If Halloween isn’t rocking hard enough for you this year, Synapse Films has you covered. The distributor has just announced that they’re bringing the cult classic 1986 film Trick or Treat to life on physical media this fall. Available on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray, preorders for the long-unavailable movie will ship as early as next week, just in time for Halloween.
The directorial debut of veteran actor Charles Martin Smith, the cult film follows teenage outcast Eddie (Marc Price) who idolizes heavy metal superstar Sammi Curr (the late Tony Fields) — right up until his violent death, when the rocker dies a gnarly death and returns from the grave to help the kid get even with his bullies. It’s not all guitar riffs and rainbows though, as Eddie gets drawn into the world of occult to become the tool of Sammi’s vengeance against the living world and realizes he must stop the undead superstar before it’s too late.
Also starring Glen Morgan and Clare Toaro and featuring cameos by Ozzy Osbourne and KISS frontman Gene Simmons, Trick or Treat was largely ignored upon its release, disappointing at the box office and arriving to mixed reviews before developing a cult reputation in the years following. It’s been largely out of reach domestically as far as a physical release goes, and Synapse is finally giving it the release it deserves with a full slate of special features and additional goodies for headbanging horror fans.
The three-disc release will contain a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, a standard 1080p Blu-ray, and a CD of the film’s soundtrack, with three options for slipcase art, designed by Justin Osborn, Devon Whitehead, and Sean Longmore respectively. The release is limited to an auspicious 6,666 copies, with 2,222 available of each of the three slipcase designs, which also comes with an illustrated collector’s booklet featuring essays by Michael Gingold, Samm Deighan, and Michael Felsher, as well as six double-sided collector’s cards, and a double-sided fold out poster of Sammi Curr. The release is available only through Synapse Films and its distribution partners, Diabolik DVD and Orbit DVD, and includes the following special features:
- 4K restoration from the original 35mm camera negative mastered in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) and approved by Academy Award-winning Director of Photography Robert Elswit
- Lossless English DTS-HD Master Audio of the original 2.0 theatrical mix and an all-new 5.1 surround sound mix
- Audio commentary with director Charles Martin Smith, moderated by filmmaker Mark Savage
- Audio interviews with writer/producer Michael S. Murphey and writer Rhet Topham, moderated by film historian Michael Felsher
- Audio conversation with Paul Corupe and Allison Lang, authors of Satanic Panic: Pop-Cultural Paranoia in the 1980s.
- Rock & Shock: The Making of TRICK OR TREAT – An all-new retrospective featuring director Charles Martin Smith, actors Marc Price, Glen Morgan, Elise Richards, and Larry Sprinkle, writer/producer Joel Soisson, costume designer Jill Ohanneson, assistant set costumer Francine Decoursey, construction foreman Tom Jones, Jr., special make-up effects artist Everett Burrell, music executive producer Stephen E. Smith, composer Christopher Young, and a special appearance by Gene Simmons
- In The Spotlight: A Tribute to Tony Fields, featuring interviews with the late actor’s family and friends
- Horror's Hallowed Grounds: The Filming Locations of TRICK OR TREAT with Sean Clark
- “After Midnight” music video
- Gallery of Theatrical Trailers, TV Spots and Radio Spots
- Still Gallery featuring optional audio interview with the film's still photographer Phillip V. Caruso
- Vintage electronic press kit
All three versions of Trick or Treat are available now for pre-order through Synapse’s website, as well as Diabolik DVD and Orbit DVD. Check out the slipcover art and special additions down below:
