A Common Complaint Against Halloween III Is Technically Wrong

After the events of 1981’s “Halloween II” saw Michael Myers burn to the ground, producers John Carpenter and Debra Hill wanted to take the series in a bold new direction. Subsequent films under the “Halloween” moniker would be their own horror anthologies, with each installment revolving around the spirit of the season. “Halloween III: Season of the Witch” was ready to launch the following year, but unfortunately, this would be the first and last time the franchise attempted something like this. It’s a shame because the Tommy Lee Wallace-directed film is among the best of the thirteen “Halloween” films, and is even more unique as its own thing.

“Season of the Witch” travels beyond the outskirts of Haddonfield, Illinois, to Santa Mira, California, where the curious Dr. Dan Challis (Tom Atkins) uncovers a sinister plot within the confines of the Silver Shamrock Factory involving Halloween masks, a catchy television tune, and Stonehenge. At the head of this terrible plot is Conal Cochrane (a deliciously evil Dan O’Herlihy), who relishes returning Samhain to its evil roots. There are many reasons to love him, but the public didn’t see him that way. In fact, some people thought that having “Halloween III” as a headliner gave them the impression that Michael would have a role to play, and unfairly shifted their disappointment toward the movie they got when he didn’t show up. But even that Technically incorrect.

About 20 minutes into Season of the Witch, Dr. Challis goes for a drink at a bar. He is upset that cartoons are being shown on TV and asks the waiter to change the station. In doing so, he sees the last few seconds of Carpenter’s “Halloween” promo where Michael can be seen clear as day walking down the stairs.

This is the part of the article where you might feel compelled to throw a rotten pumpkin at this poor writer because it makes you think you missed Michael in the background somewhere. But this will only dirty your screen, and we don’t want that. Am I being a little rude with my assertion? Maybe, but this shows how ridiculous it is to complain about Michael’s absence.

The assertions that calling it “Halloween III” was a bad idea are ironic in hindsight, considering that none of the marketing materials were honest about what kind of movie “Season of the Witch” would be from the beginning. It’s a classic case of focusing on the movie people imagined in their heads versus the movie they got. Funny how this came back again in the same series 40 years later with the wonderful “Halloween Ends”.

What the public left behind was an exotic cooler whose value was always there. The three series have gone from a cult classic within horror circles to an undisputed Halloween staple, with /Film’s Chris Evangelista making a strong case for it being the best sequel to the series. a period. I have an affinity for many sequels that brought everything back to one of the villains of all time, but unfortunately, we missed out on a really great idea.

Since the “Halloween” telecast is sponsored by Silver Shamrock, Michael is, in a strange way, part of their evil plan. There’s even a great moment when “Lori’s Theme” transitions seamlessly into Cochran’s Halloween news.

“Halloween III: Season of the Witch” is currently streaming on Peacock.