BritFlicks' Stuart Wright spoke with THE TERROR OF HALLOWS EVE director Todd Tucker on the BritFlicks Podcast.
Special FX wiz Todd Tucker (Illusion Industries) not only made a horror film that let him play with all of the tools in his toolbox, with The Terror Of Hallow’s Eve (TTOHE) he also got to throw in an act 1 which is largely autobiographical.
He was that kid with a hard working single parent mom. He was that teenager with a crush on the girl serving in the shop where he bought his Fangoria. Finally, he was that teen who couldn’t back down when picked on by the older boys and got a good beating for his principles. He didn’t find a magical pumpkin on his way home like Tim (Caleb Thomas) in the film and he didn’t wish to scare them to death when he summoned ‘The Trickster’.
Todd Tucker talks about THE TERROR OF HALLOWS EVE on the BritFlicks Podcast.
Emboldened by his supernatural friend he lures the bullies and the girl from the shop back to his house where in true monkey’s paw traditions the wish fulfilment comes at a great cost to Tim’s sanity as his home becomes a surreal wonderland and the venue for an out of control killing spree. Only when it’s too late does he try to change the Trickster’s mind, but it doesn’t work like that. Everyone in the wish has to die.
Set in the 80s there’s a lot of heart felt charm to Hallow’s Eve. True to the period, Tucker uses mainly practical SFX for the abundance of creatures and marionettes on display. ‘The Trickster’ in particular is a fantastical creation with subtle VFX used to add those finishing touches that obtusely bring the mischievous evil one to life alongside Doug Jones’s seamless performance.
Hallow’s Eve is a fun watch with inventive, gruesome moments as the supposed bad guys get their comeuppance. “I only wanted to scare them” pleads Tim. There’s surprising turns in the finale so don’t go expecting a happy, cutesy ending where our hero gets the girl.
THE TERROR OF HALLOWS EVE is available now on Digital courtesy of FrightFest Presents.
