Halloween is my favorite horror movie. I've probably seen it 25 times. Its innovative camera work, eerie score and terrifying he's-always-watching theme has kept me a fan since I first saw an edited version on TV when I was a kid.
By association then, I'm a Michael Myers fan. I've seen every movie in the franchise (with the exception of the Rob Zombie remake of Halloween II, which I plan to watch soon). And as bizarre and preposterous as the story got toward the end of the run, I remained a fan of the franchise and its star character.
I can not say the same for Halloween III: Season of the Witch. For years, I have told people to steer clear of the non-Michael entry in the Halloween story.
When I was a kid, it was because I just didn't get it. I couldn't figure out how it even qualified as a Halloween movie without Michael Myers, who'd presumably been blown to bits in Halloween II along with Dr. Loomis, who'd sacrificed himself to rid the world of "The Evil."
And then about a year ago I read a quite informative article in Rue Morgue about Halloween III. It revealed some of the thinking behind that entry and also described how the film had become somewhat of a cult hit, gaining a following among a certain segment of Halloween fans who had decided it wasn't all that bad.
And so I decided to revisit Halloween III. I quickly found two things: 1) Despite having seen it a couple of times as a kid, I remembered very little about it, and 2) It's not that bad.
Now don't get me wrong -- it's not that good either. But it isn't the utter failure it was made out to be when it debuted in 1982.
The plot is pretty simple: Evil corporate tycoon Cochran plans to kill America's children in a high-tech Celtic sacrifice via the Silver Shamrock chips embedded in their Halloween masks. The pair who've stumbled onto the secret are out to stop him, but Cochran's soldiers stand in the way.
As for the non-Michael Myers aspect, the movie was intended to launch a new direction in the franchise, whereby a different story would be told each Halloween, with the producers envisioning a near-endless string of movies. But the failure of Halloween III put the franchise into a coma for the next six years, and when it was resurrected, the sure thing -- Michael Myers -- was resurrected with it.
But Halloween III: Season of the Witch deserves a look from fans of the genre and the franchise. It's an entertaining entry, and you can't help but to be left wondering what direction the franchise might have gone if HIII had made more money.
And here are a few more reasons why I like Halloween III:
1) I like Tom Atkins. The star of HIII had been in other horror films and done a lot of TV. And I always liked him in whatever he was in.
2) I love Alan Howarth. The longtime John Carpenter collaborator made a lot of 80s movies. His funky, synth-tone grooves add something special to many horror and sci-fi movies.
3) The kills are cool. There aren't many, but the ones you see are original and gory.
4) Halloween III: Season of the Witch came out in 1982, which might be my favorite year of all the ones I've lived so far. Lots of awesome music and movies came out that year. The Thing, Poltergiest, E.T. and Star Trek II, just to name a few films. And it was an incredible year for horror's musical brother, heavy metal music. Iron Maiden's Number of the Beast, Judas Priest's Screaming for Vengeance, Anvil's Metal on Metal, Scorpions Blackout -- the list of headbanging goodness goes on and on. And TV! Cheers, Knight Rider, Family Ties, Magnum P.I. -- it's hard to beat 1982 for pop culture. So how can you not like the Halloween entry for that year?
Give Halloween III another look, especially if you haven't seen it in a long time. You, too, might revise your opinion.
3.5 stars.
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