Movie Review: Tales from the Darkside, Trick or Treat, Pilot

I have been a huge fan of the Tales From The Darkside series since it first began airing when I was a kid. The first show from the series I ever got the chance to watch was Trick Or Treat, which was the pilot.

Trick Or Treat is about an old rich man named Mr. Hackles. He is the richest man in town, and for good reasons. He owns a shop, and nearly everyone in town borrows money from him at one time or another.

Everyone in town is poor, and Mr. Hackles gives them a chance to rid themselves of his debt, so long as their child can find the hidden iou's that he hides within his haunted house. Every year the house gets even more scary, and every year the children chicken out and run away in fear.

This particular year though, a young boy decides to go to Mr. Hackles haunted house to try and find the iou's. His father does not want him going, but he decided to show up anyway.

While he stands at the door, he watches other children run out in fear. He goes in though, and ends up running out. Meanwhile he was sooo close to finding the slips.

Although the boy didn't find the iou's, he is given something even better, thanks to things that go bump in the night.

My Feelings:
 
What confused me about the flick, was how it ended. I never viewed Mr. Hackles as a bad person, and he surely did not deserve the fate which was brought to him at the end of the movie.

I always figured that when you borrow something from someone, you should give it back. The flick really had no moral value, unless you consider, borrowing from someone and never paying back a moral to live by? Sounds more like leeching to me.
 
Mr. Hackles was nice enough to loan the people money, so why is it so wrong to ask for it back?
Although the show lacked in that area, it did play well. The ghouls, (the witch in particular) was downright frightening. The odd ghouls in Mr. Hackles money room reminded me of the devil himself.

I remember fearing this flick when I was a kid, but it definitely was not enough to leave me with nightmares, seeing how the ghouls didn't plan on harming children. Just greedy old men.

Overall:
 
Tales From The Darkside, Trick Or Treat, is still, and most likely always be one of those flicks that I will pop into my player every year during Halloween.