Reviews of TRICK or TREAT! 205

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  Appraisal of TRICK or TREAT
  A review of TRICK or TREAT!
  by Dan Cassell on 02/08/2011
  TRICK OR TREAT was definitely a significant latter. What struck this reviewer was how well the piece was written; pacing was beautifully handled as the writer escalated the tension more or less perfectly over the course of the film. The transitions in emotion the female antagonist goes from, moving from concern for the boy/monsters welfare being out on his own, to annoyance... TRICK OR TREAT was definitely a significant latter.
  
  What struck this reviewer was how well the piece was written; pacing was beautifully handled as the writer escalated the tension more or less perfectly over the course of the film. The transitions in emotion the female antagonist goes from, moving from concern for the boy/monsters welfare being out on his own, to annoyance at to his persistent demands, then fear as he goes for a knife and finally outright terror ensure that this narrative is never anything less than engaging. The dialogue too was good, very good in fact, and if any moment/line encapsulated the comedy element of this comedy/horror, it was none more so than the exchange she has with the operator on the phone, which culminates on the perfectly delivered 'I don't have any candy!' line.
  
  The great script was given life by the excellent performances of the three characters. The girl was believable, and gave an accomplished performance, the boy/monster epitomised childlike menace in a way that was suitable to the tone of the piece, and the Police Officer/Vampire possessed the right amount of gravity and prescience his role required.
  
  If one had any gripes, it would probably be the scene where the woman flees the boy/monster when he pulls the kitchen knife. For a start suspension of disbelief took a hit when she heads upstairs, not down. Whilst it was necessary to keep the drama stoked, her inept choice was somewhat clichéd. The chase itself then plays out clumsily, almost in slow motion; her lack of pace getting up the stairs made it almost inconceivable, in these reviewers’ eyes, that the boy/monster couldn't get a stab in. Also, the police officer turning into a vampire is totally random, though it's not really a complaint, more of a surprise. That said, it does contribute to an excellent, rewarding payoff at the film end, and the gives the director a chance to show case his very good effects.
  
  A fabulous, tight little film with only a minor quibble or two, which is more than offset by the overall high standard of this film. One would imagine that a considerable effort went into it, and it really does show.
  
  Congratulations
  
  Dan Cassell read
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  Wow!
  A review of TRICK or TREAT!
  by Vincent_Caprelli on 01/27/2011
  What a tasty treat! I was blown away by this short film. You packed a lot into such a short time. Amazing job! The story was great, the acting was great, the sound was great, and the way it was filmed was awesome! I really look forward to seeing more of your work. This has to be one of my all time favorite shorts! I'm definitely going to tell people about it. I wish... What a tasty treat! I was blown away by this short film. You packed a lot into such a short time. Amazing job! The story was great, the acting was great, the sound was great, and the way it was filmed was awesome! I really look forward to seeing more of your work. This has to be one of my all time favorite shorts! I'm definitely going to tell people about it. I wish you the best on all future projects. read
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  What a Treat!
  A review of TRICK or TREAT!
  by BarksUk on 01/22/2010
  Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!.....What an amazing little film!.....Well done. This was brilliant, and as far as I'm concerned I have no constructive critcism of any kind, because simply I loved it! The idea was great and the turn it took with the Police officer was brilliant. I was scared and entertained throughout. The Director/Writer obviously has a nice eye on Horror, because the... Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!.....What an amazing little film!.....Well done.
  
  This was brilliant, and as far as I'm concerned I have no constructive critcism of any kind, because simply I loved it!
  
  The idea was great and the turn it took with the Police officer was brilliant. I was scared and entertained throughout. The Director/Writer obviously has a nice eye on Horror, because the tone was spot on!
  
  The acting was great and the pace was well done.
  
  I feel like this review is bit pointless, as I got this as an asignment, because I can't help with anything, but become a fan and say how much I enjoyed it!
  
  Well done! Brilliant! I will surely be recommending this to my friends read
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  Trick
  A review of TRICK or TREAT!
  by chessaol on 07/19/2009
  The story has continuity. The trick or treater from hell and then it happened. . . Sound was mostly good with adequate volume and mostly consistancy across edits. When the actor was far away from the camera microphone the sound got noticably lower. Film quality:Good. I am at odds to give this a good rating. The film was too dark. That is the fault of one of three things... The story has continuity. The trick or treater from hell and then it happened. . .
  
  Sound was mostly good with adequate volume and mostly consistancy across edits. When the actor was far away from the camera microphone the sound got noticably lower.
  
  Film quality:Good.
  I am at odds to give this a good rating. The film was too dark. That is the fault of one of three things.
  1. lighting, being inadequate.
  2. film, not able to perform under the lighting conditions.
  3. shooting quality, the filmer not familure enough with the camera to get an adequate performance from the equiptment.
  
  Giving due credit- the film was shot in focus and the scenes lacked movement blurr. The scenes were consistantly lit. That leaves only insufficient light or equiprment failure.
  
  I love lighting but in this case I suspect inexperience.
  
  
  read
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  treat
  A review of TRICK or TREAT!
  by lcrae29 on 04/23/2009
  I enjoyed watching this short film primarily because I am a fan of the dark, horror films. I liked the way the filmmaker plays with the lighting in certain scenes, especially in the scene where the kid cuts the phone line. The surprise at the end of the film gave the film a nice twist, which I wasn't expecting. The editing was well done, and the sound was nicely recorded,... I enjoyed watching this short film primarily because I am a fan of the dark, horror films. I liked the way the filmmaker plays with the lighting in certain scenes, especially in the scene where the kid cuts the phone line.
  The surprise at the end of the film gave the film a nice twist, which I wasn't expecting.
  The editing was well done, and the sound was nicely recorded, which plays a huge part in making a good film.
  Finally, the acting was good overall. read
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  Review of trick or treat
  A review of TRICK or TREAT!
  by Trinitylucan on 12/06/2008
  The storyline of the movie maintains a tense expectant atmosphere throughout. This heightens the excitement and is further enhanced by the unanswered questions such as - who is this kid? how far will he go? and of course what is going to happen next? This unpredictability keeps the viewer captured and interested. The lighting unfortunately was very poor. I couldn't make... The storyline of the movie maintains a tense expectant atmosphere throughout. This heightens the excitement and is further enhanced by the unanswered questions such as - who is this kid? how far will he go? and of course what is going to happen next? This unpredictability keeps the viewer captured and interested.
  
  The lighting unfortunately was very poor. I couldn't make out what was happening in some scenes. I really liked the effect of the swinging lightshade - great horror effect.
  
  I found the locations very dull - not much to look at (no offence to the homeowner!) just the scenes were lacking in visual appeal. This was compounded by the poor lighting.
  
  The acting was very good - convincing. A little slow at times but authentic.
  
  I'm not a fan of horror so personally I didn't like the throat-cutting, blood-drinking scene. Just seemed too weird to me.
  
  And I didn't get how the copper turned out to be a vampire but anyway, it was a good twist.
  
  Overall, great job - the story was intact and fully rounded off and the tension was held throughout.
  
  Gerry read
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  definitely a treat
  A review of TRICK or TREAT!
  by **DELETED ACCOUNT** on 11/12/2008
  I loved this. Let me just start by saying that. I like the story. I knew the kid wasn't going to ever just settle and I knew the police officer was up to no good, but I still loved it. It was really well acted, shot, edited, and lit. The way you put this together really put this over the top, in a very good way. Well done, and I hope to see more of your work in the future... I loved this. Let me just start by saying that.
  
  I like the story. I knew the kid wasn't going to ever just settle and I knew the police officer was up to no good, but I still loved it.
  
  It was really well acted, shot, edited, and lit. The way you put this together really put this over the top, in a very good way.
  
  Well done, and I hope to see more of your work in the future. read
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  WOW
  A review of TRICK or TREAT!
  by parusaca on 10/12/2008
  This is what I call a top notch "halloween" horror movie. Entertainment pure, with twsists, and the endless suspension. On top of that, top acting and make up. I was realy astound. Also the quality of the movie itself, picture and titles are very pro. I believe with this talent, getting a job as a director shouldn't be that difficult. Good luck.
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  trick or treat review
  A review of TRICK or TREAT!
  by roryscherer on 07/23/2008
  when i started watching trick or treat, it seemed like a comedy to me with the kid knocking on the door a couple times despite halloween being the day prior. then it took a turn to horror as he grabbed the knife in the kitchen and started chasing her around. with a cat-and-mouse theme, she turned the tables on him, then the film took another turn back to comedy as when she... when i started watching trick or treat, it seemed like a comedy to me with the kid knocking on the door a couple times despite halloween being the day prior. then it took a turn to horror as he grabbed the knife in the kitchen and started chasing her around. with a cat-and-mouse theme, she turned the tables on him, then the film took another turn back to comedy as when she was dragging him around inside the comforter, you could hear him screaming 'ouch' etc. which i thought was funny. then the film took another turn back to horror when the cop showed up who turned out to be a vampire. overall, i think it would have been best had it stuck to one genre. it is rare to have films cross over into many genres. the Scream franchise is one of those examples and this film appears to try follow in its footsteps. read
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  Good script idea and Good Look
  A review of TRICK or TREAT!
  by movie$$$ on 01/26/2008
  The look of your film was quite good meaning the editing cuts, angles and color. You had good movement with your actors flowing from room to room and framing action with doorways etc. The sound was pretty good also. To sound more professional you might want to add slight ambient sounds underneath the actors voices and in between dialogue. Good music choice/composition... The look of your film was quite good meaning the editing cuts, angles and color. You had good movement with your actors flowing from room to room and framing action with doorways etc.
  
  The sound was pretty good also. To sound more professional you might want to add slight ambient sounds underneath the actors voices and in between dialogue.
  
  Good music choice/composition. Your credits and texting looked nice.
  
  Interesting twist ending. Your actors also were pretty good, but slightly mechanical in delivering their lines. Perhaps a throatier voice on the kid?
  
  Since horror tends to be harder to pull off, shorter cuts can support your actors instead of long reaction shots. Especially in horror you can get away with choppier cuts when reaching the climax.
  
  Overall, not a bad film. read