Halloween Special: Trick 'r Treat, Hocus Pocus

Happiest of Halloweens from all of us at Cinemavino!  This is a big holiday in the movie world, as it inspires an entire genre in of itself.  Some of these films are great.  Others are so terrible, they end up being wonderful.  Countless others fall somewhere between these two goalposts. For this very special episode of Cinemavino, we take a look at two horror films that split those uprights.  The first is Trick 'r Treat, a cult classic that has slowly gained a huge following.  Structured in a non-linear, Pulp Fiction-style narrative, Trick follows a disparate group of stories, all loosely tethered to a murderous little monster boy with a pumpkin-shaped head.  Brian Cox (Rob Roy, X2) stars as a grouchy, Boo Radley-type neighbor who shoos away trick-or-treaters on Halloween.  Anna Paquin (The Piano, True Blood) plays a timid co-ed with a big ol' secret.  Dylan Baker (Thirteen Days) also pops up as a school teacher with a psychotic streak.  There's a lot more to unpack here, but a lot of the fun of this film is the surprise of seeing horror tropes flipped upside down.  It's on HBOMax, and you won't be sorry for streaming it.  I promise. But wait--there's more!  Part II of this super-sized bonanza is a discussion and dissection of a huge Halloween classic:  Hocus Pocus!  That's right, it's everybody's favorite kiddie horror flick from the 90s.  Bette Midler stars, but you already knew that.  So do Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker, but you also knew that.  We love this movie, and the ensuing conversation gets pretty silly.  Long story short:  We really want to be sponsored by Quizno's, and you can help get the ball rolling with that.  #toastedsubs To get a little sloppy for this episode, we enjoy a little Halloween punch:  Basically, take 500ml of red wine (I used Cabernet), 500ml of vodka (I used Reyka, from Iceland), two liters of cranberry juice, and top it all off with a little sprite (if you like a little fizz).  It may look like blood, but it's real damn delicious.  If you're looking for a strong buzz whilst handing out candy, mix up a little of this recipe. In the meantime, enjoy another spooky episode of Cinemavino!