Ragman

Eddie Weinbauer (Marc Price), an awkward high school student, faces relentless bullying from the "cool" kids. Eddie retreats into his private world of heavy metal. When Eddie's idol, Sammi Curr (Tony Fields), is killed, Eddie is beyond devastated. Things seem as bleak and dark as they can get - until Eddie begins hearing Sammi's voice speaking directly to him on his latest album. It seems that Sammi doesn't want to be dead. He wants Eddie to help bring him back to life, regardless of how many people have to die.

It's difficult for me to explain my reasoning, but I've always found Trick or Treat an effective little horror film. For whatever reason, it creeps me out. It might be the demonic nature of the subject matter or Tony Fields' incredibly effective performance or the atmosphere director Charles Martin Smith creates - I'm not sure. Whatever, this is a film that fills me with a real sense of unease.

Another big plus for me as far as the film goes is the performance of Marc Price. It's hard to imagine Skippy from Family Ties giving a performance like this. You'd never know he was capable based on his time on television. He plays Eddie as a complicated, multi-layered character. He makes Eddie seem "real". Whether it's a scene where he's being bullied or a scene where he's defiant and confident with the strength he gets from Sammi or a scene where he's running scared, Price delivers. It's good stuff.

A couple of other things I'll mention before I end this: 1. Gene Simmons is fantastic. I've seen him do some other things, but here, he's really good. I can't, however, say the same for Ozzy. 2. I got a real kick out of seeing Elaine Joyce in the film as Eddie's mother. She was always a favorite of mine from the 1970s-era game-show circuit.

In TRICK OR TREAT, Marc Price plays the heavy metal kid with a calm, natural approach, opposed to the wild-eyed maniac one might expect.

Tormented relentlessly by asinine athletes, Marc finds his escape in metal star Sammi Curr. When Curr suddenly dies, Marc is left adrift in high school hell. Then, a DJ (Gene Simmons) gives him a copy of Curr's unreleased final album.

The next thing we know, the record is playing backward, a demon is released, and the fun begins!

This movie is especially meaningful if you were a metal fan in the 1980's, or if you were an outcast in school. It's humorous, as well as a bit poignant...

Sure the movie is cheesy, but that is part of its charm. My favourite line has to be when the one chick (I think her name was Genie Wooster) tells Eddie that he is creepy, and when he says he doesn't understand, she replies "If you weren't so creepy, you would know what I mean". The reason why I love this line so much is as follows: It reminds me (and I am sure many others) of stuck up people in high school who had the same attitude. I can think of one, in particular right now.

So despite the movie's lack of appeal to awards committees, it does have some great moments, and although it does not have mass appeal, I don't think that was its purpose. It reaches out to the lost children of the world by showing them that they are not alone.

Besides, it is just a fun movie. Where else will you get to see Ozzy Osbourne preach about the evils of heavy metal music?

Oh yeah: One person compared Sammi Curr to Alice Cooper, which isn't a bad comparison, but I am positive that he was modelled after Blackie Lawless of W.A.S.P. He had the same look and similar attitude, and just as Blackie was a big target of the PMRC, Sammi was a big target of the parents groups in Trick or Treat.

I would also highly recommend another cheesy 80s horror movie called "Basket Case".

TRICK OR TREAT is a fine example of Hollywood jumping on the "backwards messages in metal music" bandwagon that Tipper Gore and her Washington Wives kick-started in the mid-'80s (other, less successful entries in this mini-genre include the awful BLACK ROSES and silly THE GATE). I was a sophomore in high school when TRICK OR TREAT came out and couldn't wait to see it. It seemed to disappear from video stores by the end of the '80s, but I finally picked up a budget-priced DVD copy a short while ago and it brought back many pleasant metal memories from back in the day. Any teenage metal nerd could relate to the trials of Eddie "Ragman" Weinbauer (Marc Price of "Family Ties")in this film as he is persecuted by the preppie "beautiful" people in his high school for his heavy metal fashions and musical taste. Eddie's favorite rock star is Sammi Curr (who looks a lot like Tommy Lee of Motley Crue), who is killed in a hotel fire early in the movie. Eddie is inconsolable till he receives a test pressing of Sammi's final, unreleased album from a radio DJ (Gene Simmons of Kiss in a brief cameo). Eddie soon discovers that this LP, when played backwards, allows him to communicate with the undead spirit of Sammi Curr himself! Soon Sammi is giving Eddie advice on how to get even with his preppie torturers but when the messages escalate in scariness ("Waste'em ALL... no false metal!") Eddie tries to destroy the album, which results in Sammi coming back to life via Eddie's stereo speakers. Sammi rampages to the big dance at Eddie's high school and takes the stage to rock the crowd and disintegrate a few unlucky "false metallers" before Eddie arrives to save the day and the girl of his dreams. (SIGH) No, it's not terribly scary in 2006, it wasn't even scary in 1986, but TRICK OR TREAT is a movie that will bring a smile to the face of any 1980s metaller and has a kick-ass soundtrack courtesy of the cult band Fastway. Well worth seeking out if you've ever banged your head or have a taste for B-grade horror movies (or both, like me).

Okay here it goes. This is my favorite 80s horror flick EVER. This is the reason I am so obsessed with the genre. This is where the fascination started.

Let me explain why: Okay, here's this kid Eddie. Eddie is your typical 80s headbanger (you know, Motley Crue, W.A.S.P, Anthrax....you get the idea) except Eddie has a brain. Eddie(brilliantly portrayed by Marc Price) is the target for frequent bullying and public humiliation (see the locker room scene). He has exactly two friends and his only consolation comes from his music. His idol, Sammie Curr, happens to share the same hometown as Eddie and Eddie writes the guy (what seems to be) on a daily basis. Well, Sammie dies dies in a hotel fire and Eddie is naturally devastated. So, he goes to see his D.J. buddy "Nuke" (played by none other than Gene Simmons). Nuke sees how torn up the kid is over Sammy's death and gives him Sammie's last record which was never released. Nuke also tries to explain to the kid (apparantly Nuke knew Sammie in high school) that his idol wasn't such a nice guy. "He was always angry." Of course, this means nothing to Eddie. He is totally infatuated with the guy and he believes that the two have some sort of connection.

More humiliation and more torment follow Eddie until he finally plays the record. Upon playing the record backwards, he finds that he can communicate with Sammie's ghost. He also learns that Sammies is more than eager to help Eddie get revenge on the high school jocks who have made his life such a living hell. In a good way, Sammie gives Eddie the nerve to stick up for himself. Eddie also learns that Sammie is bent on wreaking havoc on the town that refused him the right to play in his home town years ago.

You see, this all leads to Eddie having to make a choice: Either turn on his idol OR save the town from mass destruction.

All in all, I give this cult classic a perfect 10. It is totally entertaining and has a very clever script. I especially liked all of the cameos. Gene Simmons as "Nuke" was awesome, Ozzy himself was great as a reverand who despises rock music, and Charles Martin Smith (you know, "Toad" from American Graffiti") he's here too. He was also the director.

There are many reasons to see this movie. The acting is good by the whole cast, there are some genuinely suspensful moments, there is some great humor, there is "the dweeb getting revenge on the jock" scenario, and the music kicks ass. It is also a great flick for anyone who was into the whole "80s metal" movement of the time. I whole heartedly recommend. When is this coming to DVD anyway?