Is Sam from Trick ‘r Treat a horror film icon?

Halloween season starts for me as soon as Labor Day is over in September. This gives me a full two months to enjoy the atmospheric change when culture and media changes from boogie boards and punching guidettes in the face to beautiful walks in the foliage and pumpkin spice everything…and the horror culture uprising, you can’t forget that. My store has already been selling candy corn, orange Oreos, and Halloween decorations for the last week and a half, but in just a short amount of time you will be met with an onslaught of Halloween themed merchandise and an avalanche of horror films on DVD. It’s inevitable that you’ll be greeted by the likes of Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger, Chucky, Leatherface, Pinhead, Jigsaw, Ghostface…and…Sam?

In 2007 an independent anthology film titled Trick ‘r Treat was released by Little Sam Films in conjunction with Warner Home Videos. The awesome movie was written and directed by Michael Dougherty, most known his previous screenplays X-Men II (2003) and Urban Legends: Bloody Mary (2005). Through a series of interwoven vignettes, Dougherty was able to capture the essence of Halloween in a way that viewers hadn’t seen for a very long time. Actors appearing in Trick ‘r Treat include 3x Emmy Nominee Dylan Baker (“Kings,” “Damages,” “The Good Wife”), Rochelle Aytes (“The Forgotten,” “Desperate Housewives,” “Mistresses”), Lauren Lee Smith (“Mutant X,” “The L Word,” “CSI”), Tahmoh Penikett (“Battlestar Galactica,” “Dollhouse,” “Supernatural”), Jean-Luc Bilodeau (“Kyle XY,” “R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour,” “Baby Daddy”), Golden Globe Nominee Brian Cox (“Deadwood,” “Kings,” “The Straits”), Leslie Bibb (“Popular,” “Crossing Jordan,” “The Following”), and Oscar Winner Anna Paquin (The Piano, X-Men, Scream 4). Out of all the actors listed, none of them – not even “True Blood” leading lady Anna Paquin – were the breakout star. That credit goes to somewhat unknown actor named Quinn Lord for his role as Sam.

Sam is first introduced to viewers in Dougherty’s 1996 short film, Season’s Greetings. Sam is about the height of an 8-year-old child, and he walks around on Halloween night donning orange footie pajamas and a burlap sack over his head with buttons for eyes. He wasn’t seen again until the release of Trick ‘r Treat in 2007. This time, Sam seems to be the patrol man of Halloween night, his only goal to punish those who disobey the rules of Halloween. He’s seen cutting a woman into pieces for blowing out her jack o’lantern before midnight and tormenting and attacking a non-candy giver with a sharpened lollipop.

And, for some reason, the character of Sam in Trick ‘r Treat has become somewhat of a phenomenon. Is it because he’s adorable? He is that. Is it because he’s deadly? He is that. Is it because he has a multitude of untapped super powers we haven’t seen yet? He has that, too. Really, I think the reason he has become such a hit among horror fans is because he is the “caped crusader” for Halloween, the one holiday out of the whole year that is entirely dedicated to us. He’s more of a friend to us, the horror fans, than something to be feared. So we have no choice but to love him. By typing #trickrtreat into any social media search engine you’ll get a multitude of Sam merchandise. Typing it into Instagram yields the following results: paintings, candy, dolls, ice pops, memes, buttons, stickers, drawings, screen grabs, posters, action figures, statues, pillows, and even tattoos! And, you know as well as I do, you always see someone dressed as Sam at every horror film convention! The fact that a whole product line has been developed in support of Sam shows the love horror fans hold for the little guy.

But is he a horror film icon?

There’s no doubt that he’s loved by many in our community. The feety pajama killer has a certain charm about him, an infantile cuteness and devilish innocence. It’s also fair to say that his product line is just as expansive and evolving as any other horror character.

But is he on the same level as Michael, Jason, Freddy, Leatherface, Pinhead, Chucky, Ghostface, and Jigsaw?

As much as some people won’t like me to say it, the character of Sam in Trick ‘r Treat has accomplished just as much as any horror villain, but in half the time. Trick ‘r Treat was released only seven years ago, but it came out during a time where media and media sharing were beginning to evolve and meet the needs of viewers at lightning speed. Trick ‘r Treat is much more available now in 2014 than when Halloween (1978), Friday the 13th (1980), and A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) were released. If you’re not a fan of going to the theater, now you can rent movies on about every media provider – DVD player, Blu-Ray player, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Kindle Fire, iPad, Amazon Instant Video, Youtube, etc. Back when the icons of fright were delivered to the masses, it was only available in theaters and on VHS. Also, the use of social media and the internet have helped catapult Sam to super stardom. Within minutes thousands of people can discover him on sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Word of mouth is one of the strongest deciders in Hollywood, and in this instance I think it has certainly helped.

So, what is my opinion? Do I think Sam is a horror film icon? Yes, and no. As with any other group, there are always tiers and hierarchies. The easiest way for me to explain my thoughts on Sam and his importance as an icon is best described democratically. Look at it this way… If horror’s greatest men were running the White House… Michael, Jason, and Freddy would be president. Leatherface, Pinhead, and Chucky would be the vice presidents. Ghostface, Jigsaw, The Ring Girl/Grudge Boy, and Sam would be the secretaries. Basically, I consider Sam to be a Halloween legend, a horror film icon, but he’s on the lowest level of the tier. What is really going to set him apart from the pack and make him stand on his own as a benefited star is the passage of time. Will people still love and follow Sam twenty years from now? If that is accomplished, then I think he’ll move up into one of the best tiers one can reach. Only time will tell.

However, in October 2013, director Michael Dougherty and Legendary Pictures announced that a Trick ‘r Treat sequel is in the works. It’s not in production yet, so we’re still looking at 2016 release date. It will be particularly interesting to see if Sam is still so loved in a sequel, just as much as Michael and the gang were when half a dozen or more sequels were released through the 80s and 90s.

What are your thoughts on this article? Do you think that Sam is a horror film icon? Comment on this article, on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram and let me know your thoughts! Positive, negative – all are welcome!