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True confession time: I’m a diehard horror movie fan and I love Halloween. My all-time favorite movie is, no surprise, John Carpenter’s original Halloween, and I’ve still been known to dress up for trick-or-treaters who come calling even though I’m probably too old for that sort of nonsense. So with that in mind, you can imagine how my curiosity has been piqued over the past two years waiting to finally see the much-anticipated horror anthology film from writer-director Michael Dougherty. Dougherty as you may or may not know previously wrote both X-Men 2 and Superman Returns for director Bryan Singer and he made his feature-film directorial debut with the aforementioned horror anthology titled Trick ‘r Treat. The movie was actually completed and “in the can” as they say two years ago, but despite the backing of Singer as producer, Warner Brothers shelved the project and never gave it a proper theatrical release prior to the film’s appearance on DVD and Blu-ray this month. Although buzz continued to grow in the wake of select theatrical screenings and limited showings at events like the Comic-Con convention this past summer, the vast majority of the movie-going public never had a chance to see Trick ‘r Treat in a theater. It still baffles me as to why Warner had so little faith in what is essentially one of the most original horror movies to come down the pike in years.

Borrowing the structure of horror anthology films like Creepshow and The Twilight Zone, Trick ‘r Treat offers four intertwined stories in the vein of Crash or Pulp Fiction. The film is a wonderful Halloween confection and a loving homage to not only the ‘70s and ‘80s horror films I grew up with and adored, but also the Halloween holiday itself. No movie since John Carpenter’s original Halloween has better showcased or captured the spirit of the holiday in all its candy-chomping, prank-playing, costume-cavorting glory. The film also takes great glee in putting various Halloween traditions under the microscope and showing how those who don’t adhere to the “rules” may find themselves coming to a bad end at the hands of a diminutive creature known only as Sam (as in “Samhain”) — a wonderfully creepy little invention who serves as a silent focal point through all four stories. Granted, the individual segments are a mixed bag (pardon the pun), with the first and last being the strongest of the lot. But at a total running time of just 82 minutes, none of them overstay their welcome and the crossover of characters from one storyline to another keeps things interesting. I’ve already watched Trick ‘r Treat twice this month and I guarantee future viewings will become part of an annual Halloween tradition.

I dare not delve into too many plot details for fear of ruining the film … or of raising the ire of that devious little Sam. But suffice to say that Dougherty does an admirable job of hitting on all the major traditions, trends and myths associated with October 31. There’s a brief wraparound story that involves a couple — Emma (Leslie Bibb) and Henry (Tahmoh Penikett) — who arrive home late on Halloween night after attending the festivities in town and argue over taking down all the jack-o-lanterns and ghosts adorning their property. Emma claims to hate Halloween and wants everything gone while Henry maintains that it’s part of the holiday tradition. Emma will soon find out that Henry may have a point. The first of the four central stories, “The Principal,” centers on Principal Steve Wilkins (Dylan Baker), who seems to be a bit overzealous in his celebration of the Halloween holiday. When he catches a neighborhood punk taking more than his fair share of candy, he decides to teach the kid something about the true meaning of Halloween. The next tale, “The School Bus Massacre Revisited,” is a classic ghost story in which a bus filled with special needs kids is said to have plunged into a quarry one Halloween night and the ghosts of the children still roam the area on All Hallows’ Eve. Four teens decide to see if there’s any truth to the legend and are in for a big surprise.

“Surprise Party” follows the exploits of young Laurie (Anna Paquin) and her oversexed and horny girlfriends as they prowl the town Halloween festivities looking for fresh meat. Laurie is a bit more reserved and hesitant, since she’s a self-professed virgin (much like her namesake, Laurie Strode of Halloween), and her friends try to get her to be a bit more aggressive in her methods. But everyone’s surprised when she finally meets a mysterious masked man in a black cape. Last, but not least, the film-capping “Meet Sam” gives us a more proper introduction to the pumpkin-headed, burlap-sack-wearing Sam figure who has made fleeting appearances in all three prior segments. Here he confronts the surly old Mr. Kreeg (Brian Cox), a Scrooge-like curmudgeon who hates Halloween and especially trick-or-treaters begging for candy. But Sam is posited as the unofficial keeper of all things Halloween, and he makes an unwelcomed appearance in Mr. Kreeg’s house to make sure he’s following the rules and traditions of the October 31 holiday to the letter. Like Michael Myers, Sam is a great silent omen stalking the night who seems all the more creepy and unsettling because he doesn’t speak a word and merely watches as things unfold. He does get to play a more active role in the final segment with Mr. Kreeg, though, and we learn he’s pretty much a force of nature that cannot be stopped.

Dougherty does a terrific job at capturing the mood and essence of Halloween in Trick ‘r Treat and he fills the movie with some great in-joke references and film-geek homages to other classic horror movies. There’s a few obvious nods to Carpenter’s Halloween and The Thing, and Cox’s character bears more than a passing resemblance to an older Carpenter himself. The Howling is also referenced, as well as the aforementioned Creepshow, Pet Sematary and even a knowing nod to It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. It’s all wonderfully blended into a marvelous confection that had me grinning from ear to ear. Solid character actors like Dylan Baker and Brian Cox also make their respective characters both repugnant and yet somehow empathetic, too. And Dougherty’s wholly original Sam creation — which first appeared in an animated student film he created titled “Season’s Greetings” that inspired Trick ‘r Treat — is destined to become a new iconic figure for Halloween. I can’t wait to see a savvy neighborhood kid recreate the costume and show up on my doorstep begging for candy. At least I hope it’s a neighborhood kid and not the real Sam, looking to see if I’ve kept up with all my Halloween traditions.

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