is ultimately the best kind of bait and switch. The film's main focus is on its dweebish but painfully relatable protagonist. Produced amidst the great slasher boom of the mid-'80s, "Trick Or Treat" is refreshing if not utterly silly. Its plot and tone feels like "The Breakfast Club" filtered through John Carpenter's "Christine" and even at its most cringe-inducing, doesn't fail to entertain. Punctuating the action is a rather rad heavy metal soundtrack, mostly provided by the obscure yet apt Fastlane.The special effects by Kevin Yagher ("Child's Play") are none too shabby for their time, and likewise, the acting from the kids is about on par with other films of its era. Its concept is admittedly thin and sometimes stretched too thin, but the film has more than enough charm and delivers enough laughs (unintentional or otherwise) that any flaws are ultimately forgiven. Fans of '80s schlock won't want to pass this one up, even if its DVD currently features a pretty hefty price tag. Who knew raiding the $5 bin at your local big box store 15 years ago could've been a worthy investment?

Trick Or Treat is a excellent,entertaining Horror film that mixes together Horror,Comedy,Rock N'Roll and a Heavy Metal. Filled with great direction,wonderful special effects and a great Heavy Metal soundtrack,Trick Or Treat is a underrated Horror film from the 80s and is in my opinion a Cult Classic.Trick Or Treat tells the story of High School outcast named Eddie Weinbauer(Marc Price)who loves Heavy Metal and worships rock star Sammi Curr(Tony Fields)but is also being bullied by his classmates for loving the music and being different. When Sammi Curr dies in an unfortunate accident,Eddie receives Sammi's final record and plays it. When Eddie plays the record backwards,he is able to bring Sammi back from the dead and when Sammi comes back he begins to bring havoc and chaos to whoever he comes across. Now Eddie has to figure out how to stop Sammi's wrath and destroy him.Trick Or Treat seems like a film that came out at the right place and right time in the 1980s because it combines two great genres that were at the height of their success during that time:Horror and Heavy Metal. Everyone knows that Horror and Heavy Metal go together like Peanut Butter and Jelly and TT knows that for a fact. What I love about Trick Or Treat is the fact that the film does not take itself too seriously and is a fun movie that combines Horror,Slasher and Supernatural elements with Rock N' Roll and giving viewers a wonderful movie that tells the audience to have a good time. What is also great about TT is how funny it is when mocks and pokes fun at the controversy and criticism Heavy Metal went through at the time especially with Tipper Gore,the PMRC,playing Metal records backwards and probably hearing subliminal messages. It takes all of those things that are mentioned above makes laughs out of them. The Horror and Comedy in this film works so well to point where you don't have to take the film seriously and keep the light on,look over your shoulders or hide under the covers because Trick Or Treat is not that kind of Horror film and that is one of the things I like about the film is that it's over the top and fun but not dark and serious. I think most viewers will be able to identify and relate to the character Eddie because like most teenagers his age Eddie is an outcast and is constantly being bullied for being different and listening to different music or more specifically Heavy Metal music. The way Eddie is being bullied in the film is timeless and real and it will always be relevant because it happens all the time and Eddie is likable because despite Eddie being a Metal head,Eddie is a complex character who is dealing with teen angst and harshness of adolescence. Sammi Carr is great and interesting villain of 80s Horror cinema because unlike his fellow Horror villains of the 80s like Freddy and Jason,Sammi does not depend on blood or gore to freak out his victims Carr instead gives victims a show using electricity,guitars,music and dance movements to get his victims before he kills him. For those things I mentioned above,Sammi Carr is in a category of his own which I like to call a Rock N'Roll villain,something that I think is a rare in cinema. While Sammi Carr isn't iconic like Freddy or Jason Carr is definitely one of the most entertaining villains in 80s Horror films. Although this is a Horror film,there isn't any gore or much blood in the film and the violence is more electric and fire and besides I think if the film had been bloody or gory it would've thrown the film's lightness and humor off. The ending of the film is great and lasts 30 minutes long and pretty much goes out with a bang with wonderful Rock N' Roll,great special effects and a long extended chase scene and will stay with you after it's over. The cast does a great job in their roles. Marc Price gives an amazing performance as Eddie,,with Price bringing depth and believability to the role. Tony Fields is excellent as villain Sammi Curr,with Fields having a great presence,charisma and great lines. Lisa Orgolini is beautiful and does a great job as Lesile,Eddie's love interest. Doug Savant is wonderful as Tim,Eddie's bully and tormentor. Glen Morgan gives a fun performance as Roger,Eddie's best friend. Gene Simmons gives a good performance as Nuke,a local radio DJ. Ozzy Osbourne is hilarious in his ironic cameo appearance as Reverand Aaron Gilstrom,a Reverand who dislikes Heavy Metal music. Elanie Joyce(Angie Weinbauer)and Elise Richards(Genie)give good performances as well.The direction by Charles Martin Smith(of American Grafiti and The Untouchables fame)is great,with Smith always moving the camera and giving the film a great style and pace. Awesome direction by Smith.The score by Christopher Young is good and though it's not used a lot it goes well with the film. The film also has a excellent soundtrack of Heavy Metal songs from the band Fastaway including great songs like Trick Or Treat,Get Tough,Stand Up,After Midnight and many more. Brilliant Soundtrack.The special effects by Kevin Yagher are inventive and stylish and definitely add to the film. Great effects.In final word,if you love Horror films,Heavy Metal or Hard Rock I suggest you see Trick Or Treat,an entertaining Horror film that is fun and well worth of your time. Highly Recommended. 10/10.

Oh the fun of playing records backwards to pick up on some sort of cryptic message… and there's a reason to why it's cryptic. This time it's used as a medium to the dead. Forget about seeing the names Gene Simmons and Ozzy Osbourne, as they have nothing more than small guest appearances in this 80s heavy metal horror opus. "Trick or Treat" is your by-the-numbers heavy metal teenager Eddie finds himself an outcast at school, as he's picked on by the high school jocks. To make things worse his music idol Sammi Curr had just died in a hotel fire, but the local radio DJ (Simmons) gives him an only copy of Curr's unreleased album. Upon listening to it, he plays it backwards where Curr sends a message directly to Eddie from beyond the grave. Through this he scares those you picked on him, but then he finds out that he can't control the malevolent spirit of Curr. What starts off like something that would have some sort of social commentary on the unfair image that's garnished from the hard rock scene (like the laughable phrase "rock pornography") or the obsessive nature of idolism or the freedom of expression in what you feel comfortable, but it goes on to settle for a simple junky revenge gone astray angle where it's a race against clock with some basic thrills peppered in. Nothing new, but enjoyable enough in its cheesy gimmicks where its dark edge is never sustained as it seems to have fun at its own expense. The most amusing thing happened to be Ozzy Osbourne's ironically funny cameo, in which he appears on a TV show as a reverend opposed to this sort of music. Nice little in-joke. Simmons is more so sombre in his role. Tony Fields brings a foreboding exuberance to his heavy metal star Curr, but I got more from it before he actually materialises to cause havoc. Still he crafts out a booming presence. Marc Price in the lead as Eddie is affably confident and there are likable turns by Lisa Orgolini and Glen Morgan as his friends. Doug Savant is suitably hateable and Elaine Joyce is a treat as Eddie's always concerned mother. And what is it without thrashing out the hard rock tunes --- it's a scorching soundtrack to boot with former Motorhead Eddie Clarke attached. Director Charles Martin Smith projects a crisp looking production, despite some kitschy optical work and elastically eccentric special effects. Stereotypical, but nonsensical fun.