While many people look at Halloween and immediately think of horror movies, there is another aspect to the holiday: candy. Kids get all dressed up in their Halloween costumes and head out with their bags and pumpkin baskets and yell trick or treat, hoping for the best in candy treats. In honor of Halloween, here are some of the best movies that have to do with the trick or treat aspects of the holiday.
“Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”
Forget about the Tim Burton version with Johnny Depp and head on back to watch the original 1971 musical starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. Both versions of the movie share the same storyline but there is something off-kilter about the original “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” that makes it a movie you have to see to believe.
Willy Wonka is the owner of a specialized candy company and hides five Golden Tickets in his Wonka Bars. Whoever finds these tickets get a tour of his factory and chocolate for life. The five kids who win the tickets get the tour but only one of them, Charlie, is a decent human being. The entire movie is a morality tale based in the world of chocolate bars. The movie was so popular that Wonka Bars have been sold ever since.
“Trick ‘R Treat”
While the first movie was all about candy, this movie earns its title from the event of trick or treating itself. In 2007, Michael Dougherty released this instant cult classic that shares the heart of old anthology horror movies like “Creepshow” and “Cat’s Eye.” Among the stories in this anthology, “Trick ‘R Treat” introduces the world to a new icon of horror named Sam, a little trick or treater wearing a burlap sack. The character weaves in and out of the stories, including a werewolf tale involving Anna Paquin (“True Blood”) and a serial killer played by Dylan Baker (“Spider-Man”). The movie also features Brian Cox as a grumpy old man and Leslie Bibb as a woman who doesn’t believe in superstition.
One of the most controversial of the stories is “The School Bus Massacre Revisited,” which feature a group of young kids investigating the site of an urban legend about the death of mentally challenged students in a school bus accident.
“Candyman”
Much like “Trick ‘R Treat,” the only thing “Candyman” has to do with Halloween is the title of the film. The difference is that most kids don’t want this type of candy during the haunted holiday. The movie is based on the old urban legend about Bloody Mary, where if you say the character’s name into a mirror three times, the villain comes to life to slay the person who uttered the name.
Tony Todd became a horror icon for his role in this movie. Unlike many slasher horror films, this one is almost operatic in structure, a tragedy where the murderous killer is delivered with pathos, making him sympathetic. At least he is sympathetic until he starts to kill everyone in sight. This is one movie that will make you scared to stand in front of the mirror and repeat the name Candyman.
Heading to the movies? Get an instant mobile coupon to use at select theaters for free popcorn!