Halloween III: Season of the Witch

HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH

The only film in the Halloween franchise that does not revolve around the masked killer Michael Myers, Season of the Witch follows a doctor (Dan Challis) as he investigates the murder of one of his patients alongside the victim’s daughter (Ellie).  A gas station attendant brings a rattled individual (Ellie’s father Harry, who clutches a Silver Shamrock brand Halloween mask) to the hospital.  Challis hears the man say “they’re going to kill us all,” and later that night a robotic individual in a business suit shows up and murders him.  A nurse’s screams awaken Challis (who by then is napping in the staff lounge), and he pursues the assassin to the parking lot (where the killer gets into a car, douses himself with gasoline, and sets himself on fire).  Challis encounters Ellie first at the hospital (when she shows up to identify Harry’s body) and later in a bar.  Together they set out to figure out who killed Ellie’s dad and why.  Following their only lead, they head to the Silver Shamrock factory in a small community known as Santa Mira and check into the local motel.  Posing as bulk buyers of masks, they end up on a guided tour of the factory in the company of the Silver Shamrock CEO (Conal Cochran).  Ultimately Challis uncovers a nasty conspiracy involving ancient Celtic magic melded with modern technology and a plan to murder millions of children on Halloween night.  To describe the plot in any greater detail would mean getting into spoilers best experienced by actually watching the film.

Featuring an outstanding score composed and performed by John Carpenter & Alan Howarth, Halloween III (written and directed by Tommy Lee Wallace) is an under-appreciated dark tale with a disturbing finale and some gruesome death scenes peppered throughout.  There’s a tense prologue that runs about nine minutes before the audience meets the protagonist, and in this opening Harry runs for his life while pursued by Silver Shamrock operatives.  While Challis is not an especially memorable lead character, the story itself is quite chilling despite a few flaws (I’m not sure why the antagonist opts to explain much of his plan to Challis instead of just killing him outright).  Season of the Witch (released in 1982) does not feel dated except when characters use pay phones instead of cells.  Frightening and well-shot by director of photography Dean Cundey (who also worked on the first two films in the franchise), Halloween III deserves a serious critical reappraisal in the present day (apparently fans were outraged upon its initial release by the absence of Michael Myers).  It’s a singular and original movie that boldly jeopardizes children (one kid even dies in a disturbing scene), a taboo in modern filmmaking.  I’m delighted that this project is now available on a Blu-ray packed with bonus features (including two commentary tracks), and I’ll likely watch it at least once more this fall.  If you can overlook the “trick” of a Halloween film with no Michael Myers, you’ll be in for a treat.