‘Tales from the Darkside’ Retro Recap: ‘Trick or Treat’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

These days, it’s quite easy to settle in and find an anthology themed horror film or television show. Simply because creative minds in the horror biz know the value, they provide fans of scary stories with, and they are more than happy to indulge us in the wonder of bite sized tales of terror that pack a punch and rattle our souls. But while it is great to know that Shudder has these on tap and that other streamers and networks, and studios are ready to keep them coming… it wasn’t always this easy to find anthology horror stories. Because back in the day, the thought of offering up a smaller scale horror story was unheard-of and believed to be nothing more than a niche market for a handful of horror fans out there.
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But there was one horror anthology show that paved the way for Tales from the Crypt and Creepshow and all the other stories we now enjoy. For back in the 1980s, horror maestro George Romero, wondered if by chance an anthology show that provided real scares and featured incredible writing could pull in an audience and captivate them, and in 1983… he decided to try and answer that question by working with Richard P. Rubinstein to create Tales from the Darkside. A weekly anthology horror story that would air via syndication and both push the envelope and tear it with the scares and the gore, which was a huge deal in the ultra-conservative 80s, and well… we here at Nerds That Geek thought it was high time to properly re-examine this series from beginning to end and all the highs and lows it provided fans with, starting with the series premiere, ‘Trick or Treat’.

Which is in fact, a high for this series for several reasons. In part because of its high production values for 1983, and its compelling performances and eerie visuals. And of course, it doesn’t hurt at all that George A. Romero penned the screenplay himself and his masterful words and commentary provided us with a supremely engaging tale of terror. One that introduces us to a grizzled old miser named Gideon Hackles who terrorizes his hometown in quite the unique and relevant manner. For he is the richest man in town, and he’s happy to use that to his advantage. Because he uses his vast resources to put the town in his debt, wherein he can hold great power over everyone and tease them and manipulate them and the only hope these people have of being free from his brand of cruelty… is through his Halloween shenanigans.

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Because on Samhain’s special night, he allows for the children of the town to enter his home with one goal in mind… to find the paperwork outlining the debt of their parents and if they do, they can have those debts wiped free. Provided of course, they can survive his house of horrors since he has spooky traps and surprises set up for the kids and well… this segment of the story is really about the monster that is man. Since Gideon scares those poor kids to near death with glee. That is until a real collection of monsters shows up to provide a little karmic justice, the kind that puts Gideon in the hell he belongs in, and of course… allows for the town to finally be free of Gideon’s shackles by giving the bravest kid in town all the paperwork… and a cash bonus.
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Which is just… a wonderful story through and through. One that feels realistic in nature and really is creepy for certain. Because the jump scares here, work, and the addition of the witch and the other monsters here, combined with the visuals that present them… creates an air of horror that one would have only found at the movies back in ’83 and the wonder of this story doesn’t end there. Because Gideon and this town… are in many ways… commentary on the wealth inequality that was beginning to brew back in 1983 and of course runs rampant now and watching a rich guy toy with and tease the townsfolk here regarding money and debt, really does feel akin to the games that rich people play with lives in 2022. Making the commentary here prophetic in nature and incredibly poignant and powerful. 

But what is truly impressive about this particular episode, is that despite being thirty-nine years old and looking a little rough on DVD because of time and how the source material was recorded … it holds up incredibly well visually and structure wise. In fact, a 4k remaster would likely allow for this story to hold up today on air and be lauded as a beautiful throwback to the era. Not to mention, it also carries some powerful nostalgia. For anyone who rewatches this episode, that grew up watching this show in the 1980s on a Saturday Night in their jammies… will be taken back to that very moment and feel the wonder of the show wash over them again, and hopefully, that feeling stays with this writer in the days and weeks ahead… as we dive into every last episode of this stunning horror series. One that laid down the foundation for horror to become as mainstream as it is, right now. Until next time, try to enjoy the daylight.

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