Tales of Halloween (2015)

This 2015 horror anthology film features 10 tales taking place on Halloween night. What can I say? This had potential, but could've been better and only had a couple decent stories. Also, it seems like there's more silly than scary moments. Adrienne Barbeau (The Fog), Barry Bostwick (The Rocky Horror Picture Show), Lin Shaye (Insidious), Felissa Rose (Sleepaway Camp), Robert Rusler (A Nightmare on Elm Street 2), John Landis (An American Werewolf in London) and Joe Dante (The Howling) make appearances. I'd view this at least once only if you're into Halloween or horror.

The only spoiler in this review is that this movie sucks. I wish I had that spoiler before I wasted my night on it. It's basically some douche watched Trick R Treat and thought, "Hey, that doesn't look too hard," and then made a ***crud*** movie. Trick R Treat is an 8. This is a 2 at best. I wouldn't ever stoop to padding my comment to reach the minimum length, but this trashpile is lucky I've wasted 6 lines and 48 seconds even mentioning it. Ugh.

This is my first time reviewing a movie on this site. I disliked this film so much, I feel the need to warn others to stay away. As a disclaimer: I am a fan of classic horror films, as well as more modern horror films and bad b-movie type of movies. There is nothing charming about this set of short films. They are not scary, they are not funny. They are not creative or even very interesting. Despite there being 10 short films to watch, only a handful of times did I find myself actually engaged with the characters and story lines. Here is a run down of events as best I can remember them (keeping in mind I watched this movie just 3 hours ago.) Sweet Tooth - Two uninteresting teens tell a slasher ghost story to a little boy. The story (for the first time ever, apparently, despite this story being a "rite of passage" and town legend) comes true. Characters make bad choices, and the viewer is left more confused than entertained. The Night Billy Raised Hell - A neighbor plays a prank of Halloween night. This segment was meant to be funny, but all of the sound effects and horny devils came across as more cringe inducing and bizarre than actually hilarious. Also there is a strange and inexplicable cameo from America's Next Top Model Adrien Curry.Trick - Seemingly chill adults are terrorized on Halloween Night. This one left me yelling at my television set as adults try to hide in very small corners and fall drunkenly into pools. I feel this would have been better done if the attackers were the main characters. Again, I was left more confused overall because even though I could see what the director was trying to say, it wasn't done effectively. The Weak and The Wicked - Western styled. Arsonists. Cool costume design. One of the more engaging films of the series, but still eye-roll inducing. Grim Grinning Ghost - After hearing a ghost story, a woman is afraid to travel home alone at night. I appreciated this one. Things were set up nicely, and almost every set up had a pay off. Solid premise, if more classic story telling. Ding Dong - This one was ... interesting. A woman wants to have a baby. Oh boy, does she REALLY want to have a baby. The husband grapples with his wife's desires. Ovens are involved. And silly blonde wigs. The overall premise was enjoyable and I liked the costume work and creepy imagery. Unfortunately again, this one was a muddled attempt that ultimately felt under-done. Maybe if given more time overall (and less screen time devoted to flashes of red face paint) it could have been stronger. This Means War - I liked this one. Simple premise, reliable narrative, engaging ending. Friday The 31st - This segment made me and my watching partner very, very angry. While the other short films had so far been mostly boring, confusing or underwhelming, this one was so stupid it made my blood boil. No logic here. Just cheap callbacks to beloved horror movies like The Evil Dead, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, etc. poorly done and thrown together for kicks. This was a joke between friends that was taken too far and allowed onto the screen. The Ransom Of Rusty Rex - Plot twists and kidnappings. Enjoyable, amusing, somewhat gross. One of the better segments, well acted compared to other bits. Bad Seed - Ugh. Spare me! By this point I was just waiting for the movie to be over. I'd come too far to really stop now. The effects were cool, and the premise was a strong one, but I was emotionally drained and stupefied by and hour and a half of horrible Halloween "fun".I would highly suggest saving your money and your sanity and choosing to watch literally ANY other film this Halloween. Seriously. Anything else.

Divided in ten segments by ten different directors, "Tales of Halloween" is an entertaining horror–comedy film in the style of "Tales from the Crypt" with the theme of Halloween. 1st) "Sweet Tooth": A boy collects candies in the Halloween, and his babysitter and her boyfriend tells the legend of an evil being that has sweet tooth and kills those who do not share candies with him. They eat the boy's candies and discover the truth about the legend. This tale is funny and gore. My vote is six.2nd) "The Night Billy Raised Hell": a boy dressed like a devil is forced by his sister and her boyfriend to throw an egg at the house of a secluded man. However the man is the devil and he teaches how to create havoc in the Halloween night. This tale is also funny because of the devil's tricks and has a surprising end. My vote is seven.3rd) "Trick": a group of drugged and drunken friends are attacked by kids that ring the bell and break in their house. Why are they under attack? This gory tale has an intriguing screenplay with a surprising end. My vote is six.4th) "The Weak and the Wicked": a gang led by a teenage girl bullies a teenager and he summons a demon. The three bullies hunt him down and he run to the place where his house and his parents had been burned to ashes by the gang. This dark tale of revenge is too short and could be a little longer, but with a surprising end. My vote is five.5th) "Grim Grinning Ghost": a young woman goes to a Halloween party at her mother's home that tells a story of a fiend. When she goes home, her car breaks and she has to walk home. She startles with footsteps and a laugh behind her on the street. Could it be the evil spirit? This tale has a creepy atmosphere and a scary conclusion. My vote is six.6th) "This Means War": a man discovers that his wife is a witch that likes to eat children. This tale is silly and one of the weakest of this anthology. My vote is five.7th) "This Means War": a man is proud of his Halloween decoration that attracts many viewers. However his new neighbor with his friends dispute with him the best decoration and they begin a war. This tale is a tragic comedy with a stupid situation. My vote is five.8th) "Friday the 31st": a disfigured serial-killer confronts an alien that possesses the body of one of his victims. This silly tale is a parody of Friday the 13th but the fight between Jason and the alien does not work well. My vote is five.9th) "The Ransom of Rusty Rex": two thieves abduct the son of a wealthy man o ask for ransom. However the man refuses to pay and the men have a surprise. This tale is certainly the best one with a great twist. My vote is eight.10th) "Bad Seed": a man carves a pumpkin that eats him. A skeptic detective has to hunt down the pumpkin and finds where it was produced. This tale is also great with a trash story. My vote is eight.Title (Brazil): Not Available