News

For those who missed out on Red Shirt Pictures and Synapse Films’ Trick or Treat limited edition 4K Uhd — which sold out of all 6,666 copies in record time — a standard edition is coming on March 11, 2025.

It’s been newly restored in 4K from the original 35mm camera negative, approved by director of photography Robert Elswit (There Will Be Blood), with Dolby Vision. Lossless DTS-hd Master Audio of the original 2.0 theatrical mix and an all-new 5.1 surround sound mix are included.

Marc Price and Tony Fields star in the 1986 Halloween slasher with special appearances by heavy metal icons Gene Simmons and Ozzy Osbourne.

Charles Martin Smith (Air Bud) directs from a script written by Michael S. Murphey, Joel Soisson (Dracula 2000), and Rhet Topham (976-Evil).

Special Features include:

Audio commentary with director Charles Martin Smith, moderated by filmmaker Mark Savage Rock & Shock: The Making of Trick or Treat – New retrospective with director Charles Martin Smith,...

We found out last year that the 1986 rock ‘n roll horror film Trick or Treat, one of my all-time favorite movies, would be getting a Blu-ray and 4K Uhd release from Synapse Films. They were originally aiming for a Halloween 2023 release, but since they missed that month they ended up giving the movie a limited edition release last month. Those 6,666 units sold out so fast, with fans crashing the Synapse Films website along the way, that the company has now wisely decided to put together a standard edition of the Blu-ray and 4K Uhd release as well. Today, they announced that the street date for the standard edition is March 11th.

Directed by Charles Martin Smith from a screenplay by Rhet Topham, Joel Soisson, and Michael S. Murphey (with an uncredited polish from the Final Destination duo of James Wong and Glen Morgan), Trick or Treat has the following synopsis:...

After a generic DVD run and Blu-rays released outside the U.S. market under the name Ragman, Synapse Films has answered the prayers of many horror-metal fans with the recent 4K release of 1986’s Trick or Treat. Having “No Wimps” and “No False Metal,” this film is considered by many to be the quintessential heavy metal horror flick, partially thanks to a perfectly apropos soundtrack provided by the band Fastway.

After constantly being harassed by the cool kids at his high school, Eddie Weinbauer aka “Ragman” finds solace in listening to the music of his idol Sammi Curr to get through the abuse. Not only is he a famous heavy metal star, but Curr is also an alum at Eddie’s high school where he became an outcast-made-good into metal stardom. And this is why Eddie feels a faux bond and extreme idolization for Curr since he believes they share the same origin story,...

Trick Or Treat Limited Edition 4K Uhd + Blu-ray: "From the early days of DVD, one movie more than any other has been requested by horror fans and metal heads all over: Charles Martin Smith’s heavy metal horror classic Trick Or Treat. A box office disappointment that found a wide following on home video and cable in the 80s and 90s, it’s been curiously out of reach to fans, who would rely on dubious DVDs and imports to get their Halloween heavy horror treat. Now, Red Shirt Pictures and Synapse Films are finally bringing the much-anticipated Trick Or Treat to your door in a definitive Limited Edition 4K Uhd/Blu-ray that will make every day Halloween for horror fanatics and headbangers!

Rock ‘n’ roll will never die, in this 1980s cult favorite that stars Marc Price (Family Ties) as Eddie Weinbauer, a teenage outcast who idolizes Sammi Curr (Tony Fields), a heavy metal superstar.

We found out last year that the 1986 rock ‘n roll horror film Trick or Treat, one of my all-time favorite movies, will be getting a Blu-ray and 4K Uhd release from Synapse Films. They were originally aiming for a Halloween 2023 release, but since they missed that month they’re bringing this gift to the world this month instead. Pre-orders can now be made through the Synapse Films website, DiabolikDVD, and Orbit DVD – and copies are expected to start shipping out next week! This release is limited to just 6,666 units with a suggested retail price of $66.66, and as of right now there are no plans for a standard edition release.

Synapse will not be shipping outside of North America, but DiabolikDVD and Orbit DVD will accept international orders.

Directed by Charles Martin Smith from a screenplay by Rhet Topham, Joel Soisson, and Michael S. Murphey (with an uncredited polish from the...

Rock ‘n’ roll never dies. Sometimes, it even gets a second life. At least that’s the case for 1986 cult horror favorite Trick or Treat, as Synapse Films has delivered a surprise Halloween treat by launching preorders for the horror film’s 4K world premiere.

The limited special edition 4K release of Trick or Treat is strictly limited to a total of 6666 units!

The good news is that preorders are open now, with the release shipping as soon as next week, October 27.

The first feature from award-winning filmmaker Charles Martin Smith (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”), the film featured a cast of soon to be household names including Marc Price (“Family Ties”) and Doug Savant (“Melrose Place”). Alongside rock icons Gene Simmons and Ozzy Osbourne, Trick or Treat blends the best of the 1980s metal scene with the decade’s tongue and cheek take on the genre.

If you’ve never...

We found out last year that the 1986 rock ‘n roll horror film Trick or Treat, one of my all-time favorite movies, will be getting a Blu-ray and 4K Uhd release from Synapse Films. They were originally aiming for a Halloween 2023 release, but since they missed that month they’re now aiming to get the Blu-ray and 4K out into the world by Halloween 2024 – and things are looking promising, as the case art and list of special features have now revealed!

The case art images come our way from Dawn of the Discs:

Slip art for the upcoming Synapse Films/Red Shirt Pictures 4K/Blu-ray release of Trick or Treat #FilmTwitter #Bluray #Horror #HorrorCommunity #4KUltraHD #4K pic.twitter.com/h7MmWMefCP

— Dawn of The Discs (@dawnofthediscs) May 31, 2024

And the list of special features was announced on a Spooky Picture Show livestream. Here’s what fans have to look forward to seeing...

Horror trends ebb and flow, but slashers never truly go out of style.

Take the recently debuted trailer for the upcoming A24 horror movie MaXXXine, for example. There’s something oddly comforting about the slasher subgenre, beholden to its rules and its commitment to racking up an impressive body count, that we just can’t get enough of. So, this week’s streaming picks belong to one of the most beloved subgenres of horror.

Only this time, because the slasher subgenre is vast and endless with no shortage of hidden gems, we’re highlighting five underseen slashers you may not have watched yet.

Here’s where you can stream them this week.

For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.

Death Spa – AMC+, Plex, Shudder, Tubi, Vudu

Also known as Witch Bitch in Europe, this wacky ‘80s slasher movie takes aim at the decade’s fitness craze in the most entertaining way.

The 1986 rock ‘n roll horror film Trick or Treat, one of my all-time favorite movies, is getting a Blu-ray and 4K Uhd release (and possibly a new DVD release) from Synapse Films. We’re still waiting to hear a release date for that, as obviously the company wasn’t able to meet the hoped-for October release window – but while we wait for the special physical media release, Trick or Treat is set to making its streaming debut on the Screambox service this Friday, October 27th! Just in time for Halloween viewing!

Directed by Charles Martin Smith from a screenplay by Rhet Topham, Joel Soisson, and Michael S. Murphey (with an uncredited polish from the Final Destination duo of James Wong and Glen Morgan), Trick or Treat has the following synopsis: This mesmerizing horror adventure takes you into the terrifying dark side of rock’n’roll. Marc Price (Family Ties) stars as Eddie Weinbauer,...

Last week, we heard the awesome news that the 1986 rock ‘n roll horror film Trick or Treat, one of my all-time favorite movies, is getting a Blu-ray and 4K Uhd release (and possibly a new DVD release) from Synapse Films. A specific date for this release has not yet been announced, just that they’re hoping to get it out into the world by the end of 2023 – and ideally, of course, it would be out in October. Synapse Films is collaborating with Michael Felsher of Red Shirt Pictures on this release, and now Felsher has revealed some details to Rue Morgue, confirming that we can expect to see a documentary, a commentary, and interviews on the disc.

Directed by Charles Martin Smith from a screenplay by Rhet Topham, Joel Soisson, and Michael S. Murphey (with an uncredited polish from the Final Destination duo of James Wong and Glen Morgan), Trick or Treat...

The 1986 rock ‘n roll horror film Trick or Treat is one of my all-time favorites, but since the VHS era it has only gotten a barebones DVD release (which is available for a high price Here) and a Blu-ray in Germany. So this ranks high as some of the coolest news I’ve seen lately: Synapse Films is putting together a Blu-ray and 4K Uhd release (and possibly a new DVD release) of Trick or Treat that they’re hoping to send out into the world by the end of 2023!

Full details on the release aren’t available at this time, as they’re too early in the process, but Synapse Films is collaborating with Michael Felsher of Red Shirt Pictures to make sure it’s the best it can be. The livestream announcement can be viewed on Facebook.

Directed by Charles Martin Smith from a screenplay by Rhet Topham,...

The cult horror movie Trick or Treat is coming back to life here in 2023 with a brand new 4K Ultra HD Special Edition, officially announced by Synapse Films this week.

The upcoming release will be packed with exclusive bonus content from Red Shirt Pictures, and the 4K Uhd & Blu-ray Special Edition will feature a brand new 4K restoration.

Directed by Charles Martin Smith and starring Marc Price, Tony Fields, and Gene Simmons of Kiss fame, Trick or Treat tells the story of a high school outcast named Eddie Weinbauer, who is obsessed with heavy metal music and his favorite rockstar, Sammi Curr. When Sammi dies in a hotel fire, Eddie discovers a mysterious unreleased record that Sammi made before his death. As Eddie plays the record backwards, he unwittingly unleashes the vengeful spirit of Sammi, who returns from the dead to wreak havoc on the town and its inhabitants.

The team previews,...

Ozzy Osbourne, the Godfather of Metal, may be most famous for his legendary contributions to the music genre, but the Prince of Darkness has also acted in a handful of movies. He's far from the first rock star to do so, but his choice of roles prove his sense of humor and knack for camp. Folks may recognize him from his cameos in comedies like "Austin Powers in Goldmember" and "Little Nicky," or voice cameos in "Gnomeo & Juliet" and "Trolls 2: World Tour," but earlier on he appeared in the lesser-known 1986 heavy metal horror film "Trick or Treat."

Not to be confused with the 2007 Halloween-themed anthology "Trick 'r Treat," "Trick or Treat" is a tongue-in-cheek relic of a time when conservative commentators were denouncing metal music as a serious threat to the public order. The story follows high school metalhead Eddie Weinbauer, played by Marc Price, and his quest...

A new episode of The Arrow in the Head Show has just been released, and in this one our hosts John “The Arrow” Fallon and Lance Vlcek have been joined by special guest Chris Margetis – writer and star of The Manson Brothers Midnight Zombie Massacre (read our review Here) – for a conversation about one of my personal favorites, the 1986 horror film Trick or Treat (which is available for a high price Here.) This is a movie I have previously written a Best Horror Movie You Never Saw video about, and if you want to hear what The Arrow, Lance, and Chris Margetis have to say about it, check out the video embedded above!

Directed by Charles Martin Smith from a screenplay by Rhet Topham, Joel Soisson, and Michael S. Murphey (with an uncredited polish from the Final Destination duo of James Wong and Glen Morgan), Trick or Treat has the...

I’ll confess. I have a real mushy soft spot for Heavy Metal music. Back in the ‘80s, in my teen years, my buddy Nick and I would crank the latest from Kiss, Scorpions, Judas Priest, Cinderella, etc. And there’s something specifically about Metal tailored to teenagers – that heightened sense of drama we feel at that age, the hormonal urges, and the need to push back against ‘society’. (Right – but please give us our allowances to consume products, okay?)

But Metal also equated with power, which was aligned with evil, and before long, many parents came up with the notion that Metal was Satan’s music. (Is the Pmrc still a thing? Brr.) Well, marketing is marketing, and few Metal bands fought the label (hell, some even embraced it). So it seemed the timing was right for that satanic safe haven, the Horror Film, to meet up with the...

Frank Browning Banner So You Think You Can Dance 2: Electric Boogaloo! Brobocop here, Back Online. Back On Duty. I had a lot of fun slapping together the first entry of So You Think You Can Dance, so I beefed things up a bit this time around. I also took note of some suggestions in the comments section here and on Facebook. So hopefully there’s a little bit for everybody! With that being said, let’s all get on our dancing shoes and get to it, shall we!?

7) Hank Blaine in Creepshow

File this under “That face is gonna get ya laid!” What a riot. Unfortunately, this magic only goes on for about 20 seconds, but it is a damn great 20 seconds. That’s about all I have to say for this one!

6) Bud in Chud II: Bud the Chud

File this under “Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dancing!” Truth be told,...

By Erin Lashley, MoreHorror.com

In the 80s, rock music and horror movies went together like acid washed jeans and feathered hair. The trouble is, even though many horror movies had awesome rock soundtracks, the movies that specifically featured rock musician characters as heroes or villains varied wildly in quality. Although the rock horror movie has mostly gone the way of the 80s, I’m not sure any other type of music will ever have such a successful love affair with horror. I can’t picture people turning up for a movie called Pop Divas of the Apocalypse, or Death by Dubstep, or even Bloody Pit of Techno Bastards. But what do I know? I’m still stuck in the 80s. Here are 10 of the movies that are stuck with me.

Rocktober Blood (1984)

Billy (Tray Loren) is a rock star, and also kind of an a-hole, so nobody is real...

Joel Soisson, who was a producer on the 1986 horror pic Trick or Treat (not to be confused with Michael Dougherty's Trick 'r Treat ), tells Moviehole he would be interested in doing a remake. "I am actually kind of interested in a remake," Soisson said. "Problem is, like Bill and Ted which we made around the same time for DeLaurentiis Entertainment group, the rights have been sold and resold from that now defunct company to the point it would take the FBI to puzzle it out. But your reader has inspired me to try. Something in the headbanger's eternal struggle still resonates." The original starred Gene Simmons, Ozzy Osbourne, Marc Price, Tony Fields and Lisa Orgolini.