Film Society x The Student: “Halloween III”

The beauty of John Carpenter’s 1978 classic, “Halloween,” lies in its simplicity. From title to style to premise, the film thrives on the idea that less is more. It’s as streamlined as a horror movie can be: A killer is out on the loose, terrorizing a neighborhood, and one girl has to try to survive. The main antagonist, Michael Myers, is just a guy with a knife who likes to kill people, nothing more.

The creators opted for the same approach with the 1981 sequel, “Halloween II,” written by Carpenter but directed by Rick Rosenthal, then a Hollywood newcomer. “Halloween II” does not just closely echo the original — it takes place on the exact same night, picking up right where the first film ends and continuing Michael Myers’ relentless hunt for Laurie Strode.

This is the trap that befalls the sequels of many iconic films. Desperate to recapture the lightning in a bottle that was the original, the creators choose to simply replicate everything. It’s difficult to identify exactly what it was that made the original so great, so by simply doing it all over again, it stands to reason that what will be produced must be just as good. Almost invariably, however, the final product is a hollow replica. The pieces are there, but something is missing.

Regardless of the film’s mixed critical reception, it was a box office success. This was the beginning of what the “Halloween” franchise would end up becoming — an endless stream of the same movie over and over again, milking every last dollar out of Michael Myers. Before arriving at this inevitable destiny, however, there was one stop along the way. Carpenter had a different idea. Instead of continuing the story further, what if “Halloween” was an anthology series, in which each film depicted some horrifying event that happened on Halloween?

Staying on as producer and composer, Carpenter recruited Tommy Lee Wallace to write and direct “Halloween III: Season of the Witch.” Not only is “Halloween III” an independent story completely unrelated to any of the other “Halloween” films, but it is actively antithetical to everything that made the original so great. It’s a complete 180, a middle finger to those who wanted another stripped-down slasher. Before describing any of the events of the film, I must encourage any readers who have not seen it to watch “Halloween III” first and come back. It is best experienced blind.

“Halloween III: Season of the Witch” follows Daniel Challis, a doctor who witnesses an inexplicable murder-suicide, and is thrust into a mystery to get to the bottom of it. His investigation leads him to Santa Mira, California, home of the nefarious Silver Shamrock Halloween mask company. Soon, he discovers that the factory owner, Conal Cochran, is plotting a scheme in which he broadcasts a catchy jingle on TVs across the world, counting down the days until Halloween. Simultaneously, he sells his trademark Halloween masks, which, unbeknownst to its owners, are loaded with a stolen piece of Stonehenge — which on Halloween day, will respond to the final television jingle in order to melt the heads of all the children wearing the masks and turn them into a pile of bugs and snakes. He also worships the powers of witchcraft and controls an army of robots.

If that sounds absolutely insane, it’s because it is. The experience of watching “Halloween III” and seeing the plot become progressively more convoluted is like nothing else.

Despite its absurdity, however, the film is very intentional. The plotting is something of a marvel. Even the most insane turns are set up from the beginning. As Dr. Challis wakes up in the morning near the start of the film, a news program reports that a piece of Stonehenge has been stolen. The jingle plays far more times than one can count before its purpose is revealed.

“Halloween III” is also filled with a surprising amount of social commentary. Perhaps most striking is the film’s attack on Irish people. The plot centers around an evil Irish corporation named “Silver Shamrock” that aims to overtake the world. Every Irish person is portrayed as two-faced, duplicitous, power-hungry, and malevolent. There is no motivation given whatsoever for why Cochran, the factory’s owner, wants to murder all children in the world. Irish people, the film implies, are simply like that. If it came out 100 years earlier, it would be deeply problematic. Today, however, the virulent anti-Irish racism reads as absurd rather than hateful.

On a slightly more serious note, “Halloween III” is also a critique of television. The catchy jingle reflects the attention-grabbing tendencies of TV, and it's not hard to imagine what the filmmakers were implying when they had children’s brains literally melt as they watched. Throw in some vague anti-capitalism, and you have a riveting social critique.

More than anything, however, “Halloween III” is a beautiful tribute to Halloween itself. While the holiday is simply a backdrop for most of the franchise, in this film, it is front and center. It is key to the plot and constantly referenced in the dialogue. But it goes beyond the fear and paranoia of the October holiday, also capturing its silliness.

After all, isn’t it a little ridiculous that we all put on masks, dress up, and go around begging for candy? “Halloween III” gets that. There are some genuine scares and moments of real tension, such as the thrilling opening, but most of it reflects how goofy Halloween is. It serves as a better homage to the holiday than almost anything else because of it. As Oct. 31 approaches, there is no film I would recommend more highly for the big day.

Understandably, however, “Halloween III” was a flop at the box office. Audience members left with two key questions: “What the hell did I just watch?” and “Where was Michael Myers?” After the poor reception, the anthology idea was dropped, and the next film was titled “Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers” so there could be no doubt that the franchise had gone back to its roots.

Today, there are 13 films in the “Halloween” series. “Halloween III: Season of the Witch” stands out like a sore thumb in the lineup, the only installment that neither features Michael Myers nor connects in any way with the rest of the series. It is also by far the best “Halloween” film, and certainly the most memorable. Wallace surpasses Carpenter by stepping out of the original film’s shadow and ignoring it entirely, opting instead for his own wholly unique and extravagant adventure. It is truly a film unlike any other, and the fact that it’s slapped in the middle of an otherwise samey franchise makes it all the more special.