Movies
‘Trick ‘r Treat’: Unearthing The Classic’s Hidden Easter Eggs
Recently, Variety ranked Trick ‘r Treat number three in the 21 Best Halloween Movies Ever – only topped by Hocus Pocus and Halloween (1978).
It’s interesting, though, given that the movie initially flopped upon release. Over the years, the film and its lollipop-wielding icon, Sam, have picked up a cult following, whose fans have since helped skyrocket it to the level of popularity we see today.
It’s nice to see the movie getting mainstream recognition. Trick ‘r Treat is a Halloween staple in my household, and our small, murderous friend Sam makes me ecstatic every time I see him. He’s so precious.
Plus, the interwoven stories and comic-style horror are reminiscent of the classics like Tales from the Crypt, Cat’s Eye, and Creepshow – while the setting and character design make it all feel like Halloween night. It’s easy to see why Trick ‘r Treat is now a Halloween classic to even large media outlets like Variety.
However, with so much greatness going on, picking up on every detail the film offers can be challenging. Several Easter eggs in Trick ‘r Treat go unseen by many viewers, so let’s dive in.
Recently, Variety ranked Trick ‘r Treat number three in the 21 Best Halloween Movies Ever – only topped by Hocus Pocus and Halloween (1978).
It’s interesting, though, given that the movie initially flopped upon release. Over the years, the film and its lollipop-wielding icon, Sam, have picked up a cult following, whose fans have since helped skyrocket it to the level of popularity we see today.
It’s nice to see the movie getting mainstream recognition. Trick ‘r Treat is a Halloween staple in my household, and our small, murderous friend Sam makes me ecstatic every time I see him. He’s so precious.
Plus, the interwoven stories and comic-style horror are reminiscent of the classics like Tales from the Crypt, Cat’s Eye, and Creepshow – while the setting and character design make it all feel like Halloween night. It’s easy to see why Trick ‘r Treat is now a Halloween classic to even large media outlets like Variety.
However, with so much greatness going on, picking up on every detail the film offers can be challenging. Several Easter eggs in Trick ‘r Treat go unseen by many viewers, so let’s dive in.
Hidden Details in Trick ‘r Treat
Halloween Through the Years
Each story in the film depicts how different age groups experience the holiday, effectively representing a lifetime of Halloween.
- Billy Wilkins shows us Halloween during young childhood, where we’re guided by our parents and follow family Halloween traditions.
- The next age group, our “UNICEF” trick-or-treaters, are examples of trick-or-treating with friends when we first gain independence during the tween and teen years.
- Little Red Riding Hood takes us to a little more grown-up Halloween, where young adults party and try to find themselves.
- Meanwhile, people like Mrs. Henderson, Principal Steven Wilkins, and our ‘Opening’ sequence couple (Emma and Henry) exemplify Halloween in our prime adult years. The parties are still happening for some, but now it’s also about the kids and handing out candy – and we’re all slightly angry.
- All culminating in old age and the end via Mr. Kreeg, the bus driver.
Kreeg, you may remember, after going toe to toe with Sam for a couple of rounds, eventually succumbed to the vengeful spirits of the Halloween School Bus Massacre. Mr. Kreeg must have sensed his fate for years, as his door has eight locks – one for each of the eight children he helped murder.
Quinn Lord’s Appearance in Trick ‘r Treat
Quinn Lord was only seven when he starred in Trick ‘r Treat as Sam. In the film, he made an additional, minor appearance as the boy with the lollipop in the dressing room scene.
Horror Movie References in Trick ‘r Treat
Viewers can spot numerous classic horror icons throughout the film through prop placement and costume design.
Kreeg, the bus driver, looks awfully like John Carpenter and this was done absolutely on purpose. In fact, in an interview with Collider, Michael Dougherty revealed that Brian Cox, the actor behind Mr. Kreeg, said:
“I have one request. I wanna look like John Carpenter.”
Brian Cox’s appearance was only one of many references to John Carpenter and his works. For example:
- When the children emerge from the fog during the Halloween School Bus Massacre segment, the shot is reminiscent of one from John Carpenter’s The Fog.
- Additionally, when Kreeg sees Sam’s severed hand moving, his remark is the same one Palmer had when the head crawled off in The Thing: “You gotta be fucking kidding.”
It’s arguable whether the crawling severed hand references Evil Dead 2; however, the scene where Sam slices Kreeg’s Achilles’ tendon is undoubtedly a Pet Sematary reference. This iconic attack move is not the only reference to King, as the iconic 1958 Plymouth Fury, better known as Christine, can be spotted on the street.
You can find more movie references in Trick ‘r Treat in characters’ costumes, such as Billy Wilkins, who dressed as Chucky. Speaking of the Wilkins family, did you catch all the details in Principal Wilkins’ storyline?
Principal Steven Wilkins’ Sinister Halloween Night
Since we see Steven Wilkins’ story unfold in various nonlinear scenes throughout the film, it can be easy to lose track. So, let’s review.
Principal Wilkins started his Halloween night by handing out candy. He gave a chocolate bar to our pal Sam, who used it later as a weapon against Kreeg. It was a formidable weapon because of the razor inside – indicating that Wilkins was putting razor blades in the candy.
Of course, this is unsurprising, as in our first few moments of meeting Wilkins, we also watched him poison and murder a child. After grappling with the body in the yard for a time, he returns inside to carve a man-o’lantern with his son.
Later, a man with a mask and vampire fangs exsanguinates a young girl in an alleyway. The same vampire follows our Red Riding Hood to the werewolf bonfire, intending to make her his next victim. After he attacks her, Red Riding Hood is finally ready to tap into her werewolf roots.
These events lead to the ultimate reveal that those are fake fangs, and the seeming “vampire” was just Steven Wilkins in costume. He died, undoubtedly shitting his pants as he watched the girl who was supposed to be his victim transform into a werewolf and devour him. A fitting end. But did you notice that Wilkins wasn’t the only character we knew who became werewolf lunch?
Coach Taylor’s Wild Night in a Hotdog Costume
A small side story that often goes unnoticed in Trick ‘r Treat is the adventure of Coach Taylor. While at one door, one of our trick-or-treaters lamented that Coach Taylor was in a hotdog costume getting busy with somebody in a pig costume. He was quite the partier, as you can also spot his costume on the ground at the werewolf bonfire.
Michael Dougherty put tremendous effort into making Trick ‘r Treat the Halloween classic it’s become. By paying homage to some of the great horror that’s come before it while serving us a multitude of interwoven storylines in a setting that bleeds Halloween, Trick’r Treat is one of the greatest Halloween movies of all time. Did you pick up on these hidden details in Trick’r Treat? Are there any we missed? Sound off on social media or in the comments below!
The Best Movies to Stream on Shudder This Month
Tragedy Girls (2017)
A dark, comedic, high school romp about best friends gaining internet clout through murder. It may feel dated due to its use of Twitter rather than X, but it adds charm and reminds us of a simpler internet age. Brianna Hildebrand and Alexandra Shipp deliver devilishly fun performances, and their slasher personas are heavily under-appreciated in the horror community. There are lots of familiar faces here, including Josh Hutcherson, Jack Quaid, Craig Robinson, and not to mention the director, Tyler MacIntyre, who went on to be one of the writers for Five Nights at Freddy’s (2023).
Seance (2021)
This Is Not a Test (2025)
School’s Out (2018)
Graduation Day (1981)
One of my absolute favorite things to do when I’m on vacation is to visit horror filming locations. Wherever you happen to be going, odds are that at least one horror project was filmed there at some point. There’s something magical about seeing the places that helped bring iconic scary stories to life on the big and small screens.
However, some locations are better than others. A lot of them (like the original A Nightmare on Elm Street house, Stu’s house from Scream, and the schoolhouse from The Birds) are private property and aren’t always owned by people who are particularly happy to have horror fans milling around out front. Others (like the schools from Buffy, Elm Street, and many other teen horror titles) are active educational institutions that don’t welcome strange visitors.
But I’m here to deliver a guide to some of the coolest horror filming locations in North America that give you that magical vibe without somebody calling 9-1-1 on you. Because the best things in life are free, so are all the locations on this list.
The Bridge from A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Location: Linnie Canal Ct. Los Angeles, CA 9029, USA
The bridge where Glen (Johnny Depp) and Nancy (Heather Langenkamp) discuss the Balinese method of dreaming is nowhere near the movie’s fictional town of Springwood, Ohio. It’s actually one of the bridges over the human-made canals in Venice, California. Specifically, it’s the bridge over the Eastern canal that connects to Linnie Ct. It’s totally free to visit, and once you’re done taking photos and quoting “I’m into survival” to your heart’s content, you’re still in Venice. Not a bad place to be!
The Movie Theater from Scream 2 (1997)
Location: Rialto Theatre, 1019-1023 Fair Oaks Ave. South Pasadena, CA, 91030 USA
Although the majority of the campus scenes in the college-set slasher sequel Scream 2 were filmed at Agnes Scott College in Georgia, a lot of the school’s surrounding environs were filmed closer to Hollywood, in sunny Pasadena. While the movie theater where poor Phil (Omar Epps) and Maureen (Jada Pinkett Smith) are killed in the movie’s prologue is no longer an operating cinema and you can’t go inside (the building has been taken over by a church), the exterior has been well preserved and looks more or less exactly the way it did in the late 1990s.
This horror filming location is also just an 11 minute drive from the street where the film’s famous car crash sequence was shot, which is part of Green Street between South Los Robles Avenue and Madison Avenue in Pasadena.
The Myers House from Halloween (1978)
Location: 1000 Mission St, South Pasadena, CA 91030, USA
Although the building has been moved from its original location, it was rebuilt to look exactly the way it does when young Michael Myers is stalking his way around it in the iconic opening sequence of Halloween. There is a business operating out of the building, so don’t bother them or try to get inside (the interiors aren’t the same, anyway). But at this point, they’re very used to people doing photo ops out front. If you find yourself in Pasadena on October 31, it’s a can’t-miss destination, as a nonstop torrent of cosplayers swarm the area.
Other free Halloween locations in South Pasadena include the exterior of the hardware store where Michael gets his mask (right around the corner at 966 Mission St – it’s now the Radhika Modern Indian restaurant) and the famous hedge he hides behind when stalking Laurie Strode (just one mile away, at 1019 Montrose Ave S).
Brennan’s Tip: If you do have money to burn, check out the SugarMynt Gallery next door, which is chock full of horror-themed artwork. Also grab a snack at the Heirloom Bakery across the street! They’ve got all kinds of great treats (I even had them do the desserts for my wedding), and you can enjoy them on the outdoor patio with the Myers house looming over you.
The Town Square from Scream (1996)
Location: Healdsburg Town Square, Healdsburg, CA 95448, USA
Scream was filmed in and around Sonoma County, but the core town playing Woodsboro was the real-life wine country borough of Healdsburg. The town square, complete with fountain, is still there, and surrounded by cute shops and restaurants. You can also find the police station exterior where Sidney punches out Gale at Oakville Grocery (124 Matheson Street) nearby, but it has changed enough to be barely recognizable at this point.
Derry from It (2017), It: Chapter Two (2019), and It: Welcome to Derry (2025-)
Location: Port Hope, Ontario L1A 2Y7, Canada
The majority of the important locations in It and Welcome to Derry’s fictional town of Derry, Maine are all located along the main road of Port Hope, including the movie theater (Capitol Theatre on 20 Queen St), the library (Port Hope Town Hall, 56 Queen St), the park with the bandshell, and the alleyway outside the butcher shop, which still has the door painted with the faux sign from the movie.
Brennan’s Tip: Check out the river that runs parallel to the main street. When I went, there were hundreds of fish making their way upstream for spawning. Multiple species do this in Port Hope, in various seasons, so you never know if you’ll get lucky.
The University from Black Christmas (1974)
Location: Soldiers’ Tower at the University of Toronto, Hart House Cir, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H7, Canada
The college from the 1974 proto-slasher Black Christmas is played by the real-life University of Toronto, with the most notable area being the plaza outside Soldiers’ Tower, where Clare’s dad is seen waiting for his ill-fated daughter.
Brennan’s Tip: If you’re a huge Killer Party (1986) fan like I am, the Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada building (25 Spadina Rd), which plays the haunted frat house, is just a short walk away.
Abe’s Snake Bodega from Scream VI (2023)
Location: Dépanneur St.Ambroise, 5701 Sherbrooke St W, Montreal, QC H4A 1W9, Canada
Our next horror filming location is of a more recent vintage, but it’s an instant classic: the “New York City” bodega in which Ghostface hunts down Sam (Melissa Barrera) and Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega) in Scream VI. Both the exterior and the interior of the shop were used for filming, though they changed a great deal of the inside to make it look more New York-y. You don’t have to pay to visit, but if you want to do a photo op posing like Ghostface at the end of the row of refrigerator cases, you might as well buy a soda on your way out as a thank you.
Other worthwhile free Scream VI filming locations in the area are the campus of Blackmore University (McGill University at 845 Sherbrooke St W), and “Central Park” (Parc La Fontaine, 3819 Av. Calixa-Lavallée).
Crawford Academy from Happy Birthday to Me (1981)
Location: Concordia University – Loyola Campus, 7141 Sherbrooke St W, Montreal, Quebec H4B 1R6, Canada
The fictional high school from this classic Canadian slasher was played by the real-life Concordia University (except for the opening kill scene, which was shot around Douglass Hall at McGill University). It’s a relatively small campus, so you can’t miss the grand brick buildings, which look exactly the same now as they did 45 years ago, though the quad has been relandscaped.
The Steps from The Exorcist (1973)
Location: Corner of Prospect St and 36th St NW, Georgetown, Washington, D.C., 20007, USA
William Friedkin’s landmark classic The Exorcist is home to one of our most iconic horror filming locations yet. The steps that claim the lives of both Burke Dennings (Jack MacGowran) and Father Karras (Jason Miller) are still there more than 50 years later, and you’ll almost certainly find people exercising on them, as if they aren’t worried that Pazuzu is gonna fling another victim toward them when they least expect it.
While the house from The Exorcist is indeed at the top of the steps (at 3600 Prospect Street), it is more set back than the movie implies (the exterior of Reagan’s window was a facade). But it’s still there, as is the Georgetown campus, where other scenes from the movie were filmed.
The Crystal Shop from Obsession (2026)
Location: The Green Man, 824 N Hollywood Way, Burbank, CA 91505, USA
Our tour of some of the greatest free horror filming locations of North America comes full circle now, bringing us back to Southern California with the most recent movie on the list. Curry Barker’s Obsession was entirely shot in and around Burbank, and the metaphysical supply store The Green Man looks almost exactly like the fictional store from the movie, both inside and out. Just don’t go in hoping to find a display of One Wish Willows.
