Rockin’ Cult Classic Trick or Treat Is Coming to Streaming for Halloween

Nothing against 2007 horror anthology Trick ‘r Treat—we all love a spooky kid with a pumpkin head. But its popularity has come to overshadow Trick or Treat, the 1986 tale of a cursed heavy metal record that features some rock-royalty cameos. Horns up: it’s been elusive online for some time, but Trick or Treat’s return to the spotlight has come, thanks to horror streamer Screambox.

io9 can exclusively reveal that Cineverse has acquired Trick or Treat for Screambox, ahead of the film’s much-anticipated 4K restoration as part of a UHD and Blu-Ray special edition release (coming soon from Synapse Films). It will begin streaming October 27, which means you can watch misfit teen Eddie Weinbauer (Marc Price, aka Skippy from Family Ties) mourn the untimely death of his idol, metal god Sammi Curr (Tony Fields), at least until he gets his hands on Sammi’s as-yet-unreleased final album—Songs in the Key of Death—thanks to a radio DJ played by Gene Simmons. Does Eddie discover hidden backwards messages in the music? Does a malevolent scheme emerge from beyond the grave? Does it all come to a head at a high-school Halloween dance? Does Ozzy Osbourne have a very brief cameo as a man of the cloth?

Yes. Yes to all of that, in a movie that manages to capitalize on the “Satanic Panic” vibes of the era while also celebrating the power of heavy metal, and having an excellent time with all of it. Trick or Treat, directed by Charles Martin Smith (who’s probably best-known as an actor, and pops up briefly here), was written by Michael S. Murphey (A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge), Joel Soisson (Dracula 2000), and Rhet Topham (976-EVIL, Freddy’s Nightmares). If you watch closely you’ll also spot Glen Morgan (The X-Files), Elaine Joyce (Motel Hell), and Doug Savant (Desperate Housewives) among the cast.

Look for Trick or Treat’s arrival on Screambox October 27; you can find the service on iOS, Android, Prime Video, YouTube TV, Comcast, Cox, and screambox.com. (Try not to stream it backwards, though!)

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