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The Last Halloween
Canada 2013
produced by Ron Basch, Marc Roussel, Jessica Menagh, Greg Machula, Mark Thibodeau, John Nicholls for Red Sneakers Media
directed by Marc Roussel
starring Ron Basch, Emily Alatalo, Angela Besharah, Julian Richings, Drew Davis, Zoe Fraser, Brendan Heard, Jake Goodman, Alastair Forbes, Kristina Uranowski, Adrian G. Griffiths, Ali Adatia
screenplay by Marc Roussel, Mark Thibodeau, based on the comicbook by Mark Thibodeau, music by Christopher Guglick, cinematography by Michael Jari Davidson, special effects makeup by The Butcher Shop
short
review by Mike Haberfelner
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It seems like a Halloween like any other: Four kids in spooky outfits
(Drew Davis, Zoe Fraser, Brandan Heard, Jake Goodman) roam the
neighbourhood asking for treats, threatening tricks instead. Sure, it
might be a tad late in day for the kids, and the neighbours all seem a bit
on the creepy side ... but the streets are quiet enough, so nothing out of
the ordinary, right? Well, right only until they arrive at Jack's house,
who has turned his place into a fortress, including surveillance cameras
and everything, and despite all of this, he still clings to his gun as if
his life depended on it. His wife Kate (Emily Alatalo) pleads with him
though to give something to the children and thinks he's paranoid ... but
then again, maybe he isn't, maybe the world has long gone to the dogs and
locking oneself in is all left to oneself in order to stay alive, and
maybe the lovely trick-or-treaters outside are not quite as harmless as
they appear to be ... Macabre little tale that manages to play
with audience expectations just right, revealing the plot's dark
undercurrents only by the by and consequently leading the story into a
totally unexpected direction. This is of course helped by a directorial
effort that for the most part favours atmosphere over spectacle and relies
on a slow but steady buildup, some nice effects for the climax, and very
solid performances by all involved. In all, good fun, really!
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