I’ve been meaning to write about Trick or Treat (1986) for quite some time now. Not only is it the ultimate amalgamation of heavy metal and horror, it was always the singular coming-of-age flick that spoke to me most as a budding young rocker. I’m a lifer, meaning I picked up a penchant for heavy tunes at the ripe age of 3 upon witnessing David Lee Roth gyrate all over the place in the ‘Hot For Teacher’ video. Heavy metal has been my constant companion as I’ve navigated my youth and beyond, and for those of y’all that share a similar history, I’m sure you can attest to the inevitable shit y’all were put through by non-headbangers. Metal wasn’t cool when I was a kid, not in the slightest. I was relentlessly bullied, my nickname was ‘Megadeth’ and folks thought I bathed in my own blood. It didn’t get my goat by any stretch of the imagination – I’ve always been incredibly secure in who I am as a person, and I’ve never given a shit if others didn’t like it. In the words of Lizzy Borden, “I’m an outcast! Free at last!”

I bring up this personal anecdote because it essentially serves as the focal point of Trick or Treat (1986). Eddie ‘Ragman’ Weinbauer (Marc Price) is a young headbanger, therefor total social outcast at his high school. We watch him get viciously bullied – I’m talkin’ almost to the point of manslaughter, but none of this matters ’cause he comes home to his own little heavy metal dungeon filled with Judas Priest and Twisted Sister posters. Y’all having flashbacks yet, or is that just me?

Though enough love to disperse across the vast boards of the metal realm, we all have our favourites – Alice Cooper is mine, Ragman’s is another (fictitious) shock rocker by the name of Sammi Curr (Tony Fields). Much like my weirdo shrine to Dolph Lundgren tucked away in my basement, Ragman has posters of Sammi strewn about every single nook and cranny of his fortress, never allowing him to stray far from the mind. As is the case with many of us devotees, the rug is ruthlessly swept from under Ragman’s feet upon learning about the sudden death of his beloved idol. Now, I know grief materializes in strange ways… But man, Eddie, why did you have to rip that Judas Priest black light poster completely IN HALF? This total destruction of so many priceless heavy metal relics is easily the most difficult scene to consume in all of cinematic history, I will accept no arguments at this time. Thank you.

I know I’m givin’ y’all a play-by-play, but I have to. It is my duty as your elected Heavy Horror guide, ya dig? Now, after this harrowing assault on his heavy metal palace, Eddie goes and visits one of his only pals – A local radio DJ coolly named ‘Nuke’, played by none other than Gene Simmons himself. As luck would have it, Nuke has the only copy of Sammi’s last record, and though he is instructed to play it at midnight on Halloween, he decides to be a dear and hook Ragman up. ‘He would’ve wanted you to have this’ – Likely true, as we are soon to find out.

What makes metal music even more evil, you ask? Subliminal messaging. I won’t get into the whole Judas Priest ‘Better By You, Better Than Me’ bit right this second – That is a whole ‘nother can of worms, but I’ll be sure to do it later. Moral of the story, straight-laced folks like to believe that Satan speaks when you play heavy shit backwards. This principle is at play here, however rather than Satan speakin’, you’ve just got one pissed off, dead rocker. The return of Sammi Curr!

The rest of the film is spent watching Sammi travel by radio waves to seriously fuck shit up. That being said, the body count here isn’t all that high – Truthfully, one of the only folks I recall meeting their end is the unfortunate soul dressed like Humpty Dumpty at the school dance. Despite this, this movie is still pretty damn dark and oozes that kinda occultism Christian parents were so spooked by in the ’80s.

I’m sure y’all are familiar with the soundtrack, especially if you’re into this kinda music – I gotta mention though, it is a bit of a double-edged sword. On one hand, it literally is all killer, no filler. My only bone of contention concerns Blackie Lawless – He nearly nabbed the role of Sammi, however upon being told he’d have to lip sync to Fastway, he declined the offer. Man, like… I don’t know how to even process this information. Y’know, the film is perfect as is – I’d have a hard time imagining it with any other tunes, and Tony Fields undoubtedly is iconic, embodying the role of Sammi effortlessly… But… Just imagine… Blackie Lawless… All W.A.S.P. soundtrack… Maybe in an alternate universe this exists? Maybe it’d be too good to even bring to fruition? Who knows, but the possibilities will surely haunt me forever.

Regardless of what could’ve been, I will forever appreciate what this film is in actuality, and the role it has played throughout my life. Y’know, I think when you become totally enamoured by the content you ingest, whether it be film, music, art, whatever, it becomes an extension of yourself… You see this in Ragman, hence why I related so hard when I was a tater tot. I’m eternally grateful for my father, who not only put me onto this flick, but heavy metal itself. In the words of Suicide from Return of the Living Dead (1985) “You think this is a fucking costume? This is a way of life!”

This has probably come off as a complete and total fluff piece, but I suppose that is okay from time to time. Y’know, I had initially slated this as a face-off kinda thing against Brainscan (1994), but nothing compares to Trick or Treat (1986). Not a damn thing, I tell you!