Halloween III: Season of the Witch
“The movie that tried to kill Halloween.” Or so some would say when Halloween III came out. I admit, I was one of those people who hated the movie because Michael Meyers wasn’t in it. Luckily enough, with age and some wisdom, I’ve come around and I do like and enjoy this movie. That, dare I say it, it’s a good movie. And it has Tom Atkins in it.
Photo Credit: Universal Pictures
Released: Oct 22, 1982
Runtime: 98 mins
Director: Tommy Lee Wallace
Writer: Tommy Lee Wallace, John Carpenter, Nigel Kneale
Actors: Tom Atkins, Stacey Nelkin, Dan O'Herlihy
PLOT
It's almost time, kids. The clock is ticking. Be in front of your TV sets for the Horrorthon, followed by the Big Giveaway. Don't miss it. And don't forget to wear your masks. The clock is ticking. It's almost time.--Commercial Announcer
Silver Shamrock masks are the most popular Halloween masks. Doctor Daniel Challis uncovers a plot by Silver Shamrock owner Conal Cochran to destroy mankind.
MY THOUGHTS
Eight more days 'til Halloween/ Halloween/ Halloween/ Eight more days 'til Halloween/ Silver Shamrock. Eight more days 'til Halloween/ Halloween/ Halloween/ Eight more days 'til Halloween/ Silver Shamrock.--Commercial Announcer
The kill count for Halloween III is a little difficult. I would say roughly 9 “humans” and several other “robots(?)”. But then again, depending on how you interpret the ending of the movie it could be in the millions (depending on how many people had the mask and watched the commercial). So, all are very dependent on your viewpoint. Most are on screen but a couple off screen. I would say Buddy Jr. death was kind of creepy with the bugs coming out of his head and freaking out while watching the commercial with the mask. Harry gets his skull broken in half and poor Teddy gets her head drilled (off screen). Not a lot of blood, and some goop. But there are a lot of bugs. Yuck!
Acting was decent. The henchmen and Ellie (when she’s turned into a robot) played decent zombie like humans. The star of the show is obviously Tom Atkins. He plays womanizer Doctor Daniel Challis who falls into this conspiracy. Yes, I’m a Tom Atkins fangirl, but he still does a good job with this role. Stacey Nelkin plays Ellie pretty decently as well.
Halloween III starts off with an old man, carrying a pumpkin mask, being chased by strange men in suits. He eventually gets away and is hospitalized. Enter Dr. Daniel Challis who treats the man. While the man is alone, one of the suited men comes in and breaks his skull, killing him. Challis chases the man outside only to see the guy douse himself with gasoline and setting himself on fire.
Obviously something strange is going on. The man’s daughter Ellie teams up with Challis and they go to the manufacturing company Silver Shamrock (this was the company that makes the masks he was wearing, and they later find out that this was the last known location he was at.)
Things get weirder when a woman who they meet at the local hotel gets injured, and Conal Cochran, owner of the Silver Shamrock takes her to his company instead of a hotel. The next morning Challis and Ellie go to the company, and with a family there, get a tour of the facility.
By the end of the night they decide to get out of dodge before something happens to them. But, it’s too late. Ellie is taken and Challis ends up back at the company, captured and forced to see what happens to the family they had earlier met. It’s not pretty. In typical evil madman fashion, Conal Cochran lays out all the information he has done and plans on doing. Why do they do this? So stupid. (Yes, I know it helps give us, the viewer, information. But it’s still stupid.)
To wrap up the movie we have a twist with a character, and a very ambiguous ending that can have two dramatic differences: one where Challis saves everyone or the other where he isn’t able to stop the commercial and millions die.
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Overall, if you can get over the fact that Michael Meyers isn’t in the movie, it’s a decent horror movie. Good acting, a good story, and decent effects (for the time). If you haven’t seen Halloween III, go watch it. If you watched it a long time ago, and hated the fact Michael Meyers wasn’t in it, watch it again with an open mind. You might be surprised how good the movie is.
And now for your Forever Final Girl Exclusive…Did you know?:
John Carpenter didn't plan on having Michael Myers in every Halloween movie, only the first. He wanted a different Halloween related story each time. But after the first Halloween was a success, producers forced him to use Myers again. He did, but killed off Myers and Loomis to be done with them. Then he produced Season of the Witch to get back to his original plan. But at that point people were expecting Myers again so it failed. Carpenter then dropped the franchise and sold the rights years later because he wasn't interested in doing more Myers. The new owners then brought Myers and Loomis back in 1988 with no explanation how they survived.
Using the original molds, the skull, witch, and jack-o'-lantern masks seen in the movie were mass-produced by Don Post Studios and sold in retail stores to promote the movie's release.
When Challis fills in the register at the motel office, he scans the list of names for evidence of Ellie's father's stay. Most of the other names on the list are the names of the crew.
The original writer of the story was Nigel Kneale but he sued the producers to take his name off the movie after seeing how violent this was.
Tom Atkins got pneumonia while acting in this movie.
The movie is included on the film critic Roger Ebert's "Most Hated" list.
Michael Myers appears briefly in this movie, on a television advertising the original Halloween. This comes near the beginning when Dan Challis is drinking in a bar.
Actors Tom Atkins who played Dan Challis and Ralph Strait who played Buddy Kupfer were friends in real life. In an interview Tom Atkins says that the actors met up from time to time and shared a drink and would talk about movies and Halloween 3. On July 1st 1992 after meeting at a bar Strait left and sadly suffered a heart attack in his vehicle when returning home . He was 56 years old.
The fluid coming out of the robots' mouths is orange juice concentrate.
Despite the movie ending with ambiguity over whether Dan Challis saved the children by convincing the broadcasting company to stop the commercial, the novelization for "Halloween III: Season of the Witch" by Dennis Etchison makes it very clear in describing that Challis failed. It is described that the endless screams of dying children could be heard 'throughout the station, the town, and the land beyond.'
Jamie Lee Curtis has a cameo by providing the voice over the intercom, informing Santa Mira residents of the 6pm curfew and the voice of the operator that Challis keeps getting when he tries to call out of Santa Mira.
Nancy Kyes, who plays Annie in the original Halloween, plays Dr. Challis' ex-wife and mother of his two children.
Tommy Lee Wallace does the voice of the announcer in the Silver Shamrock commercials and radio spots.
It's time. It's time. Time for the big giveaway. Halloween has come. All you lucky kids with Silver Shamrock masks, gather 'round your TV set, put on your masks and watch. All witches, all skeletons, all Jack-O-Lanterns, gather 'round and watch. Watch the magic pumpkin. Watch…–Commercial Announcer
Have you seen the other Halloween movies? Check out my other reviews here: Halloween Franchise.
Let’s get into the rankings:
Kills/Blood/Gore: 3.5/5
Sex/Nudity: 1.5/5 (Yes, I gave it an extra star because Tom Atkins butt is in it. LOL)
Scare factor: 4/5
Enjoyment factor: 5/5
My Rank: 3.5/5
IMDB: 5/10
Rotten Tomatoes: critics: 4.3/10 audience: 2.7/10
Letterboxd: 3/5