BLU-RAY REVIEW

Trick 'r Treat 4K Ultra HD

Featured In Issue Issue 275, September/October 2024

Picture5
Sound5
WSR Score4.5
Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
(Studio/Distributor):
Arrow Video
(Catalog Number):
AV618
(MPAA Rating):
R
(Rating Reason):
(Retail Price):
$49.95
(Disc Type):
Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-100)
(Widescreen Edition):
Yes
(Full Screen Edition):
(Running Time In Minutes):
82
(Color Type):
Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access):
Yes
(Closed Captioned):
Yes
(Regional Coding):
ABC
(Theatrical Year):
(Theatrical Release):
Yes
(Direct-To-Video Release):
No
(Disc Release Date):
10/29/2024
(THX® Digitally Mastered):
(Director):
Michael Dougherty
(Screenplay/Written By):
(Story):
(Music):
(Director Of Photography):
(Production Designer):
(Visual Effects):
(Costume Designer):
(Editor):
(Supervising Sound Editors):
(Re-Recording Mixers):
(Executive Producers):
(Co-Producers):
(Producers):
(Academy Awards):
(Principal Photography):
(Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
(Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
(Disc Soundtrack):
DTS HD Lossless 5.1, DTS HD Lossless 2.0
(Theatrical Sound):
(Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
(DTS Bit Rate):
(Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
(Additional Languages):
(Subtitles):

"Trick 'r Treat" is presented in five Halloween stories: A principal has a secret life, a virgin is looking for her first time, a group of kids pull a prank, a woman who loathes Halloween does not respect the rules and a mean old man meets a demonic trick-or-treater. (Gary Reber)

Special features include new commentary with Writer-Director Michael Dougherty; archival commentary by Dougherty, conceptual artist Breehn Burns, storyboard artist Simon Wilkins and composer Douglas Pipes; "Becoming Sam" new interview with Actors Quinn Lord (HD 09:30); "The Devil Is In The Details" new interview with Production Designer Mark Freebom (HD 12:12), "If Looks Could Kill" new interview with Director of Photography Glen MacPhenon (HD 17:02); "Designs To Die For" new interview with Costume Designer Trish Keating (HD 15:31), "Bark On The Moon" new interview with creature designer Patrick Tatopoulos (HD 08:59); seven featurettes: "Mark Freeborm Remembers Bill Terezakis" (HD 03:20), "Tales Of Folklore & Fright" (HD 16:06), "Tales Of Mischief & Mayhem: Filming Trick 'r Treat" (HD 19:47), "Sounds Of Shock & Superstition: Scoring Trick 'r Treat" (HD 11:11), "Tales Of Dread & Despair: Releasing Trick 'r Treat" (HD 07:24), "The Lore And Legends Of Halloween" (HD 27:27) and "School Bus VFX Comparsion" (HD 01:14); "Season's Greetings" short film (HD 03:54); deleted and alternate scenes (HD 17:14); FEARnet promos; Sam O'Lantem; storyboards and conceptual artwork gallery; behind the scenes gallery; "Monster Mash" comic book set in the Trick 'r Treat universe; trailer; reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sara Deck; double-sided foldout poster; six postcard-sized artcards and illustrated collector's booklet.

The 2.39:1 2160p HEVC/H.265 4K Ultra HD Dolby Vision/HDR10 picture, reviewed on a VIZIO Quantum X P85QX-JI UHD/HDR display, was photographed on 35 mm film stock using Panavision camera systems and sourced from a 4K Digital Intermediate from a restoration by Arrow Films and approved by Writer-Director Michael Dougherty. Film grain is virtually absent for a sharp and clean appearance. The color palette exhibits nicely saturated warm and rich hues that often pop. Primaries are strong, with an emphasis on orange hues. The color palette exhibits excellent depth and is beautifully vivid. The production design is creative with numerous textural complexities. Flesh tones appear perfectly natural. HDR contrast is excellent with natural black levels, revealing shadows and bright whites. Resolution is superb with fine detail exhibited throughout, especial during closeups. Facial features reveal skin pores, lines, and hair detail. Object textures are nicely detailed. Costumes reveal fabric textures. Picture quality throughout is terrific. This the definitive reference edition for this Halloween classic. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1-channel soundtrack is dynamic sounding with excellent fidelity. The soundstage is wide and deep with realistic atmospherics and sound effects nicely panned and imaged. Foley sound effects are prominent and perfectly synced with picture. Atmospherics reverberations enhance some of the settings. Sound effects are effectively scary and often supported with deep .1 LFE frequencies. The orchestral score is well recorded and occupies a wide and deep soundstage that aggressively extends to the surrounds. Surround energy is active throughout. Dialogue is intelligible with generally good spatial integration. This is a scary holosonic® soundtrack with plenty of screams and sound effects excitement. (Gary Reber)



Both tracks offer excellent fidelity and rather wide dynamic range, but the surround track significantly opens up the placement of ambient environmental effects (as might be predictable, a lot of the film takes place outside during Halloween festivities) and perhaps especially with regard to Douglas Pipes' rather evocative score. As Ken noted in his review of the Warner release, things tend to be a bit front heavy quite a bit of the time, but there is engagement of the side and rear channels in some notable moments (outdoor scenes with revelers, the big schoolbus sequence), and Pipes' score resides quite winningly in the surround channels. Dialogue is always rendered cleanly and clearly and there are no problems with regard to age related wear and tear, distortion or other damage