Shout Factory’s Scream Factory imprint is good all year long, but especially so during the Halloween season. This year, to make sure viewers are in the mood for the spooky holiday, Scream Factory is unleashing collector’s edition Blu-rays of two must-have horror movies: Trick ‘r Treat and Creepshow. It’s fitting that both are anthology stories with several stories packaged together and that the Blu-rays are packed with extra bonus features so viewers will get maximum enjoyment and variety from both.
Trick ‘r Treat Collector’s Edition
In Trick ‘r Treat, four interwoven tales of dread intersect each with each other on Halloween night. The movie, which stars Anna Paquin, Dylan Baker, and Brian Cox, also introduces the world to the impish demonic trickster of Sam (as in Samhain) who has now become a somewhat de facto mascot for holiday ensuring folks follow the necessary traditions of Halloween. While it certainly earns its R rating with equal parts comedy and horror, the macabre masterpiece from writer/director Michael Dougherty is perfect for even the most casual fan of the cleverly creepy.
It pains me that Trick ‘r Treat isn’t a household name for most folks outside of dedicated horror aficionado circles, but that’s what happens when a movie doesn’t receive a theatrical release (something I learned from one of the numerous bonus featurettes). That said, it should really speak to the fact of just how good the movie is that it is receiving such a high profile release from Scream Factory. Not only do you get a new 2K scan of the original film elements, but you also get:
- Extended creator interviews which have been divided into four mini-featurettes (Tales of Folklore & Fright: Creating Trick ‘r Treat, Tales of Mischief & Mayhem: Filming Trick ‘r Treat, Sounds of Shock & Superstition: Scoring Trick ‘r Treat, and Tales of Dread & Dispair: Releasing Trick ‘r Treat)
- Full release of Season’s Greetings, the short film which inspired the movie, with a new 2K scan of the original 16mm elements
- New storyboard and conceptual artwork gallery
- New behind the scenes gallery, graphic novel story, and Fear.net shorts
- Plus plenty more
Creepshow Collector’s Edition
This classic horror anthology has so much going for it, I don’t even know where to begin. Well, I guess I can just spout off three names which should immediately establish this film’s pedigree: Stephen King, George Romero, and Tom Savini. Seeing those names of horror royalty makes it almost unbelievable that Scream Factory hasn’t already published a collector’s edition, but thankfully it’s worth the wait.
Before HBO’s Tales From the Crypt, there was Creepshow, a 1982 movie made up by four mini-movies which were heavily inspired by the classic EC horror comic books and masterfully written by horror scribe Stephen King. The movie marked many firsts (the first #1 box office opening for director George Romero, and the first monster made for a movie by Savini, to name a few), but is probably most known for King’s onscreen portrayal of a farmer who comes into contact with a meteor.
For a movie that’s already been around for over 35 years, it all boils down to the extra features included with any new release to justify its purchase. Fortunately, Creepshow Collector’s Edition Blu-ray delivers. One of my favorite additions is a printed mini-book included in the hard case that details the evolution from concept to production and release (and more) of Creepshow, but the disc itself is absolutely loaded with brand-new extras including:
- 4K Scan Of The Original Camera Negative – Color Correction Supervised and Approved By Director of Photography Michael Gornick
- Audio Commentary With Director of Photography Michael Gornick
- Audio Commentary With Composer/First Assistant Director John Harrison and Construction Coordinator Ed Fountain
- Terror and the Three Rivers – A Round Table Discussion on the Making of Creepshow With John Amplas, Tom Atkins, Tom Savini, and Marty Schiff
- The Comic Book Look – An Interview With Costume Designer Barbara Anderson
- Ripped From the Pages – An Interview With Animator Rick Catizone
- The Colors of Creepshow – A Look at the Restoration of Creepshow With Director of Photography Michael Gornick
- Into the Mix – An Interview With Sound Re-recordist Chris Jenkins
- Mondo Macabre – A Look at Mondo’s Various Creepshow Posters With Mondo Co-Founder Rob Jones and Mondo Gallery Events Planner Josh Curry
- Collecting Creepshow – A Look at Some of the Original Props and Collectibles From the Film With Collector Dave Burian
If that’s not enough for you, you also get previously released audio commentaries from Savini and the late George Romero, trailers, deleted scenes, and more. Normally it would be hard to justify a $35 Blu-ray, but the price makes total sense with all of the added hours of features. If you’ve never watched Creepshow or Trick ‘r Treat before, the new Blu-ray releases make for a perfect opportunity to change that, and if you’re already a fan, you practically owe it to yourself to pick up a copy.
Disclaimer: I received review copies of these movies. All opinions are my own.
