Frightfest 2017: The Terror of Hallow’s Eve Review

[froodle]

Old school eighties horror makes a return in Terror of Hallow’s Eve, a story of a bullied young man whom accidentally calls forth a monster on Halloween.thanks

Special effects wizard Todd Tucker steps behind the camera to tell this semi-autobiographical tale of a tormented teen whom gets vengeance on his bullies with the help of a mysterious creature. Set in 1981, The Terror of Hallow’s Eve follows loner Tim (Caleb Thomas) on one fateful Halloween night. Tim lives with his mother and has a reputation in the neighbourhood as being the weird kid. He’s deemed weird because of his obsession with the macabre; he spends his days sculpting monsters and designing scary special effects. Events come to a head on Halloween after Tim pops into the local shop to buy the latest copy of Fangoria magazine, and he is set upon by the local jock. After being badly beaten, Tim races home angry and upset. He locks himself in his workroom and begins sculpting, at which point he meets The Trickster (Doug Jones) whom offers to help take care of the bullies. The pair then turn the tables on Tim’s tormentors as they’re all in for their scariest Halloween yet…

The Terror of Hallow’s Eve begins with the ‘based on true events’ tag; given that the film involves a malicious demonic monster being called forth, that boast may sound a little strange. In reality the truth is contained within the opening third of the film. Director Todd Tucker was indeed the victim of a vicious and unprovoked attack as a youngster. With Terror he gets to finally get his own back on his attackers, whilst at the same time offering catharsis for victims everywhere. The autobiographical angle makes that portion of the film really strong, Tucker doesn’t embellish or sugar-coat what happens, it simply unfolds.

Set in the 80’s, Terror embraces everything that made horror films of that era great – practical effects, crazy creatures, and a John Carpenter soundtrack. The filmmakers managed to get permission from the great man himself so portions of the score will sound very familiar. The practical effects are stunning, you would expect nothing less from a man who has made a career in the industry, but there are some very intricate creations on display. The stand-out doesn’t appear until towards the end, but it’s a warped semi-homage to the Giger; it’s suitably grotesque and may cause nightmares.

What starts serious and upsetting morphs into something magical, twisted, and strangely fun. It’s reminiscent of Eerie Indiana and Gremlins, and there’s something about how the Trickster materialises that feels very Labyrinth; basically it’s a winner. An 80’s throwback to its core, The Terror of Hallow’s Eve taps into a strong vein of nostalgia. If you’re a fan of the good old days of this genre film, you’re going to love this one!