Trick r' Treat (2007)

Happy Halloween! What better film to review on such a holiday other than “Trick r’ Treat”!? This film is perhaps the best anthology ever made, rivaling even the original “Creepshow”. This movie blends the various story arcs in and out of each other with ample ease and grace, and it takes several viewings of this movie to catch all of the subtle details. Each story arc is solid and entertaining, a rare thing to find in an anthology; this might be because the writer and director are the same person, Michael Dougherty, instead of having a writer and possible director for each story. A sequel was recently announced!

One storyline is about a couple returning from various Halloween festivities. They are seen all around town throughout the other stories. Emma hates the holiday and is ready to be done with it while Henry loves it. While Henry is getting ready for bed and sexy-time, Emma is outside taking down decorations. While doing so, she is attacked and killed and when she doesn’t come back in, Henry goes out and finds her mutilated corpse hanging from a scarecrow.

The next story is about a Principal Wilkins who teaches a troubling making child to follow the rules of Halloween. This story has a brief introduction of Principal Wilkins neighbor, Mr. Kreeg.

The third storyline is about a group of teens who gather carved jack-o-lanterns and bring them to an old rock quarry. Here, local legend has it that a bus driver was bribed to drive eight troubled special-needs children off the cliff, but no one knows for sure whatever happened to the bus driver. While there, a prank gets goes terribly wrong and the teens must pay the price.

The fourth storyline is about Laurie, a 22 year old virgin who is being pressured by her older sister and her friends to find someone for the night. While the other girls are having fun at a party, Laurie meets a killer dressed as a vampire, but little does he know….

The final story arc is about Principal Wilkins neighbor, the hermit-like Mr. Kreeg. He hates everything, including Halloween, so when the spirit of the holiday arrives in the embodiment of Sam, the two go head to head. If only Mr. Kreeg knew the rules of the holiday as well as his neighbor!

Apt Pupil (1998)

"Apt Pupil" is in the similar vein as "Misery", a horror movie that explores the horrors that can be found in human nature. There is a violent murder that occurs at the end of the second act but the film foes not revolve around this event; the horrors found within this film includes an unhealthy obsession with those who committed atrocities during World War 2.It also deals with multiple cases of blackmail and the very serious allegations that are held over the characters' heads. This was the third major film directed Bryan Singer and had an impressive cast lead by Ian McKellen who appeared with horror actors such as James Karen ("Poltergeist" and "Return of the Living Dead"), Elias Koteas ("The Prophecy"), Bruce Davidson ("Lords of Salem" and "Dahmer"), and Joshua Jackson ("Cursed" and "Urban Legends"). Bryan Singer would work with both Ian McKellan and Bruce Davidson in the "X-Men" films.

Todd Bowen is a disturbed young man who has an unhealthy obsession with the Holocaust and the atrocities that the Nazi regime committed. Todd discovers that an elderly neighbor is a former member of the SS and is a wanted war criminal. Todd complies enough evidence to prove to the police that this old man, Arthur Denker, is actually Kurt Dussander. Todd then blackmails Arthur into telling him stories in full detail about his time at the extermination camps and everything that happened there. Todd even buys an old SS uniform and makes Arthur model it and march in his kitchen. Arthur gets the upper hand when Todd asks him to pose as his grandfather and talk to a guidance councilor when his grades sharply fall. Arthur blackmails Todd to improve his grades or else he'll tell Todd's parents about their son's obsession. Arthur blackmails Todd again when he claims that he has a safe deposit box at a bank that contains a twelve page confession of Arthur and Todd's unique relationship. Things begin to fall apart when Arthur attempts to kill a homeless transient who saw him wearing his SS uniform. During the attempted murder, Arthur has a heart attack and calls Todd for help but locking Todd in the basement with the wounded man. Todd finishes what Arthur started and calls the medics. While in the hospital, Arthur's roommate recognizes Arthur from the War and contacts the police. Arthur's secret is revealed and Todd is able to convince everyone that he never knew who Arthur really was. The final act of blackmail takes place when Todd's guidance councilor threatens to tell the police that Todd does know who Arthur was; Todd is able to turn the tables and make his own threats to take the councilor down with him by telling everyone that the councilor is a pederast.