Skippy as a metalhead!

TRICK OR TREAT (1986)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

I am no fan of heavy metal music nor am I a fan of Marc Price. Therefore it seems unlikely both would be linked together in a movie. "Trick or Treat" has no tricks up its sleeve and is no delicious treat to sit through.

Marc Price plays Eddie Weinbauer, an introverted heavy-metal fan who is obsessed by one metalhead, Sammi Curr (Tony Fields). Curr dies in a hotel fire and now Eddie is devastated (he hears this news while writing a letter to him). Eddie feels Sammi is the only one that could understand him, and he is definitely right (both are from the same high school). The local DJ (creepily played by Gene Simmons) gives Eddie the only copy of Sammi's last record. But when Eddie plays the LP, he notices that there are hidden messages conveyed when the record is played backwards. The messages contain instructions on how to torment and kill all the school bullies that are hounding Eddie.

Though it has a good enough premise for a low-budget horror flick, the movie flounders after a nicely effective opening. Marc Price, formerly known as the nerdish, oblivious Skippy on TV's "Family Ties," is completely unbelievable as someone who would love heavy metal music, much less dance to it. His line readings in close-up shots reek of complete implausibility - he stares and winks while delivering jokey sentences. I am not surprised that Price has never gotten far beyond the confines of this disastrous horror pic - all I can say is that he has less charisma than on the TV show. He doesn't look like a heavy metal fan, and his long black hair and puppy dog eyes elicit zilch in terms of nuance or any emotion.

The movie flounders with many setpieces where Eddie confronts the bullies and is terminally tricked and embarrassed in front of the whole school (my favorite is when Eddie is thrown naked out of the shower into a women's gym class). A nice touch is seeing heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne play a reverend who considers heavy metal music immoral. I also like a bit involving a reptilian creature that has its way with a horny teenage girl in the backseat of the car (though I hope someone can enlighten me on what the creature has to do with the rest of the movie).

"Trick or Treat" has no wit, no surprise, no atmosphere and no scares. Trick and treating is probably more fun than watching this steaming pile of junk.