Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982) Review

After the disappointment of Halloween II, in 1982 the franchise went in an entirely different direction with Halloween III: Season of the Witch. No Michael Myers prowling the streets of Haddonfield, no Laurie Strode and no Dr. Loomis desperately trying to convince all that evil was walking amongst them.

Instead, we got something completely different.

And you know what? I bloody well enjoyed it.

The original idea behind the Halloween franchise was to branch out into an anthology series, with each instalment telling a completely different horror story surrounding Halloween itself. It’s an interesting concept that I personally would have loved to have seen develop, as the possibilities really are endless.

Of course, I don’t think audiences were quite ready for it.

After two films featuring Michael Myers, they had developed an association between the Halloween name and the Shape. They wanted to see yet another masked killer stalking babysitters, and when Halloween III came along without it, the film was fighting an uphill battle.

Which is a shame, because there was a truly excellent horror film hiding in there.

Directed by Tommy Lee Wallace, Halloween III follows Dr. Daniel Challis, superbly played by Tom Atkins, as he uncovers a sinister mystery involving the Silver Shamrock Novelties company and some extremely disturbing Halloween masks.

What I really enjoyed about Atkins’ performance was that Challis wasn’t your typical horror hero. He wasn’t some unstoppable force who could fight off any foe. He was an ordinary bloke who got caught up in something far far worse.

And that made him likeable.

Atkins has always been a fantastic screen presence, and he brings that same likeability to this film. You want to see Challis investigate further, even as the situation becomes increasingly unhinged.

Then there’s the Silver Shamrock themselves.

A mysterious company that produces Halloween masks might not sound particularly frightening, but Wallace manages to weave a truly evil story involving the masks that takes the whole thing to a whole new level.

The three masks – a pumpkin, a skull and a witch – are all beautifully creepy designs. They’re all simple yet instantly identifiable, and I honestly believe that, given the chance, they could have become iconic symbols of the franchise.

And once you’ve discovered what’s inside them, the whole thing takes a particularly nasty turn.

Spoilers ahead.

The twist that the Silver Shamrock is using fragments of Stonehenge within microchips to activate the masks through a television broadcast is wonderful madness. Ancient Celtic mythology, sinister technology and a plan to sacrifice children on Halloween night…

It’s so bizarre, but somehow it all fits.

And then we get the test room sequence.

Fuck me.

Watching that young boy put on that pumpkin mask before the television signal activates is one of the most horrible sequences in the entire franchise.

The mask begins to cave in, and suddenly snakes and insects are wriggling out of the remains of his head.

It’s absolutely disgusting.

Something about this scene stays with you long after the film has finished, because the visuals are so horribly imaginative and the clinical presentation of it all adds to the effect. It really gives me the heebie-jeebies.

And on the subject of things which stay with you, let’s talk about the music.

John Carpenter and Alan Howarth provide another wonderful electronic score which sets an appropriately sinister atmosphere from the off. But it’s the Silver Shamrock advertisement that really gets under your skin.

You know the one.

The countdown. The irritatingly happy tune. The relentless repetition.

Once you’ve heard it, it lives rent-free inside your head forever, and no matter how hard you try, you just can’t rid yourself of that bloody jingle.

It’s a brilliant piece of marketing, not just for the film itself, but also for the horror genre. Something seemingly innocent and nice becomes associated with something utterly monstrous.

Another aspect that really stood out to me was Cochran’s army of android henchmen.

These guys are creepy as hell.

They drive around in their little black cars, coming to the aid of Cochran whenever somebody gets too close to uncovering his plan. They almost seem like hitmen, but there’s something about them that’s even more terrifying.

They’re emotionless, unmoved, utterly determined to complete their mission no matter what.

And that reminded me of somebody.

Michael Myers.

Think about it. The silent movements, emotionless expressions and sheer determination to kill everybody who gets in his way. There’s something distinctly Michael Myers-like about these androids.

And that got me wondering about what the potential could have been if the filmmakers had continued exploring this mythology.

If Michael Myers had somehow been linked to Silver Shamrock…

Imagine discovering that Michael wasn’t simply a man who snapped and began killing people, but some sort of creation of the company. Maybe even an android wearing one of their masks.

Now, I’m not saying that was ever the filmmakers’ intention, but it was a direction I think could have been interesting.

And considering that the franchise eventually incorporated the Cult of Thorn mythology, I wonder how the ancient Celtic elements of Halloween III could have influenced an entirely different storyline.

There’s so much potential there, but instead we’re left wondering what could have been.

And that’s what I find so frustrating about this anthology concept being abandoned. Halloween III proved that the franchise didn’t have to keep returning to the same characters. It could explore all sorts of different terrors.

And Tommy Lee Wallace should be greatly applauded for making it work.

For me, his direction is a vast improvement on Rick Rosenthal’s work on Halloween II. Wallace delivers a genuinely unsettling atmosphere, a good mystery and some moments that are far more horrifying than your average slasher movie.

It’s a shame he never got the chance to direct a proper Michael Myers movie, because I honestly believe he could have delivered something special with the Shape.

And let’s talk about the ending.

Because I absolutely loved it.

Rather than wrapping everything up with the villain defeated and the world saved, Season of the Witch leaves us with Challis desperately trying to stop the Silver Shamrock television broadcast. He’s managed to interfere with the plan, but he can’t be certain he’s stopped it completely.

As the broadcast reaches its climax, Challis screams for somebody to shut it down.

And then the film ends.

No happy resolution. No comfort that everything is going to turn out fine.

Just the horrible possibility that Cochran’s plan may still succeed.

I love an ending that doesn’t feel the need to explain everything or offer the audience a comforting conclusion. I think it’s far more effective this way, leaving you to wonder what exactly happened next.

Halloween III: Season of the Witch is a film that should be judged on the basis of what it was, rather than what audiences expected it to be. Tom Atkins delivers a wonderful performance as the likeable Dr. Challis, Tommy Lee Wallace guides the film expertly and the Silver Shamrock storyline provides a horrific mix of mythology, science fiction and straight-up horror.

The masks are memorable, the androids are truly creepy, the test room sequence is unforgettable and the music will probably haunt me for the rest of my bloody life. And most importantly, it proved just how much potential there was in an anthology series.

Unfortunately, audiences wanted Michael Myers back, and that’s precisely what they eventually got.

But I can’t help wondering what other stories we could have seen had Carpenter’s original vision been realised.

Halloween III didn’t need Michael Myers to deliver a good horror movie. It proved Halloween itself could be scary enough.